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Ken Sterling

@ken.sterling

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AI and Tech Lawyer | Corporate and Media Law
Talent Agency Exec

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Meet Ken Sterling: attorney, talent agent, and advocate for artists and influencers. With a background in tech, finance, and education, I’m dedicated to navigating the complexities of media and law.

Excited to share insights from my journey and my upcoming book, “What’s the Deal?!” in 2025. And new Title: TILT The Room!

Let’s connect! by @ken.sterling

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2 years ago

Meet Ken Sterling: attorney, talent agent, and advocate for artists and influencers. With a background in tech, finance, and education, I’m dedicated to navigating the complexities of media and law.

Excited to share insights from my journey and my upcoming book, “What’s the Deal?!” in 2025.

Let’s connect! by @ken.sterling

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2 years ago

Meet Ken Sterling: attorney, talent agent, and advocate for artists and influencers. With a background in tech, finance, and education, I’m dedicated to navigating the complexities of media and law.

Excited to share insights from my journey and my upcoming book, “What’s the Deal?!” in 2025.

Let’s connect! by @ken.sterling

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2 years ago

Ever notice how a negotiation can get harder just when the facts get clearer?

When a deal becomes personal, the numbers may stop being the point. Understanding what’s driving the other person can change how you approach the conversation. A big part of what I do is helping clients “get out of their own way.”

In my latest article, I explore how Trust, Influence, Leverage and Timing (TILT) can help you navigate these moments.

What’s your approach when someone digs in despite the evidence?

#TILT #Negotiation #DealMaking #Leadership #communication @forbes @kwamenegotiates @thefbinegotiator @thecultofsquats by @ken.sterling

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5 days ago

Stuck in a negotiation or on an idea? Get out of the room.

When the team behind Cars couldn’t figure out the film’s theme, they didn’t schedule another brainstorming session.

They went outside, jumped in their cars, and hit the road.

A trip down Route 66 gave the Pixar team the perspective they couldn’t find sitting in an office.

Sometimes the best way to solve a problem or a stalled negotiation is to change what you’re looking at.

My latest piece for Inc. explores what Pixar, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Steve Jobs understood about getting unstuck.

#Leadership #Creativity #Innovation #BusinessStrategy

@incmagazine @microsoft @apple @pixar by @ken.sterling

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10 days ago

In a big deal, you don’t always know where the leverage is until you start pulling the thread.

One IP issue leads to another question. A contract raises a new concern. A financial review uncovers something you didn’t expect.

That’s the value of due diligence. You’re not just looking for problems. You’re figuring out what they mean before you get to the negotiating table. And the way to do this is be prepared, consult other people in the industry and/or who have done similar deals.

Know what you have. Know where the risks are. Then use that information to negotiate.

That’s TILT: Trust. Influence. Leverage. Timing.

#Negotiation #DueDiligence #BusinessLaw #IntellectualProperty #TILT by @ken.sterling

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17 days ago

One night after poker at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s place, a few of us stayed outside around the fireplace, smoking cigars. Stallone and Statham were there too.

I looked around and said, “This is about as good as it gets, right?”

Arnold laughed and blew out a big cloud of smoke.

Then I asked him what advice he’d give young people about negotiation.

He said:

“Don’t avoid trouble. Don’t be afraid of it. Look for trouble sometimes. And you’ll need to break the rules, but don’t break the law.”

That stayed with me.

In a negotiation, the uncomfortable part can be where the leverage is. You have to be willing to look at what others are avoiding, understand the edges and know where the legal line is.

That’s TILT: Trust. Influence. Leverage. Timing.

Sometimes the deal gets interesting when you’re willing to look where everyone else isn’t.

Push the edge a bit, see how it goes. Be gracious, use TILT and would love to hear how it went for you, comment below👇

#ArnoldSchwarzenegger #Negotiation #DealMaking #BusinessLaw #TILT by @ken.sterling

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20 days ago

We all have different ideas about what success looks like.

A lot of that comes from the culture we grew up in, and it can influence how we lead, negotiate, build relationships, and do business.

Go make the money. Build the company. Win.

Or ask yourself a bigger question:

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝?

What you do with that success may end up being more important than the success itself.

What’s your legacy?

#Leadership #Business #Legacy #Entrepreneurship #Success by @ken.sterling

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24 days ago

“It ain’t about where you’re from, it’s about where you’re at!”

Rob Van Winkle became Vanilla Ice. Paul Moya became Harvard Cowboy. I went from a scrawny homeless kid to The Wolf Lawyer.

Different names. Different stories. None of us forgot where we came from.

Recently, Rob said something that stuck with me:

“It ain’t about where ya from, it’s about where you’re at!”

Before you can TILT the room, you have to know where you’re at.

Not where you were.
Not where you’re going.

Where you are right now.

Your history matters. Your journey matters. So does being present enough to recognize what’s happening in front of you.

Dream Big. Never Forget Where You Came From. And Know Where You’re At NOW.

#VanillaIce #TILTtheRoom #Leadership #Presence #TheWolf @vanillaiceofficial @paul.moya by @ken.sterling

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a month ago

When does product design that makes platforms addictive become a legal issue? Why didn’t the ethics of leadership prevent this in the first place?

"Hook, harvest, hold & hide" does not look good Meta!

Meta’s reported $18 billion settlement involving allegations around children and social media raises an important question: 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞?The short answer is, “Yes!”

Algos, Pop-Ups, Displays, Color Schemes, Icons, Likes. Notifications. Default settings. Age gates. Recommendation systems. ALL of these are proven to be designed for addictive behavior

These may look like product decisions. In a courtroom, they can become evidence.

AI adds another layer as platforms become increasingly capable of learning from user behavior and adapting in real time.

For founders, CEOs and product leaders, legal review needs to happen earlier in the product cycle.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤?

Read my latest article in Inc. for more on Meta, social media, product design and AI.

#socialmedia #AI #techlaw #productdeisgn #dealmaking by @ken.sterling

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a month ago

Are founders being given good advice, or someone else’s definition of success?

Become the next Facebook.
The next Uber.
The next Airbnb.

Raise more. Scale faster. Take on more capital.

The advice may sound smart. The question is whether it’s actually right for your company.

My nonno used to tell me, “Never call anybody’s baby ugly.”

As an attorney, I’ve always believed my job isn’t to tell founders what they want to hear. It’s to help them understand what’s possible, what isn’t, and what they may be giving up along the way.

I call it being a “practice-of-the-possible” attorney.

Because sometimes the best advice isn’t how to become the next big thing.

It’s how to avoid becoming a copy of one.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱? by @ken.sterling

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a month ago

Some partnerships just make sense. This is one of them.

Sterling Media Law is honored and proud to have represented Stellar Snacks, alongside Orrick in Stellar Snack’s Series B round, led by Main Post Partners. Stellar Snacks is a dynamic, and rapidly growing certified, women-owned business, founded by an extraordinary mother-daughter team, powered by an exceptional executive team, and making the best pretzels in our solar system.

They truly are stellar. The people behind it are even better.

Proud to be in their orbit and congratulations team! by @ken.sterling

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a month ago