Are You an Outlaw? Meet Sadie Baron

Who has redefined what it means to think outside the law (aka OUTLAW) and is helping each of us in the process?

Meet Sadie Baron, Chief Marketing Officer at Reed Smith. Sadie’s professional mission is to tell the world the Reed Smith story, as it’s a story she is very proud to be part of.

Using her 20 + year experience in marketing to develop a vision for her function that is light years ahead of the competition, she empowers her team to make a difference together.

Driven and enthusiastic with high energy, her style is pragmatic and practical and often described as being "off the creative scale," but this is balanced with the interpersonal skills needed to sit at the head table. Sadie has a rare mixture of skill sets which cross functional teams can bank on. She also feels proud and privileged to work every day with some of the brightest legal minds in a firm that values the power of marketing and business development.

We asked Sadie a few questions, and her answers can be found below. Enjoy getting to know this Outlaw!

Q: What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
A: The obvious ones such as losing a loved one on any level (death/break-ups) but also breaking/destroying someone’s trust.

Q: Where would you like to live?
A: By the water (beach/river/pool!)

Q: What is your idea of happiness?
A: Skiing with both my children on a sunny day (I am a fair weather skier!) and they are not arguing for once!

Q: Who is your real life hero?
A: My mother (closely followed by my father)…and then if I have to choose someone famous it would have to be someone like Tim Berners-Lee or Sir David Attenborough.

Q: What is your motto?
A: Forgiveness rather than permission – I say it all the time. And never push a loyal person till they no longer care. And finally, pay it forward, no matter what.

Q: What is your greatest fear?
A: Spiders and narcissists.

Q: To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
A: Imposter syndrome – I just wish that little demon would go away a bit more often than it does!

Q: Finish this sentence, “If I could have one super-power, it would be...”
A: …to make the world a kinder place. Think it would solve a lot of problems.

Q: Who are your favorite authors/ what are your favorite books?
A: Brene Brown for self-help. India Knights for fiction – she is the funniest writer I have ever read.

Q: If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
A: Can’t answer this one - I have too many I want to have dinner with - but either of the famous heroes maybe?

Q: What got you into working in the legal industry?
A: A person – Ray Chalmers. He had a job and he believed in me even when I had zero industry knowledge. He took a risk – guess it worked out ok.

Q: Your favorite musician/ band?
A: It is a DJ – Paul Reynolds.

Q: What is your current state of mind?
A: Somewhere between languishing and flourishing…it fluctuates by the hour!

Q: Your favorite virtue?
A: Probably fairness/kindness.

Q: What would you consider your greatest achievement?
A: My kids Frazer and Olivia and seeing them succeed.

Q: Finish this sentence, “If I won the lottery tomorrow I would...”
A: …execute on my dream of homes in the sun, in the snow and somewhere with some sand (beach I guess rather than desert!). But first I would want to help all my family with their needs and dreams as best I could.

Q: Who would you have liked to be?
A: Professional athlete – a good one!