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At Society 54, we believe that belonging is built.
September often brings a renewed sense of focus to organizations. Teams return from summer schedules, onboarding new hires accelerates, and attention shifts to the priorities and relationships that will carry the firm through the remainder of the year.
It also reminds us that belonging doesn’t simply happen. Whether we are welcoming new professionals to a firm, integrating laterals, or bringing colleagues together across practices and offices, people feel connected when we intentionally help them understand who we are, what we value, and how they fit into the larger story.
This month, we’re exploring how belonging, culture, and fit create stronger firms and teams—and sharing a few exciting additions to the Society 54 community.
Your friends and coaches,
Jill Huse, Heather McCullough, Sara Goddard, Emily Hillman, Kara Lamar, Shannon Lanier, Amy Oldiges, Lisa Puvar, Brenna Stackelhouse, Katy von Treskow, and Allie Wilson |
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BELONGING ISN’T AN ACCIDENT: What My Daughter's College Orientation Reminded Me About Organizational Culture
A college orientation is carefully designed to help students feel connected from the moment they arrive. Yet many organizations approach onboarding primarily as an exchange of information.
In her latest article, Heather McCullough considers what professional services firms can learn from the college experience—and why building culture requires more than policies, presentations, and good intentions. |
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| Read the article |
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BUILT TO LAST: Why Firms That Prioritize Fit Make Better Long-Term Partners
Experience, relationships, and business potential all matter when firms recruit laterals—but they are only part of the equation. Long-term success also depends on whether the individual and the firm are genuinely aligned.
In the article, Jill Huse examines why cultural, strategic, and operational fit should be considered from the beginning—and how firms that prioritize fit are more likely to build relationships that last. |
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| Read the article |
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Are you an Outlaw? Meet Bonnelle Martin |
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Bonnelle Martin, Associate Director - Marketing and Brand at Baker Botts, is a legal marketing and brand strategist who enjoys solving complex problems through creativity, technology, and thoughtful communication. Over the course of her career, she has evolved from designer to strategic marketing leader, partnering with attorneys, business professionals, and firm leadership to build brands, launch initiatives, and deliver meaningful client experiences.
Q: What is your idea of happiness?
A: Sharing time in nature with the people I love. Being outdoors helps me decompress and recharge, and it reminds me to keep the day-to-day in perspective and focus on what matters most.
Q: Who is your real-life hero?
A: My mom. I’ve watched her move through life taking on the changes as challenges to always do better, be better.
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| Learn more about Bonnelle |
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Welcome to our newest colleague! |
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Lisa brings more than a decade of proposal management and legal marketing and business development experience to the Society 54 Affiliated Consultants team. She helps clients develop compelling proposals and pursuit strategies that strengthen competitive positioning, highlight differentiators, and support business growth.
Lisa develops tailored proposal content, crafts persuasive executive summaries, and ensures every response aligns with client strengths and competitive differentiators. She delivers high-quality, strategic responses under demanding deadlines. She is also collaborative, accessible, and passionate about the storytelling aspect of proposals and RFPs.
During her time in-house with national and global law firms, Lisa managed complex global panel opportunities and multi-practice bids, maintained experience management platforms, developed website and social media content, prepared award submissions and rankings, conducted competitive intelligence research, and supported practice group growth initiatives.
Lisa lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and two kids. When she's not supporting clients' business development efforts, she enjoys baking with her kids, embarking on road trips, and going for long bike rides.
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| Say "hi" to Lisa! |
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Clues from a Coach |
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MAKE BELONGING PART OF YOUR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Belonging matters in business development, too. Strong relationships are created when people feel remembered, understood, and included—not only when you need something from them.
Your assignment this month: Identify three people in your professional network whom you haven’t contacted recently. Reach out with no immediate ask. Share a useful resource, congratulate them on an accomplishment, make an introduction, or simply check in.
Small, consistent gestures communicate something powerful: You matter. I remember you. You are part of my community.
That is how relationships—and belonging—are built. |
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Stay in the loop on future INform54 updates! |
INform54 Tips and Tricks |
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TURN GOOD INTENTIONS INTO CONSISTENT CONNECTION
As fall routines begin, take a few minutes to review the relationships and opportunities you are tracking in INform54. Look for contacts who have not received a recent touchpoint and schedule one meaningful follow-up for each week this month.
Use your activity tracking to create a simple rhythm:
CONNECT → RECORD → FOLLOW UP → STRENGTHEN
INform54 makes it easier to keep important relationships visible, coordinate outreach across teams, and ensure meaningful connections do not get lost in the demands of everyday work.
LEARN MORE ABOUT INFORM54 - https://inform54.com/ |
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CLASS IS BACK IN SESSION
Fall is a natural time to refocus, reconnect, and invest in what comes next. Whether you are strengthening your culture, welcoming new talent, developing your people, or building more intentional client relationships, Society 54 can help turn your goals into action.
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| Let's talk about how we can work together |
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