Cracking the $$ Code: What Successful Men Know And You Don't (Yet) Paperback – July 3, 2009

A book for EveryoneCracking the $$ Code is a must-read for anyone who wants to succeed in his or her professional life. Family business advisors will not only discover the gems in this book to be useful in their professional lives, but also will want to recommend it to family enterprise clients. The next generation of young women entering the family business, in particular, will find this to be a real-world guide as they develop themselves in their work.Each chapter adds a piece of the puzzle for all professionals who struggle with the questions, "How do I create and develop my own brand as a professional? How do I distinguish myself from all the other estate-planning lawyers (or family business advisors) out there?" Patricia Annino guides us to the answers in this book. She poses the central question of this book in the introduction: "What is it that men know that allows them to achieve success and that women don't know because they are so focused on the relationship with others?" She answers this question for all of us in a crystal-clear and succinct manner.Unlike other, similar books appealing to the general audience (those perhaps hoping for more shelf space to make a big splash), this little book knows what it is about and for whom it is written. Annino taps from her deep experience and insight as a well-regarded and respected estate-planning attorney in Boston. The book is filled with advice, tips, and vignettes to illustrate her points.The roadmap through the book is clear and uncomplicated. Each chapter introduces a "Code": "Know your worth." "Set Goals." "Get a contract." "Partnering is key." "Image is important." "Take risks." "Persistence wins the race." For example, in chapter one, "Know your worth," she reflects on her early years as a lawyer. She address the issues of billing, knowing how much your time is worth, when to walk away from a client, relationships with clients and being smart about one's brand as a professional. At the end of each chapter, she summarizes all of the advice under, "Strategies to decipher the code."With each chapter less than 20 pages in length, the book moves along with focused, to-the-point and well-reasoned help for the professional. In the chapter on partnering, she addresses the sometimes-thorny issue of networking and leveraging relationships. Since this is written primarily to women, she address the issue of why, although women (in general) are so good at building and nurturing relationships, they have such difficulty allowing those relationships to be the source of business referrals, job leads or an avenue for marketing efforts. She suggests that men know the rules of how to build "relationships with reciprocity" and that they are not nearly as troubled by this reciprocity as women tend to be. Her advice: "Connections build business: Use them."Those with too many grey hairs to count, as well as by those relatively new to the professional world will appreciate Annino's straightforward approach. This is the advice and perspective of a wise person who has learned from her experience. She cultivates relationships, appreciates her colleagues, clients and friends, and knows, in a profound way, that, when all is said and done, it is always about the relationships. She has not only knows this in her bones, she wants others to benefit from that experience.In chapter seven, "Persistence wins the race", she discusses her experience as a presenter and public speaker. As her reputation grew and as she became more popular as a presenter to both general and technical audiences (usually other estate planners), Annino wondered why, even if she was well received as a presenter, she was not getting business calls and referrals flowing from the presentation. She hired a communication coach. The coach, upon seeing the first several minutes of a presentation, said, "If you want the audience to hire you, then you must create a relationship with the audience, and that is not about giving them content. It is about developing rapport while you are giving them information." The coach went on with suggestions for clarifying with the audience what you want from them and how you can help them. In addressing these issues in her presentations, her referrals increased as well as her popularity as a compelling, engaging presenter.After reading this book and referring to it many times since then, I found myself wondering whom I would pass this on to, since this book needs to be used and discussed. I gave it to my daughter, an eager and able young professional, making her way in the world of business. Her reaction was, "This is great. I only wish someone had told me all of this a couple of years ago." I believe that might be the reaction of anyone who picks up "Cracking the $$ Code". You will be grateful that someone has addressed the issues professionals struggle with about crafting, developing, and promoting one's professional identity. You will not be disappointed.

Ms. Annino's book was an easy read with useful insights. I am 50 and have lived through most of the scenarios described by Ms. Annino but did not implement her advice because her book hadn't been written yet. While I garnered advice that I can use now in my current workplace, I strongly recommend this work as must read for young women starting out in their careers. You may think you know everything about the struggles of women in the workplace but I thought the same - I was wrong. Ms. Annino uses her own career and its evolution to share and teach what she has learned the hard way. Her lessons are worth the time to read this book. You may think it doesn't apply today but I think you will find that, when th Cracking the $$ Code: What Successful Men Know And You Don't (Yet) e situations hit you, you will remember and use Ms. Annino's advice.

In this publication, Annino (B.A., Smith College, 1978; J.D., Suffolk University, 1981; LL.M , Taxation, Boston University, 1982; partner, Boston law firm of Prince Lobel Glovsky & Tye, L.L.P.; author of many articles and publications, not limited to Women & Money, A Practical Guide to Estate Planning and Women in Family Business. What Keeps You Up at Night?), a nationally recognized authority on estate planning with more than 20 years experience serving the estate planning needs of families, individuals, and owners of closely held businesses, sets forth a to-the-point, easy-to-read guide for women professionals, business owners, executives, and others hoping to jumpstart or get-ahead with their careers and earn more money. The author sets forth important "code cracking" lessons, strategies, and tips that successful men know, but women have to learn. In seven chapters, each of which is ended by a list of strategies covered within the chapter, Annino discusses knowing your worth, setting goals, getting and negotiating a contract, partnering, creating a professional image, taking risks, persisting, and many subtopics, not limited to delegating, marketing yourself, branding yourself, playing outside the box, finding mentors, building business, becoming web savvy, improving your time management skills, being creative, and more. She fills each chapter with many valuable insights gained from years of practicing law. While numerous other books have been written for women on the topics of moving forward and getting ahead professionally, this book distinguishes itself in terms of its no-nonsense, concise, personal approach to the subject by a woman who has ascended from the lower ranks of a business organization by means of experience. Lacking an index but including a table of contents and list of selected, recommended resources, this nicely-organized, well-written, and sufficiently well-documented, publication will interest mostly general readers and some women in business hoping to find a clear, quick, and sound introduction filled with useful advice. Not comprehensive or definitive, it belongs in many large public library collections as a supplementary resource.

Cracking the $$ Code by Patricia M. Annino seems like it would only be for working women. I don't think. The subtitle of this book is "What successful men know and you don't (yet)". I think this book can be used by any woman whether working or not. In it, she explains certain things that men just seem inherently driven to do while we as women are not. They would seem to be things that would come naturally but being a woman and being driven by the wanting everyone to love me feelings, they don't. It's something that I need to work on. This book gives women the tools to do just that. Whether you are a working woman or a non-working woman, i think you will come away from this book learning something about yourself and learning some tactics you can do to make your life easier. This will definitely be a book that I will read over and over to refresh my memory of what I need to do in order to make my life more productive.