Your reputation is based on your actions and certainly should be. But all too often, it is really about how others perceive you. This perception can impact your professional relationships, whether in a positive or negative way. If you want to build a positive image for you and your business, you will need a plan to manage your image and make sure you keep yourself—and your company—in a positive light.

Corporate Culture. Giant corporations spend a lot of time building and protecting their image, but they aren't the only ones who need to be careful. If you have 500 workers in South Florida or just one or two attorneys in your office, be sure to project an image of making your clients your top priority and—just as important—live up to that image. Pick a view and make it a part of your firm's culture.

Tastefully Disagree. Think about what is going on in current events. How can you appeal to the masses without betraying who you are? Feel free to comment and express your opinions, but to do so in a tasteful way, and in the appropriate settings. Make sure you express that your views do not necessarily reflect that of your firm. Be ready for backlash from someone with opposing views. A debate is good for sparking dialogue and developing open-mindedness, but don't let it get to the point of name calling and aggression.

Socially Tainted. Whoever said nothing lasts forever said so before the days of social media and today's technology. Be careful what you say, or post. Once you put it out there, you cannot take it back. Social media posts can go viral in a matter of seconds, and a screenshot can outlive a post that has been deleted. Take a look at The Florida Bar rules about social media, too. Stay within the rules.

Do your research. Before you go to the polls, you research the candidates, right? The same should apply to everything you do in life. Make sure you know the history behind anything you chose to involve yourself with. Take Megyn Kelly's recent comments on black face. A few seconds of on-air talk has cost her job. Before you comment on the latest case or law, trend or regulation, find out more about how it came to be before you offend your stakeholders, clients or other interested party. Don't appear uninformed on important legal matters.

Morals vs. Money. Sometimes it is not all about the money. Why hand business to competitors? Sometimes morals need to play a role. Would you take a case knowing your client is guilty? Maybe so, but this knowledge might change your game plan. In another example, take CVS' name change to CVS Health in 2014, and its decision to stop selling cigarettes. It was a bold move with strong financial implications, but it showed that CVS considers the customers' health a top priority.

Accountability. Positive steps are half the game. Think about when big corporations suffer a security breach when millions of customer's data is stolen. How will they handle it? Will they be responsibility? Will they notify customers in a timely manner? While thieves committed the crime, customers held the company accountable. Hopefully, this need to own up won't happen often, but if it does, take responsibility for what you say and do both in and out of the courtroom.

As an attorney, you are expected to be honest and exhibit integrity. Do not let your emotions get you lost in the shuffle. If you stop, think and take a second to weigh the pros and cons before you act, you can save yourself, your firm, and your career from taking a hit.

Julie Talenfeld is the president of BoardroomPR, an integrated marketing and PR firm based in South Florida. She can be reached at [email protected]