Be a Better Lawyer with Dina Cataldo

Today we're talking to Jacqueline Figueroa who will tell you how to increase billable hours AND have a life. Jackie's not just an accomplished insurance defense attorney at a national firm billing 2400 hours a year. She's also a dedicated parent, a marathon runner, and was promoted to partner at her firm. When Jackie and I started working together, it was a very different story. She didn't think b...

Join us today as we sit down with the Alison Carr, a seasoned expert ready to spill the beans on unlocking the secrets to hiring an exceptional legal team for your law firm. No more recruitment headaches – tune in and discover Alison's invaluable insights that will transform your hiring process, making it a breeze even if you've struggled in the past. In today's episode, we explore how to hire an...

Ever think consistency is hard? That you can't seem to follow through? Today, my friend and Master Life and Weight Loss Coach Cathy Council will change everything for you. Cathy is about having it all. Her business's tagline is, "Work out. Eat Cookies. Feel great. Look good naked." She is an expert in the skills it takes to follow through to create the life and body she wants, and she's here to sh...

If you feel in a rush to achieve your next goal, pause for a moment.  Are you enjoying the view from where you are right now? Probably not. And it's costing you your future and your peace of mind. In this episode, you'll learn: 👉 What it takes to make achieving goals easier 👉 Questions to ask yourself about your goal before pursuing it 👉 Two choices you have when pursuing goals This episode lea...

Today, you'll learn how to to craft your 2024 plan purposefully, so you can own your year in 2024 and create a life and law firm you love. You're going to want to grab a pen and paper, so you can take notes as you're listening because this episode will help you prepare for 2024 — yes, the new year is almost here — and it will also help you prepare for my half-day even happening December 2nd called...

If you feel frustrated, overwhelmed or hopeless to change any aspect of your law practice, listen to this episode. I'm sharing what you need to make the change that feels so hard right now. First, let me tell you something: you're not a bad lawyer or business owner. You simply haven't learned the skills I'm sharing in this episode. Refining output -- the work you do for clients, how you manage emp...

A common challenge humans face is the tendency to take on other people's roles and responsibilities. Whether it's in the workplace or at home, it's easy to find yourself overwhelmed, frustrated, and even angry when you internalize the roles of others. In this episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast, I dive into how you can break this pattern and regain control over your life. We talk: ✅ managing em...

Sometimes growing your firm may feel like an uphill battle. It doesn't have to feel that way. In today's episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast, you'll discover: 👉 5 of the most common problems I see stunting the growth of law firms 👉 how to know if your firm is experiencing them 👉 solutions to help you move past these problems and grow with more ease Grab your pen and some paper and take notes...

Today you'll get what you need to plan the growth of your law practice simply and sustainably in 2024. You'll learn: 👉 How many goals you should have each year for maximum growth and minimum headache 👉 What kind of goals to prioritize 👉 What you need to do to make implementation as simple as possible   If you want help designing your plan and implementing it, you can get help in two ways: 1) Jo...

Feel overwhelmed in your practice? If so, you're not in Strategic Mindset. You're in Checklist Mindset. I was in Checklist Mindset for years, and you CAN get out of it. In this episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast, you'll learn: 👉 why adopting a Strategic Mindset is essential if you want to grow your law practice 👉 the big differences between Strategic and Checklist Mentalities 👉 what lawyers...

Today you'll hear from Jim Fortin. He's is a leader in transformational coaching, and he's a big reason I coach lawyers. This episode is for you if you're: 🫣 wondering why all the hard work you're doing isn't leading to a better life 😖 constantly thinking and feel like you have a busy brain 😱 worried that the stress you're feeling will lead to health issues 🥺 want a better life but don't know...

You may be an amazing attorney bringing in tons of referrals. But do you have control of the leads you bring in? Whether you're building your own law practice or you're a partner bringing in business for your firm, today is a Masterclass in bringing in clients. There are 7 blocks I see to lawyers building their business, and I want to help you tear them down, so you can build your business easier...

Last week we talked about how to become a powerful creator in your life. This week, we're talking about a potent strategy to help yourself become that powerful creator both in your law practice and in your life: your words . You may not pay attention to the words you use, but words reflect what you believe. Words can open you up to possibilities and they can also limit your possibilities. Listen i...

You get to intentionally design your life. But so often we let inertia prevent us from creating change. In this episode, learn how to become a powerful creator in your life and your law practice and get inspired to take action to make the change you want. WORK WITH ME I help lawyers take control of their practice, find fulfillment and create a life they love. Work with me to start implementing wha...

Panic isn't something lawyers like to talk about because it feels vulnerable to talk about. Not only that, but feeling panicked can be paralyzing; we get a sense of overwhelm and don't know what to do to get out of it. Panic clouds our thinking and decision-making abilities. What if I told you that you have more power over it than you think? Inside this episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast, you'l...

Today, you'll learn the two key aspects of thought work most lawyers miss whether you've been doing this work for a while or are brand new to it. These two aspects were what I was missing for the longest time. Knowing the mindset basics we talked about in last week's episode helped me feel better, and I could see changes, but... Bigger changes were waiting for me after I learned and implemented wh...

This is a Masterclass on Mindset that's essential for anyone who's a student of this work. I decided to break this topic up into two parts. These episodes work with each other so don't skip this one if you think you know the material already. In Part One of Mindset Essentials, you're going to learn: 👉 the difference between mindset and thought work 👉 how mindset determines your identity 👉 two c...

How does your law practice feel? Hard? Scary? Anxious? Nauseous? Easy? Calm? Peaceful? Joyful?  Pick one feeling that is the most predominant. This feeling you have in your body right now comes from what you're thinking about your law practice. This feeling is the foundation you're building your law practice on. Think of your law practice as a house. The foundation of the house needs to be solid,...

When was the last time you felt resentful? All of us have felt resentment before, but most of us don't know what to do about it. Staying stuck in resentment prevents us from creating open lines of communication and asking for what we want. In this episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast, you'll learn how to: ✅ notice when you're stuck in resentment (before it causes problems) ✅ get unstuck and fin...

    Ever wonder why you're not making the progress you want to see in your law practice or your life? You're a go-getter who works hard and gets things done. So what's happening? It could be because you're over-learning. What's over-learning? So glad you asked. In this episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast: ✅ you'll learn what over -learning is, and how you can know if you're doing it ✅ I'll ans...

Ever thought about changing up your appearance? You think about wearing red lipstick, but you hear a voice telling you, "That's too much." You want to wear a flashier suit, and you hear a voice asking, "What will people think?" You consider changing your hairstyle or hair color, but a voice says, "Mmm, that's probably not a great idea." Any of these sound familiar? If your brain fights these seemi...

Today's Be a Better Lawyer is all about feeling good, my friend. I'm sharing a tool I use with my clients to help them regulate their nervous system whenever they feel an emotion like stress, anxiety, overwhelm, shame, guilt, or any other unwanted emotion. When you practice processing your emotions with this tool instead of avoiding or pushing them away, you'll be better able to access the part of...

Chances are, if you're here, you want change. You want to evolve and expand. But in case you're new to this podcast and aren't sold on change, I want to ask you a question: Are you happy with where you are right now? I hope you are. Even if you are though, do you want to change anything in your life? Do you want to feel more organized, more present, more connected? Do you want to grow your practic...

What makes you significant? Is it your accomplishments? What other people think about you? Or maybe, is it something else entirely? We all want to feel significant, but I'm sharing the most helpful way to think about feeling significant, so you feel energized instead of depleted. You'll learn: ✅ the different sources of significance ✅ the problem with seeking significance outside yourself ✅ how...

While I was a criminal prosecutor, I started building my coaching practice helping lawyers take control of their time and intentionally design a life they love. When I started this business-building journey, I didn't realize how differently I'd need to think transitioning from working as a lawyer to thinking as an entrepreneur. In today's episode, I share 6 lessons learned that made growing my bus...