The Lawyer's Escape Pod

My guest this week is Anne-Marie Rabago, the founder and principal of Modern Juris, which provides tools, training, and support to help lawyers build financially sustainable businesses designed to serve the latent legal market. Anne-Marie started her legal career at Pricewaterhousecoopers, then launched a solo tax law practice before transitioning into law school and non-profit legal incubator pro...

My guest today is Kate Bridal, a former lawyer turned legal tech marketer turned co-host of The Legal Burnouts podcast. We explore her professional journey, from drama school to working with primates (yes, seriously - she got to sign with chimps), to law and beyond. Kate shares with us how she's navigated the pressures of the legal profession, her adventures in legal tech marketing, and the ongoin...

Our guest today is Sejal Thakkar, a former employment law attorney, a 2X TEDx speaker, and the Founder and Chief Civility Officer at TrainXtra, a woman/minority- owned training consulting firm, where she helps leaders create positive, safe, and respectful workplaces through customized training and coaching.    In this episode, we discuss: Sejal realizing that litigation was a bad fit; she wanted t...

April Roberts is a former attorney turned financial advisor who now coaches Gen X women to achieve more abundance, love, spirituality and alignment by connecting with their femininity. She also hosts the podcast Vixen Voice where she shares stories of Gen X women that have shed the traditional definition of success to pursue their life’s true passion. April shares with us all of the twists, turns,...

Today’s guest is Laura Terrell, an executive coach with over twenty-five years of experience as a legal and business leader. Prior to coaching, she was a Special Assistant to the President at the White House, a senior level appointee at the U.S. Department of Justice, an equity partner in two large, global law firms, and in-house counsel at a publicly traded company.  In this episode, we discuss:...

Emily Witt is a legal recruiter with almost twenty years of industry experience (on both the firm side at one of the world's preeminent law firms and also on the agency side). She tells us about her own career evolution, as well as how she helps lawyers find their next best job. We talk about the importance of keeping your personal true north in mind as you pivot. For Emily, that has meant centeri...

Today I’m talking about how success is an entirely personal thing.  It looks different for each of us. Yet, our society (and our industry) tend to have a pretty narrow and uniform definition. That's how so many of us get stuck climbing one particular type of success ladder.  I encourage you to give yourself permission to personalize your definition of success. And in this episode, I’m giving you s...

This week’s guest is Leah Campbell Badertscher. She is a former lawyer who has become an artist and a coach to world-class performers and leaders in the arts, business, and social good. Her work is about fulfilling her client’s greatest potential by cultivating a way of being that energizes, strengthens, and enlivens every aspect of their life, including their mental, physical, emotional, and spir...

This week's episode is a little different. I teamed up with Chiara Woods (another former lawyer) for an episode that is airing on both this podcast and on hers, The Soulicitor Podcast. We tackle the question of how lawyers and other left-brainers can engage with the world of woo. Those of us in this category are grounded and practical people. We think critically, and aren’t off the deep end woo-wo...

Dorna Moini is the CEO and founder of Gavel (formerly Documate), an easy-to-use platform for building client-facing legal apps. Prior to starting the company, Dorna was a litigator at Sidley Austin. There, in her pro bono practice, she worked with legal aid organizations to build a web application for domestic violence survivors to complete and file their paperwork, which led to the idea for Docum...

The truth is that building a business you care about does take time, and there's no way to have a clean, complete map of the process in advance that guarantees success. And in this episode, I argue that it's still worth. It has a lot to do with the fact that a heart-centered business is more than a job, it's a life project. And when you look at it like that, the journey is more than worth the cost...

I am so excited to have Janelle Christian as my guest this week. Janelle tells us about her attempts to find her place within different law firm settings, and her ultimate realization that the law was just not for her. She initially launched an interior design firm, which led to people asking her how she started her business, which has ultimately led to her running a hugely successful business and...

The truth is, the answer to what coaching looks like and who it’s for is much like the answer to most legal questions: it depends.  It does. It depends on the coach, their approach, the intended outcome, the timeline, etc. And I know how confusing and unhelpful that can sound. In a world where you’re already lacking clarity and feeling overwhelmed, I’m hoping to help bring some transparency to it...

Melanie Lippman, a style and image coach, and I co-hosted a webinar last month called Age & Authenticity: Work, Life & Style After 40. It was such a good conversation, I wanted to share it with all of you on the podcast. In this conversation, we discuss: How to embrace, rather than resist, your evolution How to connect with your personal values and desires How to explore and experiment without jud...

There's just something about back-to-school energy. There's a sense of hope and possibility. And it's a great opportunity to refocus and recommit to the big career changes you've been wanting to make.   In this episode, I share some ideas for how you can set yourself up for success and make this the year you get off the carousel of doom in your current career, find clarity, and make progress on th...

This week I share my thoughts on how we can buck the system and define success on our own terms. I think the new paradigm of success is centered on you being self-actualized and of true service, rather than being the best rule follower out there. I also shared some wise, if salty, words from my mom.  It would be her birthday today.  I recently came across a submission she made to her alumni magazi...

Kristen Gyolai is the owner of The Law Office of Kristen Gyolai & Lure of Law. She started her career at a high-volume law firm. She enjoyed the practice of law but 5 years in, she was feeling burnt out and needed a change. After considering her options, she ultimately decided to start her own law firm. That has proven to be exactly the right fit for her. She is now also the founder of Lure of Law...

Lauren Kay is the host of the Legally Different Podcast, a Human Design expert, and a lawyer practicing on her terms. Lauren tells us about her journey of quitting the law in search of something more fulfilling. She identified freedom as her top value, and with that as a guiding principle, has been able to construct a portfolio career. She consults as a lawyer, which allows her to work the hours s...

Mary Adkins is a former BigLaw litigator turned writer. She is author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick, “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping and Real Simple), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read,” New York Post “Best Book of the Week”), and Palm Beach (recently named one of the New York Post’s “Best Books of 2021”). Her books have been published in 13 countries, and her ess...

Erika Cole built a thriving, very specialized law practice advising churches and other faith-based organizations. After running her own firm, she merged her practice and became a partner at a larger firm. She enjoyed the work. And from the outside, all the boxes of success were checked. But, something in her told Erika that this chapter was complete. She was ready for a new challenge. And she was...

Elena Deutsch is the founder and CEO of WILL (Women Interested in Leaving Law). With a background in executive and leadership coaching, Elena guides women through the process of discovering what they want, leveraging their strengths, and researching inspiring new possibilities. In this episode, Elena and I dive into our shared appreciation for a heart-centered approach to career planning. For so m...

I never would have guessed that I'd end up being an entrepreneur. I had some long-standing stories around how I just wasn't naturally built for it. I think so many of us have a certain idea of who built for entrepreneurial success and who isn't. But, there are different types of entrepreneurs and different kinds of businesses. So don't count yourself out just yet.  ~ Connect with Megan! Daydreams...

Jessica Medina is a former big law litigator and SEC investigator who is now an accredited financial counselor. She specifically helps big law attorneys who need a financial plan in place to allow them the freedom to explore new career options. Jessica also reassures us that it's possible to create a financial plan that supports a transition to entrepreneurship. Even if you have student loans!   I...

The #1 thing that is limiting your career options is your assumption that all of your thoughts are true. In this episode I talk you through how to question the reasons you dismiss certain options, like entrepreneurship. ~ Connect with Megan! Daydreams to Designs Private Podcast: https://bit.ly/daydreamstodesigns Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www...

In this episode, I question our historical definitions for success and challenge you to create a new, more personalized definition for yourself. ~ Connect with Megan! Daydreams to Designs Private Podcast: https://bit.ly/daydreamstodesigns Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/