The Lawyer's Escape Pod podcast

#Careers #Business #Podcasting Education #Self-Improvement #thelawyersescapepod

24:42

Episode Notes [01:14] Unexpected Email from Employer [05:49] The Deferred Resignation Program [06:34] Initial Reactions and Concerns [08:01] Evaluating the Offer [08:21] Enhanced Standards of Conduct [08:55] Personal Reflections and Concerns [12:21] Seeking Advice and Making a Decision [13:01] Option One: Do Not Resign [14:56] Option Two: Resign [16:44] Insights from Conversations [21:30] Making The Decision [23:51] Final Thoughts and Gratitude Resources Mentioned Sebastian Junger The Soul of Shame by Curt Thompson Donald Trump Elon Musk Steve Bannon Russell Vought Derek Sivers Sumner Crenshaw Brian Fretwell at Finding Good Chad Littlefield The Thought Leaders Practice by Matt Church Simon Cowell Beauty Pill Producer Ben Ford Questions Asked Is it legitimate, and can it be trusted? How are you feeling? What questions come to your mind? Where does your mind go? Are you seeking safety? Would this have been an adrenaline rush as you raced to send the resignation response? What an "enhanced standard" regarding loyalty and trustworthiness was? What are these new "enhanced standards?" Are they beyond what my Constitutional oath requires? If I don't resign, how bright will the target on my back glow? My leadership has supported all my work, but would termination direction come from higher up the chain of command? What would you recommend if we talked over coffee? What questions would you ask? How would you use listening? How would you use silence? How is this scenario playing out in your mind and body? What is coming to the surface for you? How might that influence what you are about to say to me? What are the chances of my name popping on a list and getting fired? How about the chances of being part of an official Reduction in Force and early retirement? Would the administration make a better offer? What do I know about the pending job market? What did I expect the workplace to be like and did I want to be there as the contractions took place? Will the administration pay me through the end of September or will they renege? Can I sufficiently build the Curated Questions business to transition by 1 October? - Do I have the faith or confidence to step into this future as a sole practitioner and grow Curated Questions into all I envisioned? Was this purpose calling? What would I expect the job market to look like at the end of summer if I hadn't developed the income streams to maintain our lifestyle? What is your recommendation? Did it change from your initial recommendation? Where in your body are you feeling the uncertainty? Are you processing this scenario in parallel with your decision as if you had received the email? What additional questions should I have considered? Who else should I have consulted with? How would you have changed my risk rating? What is the correct length of the pregnant pause before making an important announcement? What processes would you use in my circumstance, and what would be different? What questions are at the top of your list to get to a decision? Who would be the members of your pantheon you would counsel with to gain clarity? Apart from the heady analysis, what other key practices would you include in your journey through a similar situation?…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

Series home•Feed

Megan Smiley interviews recovering lawyers, career advisors, and other professionals for advice and inspiration on transitioning out of law practice.

100 episodes

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

updated about a year ago

Series home•Feed

Megan Smiley interviews recovering lawyers, career advisors, and other professionals for advice and inspiration on transitioning out of law practice.

100 episodes

#Careers #Business #Podcasting Education #Self-Improvement #thelawyersescapepod

All episodes

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Anne-Marie Rabago on solo practice and legal incubators 56:12

1 year ago56:12

56:12

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 programming. I wanted to have Anne-Marie on because I, admittedly, wasn’t familiar with legal incubators when she first mentioned it to me and I thought it was a great resource to share with all of you. In this episode, we discuss: - Anne-Marie’s personal journey from traditional practice to a solo tax law practice to mentoring & coaching - Legal incubators and how they might help you - Strategies to start and scale solo law firms - The potential in the untapped legal market - The rewards and hurdles of unconventional legal practice - The power of intentional decision-making for your career trajectory - Navigating career changes so you don’t let yourself get stuck Connect with Megan! 2024 Focus Session: https://megansmiley.com/2024-focus-session Sign-Up for the Newsletter: https://dogged-painter-2837.ck.page/f4e1721839 ~ Connect with Anne-Marie! Website: https://www.modernjuris.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemarierabago/…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Kate Bridal on Escaping Burnout and Embracing A Winding Career 1:08:17

1 year ago1:08:17

1:08:17

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 ongoing career transition she’s navigating. It’s an open and honest conversation that highlights that the road is rarely linear, and getting comfortable with change and uncertainty is the name of the game. In this episode, we discuss: Kate's unorthodox leap from primate studies to law. Kate’s path through various legal jobs, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Challenging the norms and status quo of the legal industry. The crisis of identity that can come with career evolution. The tension between personal ambition and family and financial realities. Kate's success in landing and acclimatizing to a legal tech marketing role through humor and honesty. Tips on networking and seeking career advice, even if reaching out feels out of your comfort zone. Learning to trust your gut over outside opinions. Kate's current thoughts around starting her own business and doing contracting work. The importance of taking conscious breaks and finding hobbies that reinvigorate you. The liberating yet anxiety-ridden process of forging a path without a clear career roadmap. Insider baseball discussion of keeping up with our podcasts Connect with Megan! Sign-Up for the Newsletter: https://dogged-painter-2837.ck.page/f4e1721839 Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ ~ Connect with Kate! Legal Burnouts Website: https://www.thelegalburnouts.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-bridal/…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Sejal Thakkar goes from employment lawyer to workplace culture consultant 43:24

1 year ago43:24

43:24

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 to build workplace culture, not clean up messes Following your interests to build skills and open doors Leveraging your legal background in a business Leaning into a growth mindset to move through imposter syndrome Balancing purpose-driven work, family and finances Navigating a non-linear path from employment to entrepreneurship Relying on your resourcefulness and self-trust rather than avoiding all risks The importance of networking and planting seeds for your long-term career growth Connect with Megan! Sign-Up for the Newsletter: https://dogged-painter-2837.ck.page/f4e1721839 Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ ~ Connect with Sejal! Website: http://www.trainxtra.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sejalthakkar/…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
April Roberts on embracing adaptability: Navigating multiple career and life transitions 59:03

1 year ago59:03

59:03

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, and lessons she learned in her personal and professional journey. Key Takeaways from April's Journey: (1) Being open and flexible: Be open to your career path taking different turns, for both personal and professional reasons. As a person, you become more self-aware and you evolve. And life happens. So, be flexible and resourceful and continue to check in with what is right for you in each season. (2) Overcoming setbacks and embracing growth: April opens up about her divorce and the challenges she faced during that time. Through self-reflection and connecting with other female entrepreneurs, she learned to embrace failure and rebuild an abundance mentality. Sometimes, the most difficult moments can inspire us to grow and find new paths to success. (3) Balancing your feminine and masculine energies: April highlights the importance of understanding and embracing both feminine and masculine energies in work and life. It isn’t about gender, but instead about archetypal energy - like yin and yang. She invites us to balance the logical, action-oriented side of ourselves with our more intuitive, flowing intelligence. In this episode, we discuss: The influence of parents on April’s career choice The pros and cons of being a young lawyer April’s realization that the substance of work and lifestyle were not aligned with her values Leaving law practice and the country with April’s Italian husband Returning from abroad and to practice Navigating a career amidst personal upheaval Recognizing your unique superpowers Managing fear and embracing abundance April’s transition to financial advisor Balancing masculine and feminine energies Connect with Megan! Sign-Up for the Newsletter: https://dogged-painter-2837.ck.page/f4e1721839 Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ ~ Connect with April! Website: https://www.vixengathering.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilrroberts/ Vixen Voice Podcast: https://www.vixengathering.com/podcast…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Laura Terrell on intentionally navigating your legal career 43:28

2 years ago43:28

43:28

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: How to be brave in your career moves That taking a risk to do something different teaches you that there’s not one “right” path Laura’s moves between private and public sector work Laura’s advice on moving into government How Laura enjoys the business side of practice and sees that it’s an area lawyers need support navigating Understanding what the long game at big firm actually looks like How to make informed decisions and not be an ostrich with your head in the sand Connect with Megan! Sign-Up for the Newsletter: https://dogged-painter-2837.ck.page/f4e1721839 Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ ~ Connect with Laura! Website: https://www.lauraterrell.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauralterrell…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Emily Witt on legal recruiting and career evolution 1:01:07

2 years ago1:01:07

1:01:07

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 centering freedom, flexibility and her interest in health & wellness in each stage of her career. She also reminds us that you don’t have to make one huge jump and stay there forever. Think about taking steps closer and closer to what you really want to do and/or finding jobs that give you space to explore different possibilities on the side. Finally, she gives us an insider view into the pluses and minuses of being a legal recruiter, for anyone who might be thinking about that as a possible career move. Connect with Megan! Sign-Up for the Newsletter: https://dogged-painter-2837.ck.page/f4e1721839 Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ ~ Connect with Emily! Website: https://www.whistlerpartners.com/team/emily-witt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilywittslegalpath/ Podcast: https://beyondthelegallens.libsyn.com/ The Advocate’s Mic: www.advocatesmic.com…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
How to start climbing the right success ladder 19:21

2 years ago19:21

19:21

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 some tips on how to start doing that. ~ Connect with Megan! Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megansmileyesq/…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Leah Campbell Badertscher leaves law to be an artist and creativity coach 1:01:07

2 years ago1:01:07

1:01:07

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 spiritual health and well-being, relationships, finances, life experiences, creativity, and the desire for meaningful work. We discuss Leah’s journey to embracing the calling of her creative side. She tells us about balancing her pragmatism with her more “irrational” life’s work, and how following the breadcrumbs of her inspiration has led to her running a multi-dimensional business that she finds incredibly fulfilling. In this episode, we discuss: How intentional reflection on different roles helped Leah discern what she did and didn’t enjoy doing Leah realized how essential creativity is to her happiness A lot of us have a creative energy that’s calling us to be expressed, and not just in traditional artistic ways The fear of owning a creative and spiritual side in a world of lawyers Leah didn’t feel like fitting her creative side into small pockets on the side was enough Balancing pragmatism with taking a more creative/entrepreneurial path Leaning into what lit her up brought her back to life and seeing possibilities It’s ok to protect your dream and keep it to yourself for a while The importance of expanding your circle of influence to include more creative/alternative thinkers Leah’s creative work has evolved into The Art School, a holistic container for creativity Connect with Megan! Inner Wisdom Workshop: https://chiarawoods.com/inner-wisdom-workshop Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ ~ Connect with Leah! Website: https://www.leahcb.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahcb1/ The Art School Podcast: https://www.leahcb.com/category/podcast/…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
What the Woo? A Chat with Chiara Woods 1:02:52

2 years ago1:02:52

1:02:52

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-woo… But we’re curious. We’re open to thinking about the world and ourselves in new ways. Many of our friends and clients seem intrigued by some of these modalities. So - we decided to both have this conversation and create a workshop series. A kind of primer for the woo-curious. The workshop will be an education on the tenets of these modalities, and a discussion of how you might leverage them for your personal and professional growth. We’re talking intuition & meditation, astrology, human design, hypnotherapy, and mediumship. We start on May 31! Inner Wisdom Workshop: https://chiarawoods.com/inner-wisdom-workshop ~ Connect with Megan! Daydreams to Designs Private Podcast: https://bit.ly/daydreamstodesigns Employee to Entrepreneur Quiz: https://bit.ly/employeetoentrepreneurtype Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ ~ Connect with Chiara! Chiara's Website: hhttps://chiarawoods.com/…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Dorna Moini leaves BigLaw to build a legal tech start-up 49:35

2 years ago49:35

49:35

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 Documate - to enable other attorneys to do the same in any area of law. Dorna is on the Legal Services Corporation Emerging Leaders Council and a member of LAFLA's Advisory Board. She was named an ABA Legal Rebel and is on the Fastcase 50 list. In this conversation, we discussed: Dorna’s initial interest in the law was human rights issues She ended up in BigLaw and actually enjoyed it! Dorna did a lot of pro bono work with domestic violence victims, which prompted her to develop a platform to make legal services more accessible to them; and that evolved to Documate Getting to the point where she couldn’t run the business and work at the law full-time Her firm offered for her to go part-time, but she decided she wanted to focus completely on her business Dorna felt comfortable taking a leap knowing she could always go back to practice She experienced a huge learning curve, but found it easy to self-educate with all the resources available Getting comfortable with what other people think of you making the jump from law to entrepreneurship The fear of regret was larger than the fear of failure The importance of building a team that deeply believes in the core mission You don’t need to go to business school to start a successful business Working hard feels different when your heart is fully in it Connect with Megan! Daydreams to Designs Private Podcast: https://bit.ly/daydreamstodesigns Employee to Entrepreneur Quiz: https://bit.ly/employeetoentrepreneurtype Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ ~ Connect with Dorna! Gavel’s Website: https://www.gavel.io/…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Given the time commitment and uncertainty, is entrepreneurship worth it? 17:52

2 years ago17:52

17:52

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. ~ The Sick of Being Stuck Workshop Series (Starts October 12): https://megansmiley.com/sick-of-being-stuck-workshop…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Janelle Christian leaves BigLaw to build her dream life and business 57:50

2 years ago57:50

57:50

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 branding strategy company. There are so many nuggets of wisdom in this episode for anyone thinking about taking a leap into entrepreneurship. Specifically, we discuss: How the pandemic brought up some existential questions about how Janelle was spending her life Trusting in your ability to figure things out and be resilient Immersing yourself with people doing what you want to do How Janelle publicly shared what she was doing, which helped get her business off the ground and grow organically Getting coaching support will help catapult you to the next level Janelle’s true north is the lifestyle she wants, not a particular business model Health insurance does not need to be a deal breaker Connect with Megan! Daydreams to Designs Private Podcast: https://bit.ly/daydreamstodesigns Employee to Entrepreneur Quiz: https://bit.ly/employeetoentrepreneurtype Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ ~ Connect with Janelle! Janelle’s Website: https://janellenicole.co/…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
What coaching actually involves and if it’s for you 23:10

3 years ago23:10

23:10

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 - at least with respect to how I work. So, in an attempt to demystify what it looks like in this episode I discuss: What coaching is versus consulting, and how my work is a mix What kinds of goals and challenges my coaching is tailored to How to know if you’re a good fit for coaching How to identify if coaching isn’t for you, at least yet (just as important!) When it is time to explore coaching support The right energy and mindset to approach coaching with ~ Connect with Megan! Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Daydreams to Designs Private Podcast: https://bit.ly/daydreamstodesigns Employee to Entrepreneur Quiz: https://bit.ly/employeetoentrepreneurtype Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Age & Authenticity: Work, Life and Style After 40 1:00:20

3 years ago1:00:20

1:00:20

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 judgment How to let go of other peoples' expectations and all the "shoulds" that weigh on you How it’s never too late to switch gears and honor your authentic self Melanie sees this topic through the lens of personal style. I see it with people who realize the practice of law (or traditional employment generally) isn’t aligned with who they are and how they want to live their next chapter. It’s a really rich conversation that I know will resonate with so many of you. Connect with Megan! Daydreams to Designs Private Podcast: https://bit.ly/daydreamstodesigns Employee to Entrepreneur Quiz: https://bit.ly/employeetoentrepreneurtype Schedule a Catalyst Call: https://megansmiley.com/schedule-a-call Website: https://www.megansmiley.com/ ~ Connect with Melanie! Melanie’s Website: https://www.melanielippman.com/ Melanie’s Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/showupandbeseennow Melanie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanielippman/…

The Lawyer's Escape Pod

1
Using new school year energy to jumpstart your next chapter 17:32

3 years ago17:32