Returning to Soul

What happens when we spend so much of our lives thinking, producing, achieving, and caring for others that we lose touch with ourselves? In this solo episode of Aligned , Jessie explores the transformative power of retreat—especially for women lawyers whose demanding careers and full lives can leave little room for creativity, embodiment, play, or feeling fully alive. Drawing from her own experien...

What if discovering your purpose isn’t about finding one perfect calling but about noticing what makes you come alive? In this episode of Aligned , Jessie explores one of the questions at the heart of her work with lawyers: How do we create lives and careers that feel meaningful, purposeful, and true to who we are? Drawing from her own journey from Big Law to coaching and retreat facilitation, as...

What if thinking about death could help you live — and work — more fully? In this solo episode of Aligned, Jessie shares one of the most powerful tools she's found for cutting through fear and getting clear on what truly matters: contemplating mortality. Drawing on her own story of losing both parents during college, her training as a death doula with former lawyer Alua Arthur, and her time volunt...

Aligned: Conversations on Career, Purpose & Authentic Success In this episode of Aligned , host Jessie Brown sits down with Eliza Rey — an intuition expert, occupational therapist, and evidential psychic medium affiliated with the research-based Winbridge Institute and Forever Family Foundation. Eliza grew up around lawyers, helping out in her dad's law firm, and has had significant relati...

In this episode of Aligned , Jessie sits down with Sarah Horowitz — lawyer, mom of four, and founder of the Sarah Horowitz Law Group, Adulting Docs, and the Legacy Collective — to talk about what it really takes to build a law practice around your life instead of the other way around. Sarah shares how a missed school event while sitting idle at her government desk became the turning point that pus...

In this episode of Aligned , Jessie sits down with Cindy Pensoneau — a lawyer, mediator, yoga and mindfulness teacher, and retreat facilitator who has built a career around one word: authenticity. Cindy shares how she intentionally built a "portfolio" career that blends family law and mediation with yoga, coaching, and retreats for lawyers. Cindy and Jessie explore what it means to make...

Welcome back to Aligned — a podcast for lawyers and other high achievers seeking deeper meaning, purpose, and joy in their work and lives. You may know this show as Returning to Soul — same podcast, new name. In Season 1, we explored what it looks like to build a career that aligns with your strengths and values — who you are and what matters most to you. This season, we're exploring: how do you a...

In Season 1 of Returning to Soul, we explored what aligning our career with our authentic self looks like. In Season 2, which launches later this month, we'll explore how to strengthen our connection with our inner guidance so we can make those courageous, aligned choices we long to make. We'll also explore some of the common obstacles in connecting with our inner wisdom and how to go from...

Are you a busy lawyer or other professional seeking more peace, presence, and joy in your work day? If so, this episode is for you. Lea Abrams, founder of RiseWell Coaching, shares practical strategies you can implement starting today to feel and perform at your best. Lea spent the bulk of her career working in organizations while raising a family, so she knows firsthand the challenges busy profes...

Like podcast host Jessie Brown, Haley Morrisson spent years trying to make law work. From transactional law in Boston, to a federal clerkship, to litigation at Gibson Dunn in DC, exploring practice areas searching for a fit. In this episode, Haley shares the turning point that changed everything: a Kundalini yoga retreat in India in March 2020 — just as COVID began reshaping the world. What emerge...

What does it look like to leave a demanding corporate legal role — not out of burnout, but out of recognition that something more aligned is possible? In this episode, I sit down with Maria Flanagan, JD, founder of Flanagan Law PLLC in North Carolina. Maria's story isn't a dramatic escape from law — it's something more nuanced: she found a way to do the work she enjoys while reshaping it to fit he...

What would it be like to let go of the titles, the awards, and the accolades to make space for who you are becoming, which is who, deep down, you already are? In this rich and deeply moving conversation, Jessie is joined by Michael Tender Heart Denmeade, faculty member at the Purpose Guides Institute, longtime therapist, fire keeper, and vision quest guide. Drawing on 40+ years of participation in...

What happens when you let go of the identity you've built your career around? In this episode, I sit down with Peggy O'Neal — lawyer, business advisor, strategist — for an intimate conversation about career pivots, identity, and what it means to listen to your own inner knowing. Peggy left a 12-year legal career to pursue work in human potential and coaching. And the external leap turned out to be...

What do you do when the career you chose is not a fit? In this episode, I sit down with Suellen Fagin-Allen, a Florida-based mental health therapist for women in midlife, attorney, performing musician, nonprofit leader, Reiki master, and amateur photographer. Suellen's story is one of the most honest and inspiring I've heard: she went to law school partly out of boredom, partly out of revenge, and...

In this episode, Jessie explores the concept of identity rest — a powerful practice for anyone whose sense of worth has become entangled with their productivity, performance, or professional title. Jessie first encountered the concept of "identity rest" from Chandani Patel Thompson, a lawyer and creator of the Rest to Rise Summit (May 19–22, free to attend). When we spend years in environments tha...

In this conversation, Chandani Patel-Thompson, who spent 20+ years in corporate legal departments, shares how a six-minute daily gratitude practice transformed her capacity to work, parent three young children, and show up as a leader — and how the people around her noticed the shift before she did. We talk about the neuroscience behind gratitude, why lawyers are especially prone to worst-case-sce...

When we're doing the brave work of aligning our careers and lives with what truly matters to us — whether that's a professional pivot, stepping into our purpose, or simply living more authentically — the people we surround ourselves with matter deeply. In this episode, Jessie celebrates two friends and fellow coaches, Becky Roberts and Alex Pitt, and their recent wins: Becky signed a lease for her...

What if the career and financial choices you've been making aren't really yours — but instead reflect what you were programmed to want? In this episode, I sit down with Billy Zerillo, founder of Your Money Your Purpose, to discuss the intersection of money, identity, and living a life that's truly aligned with what matters most to you. Billy brings a unique approach to financial advising — one tha...

There's an old Irish proverb that says: "Death is in the middle of a long life." In this episode, Jessie explores what this kind of death means, not a physical ending, but a profound inner transformation. The death of a former way of living. The shedding of an ego-driven life built on fear, control, and the relentless pursuit of external approval. Drawing on the caterpillar-to-butterfly metaphor,...

In this interview, lawyer Brad Miller shares his journey of creating a legal practice that aligns with his values, emphasizing happiness, authenticity, and intentional living. Learn how to craft a legal career that brings joy and fulfillment while maintaining professional success. Key topics Discovering legal practice that aligns with personal values The importance of happiness and authenticity in...

In this solo episode, I share a mini version of my signature workshop on the neuroscience of manifestation — a six-step formula drawn from the work of the late neurosurgeon and neuroscientist Dr. James Doty. Think of this formula as planting a tree. We begin by preparing the soil — calming the nervous system and focusing the mind through a guided meditation. Then we choose our seeds by clarifying...

In this episode of Returning to Soul, Jessie Brown and Courtney Schulnick discuss the transformative power of mindfulness in the legal profession. Courtney shares her journey from being a litigator to becoming a mindfulness educator, highlighting the importance of aligning one's career with their true self. They explore how mindfulness practices can help lawyers manage stress, cultivate self-aware...

Are you making career choices based on what genuinely satisfies you — or are you driven by something else? In this episode, we explore the concept of true motivation and what it means for the work you do every day. Physician, author, and trauma specialist Gabor Maté defines true motivation as doing what satisfies you and aligns with your genuine preferences and inclinations, regardless of what peo...

In this episode, Jessie Brown explores the true nature of workplace burnout, common misconceptions, and practical ways to realign your career with your core values and needs. Perfect for high achievers feeling disconnected from their soul, this episode offers research-backed insights and actionable steps to transform your professional life from draining to deeply fulfilling.  Key Topics: The disti...

In this episode of Returning to Soul , Jessie Brown and Jonathan Lowsley explore the powerful concept of life arcs , inspired by Michael J. Meade’s Awakening the Soul . Together, they unpack the transition from the first arc of life — focused on achievement, approval, and external success — into the second arc , where the soul invites us inward toward alignment, authenticity, and deeper purpose. F...