Sari Swears

If you're like most trial attorneys I work with, you've probably told yourself, "I just need to prepare more." Preparation matters, but what if the thing that's actually missing isn't another hour at your desk? What if it's play? In this week's podcast, I talk about why creativity doesn't come from grinding harder. I share why: Trying to be "100% prepared" often leads to burnout, not better perfor...

If you've been listening to the podcast for a while, you probably know me as Coach K. While Sari is taking a well-deserved sabbatical, I'll be stepping in each week to share some of the mindset work I do with trial attorneys every day. If we haven't met yet, I'm Kevin de la Motte, mindset coach here at H2H. This week's episode is about something I see constantly with attorneys: O verwhelm. Not the...

Ever feel like you're carrying around a heaviness you can't quite explain? Maybe you're exhausted, distracted, or constantly thinking about something that happened months or even years ago. Maybe you can't figure out why it's so hard to move forward. This week's podcast might explain it. Coach K and I are talking about something we don't do very well as humans: completion. We rush from one thing t...

Most lawyers would have taken the $400,000… The plaintiff had healed. No surgery. Relatively modest medical bills. Plenty of risk heading into trial. But attorney Matthew Wilson saw something bigger . In this episode of Sari Swears, Matthew breaks down how he turned down the highest offer in the case, took it to verdict, and watched a jury return $1.8 million. More importantly, he shares what chan...

Today marks five years since the day I learned there was no more cancer in my body. It's a milestone that means more to me than I can put into words. In this week's podcast episode, I'm sharing the full story—from the diagnosis that changed everything, to the moments I was certain I couldn't do it, to the people who carried me through when I couldn't carry myself. It's a story about hope, gratitud...

One of the most common mistakes I see attorneys make in voir dire is unintentionally putting jurors in the wrong seat. When jurors answer your questions, they're automatically imagining themselves in that situation—and their brains are looking for ways they would have avoided the outcome. That's not because they're against you. It's because that's how people are wired. In this week's podcast, I br...

You want the breakthrough . You want the next level. What if the thing keeping you stuck isn't your trial skills, but the habits driving them? In this week's podcast episode, I'm breaking down the hidden thought patterns and old wiring that keep trial lawyers operating on autopilot—even when they desperately want change. We're talking about: why success still feels hard the habit of overworking ho...

Most lawyers focus on how to argue damages. Very few spend enough time truly understanding the loss. And jurors can feel that. In this week's episode, I break down the 3 components every damages argument needs: Understanding the loss Valuing the loss Communicating the loss We also talk about: Why metaphor matters How small stories hit harder than big explanations A simple framework I use to think...

Today is my 54th birthday, which honestly feels surreal to say out loud. And it got me reflecting on how I somehow went from being a classically trained pianist… to becoming the "Queen of Voir Dire." There was no grand plan. No moment where I suddenly felt ready. Just a series of moments where my want became bigger than my worry. In this week's podcast, I share the full story of how I found this w...

You're spending your voir dire on the wrong thing. And it's not subtle. You're trying to get ahead of the defense's argument—funneling defense points, repeating their story, mapping out everything wrong with what they might bring up. Meanwhile, your jury is soaking up defense point after defense point. That's the problem. Because what you give airtime to, they give weight to. In this week's podcas...

You might be asking the wrong questions. Not bad ones.  Just ones that never get past small talk. And if that's happening in your voir dire… you're missing the moment where jurors actually connect. Because connection doesn't come from: "Where are you from?" "What do you do?" "Have you ever…?" It comes from something deeper. From getting jurors to talk about what they value and actually staying the...

I'm seeing this a lot lately, so let me say it straight: If your case feels too simple, you're probably FINALLY getting it right. You keep trying to add more: more detail, more explanation, more persuasion. But jurors don't need more. They need clarity . When you hit the point where someone hears your case and thinks, "Well… duh," that's the sweet spot. Because "duh" means: It's common sense It's...

Have you ever caught yourself thinking: "Why does everything feel so overwhelming lately?" It might not be your caseload. It might not be your schedule. It might be this: You're making thousands of decisions every single day. Big ones. Small ones. Constant ones. And it's draining you. In this week's episode, I break down the exact tools I use to cut through decision fatigue, so you can STOP spinni...

Have YOU ever thought: "I don't think I want to do this anymore." Not forever. Not dramatically. Just… quietly, in the back of your mind. In this week's episode, I sat down with Coach K to talk about why so many trial attorneys hit this exact point. And no, you're not alone. 😉 What we've seen time and time again is this: It's not that you actually want to quit… It's that you can't keep doing it t...

I'm bringing this episode back because this question keeps coming up: "How do I explain my number for non-economic damages?" And here's the truth… You don't. At least not the way most attorneys try to. There is no real formula for non-economic damages. And when you try to force one… jurors can feel that it's not real. What they're actually looking for is much simpler: Do YOU believe the number you...

This is my most listened-to podcast episode… ever. 🤯 So I'm bringing it back. If you've ever thought: "I don't have enough time in voir dire" "This judge limits us" "I can't get through everything I want" This episode is for you. Because the truth is, you don't need more time. You need to focus on the right things. In this episode, I walk you through the three principles you MUST get from jurors:...

What if the issue isn't your case… but HOW you're thinking about the jury? Most lawyers won't say this out loud, but it's happening. You're asking the jury to do MORE than their job. Not just decide the case, but decide if you're good enough. If they rule in your favor → you feel validated. If they don't → you question everything. That's the trap. Because the jury's job is simple: hold bad actors...

One of our H2H™ crew members, Chrissy Hagen, recently tried a medical malpractice case that resulted in a defense verdict. After trial, she reached out with a great question: Should we be spending MORE time addressing defense points during trial? In this episode, we talk through: 👉🏽 The med mal case involving a delayed prostate cancer diagnosis 👉🏽 What Chrissy heard from jurors after the verdi...

What's actually motivating you in trial? 🤔 Is it love for your client? Love for justice? Love for the craft? Or is it fear? Fear of screwing up. Fear of missing something. Fear of not being good enough. In this week's episode, I'm back with Coach K talking about why so many trial attorneys are fueled by self-criticism and WHY that strategy quietly burns you out. We break down: 👉🏽 Why being hard...

Let's talk about the voice in your head. The one that says: "You should settle." "You're not ready." "If you lose, you're exposed." That's NOT wisdom. That's your saboteur and it's trying to keep you "safe." In this week's episode, I break down: 🤨 What the saboteur really is 🤨 Why your brain resists growth 🤨 The 7-step process to stop self-sabotaging your trials (BONUS: Free downloadable prep s...

You ever feel like your brain just… won't cooperate? 😣 You're overwhelmed . You're reactive . You're exhausted by 3:00 PM. You can't focus the way you know you should be able to. And then you beat yourself up for it. In this week's podcast, Coach K and I are talking about something that might hit closer to home than you expect: Why SO many trial lawyers operate like they have ADHD (even if they d...

Michael was here in Portland for our January Masterclass… so of COURSE I had to take the opportunity to sit down with him in the podcast room. 😉 Michael Cowen is a trial lawyer, firm owner, author of Big Rig Justice, AND host of Trial Lawyer Nation. We talk about: 👉🏽 His path from Wall Street litigator to plaintiff trial lawyer 👉🏽 The evolution of his practice (and his firm) over the years 👉...

I'm joined by special guest Nate Cobb, a New Mexico-based trial lawyer who used to say, " I don't need that mindset stuff." Until a case forced him to find out the hard way that mindset isn't optional — it's EVERYTHING. In this episode, Nate breaks down a recent case that settled mid-trial for $17.5 million and exactly what made the difference when the pressure was on. We talk about: 👉🏽 Why igno...

One decision changed Tom D'Amore's (one of my FAVORITE clients) entire practice: He stopped being "great at settling cases"… and became a trial beast. In this episode, Tom and I break down what actually shifted everything: 👉🏽 Why lawyers who don't try cases get paid less, even when they settle 👉🏽 How fewer cases created bigger results 👉🏽 Why most serious cases aren't about one bad actor, but...

Here's what I see all the time in trial openings: 😴 Same tone 😴 Same pace 😴 Same energy  The WHOLE way through…  And THAT'S the problem. In trial, you're always doing one of three things: 👉🏽 Teaching 👉🏽 Storytelling 👉🏽 Dealing with resistance Each one needs a different energy. Teaching should FEEL electric. Storytelling should FEEL like a movie. Dealing with resistance requires calm & con...