CALSPro - California Association of Legal Support Professionals

A Message From The President

Posted December 18, 2019 in Membership

By Robert C. Porambo | CALSPro President

Another year and decade are almost in the books and new ones are ready to begin. As we close the books on this decade, I am reminded that serving as your President has been and is a tremendous honor and privilege. Looking forward, I plan to continue the work we have started and keep all the momentum regarding our ongoing projects.

When I ran for president, my platform was to insure members that CALSPro is here to protect your business. Over the past half-century CALSPro has defeated adverse legislation numerous times. Each time proving to be worthwhile insurance for your businesses. I will continue to ensure that CALSPro be your best option when it comes to industry insurance.This past year AB5/Dynamex was a major challenge for our industry. While we were unable to gain an exemption (not due to lack of effort) from this bill, this subject continues to be one of our main focuses and objectives in 2020. For those who attended our most recent conference, employment lawyer Amber Healy gave an amazing presentation on this subject to educate our members. In the event you were unable to attend, please know that you will see information on this subject in future e-blasts and newsletters.

Our committees are already hard at work. Our education committee continues to improve our materials and we plan to offer our CCPS exams via the internet. In addition we are now offering several mini education webinars to educate our members on important topics. For those who attended our past conference, I am sure you agree it was an overall amazing event. We had great speakers, topics and had a lot fun as well. I already am looking forward to next year’s conference in San Jose. Please mark your calendars now and plan on attending.

Our membership committee did an extraordinary job this past year. We were able to increase membership, which in turn keeps CALSPro profitable. Make sure to renew your membership now and if you know someone who is not a member, please urge them to join and keep CALSPro strong for years to come!!

If you or your business has any issues that you need help or advice with, feel free to reach out to me or one of your dedicated board members. Collectively, we have over 300 years of industry experience and want you to know that we are here to help and always have your back.

Again, thank you for your continued support and I wish you and yours a very Merry Everything and a Happy Always!

Announcing the CALSPro 2019-2020 Board of Directors

Posted November 6, 2019 in Membership

Voting took place via online secret ballot, and we are happy to report the results as follows:

2019‐2020 Officers and Board of Directors

Elected to a one‐year term by the entire membership to serve beginning October 5, 2019.

President, Board Member Robert Porambo, Knox Attorney Service, Inc., San Diego

Vice President, Board Member Ken Hastings, Hastings Legal Services, LLC., Temecula

Secretary‐Treasurer, Board Member Andrew Gowing, Janney and Janney Attorney Service, Los Angeles

Board Members:

Chad G. Barger, Attorney’s Certified Services, Bakersfield

Tom Bowman, Sterling Madison Company of San Jose

Andrew Gowing, Janney and Janney Attorney Service, Los Angeles

Ken Hastings, Hastings Professional Process Servers, Temecula

Larry Kirlin, First Legal Support, Fresno

Mark Manchester, Rezac‐Meyer Attorney Service, Los Angeles

Dan Mora, Gemini Legal, Rocklin

Anita Pasillas, Rapid Legal, Chino Hills

Robert Porambo, Knox Attorney Service, Inc., San Diego

Kristian Pujol, Commercial Process Serving, Inc., Ventura

Jay Roll, Janney and Janney Attorney Service, Santa Ana

We wish to thank the above individuals for agreeing to serve. Additionally, we wish to thank Jackie Janney‐Kilgore for running for the board.

Finally, the members are to be applauded for supporting the process and participating in the election.

We’re Going To The Hockey Game!

Posted October 23, 2019 in Membership

By Robert Porambo

Please join us for the San Diego Gulls Hockey Game on Saturday, January 11, 2020. The Gulls are the Anaheim Ducks minor league team.

Tickets are only $25.00 and it’s 80’s night so feel free to wear your parachute pants or Angel flight jeans.

You will also receive a free Gulls fanny pack and a Gulls Hat or scarf.

I expect tickets will go quickly, so place your order now and don’t miss the net!!

Email rporambo@knoxservices.com to let me know you’re in!

CALSPro’s ‘Night At The Angels Game’ Was A Huge Success!

Posted August 21, 2019 in Membership

By Larry Kirlin

On Friday, August 16^th at least 50 CALSPro members, family and friends attended an Angels baseball game in Anaheim.  The consensus is that everyone had a great time.  According to the Orange County Area Governor, Jay Roll, the night would have been perfect if the Angels hadn’t lost the game. 

When you consider that we have just over 200 members in California, getting 50 people at one event shows how much our people enjoy each other.  It wasn’t just OC people at the game either.  We actually had a total of 5 counties attend and represent CALSPro (OC, Riverside, Ventura, LA, and San Diego).

It has only been about two years since the area governor program was resurrected.  I’m happy to report the program is in full swing.  Pun intended.

Area governors are posted on the website under the leadership tab.  Contacting your governor is an easy as clicking on their name and sending an email. 

Get the most out of your CALSPro membership and ask your governor a question today.

Understanding These 7 Harsh Truths Will Improve Your Leadership Skills Overnight

Posted August 7, 2019 in Membership

In an article written by Marcel Schwantes, he explains how the following seven truths can help you improve your leadership skills. As Marcel points out, it is important to remember that you lead people, and manage the work. If you can find a way to absorb and utilize the following seven truths, you are well on your way to becoming a stronger leader. Inspiration is powerful, inspire your team!

This is taking your leadership to a whole new level, again.

Remember those old and scratchy vinyl records that would skip and play the same thing over and over until you moved the needle? (I know I’m showing my age, play along.)

Well, the Gallup Organization has been playing a tune now for over three decades, one that sure sounds a lot like a scratchy record that won’t move forward. You know it well—roughly 30 percent of employees in the U.S. are actually engaged in their work. But here’s the part of the song that keeps skipping incessantly: People leave managers, not companies.

We’ve know this for a while and yet we can’t seem to solve the leadership crisis that will result in happy, engaged, and motivated workers.

That’s because most people in positions of power don’t have a clear understanding of what it truly takes to influence others. You don’t manage people; you lead people and manage the work.

Seven Brutal Truths About Leadership

If you find yourself in the precarious position of wondering “where do I stand as a leader,” at some point you must face some brutal truths about what it takes to motivate and inspire on a human, emotional, and psychological level.

1. The brutal truth that good leaders will first pump the fear out of the room.

In traditional top-down power structures, bosses will cast a vision and then use positional power and control to move people to carry out the vision. Fear is par for the course as the primary motivator. In today’s social economy, servant leaders will cast a company vision and enroll their followers to express their voice as co-creators and co-contributors to the vision. And their first priority is creating psychological safety among their tribes: They pump the fear out of the room and liberate their people to freely collaborate, innovate, and engage.

2. The brutal truth that good leadership doesn’t happen without trust.

Every leader needs to ask a very important, look-in-the-mirror, question: “Does my behavior increase trust?” If you are considering elevating your leadership skills, trust is a pillar your leadership should stand on. In his book The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey highlights several trusting leadership behaviors great companies are known for, including:

• Create transparency
• Confront reality
• Practice accountability
• Talk straight
• Right wrongs

3. The brutal truth that good leaders are willing to listen to feedback.

Many leaders don’t want to listen to ideas, opinions, and constructive feedback from others about their own leadership. For such leaders, cutting themselves off means that they operate in an ego-system, not an ecosystem. A leader who listens well, on the other hand, is open and accountable; they filter out criticism or drama and find the facts in order to respond appropriately to serve the needs of others. They probe and ask questions until they get clarification; they listen to understand—with a focus on the future, not on a rehash of the past.

4. The brutal truth that good leaders are positive, even when things go bad.

Good leaders practice positive thinking. They view stressful situations from a more positive perspective, which takes emotional intelligence. Rather than getting stressed out about a work situation or a recent failure, they look at it as an opportunity to pause, regroup, learn, grow, and bounce back with renewed energy and focus. This can have a profound effect on one’s emotional and physical well-being. Leaders who maintain a positive attitude and practice positive thinking experience less stress than those who are pessimistic, narrow-minded, and negative.

5. The brutal truth that good leaders rarely, if ever, procrastinate.

Good leaders are “do-it-now” people. They don’t put things off until the last minute, which is a sure way to increase stress levels. Good leaders begin doing what they know they should do, and when they know they should do it. They anticipate problems when issues arise and address them head-on before they escalate.

6. The brutal truth that good leaders put strict boundaries on themselves.

Billionaire Warren Buffett, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, learned a long time ago that the greatest commodity of all is time. One of his secrets to success? He simply mastered the practice of setting boundaries for himself. The mega-mogul once said:

The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.

They say no to opportunities and things that don’t excite them, speak to their values, or further their mission in life. They say no to spending time with uninspiring, critical, or negative people who drag them down. They say no to overworking and neglecting self-care and family. They recognize that if they can’t take care of themselves, everything else suffers.

7. The brutal truth that leadership, in the end, is really about love.

We often view any notion of leadership and love through the spiritual teachings of historical and religious figures like Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. But another unlikely icon from the past—legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi—didn’t mince words in defining how he led with love. He said:

I don’t necessarily have to like my players and associates, but as their leader, I must love them. Love is loyalty, love is teamwork, love respects the dignity of the individual. This is the strength of any organization.

Love in the leadership-at-work sense is not a feeling; it’s expressed as an “action verb.” It’s love that shows up in meeting the needs of others to get results, clearing obstacles from people’s path, and empowering others to succeed and grow as workers and human beings. It has intrinsic value for both leader and employee. Ultimately, it’s this kind of love that defines some of the best CEOs on the planet.

Lack Of Recognition Is A Major Reason Employees Quit Their Jobs

Posted July 17, 2019 in Membership

You better recognize!! If you are a Supervisor, Team Leader, Manager, or Owner, you better recognize your employees’ efforts and take the time to let them know you appreciate their efforts. Lack of recognition is a major reason employees are quitting their jobs. In a recent article by David Novak, he explains how recognition helped his company become successful and believes it is the key to success for others also.

If you go to work every day just going through the motions, you aren’t alone.

According to Gallup, only 33% of employees are engaged at work.

So, how can nearly 70% of the workforce be disengaged?

I believe it’s because there is a tremendous lack of recognition in the world today, or what I call the global recognition deficit. And there are statistics to prove it.

According to OC Tanner research:

• 79% of employees who quit their jobs claim that a lack of appreciation was a major reason for leaving

• 65% of Americans claimed they weren’t even recognized one time last year

My company, oGoLead, fielded national research and found even more evidence for the lack of recognition in the workplace:

• 82% of employees feel their supervisor doesn’t recognize them for what they do

• 60% say they are more motivated by recognition than money

Give recognition

If leaders give their people the recognition they’ve earned, show genuine appreciation and acknowledge the unique things people have to offer and do, then they will drive significantly better results. At the same time, they will lift the spirits of everyone involved, including themselves, and create a positive energy that becomes contagious and creates a ripple effect across the organization.

So why aren’t more people using the power of recognition in the workplace?

For one, people aren’t using purposeful recognition. In order for recognition to drive results, it has to be earned. And the team has to know how to earn it. Therefore, bosses have to clearly define what they recognize and how it links to performance outcomes. When they do this, it becomes a catalyst for driving results. This is called purposeful recognition.

Second, there are all kinds of barriers that hold people back from recognition. And trust me, I heard them all when I launched the recognition culture at Yum! Brands.

Bosses need to learn how to overcome the barriers to recognition, which will help them become a leader with an engaged team that drives positive results.

The more your boss recognizes someone’s good work, the more he or she gets comfortable with it. Plus, when he or she sees the impact the praise has, it creates motivation to stick with it.

This could be a problem if your boss doesn’t have purposeful recognition. Leaders need to identify goals and essential behaviors that will lead to those results, and then recognize the heck out of those behaviors.

The last thing any of us want is for people to think they could get recognized just for showing up to work. That’s why making recognition purposeful is the breakthrough leaders need to get the results they want.

Myth: There is no time to recognize

The time bosses spend on recognition is one of the best investments they can make. By building recognition into their daily routine, it will become more natural for them over time. Recognition just becomes the way they do things, rather than an add on.

In fact, it will actually make them more productive because their employees will want to help them.

I’ve seen purposeful recognition work on a grand scale with people from different walks of life all around the world. It was the key to my success at Yum! Brands and I think it can be the key to others success as well.

A Message From The President

Posted May 29, 2019 in Membership

By Robert Porambo

I am truly blessed and filled with gratitude for having such an amazing Board of Directors during my presidency.  Their dedicated efforts, contributions, time and energy are awe inspiring.  Our Board of Directors do amazing work as committee chairs and members.

We are excited to share the success of our new training webinars. We rolled out our first CCPS training and certification program and this was followed by a mini-webinar on how to properly complete a summons.  We are currently working with our committee to design new and exciting curriculum for our organization and members.

I had the opportunity to attend the NAPPS conference this month, which was a great experience and success.  CALSpro is looking to establish deeper relationships with our industry partners, and I look forward to sharing those collaborations in detail with you throughout my tenure.

Our very own Michael Kern just concluded his second term as President and did an amazing job during his two terms. Congratulations to the new NAPPS President, Jillina Kwiatkowski and the newly-elected board of directors.  A big thank you to Kristian Pujol, who did an extraordinary job at NAPPS Conference signing up new associates and vendor members to increase our participation and future efforts.

Our BOD continues to closely monitor the Dynamex issue, so please mark your calendars and plan on attending the CALSpro Conference this year in Newport Beach from October 4^th to October 6^th.  Mark Manchester has done a fantastic job lining up several great speakers that will be addressing this extremely concerning and important topic.  You won’t want to miss it.

I am pleased to announce that CALSPro and Legal Secretaries, Inc. (LSI) has formed a strategic partnership.  We will share newsletters, e-blasts, blogs and other important announcements. Andrew Gowing attended and represented CALSPro at the May LSI meeting, which was a great success.  LSI has over 1300 active members throughout the state.  Now is the time to take advantage and advertise with CALSPro. 

As always, I would like to thank everyone for their contribution and support to this organization.  It is an honor to serve alongside such an amazing group of people.  Many thanks to our new and long-term members for your support with our ambitious agenda for 2019-2020. 

CALSPro Area Governor Program

Posted May 22, 2019 in Membership

By Larry Kirlin

Before I even joined CALSPro, I remember hearing stories about CAPPS group campouts, rafting trips and other organized social activities.   Those were the good old days when the Area Governor program was in full swing.

Times changed and the Area Governors faded into memories. Fast forward to July 2017 and our strategic planning meeting.  Our leaders felt that our future depended on renewing some of the best parts of our past. Blammo!  The Area Governor program was raised from the ashes.

Since the fall of 2017, we have had area governors assigned to all regions in California and even a governor for our out-of-state Associate members.  While I don’t foresee monthly meetings happening again, I do see the benefit of having a governor each member can contact if they need assistance.  Some of the governors have taken the program farther and organized picnics and trips to sporting events.  If you subscribe to the CALSPro Facebook page you will have seen the recent posting from an LA Dodgers game.  How fun is that?!

Area governors are posted on the website under the leadership tab.  Contacting your governor is as easy as clicking on their name and sending an email.  https://calspro.org/area-governors/

Get the most out of your CALSPro membership and ask your governor a question today.

When the Going Gets Tough, Be Nice!

Posted April 3, 2019 in Membership

Didn’t your mother ever teach you to play nice with others? Well the same can be said in today’s business world. We rely on our customers to make our businesses successful. The best way to cultivate and grow your relationships with your customers is quite simple, be nice! In an article written by Kathleen Elkins, she explains how entrepreneur Mark Cuban reflects on this underrated skill.

Mark Cuban: ‘One of the most underrated skills in business right now is being nice’

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban owns the Dallas Mavericks, stars on ABC’s “Shark Tank” and is worth an estimated $3.9 billion. If you ask the businessman what it takes to succeed, though, he doesn’t just point to work ethic and negotiation skills.

As Cuban told Vanity Fair in a 2018 interview with the “Shark Tank” cast, a simple skill that anyone can develop can go a long way: “One of the most underrated skills in business right now is being nice. Nice sells.”

He continued: “I went through my own metamorphosis, if you will. Early on in my career, I was like bam, bam, bam, bam, bam — I might curse. I might get mad. And then I just got to the point — I wouldn’t have wanted to do business with me when I was in my 20s.

“And so I had to change, and I did, and it really paid off.”

Science backs his claim that soft skills can boost your career: Studies show that a high level of emotional intelligence, or EQ, can make you wealthy and successful.

As global career development expert Soulaima Gourani tells CNBC Make It, what makes you most valuable is your ability to cooperate and connect with others: “A lot of jobs are going to disappear, but the thing that we will always have that is more important is your emotional intelligence.” She defines that as having a “good understanding of yourself, self-control, empathy and a natural understanding of people’s decisions, needs and desires.”

She adds: “If you can handle people’s diversity — people of a different age, different personalities, or educational backgrounds, for example — and you can handle the conflict that comes with that, you will be the highest paid, most valuable employee in the company.”

To put it bluntly, at the end of the day, “people hate dealing with people who are jerks,” Cuban wrote in a 2014 Entrepreneur article. “It’s always easier to be nice than to be a jerk. Don’t be a jerk.”

A Message From The President

Posted March 27, 2019 in Membership

By Robert Porambo

You may have heard me say how I am truly proud to serve as CALSPro’s president once or twice.  It’s great to give back to an association that has promoted, protected and preserved our industry.  This noble work continues today as your dedicated board of directors and committee chairs continue moving the association forward and are hard at work. 

Your newsletter and website committees are sending out weekly blogs full of relevant and helpful information.  Your education committee recently had its first CCPS webinar which was offered and saw 27 attendees.  A special thanks to Mark Manchester and Andrew Gowing for their efforts getting this new medium off the ground. Our new CALSPro app is up and live for anyone to download through the App Store or Google Play thanks to our technology committee and CALSPro HQ.  It is a great tool for yourself, office and field staff alike. We also implemented on-line registration renewal, focusing on making the registration process easier for all, thanks to your membership committee.

We are also diligently working on new networking opportunities by forming strategic alliances with industry related associations.  We hope that by sharing information with these groups, CALSPro members will see a direct benefit in the coming months.

During our renewal process I heard from a couple members concern that CALSPro was for the “big boys”. As, I sat at this weekend’s board meeting I gave this great thought.  I looked around the room and realized that of the 10 seats of the board of directors, half were seats filled by small companies.  I won’t name them here but encourage you to take a look for yourself and discover how diverse our association really is.  Keep in mind, most large companies started out as small companies.

I am continually reminded that CALSPro is our best form of insurance. If not for the efforts of CALSPro over the past 50 years we may not have an industry.  CALSPro has defeated numerous adverse legislative bills that would have been disastrous for our industry.  CALSPro is the ultimate watchdog who has your back.

I would ask that, should you have any questions or concerns about the association, the direction of the association or other CALSPro related topics, to reach out to you area governors.  The area governors, members of the board of directors and your executive board would all love to hear from you.

I am looking forward to a great rest of 2019.