Episode 17: Candice S. Cook Talks Re-invention and Overcoming Fear

Episode 17: Candice S. Cook Talks Re-invention and Overcoming Fear

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In this episode I had the pleasure of interviewing Candice S. Cook, Esq. Candice is the Managing Partner at The Cook Law Group, PLLC where she specializes in business development and law. She is a published writer, a noted philanthropist, a motivational speaker and one of the most energetic people I know! In this interview we cover a lot ground including:

• Candice's career path from law firm attorney to entrepreneur
• How Candice reinvented herself
• The importance of saying “no” and finding power in the word “no”
• Overcoming fear
• Much more!

A Little More About Candice

Candice S. Cook is the Managing Partner at the law firm The Cook Law Group, PLLC, a published writer, noted philanthropist, and motivational speaker.

Educated at the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt Law School with attendance at additional programs at Oxford and Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, her remarkable career began in private practice as a litigator where she represented luxury hotels, television and cable executives, real estate developers, technology companies, and an assortment of Forbes' and Fortune's notable business executives and corporate giants. Cook later expanded her experience beyond litigation to include a vast array of intellectual property, media, telecommunications, and social media issues. Her success in finding creative business-oriented solutions resulted in her invitation to join the Advisory Committee of several startups including music industry technology startup BlazeTrak and fashion industry pioneer, Fashion Advance.  Today, Cook‘s firm has handled groundbreaking intellectual property and talent issues and resolved matters for clients across the globe including Japan, China, Israel, Monaco, Mexico, France, the U.S. and the UK.

Her success merging the technology, media, and entertainment world resulted in her being honored as a Pearl Honoree in 2009, selected as a finalist for Atlanta's Power 30 Under 30 Award, and a winner of the Celebration Award in Law in 2012. In 2013, she was selected as the Hollywood Power Player by Hollywood & Vine Magazine and in 2014 she was selected as the Barrier Breaker award recipient for her work in the field of law and for her vast philanthropic initiatives. She appeared in the HBO documentary Good Hair (the 2009 winner for Special Jury Prize for U.S. documentary at the Sundance Film Festival) and has also appeared in the American Bar Association Journal, O Magazine, Elle Magazine, The Today Show, and on countless other media platforms. In January, Cook was featured on the OWN network's documentary, Sag Harbor, as part of the #Selma50 network campaign.  Cook is a contributing writer for the Levo League, Women 2.0, and Conscious Magazine.  She serves as an Advisory Executive Member for the United Way of New York's Young Professional Board, is the Auxiliary Board Member for TheHistoryMakers in Chicago, works to increase engagement as a Committee Member for Jazz at Lincoln Center, was a Young Professional Board Member for both the Apollo Theater and New York Needs You and served on the Leadership Board for the Council of Urban Professionals.  For the past two years, Cook has worked with the 12 Days of Christmas Organization in New York to provide necessities to families across the five boroughs in New York during the month of December and has also worked to increase STEM awareness through her Advisory Board work with the M.O.B. Accelerator and CultureShiftLabs.  Most recently, Cook was proud to see her work with the rich history of TheHistoryMakers (the single largest archival collection of African-American oral histories) rewarded via its acquisition by the Library of Congress.  In 2014, Cook also served as a host for the Andrew Goodman Foundation Hidden Heroes Award and was honored that the work of the organization–and specifically the men the organization represents–was recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Cook lives in New York with her husband and dog.

The Final 10 (some questions to get to know Candice a little bit better)

1. Candice’s first job: a babysitter
2. Candice’s “secret weapons” of success: A willingness to learn more, “Google stalking” or research about a variety of subjects and people, cold calling when necessary.
3. Candice defines her brand as: innovative, a brand of execution and game changers.
4. What is the best advice she’s ever received: Look where the puck is going and not where it is right now. We can’t look at where situations are in the present, but rather the long game.
5. What Candice thinks makes a good leader: Commanding the troops without demanding the troops.
6. Candice’s morning routine: She starts her day at 5am by checking email, she skims theSkimm and takes care of the dog. Her great night time routine: makes her lists, puts out what she’s going to wear, writes emails and puts them in a draft folder.
7. How Candice manages her life, family and career: She is honest about her priorities, finds power in the word “no.”
8. What Candice does, listens to or reads to stay sharp: TPAB manuals, legal strategist guides, Entertainment Weekly and Variety, TheSkim, NYTimes.com, Wall Street Journal, HuffingtonPost.com, Vox.com, The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss , Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, Good to Great Jim Collins.
9. Candice’s favorite things: vacations, her dog, and Jodie Patterson’s Georgia lotion.
10. How you can connect with Candice: Twitter @CandiceSC1 and her firm’s website: Ca-Co Global Inc.