As general counsel (the head attorney) for a corporation, Brady was a corporate client. When he left his employer in a layoff, I provided strategies for his career transiton. We became close friends and I hired him as our corporate attorney and made several referrals. To thank me, he bought lunch and gave me a bottle of wine.

I had sent Brady my "Consulting Focus," which was designed to explain my services. He had reviewed and marked them with a sharp red pencil. During lunch, Brady revealed that he is actively pursuing volunteer work as part of his next-stage career. Since he is an Irish Catholic, this note plays on the clerical aspect of his volunteerism.