This week, Katy sits down with Emily Logan Stedman, commercial litigator and passionate mental health advocate for lawyers—to talk about the realities of life in Big Law.

Emily opens up about her own journey: navigating the pressures of billable hours, questioning whether law was truly her path, and ultimately finding a healthier, more authentic way to work. 

The conversation dives into strategies for maintaining mental health while excelling professionally—setting clear boundaries with work, carving out time for hobbies and exercise, and leaning on colleagues, family, and therapists for support. Emily also reveals her go-to tactics for hitting billable hours without burning out and why showing up with authenticity on LinkedIn can build more meaningful connections.

“Finding autonomy and exercising control over your day can make a world of difference,” Emily notes. By releasing your daily mental load, creating systems, and taking ownership, you can achieve balance—and redefine what success looks like.

For more from Emily, follow her on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilystedman/

Katy sits down with Donnie Hasseltine, VP of Security at 2F, to explore his journey from VMI graduate and combat-tested Marine leader to Silicon Valley cyber-security executive.

In this conversation, Donnie opens up about the challenges of leaving the military and the feeling of loss many veterans experience. “Don’t be so set on the path that you become blind to what else is out there,” he says, reflecting on his own transition. He shares how realistic timelines, soul-searching, and surrounding yourself with high performers can lay the groundwork for a successful civilian career.

Donnie discusses his role as VP of Security at a startup—and how networking and investing in yourself are critical to landing your next role. “Never say no—always say, ‘Tell me more,’” he advises. “Get yourself around high performers and listen to people more.”

This episode is packed with practical insights, honest reflections, and advice for anyone transitioning out of the Military or thinking about making a change in career paths.

https://www.commitfoundation.org/

In this episode, Katy sits down with Navy veteran Knight Campbell and Army veteran Tyler Van Horn, managing partners at Cairn Leadership, to explore the core principles of their business model and passion for getting business teams outside to improve their leadership capabilities. They dive into the transformative power of outdoor experiences in leadership development, emphasizing the role of intentional discomfort to foster team and individual growth. Experiencing discomfort opens you up to the possibility of failure and it breeds such attributes like trust, confidence, and communication. The conversation also touches on the essence of leadership, the different styles they've encountered, and the crucial role grit and intentional pivots have in navigating challenges to include the active duty to civilian transition.  If this conversation does not make you want to take your team outside, we do not know what will!

In Episode 4 of Athena Talks, Katy welcomes Riley Tejcek, Marine Captain, US Olympic Bobsledder, and published author. Together, they explore Riley’s extraordinary journey from D1 athlete to Olympic hopeful, all while serving her country as a Marine officer. Riley shares the inspiration behind her book, If You Can Dream It, Be It, which encourages young girls and boys to see limitless possibilities for their future. She highlights the importance of setting parental example and not setting limitation on our children. Allowing children to figure it out for themselves is crucial to inspire and uplift children, causing ripple positive impact across future generations. 

Riley discusses overcoming online haters and negativity with peace and love, recounts memories from OCS and her first Iraq deployment, and reflects on what led her down her path to success despite her resistance against the initial cards she was dealt. She also offers advice for aspiring athletes in the military, delves into leadership lessons from deployment, and recalls what winning her first gold medal meant to her. Packed with so much inspiration and wisdom, this episode is one you won’t want to miss!

Join Katy this week as she talks with powerhouse lawyers Stephanie Niehaus and Meghan Quinn.  Stephanie is a trailblazing lawyer at Squire Patton Boggs who marched her way into Peloton Interactive and leads their litigation and investigation team. Meghan is Stephanie's mentee and has blazed her own trail as a brilliant trial lawyer at Squire Patton Boggs. Together, they take us on the twists and turns of navigating a legal career, and Stephanie inspires us all to take risks and believe in ourselves. 

What legacy do you want to leave in this world?  Sarah Shadonix has been intentional about creating a legacy of integrity, community, and empowering those around her to be successful.  Join Katy Spicer as she talks with Founder & CEO Sarah Shadonix about her decision to walk away from the comfort and stability of her career as a successful litigator to start the first clean-crafted wine club, Scout & Cellar, a company that changed the standards of the wine industry and impacted the lives of many customers in the process. In her journey, Sarah has learned the importance of mental and physical health, having a good partner and knowing your audience. She discusses her sales approach and how she disrupted the direct sales industry by being bold and decisive. If you are considering starting a new career or business journey down an unconventional path or leaving the security of your current career or job, Sarah’s inspiring perspectives will motivate you to take that leap.

For more information on Sarah and Scout & Cellar: www.scoutandcellar.com

Dreaming of starting a business and actually starting a business are two different scenarios.  It took a year-and-a-half to get Athena Talks off the ground, but it is finally here.  At the start line.  In this episode, co-founders Katy Spicer and James Collins share some of the high and lows of starting a partnership and how they stuck it out to get to this very moment.  Of course, much of it had to do with their Marine connection and the discipline, mission focus, and resilience that comes with the Marine bloodline. Throughout their journey they have learned that gritty hard work, alongside people you trust, leads to results.