Comfort Zone: A Beautiful Place, But Nothing Ever Grows There

Comfort Zone: A Beautiful Place, But Nothing Ever Grows There

Your comfort zone.  This phrase can be used to describe many areas of our lives, both personally and professionally.  It is a place where we are, well, comfortable.  What happens when you get out of your comfort zone?

Magic happens

By attempting something that is “outside your comfort zone,” you are able to grow and, most importantly, learn.  Learn that you are a capable human being, learn that mistakes happen, learn that you are courageous.

I saw this learning process in action personally this summer and it was very obvious to me.  My 18-year-old son, who just graduated from high school, accepted a job as an overnight summer camp counselor.  This is unlike anything he had ever done in his short life.  So the day after his graduation party, with his car packed full of all his summer supplies, he drove off to a new adventure that he had been excited about for weeks.  While I could see anxiety and worry in his face as he left, I chalked it up to all the emotions that came with graduation and parties in the days prior.

Within two hours, I was receiving texts from my son telling me, I can’t do this, this isn’t for me, I don’t fit in, and the words no parent wants to hear, “I’m quitting.”  We exchanged many texts.  Me, trying to convince him things will get better and to stick it out.  Him, vacillating between asking me to bring extra supplies and wanting to quit.  Fortunately, his camp directors have probably encountered this many, many times and they were able to encourage him to stay through the day, and by 10:00 that night, he told me he was staying.

Now, halfway through summer, he is so glad he stuck it out.  He has made new friends from Ohio as well as Australia, New Zealand, England, and South Africa.  He now realizes how this has prepared him to leave for college in the fall.  That, too, will be full of uncertain, new experiences and he is more prepared.

If you stick it out, there can be great things awaiting you.

I have also recently witnessed colleagues stepping outside their comfort zone professionally .  There are court reporters moving from deposition work to court work, adults going back to school for a new career, attorneys changing firms after a long career, and others taking on new committee or association work.  You may find yourself questioning your decision after a few weeks or months into the new commitment.  It’s uncomfortable.  It’s new.  It’s not your comfort zone.

What at first glance appears to be “not for you” may turn out to be the best thing you’ve done.

As a court reporter for 20 years, I didn’t really consider that I would someday be a court reporting firm owner.  However, after much thought, and with a lot of excitement, I became a firm owner two years ago.  I have learned much about myself, about my business, about people – the list goes on.  Most importantly, I am still learning that mistakes are not always a bad thing, as long as I learn something from them.  And, boy, am I learning!

While my son and I were texting that first day at camp, I sent him this image:

Image comfort zone

If you’re considering trying something new, either personally or professionally, I would urge you to overcome your fear, remind yourself that you are capable, and don’t just step – JUMP out of your comfort zone!

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck, RPR, CRR, CCP is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Connect with her on LinkedIn.  You can also follow PRI Court Reporting on Twitter and Facebook.

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Quick Social Media Marketing Tips for Court Reporters

Quick Social Media Marketing Tips for Court Reporters

As court reporters, we typically do not think of ourselves as “salespeople.”  Yes, we try to sell our services at a deposition by offering realtime, rough drafts, and expedites, but we also need to think about marketing ourselves outside of the deposition or courtroom setting.

Social media can be a quick and easy way to let the world know about you and your unique skills and abilities!  Before diving headfirst into the social media world from a professional standpoint, think carefully about what kind of image you want to project.  Remember, how you present yourself can impact advancement of your career, both positively and negatively.  Here are three of the most mainstream apps where you can market yourself:

  1. LinkedIn – this is a great tool to find employment, get endorsements by people you have worked with (possibly leading to referrals), and exchange information with other professionals.  You can expand your reach to other people’s connections by contributing to discussions or starting your own discussions.  Remember, it’s a two-way street, so participate in other discussions if you’d like people to participate in yours.
  2. Facebook – while Facebook tends to be more of a “social” site than a career-building site, you can certainly make a name for yourself professionally on Facebook.  There are countless groups of court reporters sharing information, jobs, referrals, and tips.  Make sure your profile is professional, join some groups, and get involved!
  3. Twitter – in an age of instant information in short blasts, Twitter is a great way to connect.  With only 140 allotted characters per tweet, it forces you to really think about the message you want to convey and to do it succinctly.

You can also connect and get involved with your state court reporting association and the National Court Reporters Association on social media sites.  This is a good way to stay on top of technology and what’s going on in our profession.

Whether you’re currently using social media sites to market yourself or you’d like to get more involved, here are a few tips to ensure you’re putting your best side forward to the professional world.  These small actions will say a lot about you personally and professionally and hopefully lead to more work for you as a court reporter!

  1. Consider creating a personal Facebook page and a professional Facebook page and limit your professional contacts to your professional page.  That way they won’t see how many concerts you’ve been to this summer, or what party you were at the night before their deposition.  If you’re not going to separate your personal page from your professional page, make sure to keep your profile as professional as possible and keep in mind that potential employers (attorneys, judges, firm owners) may see things you post.
  2. Make sure your profile picture reflects the professional image you want to present.
  3. Don’t talk about clients, witnesses, or cases on your social media sites.  It’s one thing to be positive and talk about a great experience you may have had during a deposition, but be careful to not disclose too much information.  Never talk badly about attorneys or your clients.

In the busy freelance world where everyone’s competing for a bigger piece of the pie, it’s always a good idea to let people know who you are and what you do.  The social media sites are a perfect way to dip your toe in the “sales” pool!

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck, RPR, CRR, CCP is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Connect with her on LinkedIn.  You can also follow PRI Court Reporting on Twitter and Facebook.

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When Should an Attorney Hire a CART Provider?

When Should an Attorney Hire a CART Provider?

If you have ever worked with a client or witness who is deaf or hard of hearing, you both may have struggled with communication.  One of the many methods of assisting with communication for people who are deaf or hard of hearing utilizes the same process, equipment, and software that court reporters use.  That is called Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART).

Here are four tips on when and why it would be helpful to hire or request a CART provider in a legal setting:

  1. If your client is deaf or hard of hearing and they are being deposed, a CART provider could help facilitate communication for your client.  Keep in mind that CART is a one-way communication service, so if your client uses American Sign Language to communicate, CART may not be the best option.
  2. If your client is deaf or hard of hearing and their case is going to trial, utilizing a CART provider during the trial could be very beneficial for your client.  This service would ensure they are provided the same access as hearing individuals to all that is said during the proceedings.
  3. If you have a witness who is deaf or hard of hearing who will be testifying in court, you should bring this to the attention of the judge or other judicial personnel so that appropriate accommodations can be made to have a CART provider there for the witness.
  4. If you, yourself, are deaf or hard of hearing, consider requesting a CART provider to assist you in court.

While there are many similarities between an official court reporter and a CART provider, there are some important differences:

Like court reporting, there are also certifications for CART providers by the National Court Reporters Association.  Look for a CCP (Certified CART Provider) or CRR (Certified Realtime Reporter) when hiring a CART provider.   You can locate a qualified CART provider by searching the NCRA Sourcebook (http://www.ncrasourcebook.com/) or ask your favorite court reporter for a referral.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck, RPR/CRR, is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC.   Angie is also an experienced CART and captioning provider.  Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

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No Time For Lunch?

No Time For Lunch?

If you often find yourself making excuses to coworkers or yourself about why you can’t get away from your desk for lunch, you’re not alone!  According to a Right Management survey* of 1,023 workers, 28% said they seldom, if ever, take a break for lunch, and 39% of those workers say they do, but usually stay at their desk.

We have partnered with an expert in this field, Kim Cox, health coach at Benefit Wellness in Plain City, Ohio, to shed some light on the drawbacks of this habit and to provide some suggestions on how to break out of this habit to improve your health.

Sitting for too long at a sedentary job can contribute to health problems from head to toe, including heart disease, strained neck and back, tight hips, disk damage, and poor circulation in the legs.  Another downside of skipping lunch is you may be inclined to binge later in the day and make poor food choices for snacks from a vending machine or fast food dinners.

Kim suggests compartmentalizing and building in time for intended breaks and lunch during your work day.

Here are some of the benefits of taking time for yourself and for lunch:

All of these things will lead to improved productivity at work and, more importantly, improve your health.

“The groundwork to all happiness is good health.”  ~Leigh Hun

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

Kim Cox is an ACE Health Coach emphasizing fitness, nutrition, and behavior modification.  She is dedicated to helping individuals work towards greater balance, purpose, and well-being.  She is the founder of Benefit Wellness in Plain City, Ohio.  You can connect with Kim on Facebook @Benefit Wellness or www.benefitwellnessonline.com.

*Source for Right Management Survey here.

Photo credit can be found here.

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Video Deposition Tips for Attorneys and Their Witnesses

Video Deposition Tips for Attorneys and Their Witnesses

Video depositions can be very helpful to your case and they are sometimes even necessary to be used during trial.  For these reasons, it would be to your benefit to make sure you get the best quality video you can.  Here are a few key things court reporters and videographers have learned over the years that will help with this and hopefully keep your video off YouTube with the search term “worst video deposition”!

1.  Reserve a conference room with adequate space to accommodate all the parties and the addition of a videographer and his/her equipment.

2.  Make sure all parties are aware the videographer will need access to the conference room one hour prior to the start of the deposition so they can set up and test all equipment.

3.  The sound quality is best when the microphone is placed in the center of the shirt, about three inches below the chin.  Some attorneys place their microphone too low on their tie and this will affect audio quality and tends to add background noises, like paper shuffling or the microphone hitting the table.

4.  Please provide the videographer a copy of the notice prior to the start of the deposition.  This will give them helpful information to include at the beginning of the video to identify the case and parties.

5.  Remember to state clearly and loudly when you want to go off the record and confirm that the court reporter and videographer heard you; otherwise, they will continue recording the conversation.

6.  Always remove your microphone when standing up to leave the table or the room. Forgetting to do so can result in damage to the microphones as well as recording conversations you may not want on the video.

7.  As in any deposition, please speak one at a time.  This is especially important during a video deposition because court reporters try to interrupt as little as possible so they don’t leave you with a video for a jury that is full of unnecessary colloquy or that requires a lot of editing.

These tips should be helpful in ensuring your video deposition is valuable to your client and their case and one you would be pleased with presenting to a jury.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

Photo courtesy of NCRA.  Also, thanks to Matt Aurigema with Gema Video for his videography tips.

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Benefit From Your LOCAL Court Reporting Firm Relationship

Benefit From Your LOCAL Court Reporting Firm Relationship

There are many small, individually-owned court reporting firms in cities dotting the United States map.  Many of these firms are owned by a former or current court reporter themselves.  They understand the business of court reporting, how to keep a record of proceedings with a great degree of accuracy.  They build personal relationships with their attorney clients and the paralegals and assistants they work with.

Local court reporting firms have to fight to keep their business and to obtain new business, and the Goliath they are competing against are “national” court reporting firms.  These “national” firms hire outside sales representatives to market their firm and contract with insurance companies and offer lower rates and incentives in exchange for their business.  They entice you with the offer of having a court reporter in any city you may be traveling to.

In reality, these national firms do not employ court reporters all across the country, nor do they have offices across the country.  They will subcontract with local, independent court reporters, and even court reporting firms, in whatever city the attorney is traveling to.  Sometimes attorneys will call a “national” firm to cover a deposition in their hometown and the national firm will subcontract with local court reporters, whom the attorney could have hired himself and avoided the high costs of working with a national firm.

Many local court reporting firms can offer the same services the “national” firms provide, usually with better customer service and personal relationships.  In most cases, the reporters working with that firm are long-time employees.  Your local court reporting firm can save you time and money, while offering you the great customer service you’ve become accustomed to.  No matter what city you are in, if you want to build a relationship with individuals who are as interested in your success as they are in their own, please consider working with your local court reporting firm.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck, RPR/CRR, is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

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Photo credit: Lancaster Chamber: http://www.lancasterchamber.com/article.aspx?page=thinklocal

USMC and PRI Founder Share the Same Birthday. Who Knew?

USMC and PRI Founder Share the Same Birthday. Who Knew?

A man is graduating from Marine Corps bootcamp this weekend. He is a Marine today and will be forever. His name is Zachary and he is only 19 years old. Zach is on the doorstep of the rest of his life and I’m sure he is proud, happy, and scared all at the same time. The Marine Corps also celebrates its birthday tomorrow. This is a unique holiday for these warriors, who celebrate and honor the Corps and country.

Linda Sturm, the founder of PRI, is also celebrating her birthday on November 10. It took me almost 20 years to put two and two together to realize that Linda and the Marine Corps share the same birthday. And how appropriate to recognize that fact in 2012. Linda founded this company over 30 years ago, and at the time, I’m sure she felt many of the same feelings Zach will be feeling this weekend. It was probably an overwhelming, scary, yet happy time for her! Linda is also embarking on a new stage of her life in 2013, one that is probably equally uncertain, yet happy, since she has retired from PRI.

As the sister of a Marine, a friend of Zach’s, and a loyal employee and friend of Linda’s, I’m pleased that they are all sharing this special day. I wish them all the very best of luck, the strength to face their challenges, and the protection of the Lord as they move forward.

Happy birthday, Linda and the Marine Corps.  Congratulations, Zach, and Godspeed.

PRI holiday gathering

PRI holiday gathering

PRI held its annual employee holiday gathering in January at Brio Polaris.  We thought it best to miss the hustle and bustle in December. We all enjoyed visiting with each other.  Gone are the days PRI hosted a client party at downtown COSI.  They were a lot of fun, but we are all not the “party animals” of the 1980s.  There are photos that will not be posted.

Attached are pictures of this year’s gathering.

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