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#50 - Career Transitions and The Keys to Team Building with Mick Cox from Procore Technologies

Pearls On, Gloves Off

Release Date: 08/07/2024

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Pearls On, Gloves Off

When it comes to business development in professional services, Matt Dixon has spent decades decoding what actually works—and what doesn't. As a bestselling author and Founding Partner at DCM Insights, he’s reshaped how companies think about sales. Now, with his new book The Activator Advantage, Matt turns his focus to the world of law, consulting, and other relationship-driven fields, where selling is often taboo—but still essential. In this episode, Mary sits down with Matt to unpack what top-performing partners do differently—and why it has nothing to do with cocktail parties or...

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Pearls On, Gloves Off

When it comes to legal innovation, Jim Delkousis doesn’t just have a front-row seat—he’s one of the architects of change. As Founder and CEO of PERSUIT, Jim has spent almost a decade transforming how legal departments buy outside counsel services. With billions in legal work processed through the platform, he offers a rare, data-rich perspective on the shift from opaque hourly billing to value-driven, transparent legal spend. In this episode, Mary reconnects with Jim for a wide-ranging and insightful conversation about what’s changing in legal procurement, why, and what it means for...

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Pearls On, Gloves Off

When you think of legal ops at a global company like Heineken, you might not picture a former sports broadcaster leading the charge. But that's exactly Sean Houston’s path—and it’s given him a unique edge. In this episode, Mary sits down with Sean, Heineken’s Head of Legal Operations, to unpack how he built the function from scratch. From vendor-side lessons to internal change management, Sean shares sharp, actionable insights on making legal ops work in a complex, global environment. In this episode: Unlikely Origins: How Sean went from a mic in hand as a sports broadcaster to a key...

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Pearls On, Gloves Off

In this episode, Mary sits down with futurist and bestselling author Mike Walsh to explore what happens when a tradition-bound industry like law collides with generative AI. Walsh, CEO of Tomorrow and author of The Algorithmic Leader, has advised the world's biggest companies on digital transformation—and he believes legal is facing a moment of radical reinvention. Together, they pull no punches on what the next decade will bring, why legal might be the most vulnerable industry of all, and how leaders can stop dabbling in AI and start building the future. In this episode: The Law of (AI)...

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Pearls On, Gloves Off

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Pearls On, Gloves Off

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Pearls On, Gloves Off

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Pearls On, Gloves Off

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More Episodes

Welcome to another episode of “Pearls On, Gloves Off,” where we dive deep into the challenges and innovative strategies within the legal and corporate world. Today, Mary is joined by Mick Cox, the VP of Legal Operations at Procore Technologies. They dive deep into the evolution of legal operations and the dynamic journey of growing a legal team from scratch. They explore the challenges and triumphs faced while going through career transitions and the strategies for thriving in high-growth environments.

In this Episode:

  • Career Transitions: Mick shares their journey from Salesforce to UC and then Procore, highlighting the unique experiences and lessons learned in each role.

  • Procore’s Evolution: Discover how Procore, a cloud solution for the construction industry, has scaled and how its legal team has evolved in tandem.

  • Legal Ops Insights: The crucial role of legal operations in fast-growing companies, including strategies for effective team growth and process improvement.

  • Team Building: Tips on building and managing a top-tier legal team, including the importance of adaptability, empathy, and a disdain for the status quo.

  • Cultural Impact: How company culture and leadership influence the effectiveness of legal operations and team morale.

  • Tech and Process: The intersection of legal technology and process improvement, and how to prioritize both for optimal efficiency.

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