What Chief Counsel Gretchen Robinson did may not embarrass her, but it should. Fifth in a series of what look like Jobs Wanted ads, Robinson snags space on a website set up for… wait for it… entrepreneurs. The results are predictable.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
How or why Robinson fell in with the self-promotion mania that has sent AVP Akeem Jamal and CEO Seldom Seen Shelton J. Haynes sliding into the world of press release puffery is unknown. But there it was on imensch.
For the uninformed, imensch is “…an interview platform for entrepreneurs, makers, and doers. Our goal is to make it easy for entrepreneurs to get some publicity for their idea.“
Here’s the cute part: you interview yourself. And it’s all voluntary with a list of a dozen or so questions that entrepreneurs like Gretchen Robinson fill out and bounce back to the website. If the answers are good enough, imensch formats it and publishes the “interview.”
While the platform is well-intentioned, it’s hard to imagine why she thought she fit in.
Gretchen Robinson, Entrepreneur
Because she’s a lawyer, not an entrepreneur, she wrestles unconvincingly with questions like this:
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
“I am results driven and in order to stay organized I create “to do lists” every day. I used to put down everything in the universe of things that I have to get done or delegate to my team but I have over the years realized that each day I need to put the top three priorities down on a list to further focus and meet all deadlines while providing a good work product.”
And this…
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
“In terms of growing my career, I have been methodical with every position I have held to help me become a better, more competent attorney. Being an attorney is a profession that I always wanted to do.”
Raise your hand if you believe this is entrepreneurial content.
So, Exactly What Are Seldom Seen Shelton, Akeem and Gretchen Up To?
Asked to comment, one observer wrote, “Wow! Our tax (and your infrastructure) dollars at work. How is she an entrepreneur, again? What is the strategy she uses to grow her business? Apparently, it’s using State money to pay some grifters to publish inane articles. They can’t even sell themselves correctly. It’s not enough to throw money at reputational problems.”
Since even the self-promoting press releases pumped out by Communications AVP Jamal are more about the wonderfulness of Haynes and himself than the business, they look mostly like Jobs Wanted promos. But don’t get your hopes up.
For context, one person who knows Gretchen Robinson personally, observed, “On a completely different note, that picture of her is from at least 10 years ago.”
And that’s something you do for dating apps and for job-hunting where appearing younger matters.
Entrepreneurs – and practicing attorneys – let their work speak for itself.
The Meeting That Moved On Without Her
The smoke had thinned by November seventeenth, but it still clung to my coat and the back of my throat. Two nights earlier, fire trucks had crowded the rear of the Landings, their lights bouncing off brick and glass. The flames were gone. The smell remained.
