This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie is joined by Brita Long. Brita is an attorney and attorney coach who teaches flat fees to other attorneys and more importantly mind set. 

One of the workshops Brita provides is on our relationship with money. "It ain't about the money" isn't about the knowledge of personal finance or small practice finance, but about our thoughts, beliefs and feelings about money and how those affect our behavior. Including: charging flat fees. 

When Brita began working with attorneys she quickly discovered that nearly all of them had money mindset/belief issues that were causing them to self sabotage in regard to money. Take a listen!

04:20 Brita’s mission to maximize attorneys by teaching flat fees and emphasizing personal development and mindset in the legal profession

13:44 Every problem in the office is a leadership problem

19:25 The importance of emotional intelligence in the legal profession

21:59 The impact of money mindset on legal practice

26:26 The financial challenges and self-sabotage tendencies observed in small law firm owners

28:29 Advocating for the adoption of flat feesLearning and Ego in Legal Practice 

32:50 The role of ego in legal practice

41:11 Energy management

49:02 The lack of safety in expressing vulnerability in the legal profession and the potential for limitless reform in the profession

Connect with Brita:

• Website
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join the Facebook Group
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This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie is joined by Sarah Walton. Sarah Walton is a business coach and sales expert who’s been featured on The Today Show, speaks at women’s conferences all over the world and has helped hundreds of women start and grow businesses they LOVE. 

From growing up in a low-income household with a single mom to helping moms turn their passion into a business they love that can support their families, Sarah’s lived experience shows how women can powerfully change their lives and the lives of their families and communities. Sarah’s transitioned from being “just another coach” to being a change-maker. It’s time to put more money in the hands of more women, and Sarah is all in.

Take a listen!
 

06:04 Reframing sales conversations and identifying problems to solve for clients
09:15 The concept of high functioning codependence among women and its impact on financial decisions
14:03 Sarah recommends books, including "Boundary Boss," and emphasizes the importance of doing unsexy tasks for financial success
15:52 Recognizing and addressing high functioning codependence and the physical manifestations of unhappiness
16:05 Encouraging children to do their own chores and the importance of teaching independence from a young age
17:18 Parenting challenges related to children's responsibilities and social media influence
19:12 How high functioning codependency affects physical and mental health, particularly in women
20:08 Strategies for self-awareness, including recognizing internal signals and making different decisions
22:05 Offload tasks and the impact of holding onto tasks for self-image
31:10 Recreating life to move through it with peace, calmness, and hope, and the impact on professional practice
31:27 Shifting mindset to find joy in daily tasks and the impact of a positive mindset on success.
32:18 Exploration of the positive impact women can have with money
34:18 The importance of empowering women with money to bring about positive change and the intertwining of power and money
35:37 Shifting mindset from saving to expanding opportunities and the impact of mindset on financial growth

Connect with Sarah:

• Website
• Podcast 
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join the Facebook Group
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Bridget is a millennial environmental, land use, municipal and energy lawyer and mom to a 4-year-old son. She opened her own law firm on April 1, 2023 (April Fools Day) in one of New York's most rural counties after leaving a bougie downtown boutique law firm.

She’s been practicing since 2011 and represents clients all over New York State in her practice areas. 

Take a listen!

01:11 Meet Bridget

04:58 Bridget’s practice in environmental, land use, municipal, and renewable energy law

09:37 The challenges of working from home

10:35 The persistent issue of schools contacting mothers first

16:42 Bridget's work in renewable energy and her experience working with commercial fishing associations in New York State

22:44 The benefits of meditation for stress management and the importance of unplugging from technology

29:18 Bridget’s fear of what others would think if she opened an office in a rural county and how she overcame it

31:26 The value of giving trusted referrals 

34:56 The lack of access to justice and technology in rural communities and how it affects her practice

39:53 The different types of insurance that are necessary as a law practice grows

41:19 The significance of joining a mastermind group and connecting with other women who have similar experiences as working moms

📹 Watch the interview here

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join the Facebook Group
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Victoria Collier, Founder and CEO of Quid Pro Quo: Victoria is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the legal industry. In addition to building and selling her own 7-figure law firm, she has been coaching lawyers since 2008 on how to add value to their law firms.

Take a listen!

08:15 Victoria Collier discusses how having children has influenced her entrepreneurial journey and the motivation it provides to show her children they can pursue their dreams

11:50 Introduction to Victoria Collier's business, Quid Pro Quo, which assists law firm owners in selling or buying law firms, focusing on finding a perfect match between buyers and sellers

18:51 The importance of being true to yourself and finding fulfillment in your work and personal life

19:56 The dangers of pursuing growth without considering personal values and alignment with clients

24:12 The importance of preserving the culture and legacy of a law firm when buying or selling, and the need for realistic expectations and a successful transition process

29:11 Discussion on the transition timeline when buying or selling a law firm, including the importance of respecting the seller's decisions and allowing them to stay as long as they want

30:50 Exploring the importance of going beyond surface-level conversations and understanding the fears and concerns that drive people's decisions

34:31 Steps involved in working with the speaker to evaluate and position a law firm for sale, including assessing the current state of the firm, determining the desired outcome, conducting a valuation, and creating a marketing package.

37:44 Discusses the rules of thumb for valuing law firms based on the services provided and the multiple of earnings before taxes and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).

38:45 Explains the concept of sellers discretionary earnings and how it involves recasting personal expenses back into the net income of the law firm.

42:18 Emphasizes the significance of financial forecasting for law firms, including the ability to analyze trends, make strategic decisions, and understand the impact on the numbers.

Connect with Victoria Collier:

• Website

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join the Facebook Group
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• Follow us on LinkedIn

Amy started Think Out because for most organizations prevention is an afterthought. With communication, consistency and execution, employees will perform well as teams that are prepared for the expected and unexpected. 

Thanks to Amy’s training and experience, she has strong skills in leadership, communication, change management, operations, labor relations, policy development and best practices.  

Thanks to Amy’s genes, she has an obsessive curiosity, keen ability to think out, problem solve and counsel. 

If you have questions or just want to think out loud together, Amy would love you to take action and advocate for yourself, your people, your business, your future!  

Take a listen!

11:34 How curiosity and innovative thinking play a role in Amy’s business

19:29 The need to question traditional ways of doing things and the benefits of thinking outside the box

20:38 A businesses to plan for the future 

32:08 Amy starting her own business, including the initial uncertainty and the importance of perseverance

44:08 Personal growth and self-discovery that comes with owning a business

Connect with Amy Cote:

• Website 

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join the Facebook Group
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• Follow us on LinkedIn

Rachel is a divorced lawyer mom, and in deciding to launch a business. She had to first move through a tremendous inner journey of self-discovery and personal growth to develop the courage to take a big chance. 

As lawyers, we often live our lives based on the model we learned in school, the lie that conflict is a binary only resolved with someone prevailing. As women, in general, we were raised to elevate ourselves through collaborative leadership instead. 

Rachel believes in reconciliation work, humility, and collaboration. She wants women lawyers to find their sisterhood where they can speak freely, ask their toughest career questions, and level up to get the pay and the influence that they rightly deserve. 

Rachel creates spaces where real conversations happen and women both deeply bond & craft brilliant career strategies. She is a woman, a lawyer, and entrepreneur, professionally. Rachel is a mom to two amazing teenage boys. She is an empath, an artist, and a student of non-violence. 

02:48 Meet Rachel and Interconnected Us

06:40 The struggles and unhappiness experienced by women lawyers

10:32 Combating the pressure to always appear strong.

16:57 The value of time, the importance of setting boundaries, and the ongoing journey of learning to manage time effectively

23:27 The importance of celebrating personal wins and prioritizing self-care

27:34 Using exercise to shut the brain off 

33:05 The joy of making connections

41:26 The lack of emphasis on emotional intelligence and communication skills in law school and the legal profession

Connect with Rachel:

• Website
• LinkedIn 

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join the Facebook Group
• Follow the Facebook Page
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Flora Garcia-Sepulveda, a founding partner of Woodman & Garcia-Sepulveda and a Certified Family Law Specialist, is an experienced trial lawyer who practices family law exclusively, focusing on diverse financial issues including business valuation, property division and child and spousal support. Flora is fluent in Spanish. Flora also represents clients in difficult custody disputes and move-away cases.

Before she opened her practice, she worked at Bay Area Legal Aid a non-profit Agency representing victims of domestic violence in their restraining orders, divorce and immigration matters. Flora began to practice family law exclusively in 2005, and has focused in this area of law since that time. Flora previous work at the San Mateo Court and her domestic violence litigation background results in the smooth management of her family law cases as they progress to trial. Her attention to detail and knowledge of the intricacies of family law procedure enable her to strategically plan her cases and prepare for settlement or trial in a way that ensures that clients are receiving the best and most comprehensive representation available.

Since 2012 Flora expanded her practice to include probate matters such as wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships and step-parent adoptions.

05:34 The importance of education in building resilience

07:53 Teaching her daughters to be self-sufficient 

11:00 Discussion on the need to educate people about the long-term ramifications of staying at home 

19:08 The value of teaching children self-sufficiency and the importance of not doing everything for them

30:58 The need to let go of bitterness and victim mentality 

34:14 The importance of educating and empowering women

37:30 The benefits of remote work and flexibility, particularly for working mothers, and how it can lead to increased productivity and work-life balance

Connect with Flora Garcia-Sepulveda:

• Website
• Avvo 
• LinkedIn
• Twitter 
• Facebook

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join the Facebook Group
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Leah was a litigation paralegal for 13 years, 10 of those years she was a Florida Registered Paralegal. Leah has her MBA from Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero, Florida.

Until just recently Leah was the firm administrator and CFO for a personal injury law firm in SW Florida. She has started her own business LNM Financial Services to broaden her reach and use her knowledge to help other law firms understand their financials.

Leah’s ultimate goal is to educate law firm owners on how they can make financial choices to grow their firms in the future. Using tools like budgets, KPIs and cash flow projections, firm owners can make financial choices that work for them.

02:10 Meet Leah and her story of becoming an entrepreneur
06:20 How working for herself has allowed Leah to be more present for her children
11:56 The importance of understanding finances for law firm owners and the services provided to help them manage their finances effectively
21:17 Regularly reviewing expenses and ensuring that they are necessary and utilized efficiently
22:19 Cutting expenses without compromising efficiency

Connect with Leah:

• Website 
• Services 

🎧Listen to the podcast here.
🎧Subscribe to our channel so you never miss an interview, presentation or training here!
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Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
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After she started work as prosecutor, Christine and her husband went through a very nasty divorce which culminated in her own (and very public!) arrest for DUI and she was forced to resign. Fast forward 13 years later - Christine is sober, in her second marriage with a beautiful blended family, and despite spending the first 5 years after her divorce in and out of court with her ex-husband, today he is also sober and they have a solid and friendly co-parenting relationship. 

After Christine’s DUI, she became a public defender. As she worked on her own sobriety - advocating for other addicts in jail was deeply fulfilling but also left her burnt out, so when she became pregnant with her youngest daughter, she went on maternity leave and took a much needed break from the law. 

When Christine’s daughter entered kindergarten, she knew it was time to return to work but she still wanted the flexibility to be home with her 3 kids. So, the Law Office of Christine Diorio was born smack dab in the middle of the pandemic! I practice primarily family law (mostly divorce) and some criminal defense (mostly DUI's). She truly feels called to help others through the things she has had to overcome, to hopefully inspire them and provide some light and hope. 

Christine’s tagline is "where justice has a heart" because she believes the justice system needs more compassion. She just celebrated 2 years since opening her firms doors in Tampa, Florida. She has 3 staff members and they are totally virtual. They are growing by leaps and bounds and Chirstine believes it is because of the compassion she brings along with the focus to help her clients stay out of court wherever possible. 

She believes nothing about the divorce process should become so nasty, that you are unable to be co-parents when it is over, and too many attorneys contribute to this dynamic! By being open with her clients about her own journey, Christine is able to meet them where they are. 

02:14 Christine’s story of resilience and grit, sharing her personal and professional journey. Including her struggles with substance abuse, divorce, and career changes.

11:31 Starting a virtual law firm

16:41 Importance of peace in divorce, for the sake of the children and one's own well-being

21:48 Collaborative law and the challenges of its high cost

27:36 Hiring and empowering a team and the importance of prioritizing family

36:18 Resilience in challenges of law practice and overcoming them

49:14 Parental alienation and family law system

54:05  Substance abuse in law school

Connect with Christine:

• Website
• Blog 
• Client 

📹 Watch the interview here.

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
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Carmen Rosas, was born and raised in the bay area. A proud mix of Mexican, French, and Italian, she grew up fascinated by her grandmother’s stories of living in Mexico, arriving in America, and settling in California.

Even at a young age, Carmen was fascinated by other cultures and the development of languages and communal systems, which led her to study anthropology at Santa Clara University. Carmen’s comparison studies of the U.S. legal system and tribal systems in New Zealand, as well as her interest in policy change, led her to law school.

She has been featured in Forbes, Huff Post, and has been a recognized Super Lawyer for three years in a row.

02:40 Meet Carmen! 

12:48 Writing a book about creating a legacy plan

21:06 Balancing the masculine and feminine energy of being an attorney

24:27 Good enough for now 

29:39 The power to change your mind

31:48 Catching yourself saying “No”

Connect with Carmen:

• Website 
• Podcast
• Instagram
• Facebook

🎧Listen to the podcast here.  

📹 Watch the interview here.

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
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With the belief that support is not a luxury, support is a necessity. She is dedicated to helping professional women let go of the shame around outsourcing household tasks so they can find more time, feel organized and have peace of mind. 

Kara provides a framework and mindset shift in releasing the fear of delegation and outsourcing household tasks and how to have a successful relationship with your personal assistants. 

With a team of 24 employees, Kara can share the importance of embracing support, leadership for remote teams, and taking actions that align with your core values. You can expect Kara to share lessons learned and key takeaways on life and business. 

01:20 Meet Kara! 

04:11 Getting support 

09:30 When starting to delegate to a personal assistant 

14:57 Accepting that you actually cannot do it all

18:30 When you are worried about providing too much care and raising entitled kids

21:42 Personal work need to happen in order to grow a business

23:48 How to create your core values

29:47 Feedback - one of the biggest leadership failures 

🎧Listen to the podcast here.  

📹 Watch the interview here.

Connect with Kara:

• Website 
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Books Mentioned:

• Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) by Eve Rodsky 

• The Fair Play Deck: A Couple's Conversation Deck for Prioritizing What's Important Cards by Eve Rodsky 

• Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World Paperback by Eve Rodsky

• Radical Candor: Fully Revised and Updated Edition: How to Get What You Want by Saying What You Mean by Kim Scott 

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join the Facebook Group
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Over the past 17 years, she’s morphed the business model to offer a fixed fee General Counsel Services solution giving business leaders the confidence and freedom to include legal in their strategic and tactical planning -- they have a relationship with their lawyer and they know what they are paying, when they'll get a response, and that the solution is right for their business. 

It's a tough model to manage and she’s learned a ton about how to make this work for her clients and for her own business. When Michelle started Equinox in 2005, she had a 1 year old at home and was pregnant with her second child. 

Michelle’s kids have grown up with Equinox a part of their lives -- but also having their mom in their lives! While they've seen her work a lot over the years - and seen the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur and employer, she’s always been there for them. 

Michelle committed early on to picking them up from school, taking them where they needed to go, and participating in what was important to them. These were priorities for Michelle and forced her to make decisions in her business and her life to make these work for her family. 

Michelle has an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Notre Dame and a JD/MBA from Northwestern University. She is an active member and member of the Board of Directors of the Seattle Chapter of Entrepreneurs' Organization and a member of the Board of Bellevue LifeSpring and Youth Theatre Northwest.

04:42 The start of the law firm and having little children 

11:55 When the firm office encourages the flexibility needed for motherhood and work 

14:07 Strategic misses that are happening right now

17:47 Using fixed price 

23:42 Books recommended by Michelle that have really shifted her thinking 

29:25 How does Michelle streamline the administrative burden 

37:55 Tips for how to succeed in life as “mom” and as a law firm owner! 

40:55 Tips for handling email inbox #rabbithole 

Connect with Michelle:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

Links Mentioned:

• Book: Range by Daivd Epseen
• Book: Traction by Gino Wickman 
• Book: Crucial Accountability by Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillian, Al Switzler, David Maxfield
• Book: The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

🎧Listen to the podcast here.  

📹 Watch the interview here.

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
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Raising children and excelling as an entrepreneur at the same time are two barely synchronizable endeavors. Mothers don't even have to fail in one of these areas to feel mom guilt.

Steph Tuss – CEO of the multimillion-dollar global consulting company Life Is Now, Inc – has been pretty familiar with this mom guilt feeling, all too well.

Before joining Life Is Now, Steph left her career as an educator to launch her own holistic nutrition business, having been inspired by her first daughter’s growing health challenges and her quest for the root cause. 

Her sole focus when starting her business was to replace her teacher salary of $37,000/year. In spite of the people around her not being confident that she was going to make it, Steph was willing to do anything necessary to continue forward. 

So much so, that she was working early mornings, late nights and weekends – it got to a point where she literally couldn’t do more and started to resent her business. She started her business because she wanted freedom, but ironically, she had created a jail for herself.

Steph realized she was diminishing her returns by not hiring someone to help in her business and with her kids. She let go of mom guilt, sold her business, and joined Life Is Now as the Director of Sales. 

She was frequently traveling the world with the new company and during one of their events, she realized her ideal life would involve her daughters traveling with her. 

Steph and her husband then made the decision to go for it: They pulled their kids out of school and hired a tutor + nanny that would travel alongside the family, regardless of people constantly questioning their decision.

What does "success" mean to you? What is your vision for your life and business? Listen in!

01:05 Meet Steph and the the unexpected ups and downs of empty nesting 
05:20 The issue of hiring and firing and the emotions around the people piece of business and the standards that are agreed upon
10:21 How often do you check in with your team = micromanage vs. good management 
14:33 How does a law firm come up with a 3D vision?
18:26 Running a business while running a family
26:00 Let’s deep dive into your mindset!
31:35 Finding so much opportunity on the flip side of a bad thing
41:20 Value conflict and how it will kill your business

Connect with Steph:

Website: https://www.lifeisnowinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeisnowinc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidNeagleCommunity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/life-is-now-inc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeIsNow/videos

Links Mentioned:

• Create your 3D vision for your life video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaoaZdWJLcE
• Challenging Your Mindset With Daivd Neagle https://share.transistor.fm/s/8a8fb056

🎧Listen to the podcast here.  

📹 Watch the interview here.

Resources:

Join the Guild Membership

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Follow us on Instagram

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Navigating the duality of motherhood and building your firm, Elise chats with Melanie about ‘How style can encapsulate both your leadership and motherhood persona’”. Deep diving into:

• The challenges women face balancing their role as a boss and a mom when it comes to style (and how they can ensure neither get left behind)
• Getting out of the ‘I should wear a suit’ funnel women in law often fall into
• How to discover your own powerful personal style (and put it into action) based on your personal priorities and style goals
• The types of opportunities that women pass up because they don’t have the clothes to suit the occasion
• The transformational impact that showing up authentically as you can has on your career
• And more!

Listen in!

02:00 Meet Melanie who believes that the only way to feel free is to know that it’s yours!  

07:28 Finding power in dressing the way you feel is the “real” you …

09:40 How to pull out peoples' styles of clothes out of them when they are hiding. 

14:36 When you have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear — what do you do? 

19:44 How do finances play a part of dressing yourself 

23:33 Hacks and tips for clothes shopping

29:07 “I don't have time to learn how to dress myself” 

38:35 Teaching your kids how to dress for themselves

Connect with Melanie:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Group Coaching

🎧Listen to the podcast here.  

📹 Watch the interview here.

Resources:

Join the Guild Membership

Meet us in Austin, TX! The ZAPATHON Automation Workshop featuring Kelsey Bratcher! Become a member to purchase your ticket.

Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel

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Latrice has secured millions in settlements for her personal injury clients over the span of her career.  She works hard for her clients and gets the results that are needed on their behalf. 

She has recently established a virtual law firm which allows for efficiency and easy access for her clients through the pandemic. She has recently taken on representing misdemeanor criminal clients for low rates to help them keep their records clean.

01:30 Meet Latrice 

05:30 Running your law firm virtually --- the pros and cons of it!

09:57 How to get everything set up?! 

17:23 Fulfilling your destiny … even when things are unconventional 

25:04 Finding balance as a single mom 

28:23 Taking care of mental health and self care … making sure you take the time

🎧Listen to the podcast here.  

📹 Watch the interview here.

Connect with Latrice:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Subscribe to Maximum Mom on your favorite podcast player, so you never miss an episode!
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Resources:

Join the Guild Membership

Meet us in San Diego! The final quarterly mastermind of 2022 still has tickets available! Become a member to purchase your ticket.

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Since 2002, NVC Consulting has provided insights and analysis for customers in pharmaceuticals, consumer package goods, media and entertainment and financial services. Nishea experience spans from the most elite advertising agencies such as EURO RSCG, Leo Burnett and DDB to premier Fortune 500 clients including, Pfizer, IMG, Procter & Gamble, McDonalds, SiriusXM, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Microsoft and many more. Her team of seasoned professionals is equally skilled at delivering excellent insights with the highest level of customer service.

Nishea received her BS in Journalism from Northwestern University. She also earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern, where she has consulted and returned as a visiting lecturer to the business school. NVC Consulting is currently based in New York.

NVC Consulting has partnered with numerous pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Novo Nordisk and Eisai, conducting novel market research and strategic projects in areas such as rare disease, cardiovascular and mental health. 

Nishea and her associates have provided a viewpoint that allows her clients to better anticipate issues/opportunities with the target audience prior to going into market. The philosophy of delivering actionable strategies led to an output that empowers the entire team to be more proactive versus reactive.

01:00 Meet Nishea
12:14 Being a mom is the most humbling journey in my entire life
17:48 Getting a parenting coach so you can parent the kids you have
21:38 Personality archetypes in the workplace are so valuable … here’s why!
27:40 Have the label of intimidating — and coming to terms with people about it
33:13 Making it work for you! — back to boundaries
36:15 What does marketing research look like

Connect with Nishea:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Reading: Find Your Unicorn Space by: Eve Rodsky

🎧Listen to the podcast here. 

Subscribe to our channel so you never miss an interview, presentation or training! 

Bridgette is the CEO & Founding Attorney at the Bennett Law Center. Bridgette, or Attorney B as clients call her, is a U.S. immigrant. While she will tell you that her immigration story was a positive experience, the same could not be said for her husband's immigration experience.

After immigration authorities attempted to deport her husband, Attorney Bennett realized she had a higher purpose in life. She left her corporate job to attend law school with the risk that she would lose everything she had built. Now, she is living her own American Dream.

As an immigration attorney, Bridgette can now tell clients that she knows exactly what they are going through, and will do everything in her power to help you achieve your own version of the American Dream.

01:00 Meet Bridgette … 

08:55 Getting started in immigration law by being an immigrant herself.

14:26 Fascinated by the practice of immigration, for all the people.

16:41 Working with a team of 14 people. 

18:49 How does the business of immigration work during coivd and recession.

23:05 How education can help what we are facing today. 

29:00 Self care in the form of travel. 

Reading the book: 4,000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman which is about accepting that you can not do it all. What do you want to do?

Reading the book: The Gap in the Gain by Dan Sullivan which is about intentionally taking time to look where you came from and to stop chasing the next goal. 

Listen to the podcast here.
Watch the interview here.

Subscribe to Maximum Mom on your favorite podcast player, so you never miss an episode!

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Stacey is a New York City-based writer and journalist and the founder of Write On Track LLC, a full-service consultancy dedicated to providing high-quality content and strategy to individuals and businesses.

She has written extensively on lifestyle topics including career reinvention, health and wellness, personal finance, divorce, and parenting. Her work has been published or syndicated in The Washington Post, The Lily (published by The Washington Post), Forbes, Entrepreneur, MarketWatch, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Town & Country, InStyle, PBS' Next Avenue, AARP, SheKnows, Yahoo!, MSN, HuffPost, Popsugar, Your Teen, Grown & Flown, Scary Mommy, CafeMom, MariaShriver.com, and dozens of other well-known platforms worldwide. And is frequently called on for her expertise and insights and have been quoted in media brands such as The New York Times, The Seattle Times, HuffPost, and SheKnows.

A storyteller at heart, Stacey also writes engaging personal essays and reported pieces on her clients' behalf for submission to well-known magazines and newspapers boasting a global readership. With Stacey’s guidance, industry experience, and proven track record, her clients have seen their bylines, backlinks, and quotes appear in highly recognizable names that include Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, MarketWatch, The New York Daily News, American Bar Association, Above the Law, Yahoo, MSN, PBS' Next Avenue, HuffPost, ParentMap, Marin Magazine, Marin Living, Better, Your Teen, Scary Mommy, and Mantra Wellness.

Her book, a memoir-in-essays, is scheduled for release in November 2022 from Unsolicited Press. Waking up every day to do what she love allows her to bring that same energy to her clients as she advises them on building their businesses and personal blogs to boost website traffic. 

She helps her clients grow their presence and increase brand recognition by creating valuable SEO-rich website content, compelling profiles and bios, winning ad copy, and eye-catching press releases. Over the years, and as a direct result of her legal education, life experience, and voice in the divorce community, Stacey developed a subspeciality working with family and divorce and estate planning lawyers. By capturing each law firm's unique tone using education, example, and story, Stacey connects potential new clients with the legal professionals best-suited by skill and personality to represent them.

9:35 a book about betrayal 

11:08 the blog: an online resume

13:55 a book deal

16:17 figuring out your tolerance level

29:38 keeping a connection 

31:52 tips for co-parents

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Jeena is one of the first female owned personal injury law firms on Long Island, which started back in 2007 as a virtual office, while other firms looked at her sideways. She thinks of being a solo attorney not as a job, but as a lifestyle. She was able to create a successful practice on a shoestring with a smart business plan. She was able to stay home and make sure her daughter actually saw her mom for more than an hour or two a day.

Jeena’s areas of practice include Plaintiff's Personal Injury, New York No-Fault and Uninsured Motorist Law, subrogation, medical and auto insurance coverage disputes. She is admitted to the New York State Bar. She received a B.A. degree from Rowan University and J.D. degree from Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center.

Jeena is formerly associated with AutoOne Insurance as Managing Counsel and Travelers Insurance as First Party New York Regional Coordinator. In those positions, Ms. Belil was responsible for the management and organization of the New York No-Fault case handling structure that serves as the template for the defense of first-party claims. In addition, Ms. Belil has been instrumental in the management and preparation of many cases that have established the benchmark for defending arbitrations and suits and investigating and prosecuting No-Fault fraud.

She has presented seminars and round table conferences on diverse topics such as First Party Examinations Under Oath, Using Evidence at Uninsured Motorist Framed Issue Hearings and Arbitration, and Insurance Fraud. Ms. Belil has also represented the interests of Plaintiff clients in Personal Injury litigation from inception through trial.

Since 2007, Jeena has used her prior insurance defense experience in representing New York State Healthcare Providers and the patients they treat in the areas of personal injury, no-fault, and worker's compensation collections.

4:24 you’re not going to have a brick-and-mortar practice

7:05 the younger generations don’t need to be face-to-face

12:33 go where you’re needed

16:32 I consider myself lucky

20:52 people will be happier where they work

24:39 you may not remember exactly what happens

29:01 this accident gave me a perspective

34:58 times have just changed dramatically

38:24 shut it all down

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Grateful for the opportunity to serve the people and businesses of Madison Parish, Louisiana, and Warren County, Mississippi, Pamela co-founded Crews Grady PLLC in 2013 with the desire to empower her clients and her community. She utilizes her love of communication, technology, research, and planning to create successful outcomes for her clients and economic prosperity for her community.

She has a heart for public service and economic development and uses her relationships with her colleagues on the Bench and in the Bar in service of those causes. Committed to access to justice and to educating her clients, she is constantly searching for ways to utilize technology to reach those in need.

Pamela brings her background in agriculture and experience as an environmental and floodplain manager for the Department of Homeland Security to her real estate practice and is a licensed title insurance agent in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi. With offices ideally located in Madison Parish, Louisiana, and Warren County, Mississippi, her real estate practice often involves the purchase and sale of large agricultural and recreational tracts situated in both the states of Mississippi and Louisiana on the Mississippi River. 

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In addition to maintaining a real estate practice, Pamela has prosecuted and defended civil and criminal cases in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia in State Courts, Federal Courts, and before the American Arbitration Association. 

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Pamela and her husband, James "Bud" Grady, live in Madison Parish, Louisiana, where they are raising their two children, Wyatt and Genevieve.

4:33 federal judge in Texas 

7:55 It’s been a real shift

12:34 you’re conducting yourself a certain way 

16:19 you’ve got to be upfront with people

20:40 she’s a great partner

24:30 who is this person 

29:05 you can take another step

34:17 yes ma’am

38:00 that was a fun game

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Lara is a law professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she directs the Criminal & Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinics and holds the Barnett Chair in Trial Advocacy. 

Before that, she worked as a deputy federal public defender and the director of a Los Angeles-based innocence project. Along the way, she got married, had two children, divorced, and worked to create a different kind of family. Advocating for criminal defendants and writing about systemic breakdowns in courtrooms and in families have always felt interrelated and important. 

So often, people stay within their silos, unaware of the rich possibilities for collaboration, support, and mutual understanding. Her writing seeks to break down those barriers and ask that her readers open their minds to unexpected—even unlikely—ways of thinking about problems that may not be so intractable after all. 

To learn more, check out the profiles in MM LaFleur’s Lives with a Purpose and The Sun Magazine.

4:37 they're at great risk

7:24 it sparked a huge reaction

12:01 we’re choosing what to do

16:41 opening your mind

20:28 great lesson

24:21 missing a couple of hours, she was going to learn more

29:25 how do you look at these issues

34:40 turning that mirror on yourself 

38:00 is it really anything such as too much information

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Starting and growing Woven Legal has been both rewarding and challenging. Yet, it still pales compared to Meg’s most important work helping her son, Matt, who is now 23, arrive at a life of independence, pride in his accomplishments, and a network of support from his close friends and trusted professionals. 

She recognized from Matt's extreme hyperactivity as a toddler that he was different. Still, she wasn’t prepared for the difficulties which lay ahead when in 3rd grade, he was diagnosed with ADHD and a Non-Verbal Learning Disorder. Additionally, Meg was told that he was "on the Asperger's side of the spectrum." These differences would profoundly affect his academic and social success over the next nine years, not to mention his self-esteem. 

It, of course, also took a toll on her family, particularly her marriage - but she had amazing mentors who told her, "Don't quit before the miracle..." and she persevered. Looking back, Meg can clearly see the gifts she received from being Matt's mom. She is more patient (most moms are!), more FUN (not taking herself so seriously), and more accepting of others. And, perhaps most importantly, through serving as Matt's advocate, she was led to become absolutely unwilling to accept a FINAL answer as the FINAL answer when there's clearly a better way. 

Meg believes Woven Legal may be the byproduct of that lesson. The legal industry has been a pressure cooker for years. The broken families and mental health issues that lay in its wake are no secret. There is a better, more balanced way for attorneys to work with top talent, and that's what Woven Legal does. They place high-caliber virtual legal professionals to support busy attorneys so they can focus on growing and leading their firms.

3:25 the science of making paper 

7:27 no jerk policy

12:29 practice area alignment 

16:52 such rockstars 

20:50 learning lunchbox

24:38 all bets were off

29:07 personality plus

34:16 and everything in between

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Devon Moody-Graham is an international business strategist, consumer behavior specialist, and impact speaker with over 13 years of experience in new market expansion, marketing strategy, revenue stream creation, and business development.

She sees the desired end in mind for business owners and creates the roadmap to get there. Working with companies to gross over $4M+ in revenue and funding, she creates feasible revenue strategies to change the trajectory of a business’s life cycle. 

3:40 flexibility 

8:05 joy and self-care

12:11 these are the boundaries, and you are out of bounds

16:06 what type of life do you want

20:48 now I know how to do laundry

24:19 I have to walk in what I want to happen 

29:21 it’s such a learning opportunity

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Heather is a recovering lawyer who practiced in Big Law for over 18 years, made partner, and built a thriving ($2.5MM practice). And she did the latter while staying balanced and happy - but only after burning out and wondering why she’d ever wanted to be a lawyer in the first place. This shift occurred about 4 years into her legal practice, after hitting a mental brick wall and realizing that not everyone was so unhappy.

After looking around, she realized that there were key consistencies in people who were happily successful lawyers (as opposed to the typical near-burnout, never-happy, always drinking-from-a-fire-hose attorney). That's what convinced her to change law firms and build a values-based practice while leveraging her strengths. 

This started with a mindset shift around how she defined success for herself (based on aligning to her values and what she put in and letting go of what other people thought of her). And slowly changed how she perceived not just what success meant to her but also who she was, how she showed up, and how she perceived her place in this world (as a lawyer, wife, mom, and person in general).

Fast forward a number of years, and Heather was a partner in BigLaw who was quite happy. Everything changed when she was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. She took almost 1 year off to be with her kids and fight that uphill battle (She was only 38 and her boys were 6 and 2 at the time). After coming back to work full-time, she tried hard to go "back to normal" (something she thinks a lot of people are doing now post-pandemic). And eventually realized she couldn't do that and had to figure out what her "new normal" would be. 

Cancer and the journey she took had changed her. Heather needed to figure out how, and what that meant for her moving forward. It took several years to figure out, but eventually, this personal journey led her out of law and into coaching. She now helps lawyers build the practices they actually want. And it all started by helping them rewire their minds for resilience and confidence, reconnect to their values and realign around their priorities (while ditching stress, overthinking, and people-pleasing). 

She does this both through mindset leadership coaching and business development coaching (which contains a fair bit of mindset coaching). Because real success - where you're actually happy and not just successful on paper - is created from within. 

3:02 two boys

7:52 It’s scary

11:09 rewire your mind to think differently

15:06 things get in the way

20:13 I didn’t like who I was becoming

24:28 mine was a 9

29:56 we’re not supposed to make mistakes

36:07 choosing to be happy

40:28 you can fall off of that roller coaster

45:16 everybody who needs it isn’t ready for it

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Hillary’s first interaction with a lawyer was when she was being placed in state custody (foster care), and today she is an immigration lawyer who helps noncitizens get status based on abuse from their US citizen family members.

Hillary is the attorney and owner of New Frontier. More importantly, Hillary knows what it’s like to experience detainment personally. She understands the fear of being left to the hands of law enforcement officers. She understands the confusion of navigating the courts, the fear, and anxiety and is able to empathize with others. Her personal experience led her to pursue a career in law in her professional life in order to defend people who are vulnerable to what they do not know about the system. She’s been through it, and it’s her passion to protect people navigating Immigration Law in these harsh times today.

Additionally, Hillary is a mother of four, a military wife, a law professor, and an award-winning immigration lawyer. She has 10 years of experience winning appeals, hearings in Immigration Court and has represented appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court. You can feel assured that she will do everything within her legal means to help you or your loved one.

1:31 I got my teeth kicked in there

5:15 princess this or princess that

9:25 if you’re not on the same team

13:16 when our firm broke a million dollars

17:13 I do have a lot of endurance

21:16 to keep up with rockstars

25:37 it is what it is

29:29 always do your best

34:02 I want everything done yesterday

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Leora is a mom of 3 who is a partner at an award-winning #midlaw firm (of approximately 85 attorneys) in Minneapolis, building her business through relationships with women executives, in-house counsel, and businesses in various industries, including the medical device space. She is a thriver (not survivor) of divorce, and has channeled her personal story and lessons she has learned into pro bono work for low-income women seeking or responding to divorce and rebuilding their lives. Leora has been at her law firm for over 12 years and has established a track record as an effective but empathic litigator.

Leora Maccabee is a trial lawyer practicing primarily in the areas of general business, product liability, and trust and estate litigation. In the business and product liability litigation side of her practice, she prides herself on offering exceptional legal service to businesses—from multimillion-dollar companies to startups—facing conflicts and challenges that at minimum threaten to distract from the products they are selling and services they are providing to our community, and at maximum are bet-the-company matters. 

Whether that means going to court, engaging in mediation, or conducting complex and large-scale written and deposition discovery and e-discovery to develop the factual record, she represents her clients aggressively, intelligently, and effectively, and with a keen eye toward their business needs. 

As a trust and estate litigator, Leora partners with other attorneys in Maslon's Estate Planning Group to handle contested matters in probate courts, representing her clients in disputes regarding the obligations of fiduciaries such as trustees, executors, conservators, and guardians as well as the interpretation of testamentary instruments.

Leora was recognized as a 2016 40 Under 40 Honoree by Minneapolis/ St. Paul Business Journal, a 2015 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer, and annually on the Rising Stars and Top Woman Attorney lists by Super Lawyers.

1:15 generalist litigator

5:45 very family friendly

9:40 there’s a very big difference

13:38 I can go about my day

18:20 it’s not sanitary

21:47 we have to be more vulnerable

27:30 as mentors to other women

31:27 we support the work you’re doing

35:20 you’re going to do best in the spaces that you’re happiest in

39:08 I do think it’s a dance

43:07 life work integration

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Sharon Christie is a nurse, an attorney, and a business coach for women lawyers. As an attorney, she worked as an associate in a big law firm, a partner in a small personal injury firm, and then had her own solo practice for 16 years. She sold her law firm in 2021 to start Bold Women Lawyers. 

She believes that lawyers are happiest when they do work that feeds their souls. That is why she created Bold Women Lawyers. Bold Women Lawyers helps women lawyers in solo and small firm practices build a profitable practice that they love. Sharon graduated with honors from the University of Virginia. She has a Master’s Degree in Nursing and Health Policy from the University of Maryland. She graduated magna cum laude from The University of Notre Dame Law School.

1:48 it’s about time

4:22 coaching and business strategy

8:01 mini intensive

12:46 clear the clutter out of your head

16:05 you don’t need to be that superstar

20:06 not everyone is our ideal client

24:35 people remember how you treated them

28:56 what are the biggest burning issues

32:32 understanding the process

36:14 excellence, compassion, and integrity

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Andrea brings humor, creativity, and a lot of sarcasm to the table. She is new to this and has been solo for about 1 year and 10 months. Her business recently expanded, and she is in the process of buying a commercial space. She also brings a fresh perspective. Her work and clients bring a lot of joy- it's a type of fulfillment she doesn’t get from her marriage or her children.

She is an attorney who practices in Poughkeepsie, New York, and throughout the Hudson Valley. Prior to opening her own practice, she was employed as an associate at local law firms where she practiced in the areas of Elder Law, Estate Planning, Education Law, and Landlord/Tenant litigation. 

Andrea regularly lectures on topics pertaining to education law, Medicaid planning, Estate Planning, and updates to the landlord/tenant laws. She has litigated in local, state, and federal court on behalf of clients as well as in multiple administrative forums. 

She chose to open her own practice so that she could provide each client with the personalized attention they deserve and so she could draft custom retainer agreements for her clients to accommodate their needs and financial circumstances. When you retain Gellen Law, you can feel confident that Andrea personally will attend to your file. That you will hear her voice on the other side of the phone, not a recording or a paralegal. She works tirelessly for her clients - your goals are her goals. Your triumphs are her triumphs. 

Andrea resides in Poughkeepsie, New York with her husband, David, and their children, Isaac and Eleanor. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and hiking.

3:28 it’s the four of us

6:11 he doesn’t have immunity

9:42 they no longer require tests

12:24 my kids got Covid

15:31 the risk if you do x and the risk if you do y

19:26 I’m not in the revenge business

22:15 things money can’t buy

26:36 no controlling her

30:21 at different points in their lives

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1:31 Jason Selk

4:12 get a hold of your thoughts

9:00 level of trust

Elise’s Tip: Check out Relentless Solution Focus: Train Your Mind to Conquer Stress, Pressure, and Underperformance by Jason Selk. 

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Amber founded the Law Office of Amber Russell, PLLC, to help injured Texans all over the state get justice. Her passion for the law started at an early age, and she has worked with victims her entire adult life.  While attending the University of Texas Law School, she worked with groups to serve victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as individuals alleging they were wrongfully convicted.  

She’s been practicing law for 15 years.  Amber started her career working for an international defense firm, before switching sides to represent individual plaintiffs. Since then, Amber has helped hundreds of clients who have been seriously injured, including victims of trucking and auto crashes.

2:55 opened here in Austin

6:30 starting my own firm

10:06 annual feedback process

14:08 multiple spreadsheets

18:52 50/50

23:03 what is our mission statement

27:06 there is a lot to learn

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Laura started her early career interning on Capitol Hill and working for federal agencies while completing a Master’s in Public Policy, then became a management consultant advising federal agencies (IRS, the Pentagon, SSA) on how to be cheaper, better, and faster. Her friends didn't understand what she did, so they assumed she was a spy. 

While she loved her job, she was sick of developing PowerPoints and missed writing in full sentences. She then went to law school and became a litigator. She recognized that while full sentences are helpful, sometimes clients need a digest, bullet points, and even a chart to understand the legal issue better. 

Her first child was born, and BigLaw was draining. She joined the in-house counsel team at a Fortune 100 insurance company. Working directly with business clients, she saw even more that full sentences (and full memos) verged on uselessness. At the same time, she trained with her clients in design thinking - how do we provide services to humans, accepting them and operating first and foremost that the recipients of our services are humans? 

It's a novel and revolutionary idea in the legal field. To her, it means developing an understanding of each of our clients, deliberating about the possible ways to be their legal expert, and delivering in new and different ways that delight clients. 

She set out and formed a company with the mission of making lawyering better using these skills. She does not want women, minorities, and other marginalized groups leaving the practice of law. She wants them to ascend into legal leadership positions, and she recognizes that we're not going to get ahead practicing law the way that our largely white male predecessors did 50 years ago. 

That's where she is committed to getting this work out there - teaching how to better communicate and connect with clients in ways that work better for lawyers and everyone involved.

2:35 cheaper, better, faster

6:27 body-positive messages

10:32 you’re serving a person

13:12 empathy

18:10 do it in bite-size pieces

22:01 do you delight in delivering these services

27:07 experiential people connections 

30:00 giftology

34:58 you need all those perspectives together

38:02 authenticity 

43:49 part of the solution

47:22 I became the spy

50:23 coming out with this mindset

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Zaira earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Georgia College & State University. While earning her degree, she worked in the office of a solo practitioner in the metro Atlanta area. She gained valuable, hands-on experience in family law, criminal law, and worker’s compensation law prior to her legal education.

She worked for several firms throughout the Atlanta area while earning her law degree at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. Zaira discovered her passion for immigration during law school. Later in her training, she clerked at an immigration firm in Atlanta, Georgia. She also worked in the Fulton County Public Defender’s Office in the Complex Case Division. 

In 2011, Zaira founded Solano Law Firm with a focus on immigration law to serve the Latino community. She believes in providing honest representation and educating clients throughout the process.

3:09 founded the firm in Atlanta

8:02 I have a kickass nanny

12:48 different experience

16:38 for my moms at the firm

20:16 the single parents

24:41 we will figure it out

29:10 being flexible enough

34:28 the mom guilt kicks in

38:23 some weight off my shoulders

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Victoria is a two-lawyer married couple (both women) who had twins. Her wife (ADA) stopped working to be the primary home caregiver while she (law firm owner) became the sole financial support. 19 years later, while still with minor children, Victoria sold her law firm and "started over". So many say they "can't" because of the children; she says "I must" because of the children. Credentials: attorney, entrepreneur, published author, coach, advisor, speaker, mom, veteran, and a latch key kid who's now taking care of her parents (classic sandwich generation).

Victoria Collier opened her own law firm straight out of law school, building from the experience she obtained as a paralegal in the Air Force and in the private sector.  Although Victoria’s niche was in Elder Law Estate Planning, she created a niche within that niche by being the first to teach Veterans Benefits for Seniors to elder law attorneys across the nation. In addition, Victoria co-owned a multi-million dollar company coaching other estate and elder law attorneys on how to build and scale their law firms.    

She owned and operated her law firm for 19 years before she sold it in 2020. Prior to the sale, Victoria maintained average gross revenues between $1 - $1.5 million dollars for five consecutive years. Victoria currently co-owns another multi-million dollar business that helps Veterans, as well as owning a consulting firm and a Hemp Farm and CBD oil business. She has previously owned an insurance firm, publishing company, and a real estate business. 

Victoria has completed an extensive study on the valuation, purchase, merger, and sale of businesses, including obtaining her Certified Exit Planning Advisor designation.  

While all the other business coaches are offering to help you “build and grow” your business, Victoria focuses on helping you either Love your business or Leave your business and Walk Away Happy.    

Victoria loved her business and the clients she served. And then she didn’t. She knew she had a choice to either fall back in love with it or sell it to someone else.  She decided to sell it to someone else (when you get the chance, ask her why she chose that option).  Victoria spent three years positioning her law firm to sell it.  Then, when the decision was made to sell, it took less than 90 days to find the buyer, draft the legal documents, and close. 

Victoria now spends a great deal of her time with her children on the farm (as well as in the city where they still live and go to school), building her CBD business, and coaching attorneys on positioning their firms to either support its owner the right way or allow the owner to sell it and feel good walking away.  

3:35 emotional intelligence 

6:32 elder law and estate planning

10:06 the first 30 days

14:12 if we’re truly going to walk away

18:21 Let them have their own failures

23:27 love it or leave it

27:46 find me a buyer

31:43 who you listen to

36:01 the hemp

40:38 I do the coaching for lawyers

45:10 whichever way they go

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Jennifer is passionate about entrepreneurship, especially women entrepreneurs. She is passionate about growing and scaling up businesses to 7 and 8 figures. She believes in living life to your maximum potential, personally, professionally, and financially. She is passionate about intentional parenting and the raising of independent and purpose-driven children. 

Jennifer believes in being a lifelong learner. She loves fitness and is very goal-driven. She has built multiple 7 figure law firms and is in the process of building an 8 figure law firm. Jennifer also coaches women entrepreneurs to step into their greatness by vision boarding, learning to delegate, hiring, becoming a greater leader, and letting go of mom or women's guilt.

3:21 more support

7:11 my boss stole my identity

12:03 being intuitive

14:58 exposed to mom guilt

20:46 I hired a parenting coach

25:32 associate it with their mom doing it

29:26 letting a little bit go of that control

35:01 why are you doing it

38:33 creating a system

43:38 self-coaching

47:08 mindset

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Nicole has an entirely virtual law firm, Loughlin Law P.A. where she practices estate planning, probate administration, and personal injury in Florida. She is a solo attorney with four support staff members, three years in business, multiple six figures in revenue, a lot of systems and automation, and a profit first from the beginning. Nicole is a mom of 3 (one just born last month), room/PTA parent involved, Disney pass holder, and peloton enthusiast.

3:46 waitlisted at Stetson

6:59 estate planning and personal injury

11:58 managing your own firm

14:09 scheduling is everything

17:01 build out systems

22:45 enjoy the business side of practice

26:20 Star Wars and Marvel

30:29 remember when you used to wish for this

36:18 a life bucket of learning still to do

41:37 the possibility of where I’m going to take us next

45:41 scheduled the whole thing out

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Geannina Burgos is a first-generation (born in Chile), second-career attorney (previously in the non-profit arts education sector, and a classically-trained dancer). She went to law school part-time in the evening (started when her daughter was 6 months old) while working during the day. She is a partner at a plaintiff's disability insurance & ERISA firm, adjunct law professor, and serves on local non-profit/government arts boards.

3:29 it takes a village

7:34 thought process and emotion

11:18 dynamics

14:08 collaborative culture

18:10 collaboration not competition

21:49 disability close to my family

24:45 once a dancer always a dancer

28:15 art is in my heart

33:39 understand what you’re offering

37:14 maximum mom magic

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As a black, immigrant woman who started her law career as a single parent, Angela shares her unique perspective on how you can use your strength to find success in your personal and professional life.

Angela Barker’s role is to assist clients to prepare for and transition through various life stages, including pre-nuptial agreements in anticipation of marriage, advice, and counsel to clients considering a separation or divorce, and if necessary, representing clients in divorce negotiations and court proceedings. As a family lawyer, she supports her clients in seeking a fair and equitable distribution of assets created during the course of marriage, including a fair award of alimony/maintenance and support.

3:56 moot court
6:24 practicing family law

9:27 practice litigation the right way

12:06 quality of judges 

15:35 mandated mediation

19:00 road to independence

25:00 the bar exam

28:52 trip to Ghana

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2:37 traction

4:34 become clear on core values

8:39 gender equity

12:08 find your unicorn space

15:13 simple numbers, big profits

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Laura‌ ‌Chipman‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌&‌ ‌privacy‌ ‌attorney‌ ‌and‌ ‌life‌ ‌coach‌ ‌for‌ ‌lawyers.‌ ‌As‌ ‌a‌ ‌coach,‌ ‌she‌ ‌helps‌ ‌women‌ ‌lawyers‌ ‌live‌ ‌and‌ ‌practice‌ ‌intentionally.‌ ‌As‌ ‌a‌ ‌lawyer,‌ ‌she‌ ‌takes‌ ‌pride‌ ‌in‌ ‌empowering‌ ‌her‌ ‌clients‌ ‌with‌ ‌practical‌ ‌and‌ ‌creative‌ ‌solutions‌ ‌to‌ ‌legal‌ ‌challenges.‌ ‌Laura‌ ‌is‌ ‌also‌ ‌a‌ ‌mom‌ ‌to‌ ‌two‌ ‌boys‌ ‌and‌ ‌lives‌ ‌with‌ ‌her‌ ‌family‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌200-year-old‌ ‌farmhouse‌ ‌in‌ ‌rural‌ ‌North‌ ‌Carolina.‌ ‌You‌ ‌can‌ ‌find‌ ‌more‌ ‌about‌ ‌her‌ ‌story‌ ont‌ ‌her‌ ‌website‌ ‌‌‌and‌ ‌chat‌ ‌with‌ ‌her‌ ‌on‌ ‌LinkedIn‌.

3:35 coaching
9:05 leading the life you want
15:04 how to do less
21:05 distinct business
24:21 clarity of a vision
30:15 making it a successful year
36:34 being grateful

42:00 space to daydream

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This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie joined Frances Shefter. 

Frances started her professional career as a regular education teacher. She always had an interest in special education and decided to obtain her master's in special education. After 7 years in the classroom, she became the special education coordinator at an alternative middle and high school. After 2 years in that position, Frances realized that she was not making the difference she wanted to make. Having always been interested in law, her next natural step was law school. After a stint in Florida practicing family law, she moved back to the Maryland area. Frances was a contract attorney in DC when she learned about DC Superior Court's CCAN panel. On her second attempt, she was accepted on the panel as a special education attorney. Around the same time, she met her now husband. Shortly after she got married, they started fertility treatment and she stopped being a contract attorney and started focusing on her law firm. She had her first daughter and continued building her firm while being a new mommy. 2 years later, she got baby fever and was back at the fertility clinic getting pregnant with her second daughter. She moved her office out of the house and into an actual office. Her special education law firm is now growing to help more families have a Stress-Free IEP experience while still being present as a mommy for her daughters.

4:40 the juggle is real
11:30 navigating SpEd services 
10:50 Zoom school impact
18:03 kids and their strengths
21:53 mom guilt
25:07 quality time
29:36 life fulfillment

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7:33 finding time for creative outlets
9:45 incarcerated parents
10:50 starting a firm to get a contract
18:08 inequity
20:28 vicarious trauma
25:30 an empty cup
28:35 injustice

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Jennifer is the owner of Hargrave Family Law . She helps good people end broken marriages. When facing divorce, people need to know they have options. Divorce does not have to end in disaster. The best divorces are ones where both partners are empowered to make decisions - not where fear is the operating force. Building a business is very similar.

Jennifer recently lost her mother to cancer. She died four months from the date of diagnosis. Walking through this period of tremendous personal loss has strengthened her fortitude to help people find the blessings in the midst of very dark circumstances.

3:20 the teen years
10:50 having other things to fill you up
16:32 opportunity for growth
18:25 when your responsibilities shift

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Laura is an immigration attorney and professional certified coach. She helps attorneys prevent and recover from burnout. She helps attorneys find joy, harmony and balance in their practices and lives.

2:39 your passion
6:22 radical ownership
10:55 our thoughts about our circumstances
16:00 truth bombs
20:33 false pleasures
26:54 failure is required
31:35 wind down time
42:30 you don’t have to do this

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Stacey Brown Randall is the multiple award-winning author of Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, host of the Roadmap to Grow Your Business podcast and national speaker.

She has had the privilege of helping well-known corporations and franchises, but her focus is on small business owners, solopreneurs and sales professionals.

Stacey’s programs are uniquely tailored to help you take control of your referrals, your client experience and crush your goals.

Stacey has been featured in national publications like Entrepreneur magazine, Investor Business Daily, Forbes, CEO World, Fox News and more.

She received her Master’s in Organizational Communication and is married with three kids.

7:45 ignoring the gain
8:17 referral ninja
10:42 just try
11:50 referrals without asking
19:30 tracking networking
20:30 data is a starting point

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Shivanii is an International Speaker and Gamification Expert, who uses her worldly experiences to inspire others to live life outside the box and on their own terms. When she was 10, after her family was forced out of the US due to immigration issues, she spent 5 years travelling around the world. Growing up globally, Shivanii was able to learn on her own terms which led her to become a certified NLP Practitioner and a certified Scuba Diver both by the age 12.

The Global Face and Community Champion of FUNancial Freedom, Shivanii now helps kids and teens become financially smart. After realising the standard education system often falls short when teaching children things like financial literacy and mindset tools, she now helps kids and teens fill in the gaps and thrive in these areas.

Shivanii emceed her first event at age 8 for 2,500 people and has since spoken at numerous entrepreneurial events across 4 continents, even sharing the stage with the legendary Les Brown. For her expertise, she has been featured on Good Morning America, NBC, FOX, ABC, and several international newspapers and magazines.

Watch the interview here.

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Corinne is the immediate past President of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois. Under Corinne’s leadership, WBAI forged unprecedented partnerships with state and national bar associations, the judiciary and government offices to commemorate the centennial of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution that provided women the right to vote.  Corinne is currently serving the North Suburban Bar Association as a member of its Board of Directors.  Corinne is a merit badge counselor for Boy Scout Troop 156 and parent board member for Glenview Junior Titans Football.

Corinne and her husband and law partner John are raising three sons in the northern suburbs of Chicago where the family is active in scouting, sports and ministries that support women and children in crisis through Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. 

Watch the interview here.

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3:53 it’s not a straight line
10:15 family dynamics
22:02 you can always do the right thing
25:57 law practice operations
45:26 letting go
47:06 be kind to yourself

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Rachael moved across the country in 2015 from FL to CO and switched practice areas from family law, estate planning, probate and guardianship to cannabis business law, a new and niche, risky practice area. She worked for another firm until she had her first kid in 11/16 and quickly found it couldn't make ends meet, so she left that firm, went solo, and had cultivated enough relationships that a few clients came with to her. Have grown the firm since then, had a surprise baby 11 months after going solo, and went from solo to a team of 6 during the pandemic. She also teaches jazzercise on the side.

Watch the interview here.

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In addition to her law practice, Michelle is the founder and president of the national nonprofit organization MothersEsquire, which has more than 5,000 members and advocates for gender equity, motherhood, and caregiver issues. She was recently appointed to the ABA Presidential Commission on Women. Michelle also serves as an adjunct professor of Gender Law & Policy at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.

In 2018, she was selected as the recipient of the Kentucky Bar Association’s Nathaniel R. Harper Award for promoting diversity in the profession, and as the Women Lawyers Association of Jefferson County Member of the Year for her work for gender equality, and in Nov. 2019, she was recognized as one of the 100 Women Who Inspire Us by the ABA’s Women in Litigation Conference.

Michelle speaks frequently on issues of gender equity in the profession, including presenting oral arguments before the Florida Supreme Court in Aug. 2019 on a gender equity rule change. Michelle was the keynote speaker for the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Women Lawyers of Jefferson County and the 2020 ABA Women of Legal Tech Summit. She serves on numerous diversity committees, and she is also the author of the children's book, My Mom, the Lawyer, published in Nov. 2019. All proceeds of the book go to MothersEsquire to support its advocacy initiatives.

Watch the interview here.

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She is the contributing author of "The Coparenting Handbook" with Collaborative Divorce Coach Karen Bonnell and the Author of “No More Us; Navigating a Divorce or Separation You Didn’t Want”. She is also an active member and certified trainer for the International Association of Collaborative Professionals and serves as a board member of King County Collaborative Law.

Her work as a Child Specialist, emphasizes the benefits of supporting parents in creating child-centered solutions in divorce and post divorce co-parenting support to create safe, positive, and resilient two-home families. In addition to her work in divorce, Kristin maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Seattle.

Watch the interview here.

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As a Black businesswoman and attorney, she is not your garden-variety estate planning attorney. She wishes to provide services to those who her area of the law has historically ignored. Being a unicorn does not mean she only serves people of color and/or women, but it does mean she actively seeks to serve this demographic.

Watch the interview here.

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Eve Rodsky is working to change society one partnership at a time by coming up with a new 21st century solution to an age-old problem: women shouldering the brunt of childrearing and domestic life responsibilities regardless of whether they work outside the home.

In her New York Times bestselling book FAIR PLAY, she uses her Harvard Law School training and years of organizational management experience to create a life-management system to help couples both rebalance all of the work it takes to run a home and reimagine their relationship, time and purpose.

Eve Rodsky received her B.A. in economics and anthropology from the University of Michigan, and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. After working in foundation management at J.P. Morgan, she founded the Philanthropy Advisory Group to advise high-net worth families and charitable foundations on best practices for harmonious operations, governance and disposition of funds. In her work with hundreds of families over a decade, she realized that her expertise in family mediation, strategy, and organizational management could be applied to a problem closer to home – a system for couples seeking balance, efficiency, and peace in their home. Rodsky was born and raised by a single mom in New York City and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their three children. 

Watch the interview here.

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One of South Jersey’s leading matrimonial lawyers, AllynMarie (Ali) Smedley, Esq., has focused her practice solely in the area of family law, including divorce, pre- and post-marital agreements, support and alimony, child support and custody, college contribution matters, spousal support,  grandparent visitation, equitable distribution, paternity determinations, parenting time, domestic violence, non-traditional family law, settlement negotiations, wills and adoptions. She also handles family law matters requiring Appellate Division review.

Ms. Smedley joined Trace Jenkins in 2006 and became a partner in the firm in January 2014. She founded Smedley & Lis in October 2015 and launched the Smedley Law Group in December 2019. As a capable litigator and negotiator, she brings a new energy and vision to the firm, while still focusing on its core values of achieving realistic and practical outcomes for clients. Prior to joining Trace Jenkins in 2006, Ms. Smedley clerked for the Honorable Harold U. Johnson, Jr., P.J.F.P., Chancery Division, Family Part in Cumberland County where she received valuable training in the workings of the New Jersey Judiciary that continues to benefit her clients to this day.

Watch the interview here.

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Carol is a former Adjudications Officer at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and focused on policy issues at its headquarters in Washington, DC. As a result, she provides added insight to the agency practices when working with clients. For over 20 years Carol has worked extensively with companies of all sizes, from start-ups to multinational companies, as well as individuals trying to live and work in the USA.

Carol can be reached at carol@clwimmigration.com

Watch the interview here.

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Brooke Lively is the Founder of Cathedral Capital, a team of CFO’s and Profitability Strategists who help entrepreneurs turn their businesses into profitable companies.  With expertise in growth management, creative problem solving and profitability strategy, Brooke has been featured in international media including Forbes, CNBC, and US News and World Report.

Pam is a unicorn of sorts. She is a CPA by schooling and experience and then she took the road less traveled. She worked for Large Accounting Firms, Multinational Corporations and Entrepreneur entities. In a career that spanned many decades, she has been a CPA, CFO, COO, CEO, StayAtHome mom, retiree and now a Coach of sorts. She worked in several countries in several continents. Pam hails from the best Fort Ever – Fort Wayne, IN. While she didn’t grow up here, she is a Hoosier through and thru.

Watch the interview here.

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Jennifer has been at this for 18 years now! Real estating is dynamic, it is always changing and the needs of clients are always changing. Jennifer gets jazzed to continue to learn and grow as my clients' needs change and grow. She comes from a background of education and has the pleasure of incorporating that into what she does. She gets to teach brokers about this business and it sharpens her while she’s doing it. Real estate asks of you that you put ego aside and work for someone else’s benefit.

Jennifer feels proud that she gets the opportunity to practice being a better human and use her ever growing skillset to make the experience of buying and selling with her a great one.

Watch the interview here.

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With the curiosity of Galileo and the tenacity of a street fighter, Sara Frasca is an innovation and business growth expert.  Honing her skills at senior leadership roles in both Corporate America and the world of startups, Sara now serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Fireproof, a global business coaching firm. She helps leading organizations cultivate human imagination, build a culture of accountability, and solve complex problems to drive business growth. Sara is the go-to resource for leaders seeking competitive advantage and sustainable success by harnessing alignment, marketing and data.

Previously Sara spent 13 years at General Mills in multiple leadership roles.  She was also an account director at the interactive agency ePrize, leading the forefront of digital transformation for Fortune 500 brands.  Sara is the founder and proud owner of Trasca & Co. Eatery, and was named the 2017 Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Jacksonville, Florida.

Sara’s restaurant and speaking.

Watch the interview here.

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Kathryn is an experienced family law attorney with a passion for the collaborative approach. After graduating from the University of Washington School of Law in 2010, she moved to Wenatchee where she practiced law, was on the board of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Center, served as the President of the local Young Lawyers Division, and volunteered for Attorney Services in family law.  She has a history working at Family Law CASA in King County and at the King County Bar Association Family Law Neighborhood Clinic. 

Most recently, she practiced family law at the Ivy Law Group before joining Elise Buie Family Law Group in October, 2016. Kathryn
Silk has extensive trial and courtroom experience, but understands that the best approach often requires taking the decision making power out of the hands of the bureaucracy and placing it back into the hands of her clients. She is trained in mediation and negotiation, and holds a  mediation skills certificate from the University of Washington School of Law. Kathryn strives for an outcome that will work best for all parties involved. She believes strongly in working with her clients to educate them about the legal process and empower them in making the best decisions for their future.

In her free time, Kathryn Silk chases after her two wild young daughters and rides horses. She enjoys travel: she has lived abroad in France and Argentina and traveled extensively in Europe and South America. She loves cooking, gardening, yoga, running half-marathons, hiking with her Britney Spaniel, drinking copious amounts of tea, and spending time at her parent's farmhouse on Vashon Island.

For more information about Kathryn Silk, you can visit her on Avvo or LinkedIn.

Watch the interview here.

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Sophya Raza is a Founding Member of Raza and Jones in St. Louis. Sohpya had wanted to be a lawyer ever since she drafted a contract  at the age of 12 for her mom and sister to sign involving her sister’s desire for a perm. It was this  first instance of helping two individuals resolve their dispute in a fair manner that hooked her. She has focused her practice solely on family law since graduating law school in 2002.

Stephanie Jones of Raza and Jones, came to a career in law a little bit later than most. She didn’t grow up saying she wanted to  be an attorney like a lot of her colleagues. She wanted to be a psychologist and help people.  But looking  back now, a legal career was always there. She negotiated her first "contract" with her parents her senior year in high school when she presented them a detailed PowerPoint presentation as to why she should no longer be required to have a curfew. In fifth grade, she won an award for "most questions asked." Looking back now, it was clear that becoming an attorney was unavoidable. 

Watch the interview here.

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Ms. Renée Bauer is an award-winning divorce attorney, published author, and founder of the family law firm, Bauer Law Group.

Renée’s insights are sought after by local, national and international media outlets, podcasts, and conferences where she speaks on co-parenting, blended family dynamics, relationships, and the art of reinvention. As an accomplished litigator, she boldly educates and inspires women to reclaim their right to happiness through her online course, the d∙course and podcast, Happy Even After.

Despite being a self-proclaimed introvert, Renée believes doing uncomfortable and hard things is something we all have the capacity to breathe though. Her need to share her message is greater than her fear of speaking in crowds. Stay tuned because being on stage as a Tedx speaker is on her short “to do” list even if she is going to have to take lots of deep breaths for that one.

Once private and reserved, Renée has stripped away the photo filters to talk candidly about the shame and guilt most women feel in their lives so they can find their own version of Happy Even After

Watch the interview here.

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Andrea's extensive family law practice focuses on all aspects of family law including dissolutions, legal separations, division of assets/liabilities, parentage, child support, post-decree enforcement and modifications, and domestic violence, primarily in King and Snohomish counties. 

Andrea grew up in the Pacific Northwest and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the University of Washington in 2008 and her Juris Doctorate from the Seattle University School of Law in 2012. During law school, she served as a law clerk for the Federal Trade Commission in Seattle and the United States Attorneys' Office in Boise, Idaho. Andrea regularly volunteers as a pro bono attorney for the Eastside Legal Assistance Program serving low-income clients in family law matters and has done so since 2013.

Outside of work, Andrea enjoys traveling, yoga, cooking, gardening, trying out the latest fad workout and spending time with her seven-year-old daughter.

Watch the interview here.

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For over 22 years Brita practiced law and saw how people’s lives, including other attorneys, were negatively affected by complexity, a lack of purpose and a miss match between what they said was important in their life vs what their behavior showed was important in their life.

Brita herself struggled for many years to create a life that fit her and that she loved. A life of being honest with herself (or at least giving it a good go), valuing herself and her work, and being true to herself.

She now teaches and coaches other attorneys on how they too can identify and then reduce or eliminate the thought patterns, and behavior that is getting in their way and preventing them from living the life they truly want to live.

Watch the interview here.

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Claire is a skilled local government attorney and litigator, a best-selling author, a recognized advocate for lawyer-moms and women professionals, and the mom of two adorable but admittedly unruly girls. 

Claire relies on her mindfulness practice to balance these roles and her passion for the subject led her to write and speak on mindfulness extensively, obtain a meditation teacher certification, and found the Brilliant Legal Mind blog, which offers practical information about mindfulness meditation for lawyers and professionals. 

You can connect with Claire on LinkedIn or check out her blog. 

Watch the interview here.

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Amy coaches lawyers and other professionals one-on-one, in small group masterminds, and delivers workshops for employers. Her work draws on her unique experience as dean of students at the University of Chicago Law School and a successful career practicing law, first as a Skadden litigation associate and later as an associate and then partner at a mid-size Chicago firm. 

She received her B.A. from Luther College, her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, and her M.A. in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. Her career and goal achievement advice has been featured in media including ABA publications, Bustle, Corporette, Glassdoor, Health, Monster, NBC, and Women's Running magazine. 

Watch the interview here.

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Natalie is a creative and proven problem solver with over 15 years of experience counseling employers on diversity & HR strategies, compliance, and litigation. Natalie has worked with global employers in various industries including quick services restaurants, manufacturing, financial services, and healthcare.  Natalie firmly believes that there is no “one size fits all” approach to HR and diversity strategies. Having come from a diverse upbringing and worked with employers across the globe, Natalie draws on her varied experiences to customize strategies that are unique to an organization. 

Having earned her bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from American University and her law degree from The George Washington University Law School, Natalie understands the value of a well-rounded education.  As a result, Natalie is passionate about supporting mentoring and educational opportunities for underserved youth.  She currently serves on the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami, which is one of the first chapters in the United States to both own its own facility and provide direct services to underserved youth.  

On a personal note, Natalie lives in Miami, FL and is an avid landscape photographer who loves almost any outdoor activity along with creative writing. 

Watch the interview here.

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Ms. Page began her career in 1986 representing debtors in consumer and business bankruptcies with a boutique law firm in Dallas and then with a sole member firm. 

In 1988 Ms. Page joined J. C. Penney Company, Inc. in the corporate legal department where she developed and implemented a consumer bankruptcy rights enforcement project for the company’s credit service centers and represented the company in bankruptcy courts across the country. She also worked in the area of trade regulation ensuring the company’s compliance with applicable state and federal laws, as well as in the area of securities regulation. 

In 1997 Ms. Page expanded her career in the corporate arena when she was named Manager of Public Relations for JCPenney where she was responsible for the development, implementation and coordination of strategies with respect to the company’s media communications programs, including executive speech writing and event marketing. Ms. Page was named Director of Corporate Media Relations for Sabre Holdings Corporation in Fort Worth in 1999 and subsequently named Director of Worldwide Media Relations for Sabre. 

Watch the interview here.

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Angela H. Hansen is the owner of Hansen Legal & Mediation Services, P.C. in Rockville, Maryland. Angela brings 30+ years of experience in advocacy and conflict resolution to her firm and unapologetically provides clients with clear direction throughout their entire time under her care and counsel. Her experience and clientele are intentional and expansive, servicing marginalized and disenfranchised groups such as those suffering from chronic mental illness, substance abuse, and victims of spousal abuse. She also has obtained final protective orders, thereby removing emotionally, verbally, and abusive partners from the family home and opening the door to resolution and healing. Angela’s sustained commitment extends beyond a verdict as she pursues innovative solutions toward post-divorce success in her varied cases. Her courage and tenacity have led to success against “Big Law” firms in hard to win cases such as child custody relocation cases and acquiring indefinite alimony for women and men who have been the economically disadvantaged spouses. 

Angela recently completed her one-year term on the Montgomery County Local Pro Bono Committee after she was nominated by the former head of the county Legal Aid and installed by the Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court. Above all, Angela values her faith and family, which motivates her to ensure that her clients, too, have healthy and secure family environments. Angela and her husband, Steven, understand the complexities of family diversity and are the proud parents of three adopted children, ages 29, 27 and 5 who inspire her advocacy for change.

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Jasmin Haley is an award-winning national speaker, podcaster, and pro educator. Almost 8 years ago, the woman you see today did not exist. Her passion and brilliance were simmered down to non-existence because she opted to play small and live her life in fear. She came to the realization it was time for a change. It was time to LIVE her life, to FACE her fears, to take CARE of herself, and to NURTURE the Queen within. She took her side-hustle and created a 6-figure business. She helps entrepreneurial women do the same while also conquering their fear, doubt, and overwhelm that often plague many entrepreneurs. She can be contacted at btpevents@beyondtheprophy.com.

Connect with Jasmin

https://www.jasminhaley.com/

Instagram

Youtube

Watch the interview here.

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Amy comes from humble beginnings. She was the first person in her extended family to go to college, let alone attend law school. Raised by a single mother with limited means, Amy understands the importance of family and the value of a dollar. She takes neither for granted in her law practice.

Amy prides herself on being a genuine and approachable person first and a lawyer second. She takes time to understand what her clients are going through and has a knack for explaining complicated legal processes in plain English.

She believes that true collaboration leads to the best legal outcomes. Amy's approach to law is that she sees herself as the navigator and the client as the pilot. She feels this way because, while she may be the expert when it comes to the legal process, the client remains the authority about what is best for their life.

Amy has significant experience representing clients in times of crisis. Before transitioning to private practice, she worked for an agency that was dedicated to helping survivors of domestic violence. She is passionate about providing families with opportunities to create safer, more stable lives.

A fifth-generation Washingtonian, Amy lives in Tacoma with her spouse, her three children, and two dogs – a Newfoundland named Huxley and a St. Bernard named Ellie. The family enjoys cooking, gardening, and hiking together. Amy's hobbies include remodeling her 1890's Craftsman house and restoring old Toyota hatchbacks.

Watch the interview here.

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Bunmi has a career that spans 17 years moving fluidly between the legal and biotechnology world. She started her career working in pharmaceutical litigation, before moving on to regulatory policy in emerging technology, such as synthetic biology and nanotechnology. She eventually made the transition to government ethics while working at the Food and Drug Administration. 

While her current profession is as an ethics attorney, she continues to pursue her various passions. A mother to three Nigerian-American children, she created Atlas Book Club, a book subscription box company focused on globally diverse children's books, as part of her efforts to ensure that her children remain connected to their African heritage and continue to develop a global awareness through literature. 

A student of authenticity and vulnerability, Bunmi studies the teachings of experts such as Brene Brown and Pema Chodron, incorporating these lessons into daily life. An avid reader and culture seeker, she believes that a curious mind, a yearning for constant learning, a fearless pursuit of your purpose, and an active practice of giving and gratitude are key to living your best life.

Watch the interview here.

Attorney Billie Tarascio practices exclusively in divorce and family law in Arizona at the law firm she founded, Modern Law. Billie is a skilled practitioner, national speaker, podcast host of ‘Modern Divorce’, and law firm business consultant. She is also the author of Decode Your Divorce and a co author of Tiger Tactics, Powerful Strategies for Winning Attorneys.

Melissa Shanahan founded Velocity Work after several years at a consulting firm focused on the growth of private practices all across the U.S. After coaching over 350 doctors, dentists, and lawyers - she chose to narrow her services to attorneys only and started Velocity Work.

The host of the Velocity Work podcast and an extremely effective coach for attorneys running their own firms, Melissa brings her A-game to everything she does. Her energy is infectious and the material she’s teaching will forever change how you think.

From mindset, to vision, to productivity, to tracking firm data, Velocity Work has helped hundreds of attorneys grow their firm on their terms.

Melissa lives in Denver where she and her husband (also an entrepreneur) are raising their sweet 1 year old son, Lachlan.

www.velocitywork.com

https://www.instagram.com/velocity.work/

Watch the interview here.

She grew up in Decatur, Illinois and traveled out of state for school, attending Mary Baldwin College in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, living in DC between college and law school and working for Fried Frank law firm, and then moving to New Orleans for law school at Loyola University New Orleans before eventually moving home in 2010, passing the bar, and starting to practice. 

She currently practices primarily in adoption, guardianship, and healthcare areas. She also serves on the Illinois Sixth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee and the Foundation Board of Directors for St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur. Drew finished her tenure as President of the Decatur Bar Association in July 2020. Previous board service includes the Children’s Museum of Illinois, the Decatur and Macon County Animal Shelter Foundation, and Growing Strong Sexual Assault Center. She currently lives in Forsyth, IL with my husband of nearly 5 years, Rob, our two daughters, Elizabeth, 2 and Audrey, 7 months, and our dogs Frank and Copper.

Watch the interview here.

Karen’s work as a Collaborative Divorce Coach spurred her determination to write “The Co-Parenting Handbook” “ with Kristin Little, Child Specialist. Parents learn the best ways to support their children, strengthen their co-parenting, and discover the necessary tools to skillfully create a two-home family.

As a teacher, trainer, facilitator, Karen played an instrumental role in developing the year-long facilitator training program for the Compassionate Listening Project. As a certified Compassionate Listening trainer, Karen utilizes this heart-centered approach to authentic speaking and capable listening used around the world in high-conflict situations such as Israel/Palestine. Her deep listening skills make all the difference working with co-parent pairs in conflict as they find their way through the pain of divorce into a future with optimism.

To keep on maximizing your firm, stay connected!
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Tahmina is a national spokesperson of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She also serves as the Chair of the Response Committee of the Washington Chapter AILA, as well as many other boards and organizations in Washington State.

Tahmina is a podcaster, author, blogger, activist and policy advocate. She frequently appears in the media as a legal expert. She is the author of two books. Her latest bestselling book is “Legal Heroes in the Trump Era: Be Inspired. Make Your Impact. Change the World”. 

She was just honored as one of the 2020 Women of Influence by the Puget Sound Business Journal. 

Watch the interview here.

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