Reinvention isn't a one-time event. Just ask David Ackert.

David Ackert is the co-founder and CEO of PipelinePlus, bestselling author of The Short List, Gold Award winner for nonfiction book of the year, and one of the most respected voices in legal industry business development. But before all of that, he was an immigrant kid navigating the hostage crisis, a bullying victim who found refuge in theater, and a trained actor who landed roles on The West Wing, CSI: Miami, and JAG before walking away from Hollywood entirely to build something of his own.

In this episode of Breaking Rank, David opens up about what it really means to reinvent yourself, not once, but multiple times, and what leadership looks like when your path doesn't follow any conventional playbook. We talk about growing up between two cultures, the typecasting he faced in Hollywood, the moment he decided to leave it all behind, and how he built PipelinePlus into a firm that now serves some of the most elite law firms in the country.

We also get into the mindset behind it all, including why David swears by Theodore Roosevelt's "comparison is the thief of joy," and why he believes the legal marketing community is more capable of reinvention than it gives itself credit for.

This is one of those conversations that goes way beyond business development. It's about identity, resilience, and what becomes possible when you stop letting the world decide who you are.

Topics covered in this episode:

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What does it really mean to lead — and who gets to do it?

In this episode of Breaking Rank, host Diana Lauritson sits down with her best friend and HR veteran Angela Jones for a no-holds-barred conversation about leadership: where it comes from, who it's designed for, and what it costs to show up in spaces that weren't built with you in mind.

From the earliest leadership examples they witnessed growing up (a single mom grinding through it all, a dad whose influence wasn't always healthy, and a corporate mentor who led with empathy instead of ego) Diana and Angela get real about the moments that shaped how they understand power, authority, and what it actually looks like to lead well.

They go there on the tough stuff too: the exhausting reality of walking into rooms where your race arrives before you do, the double standards Black and mixed-race professionals navigate every single day, and why "being professional" often just means being someone you're not.

But this episode isn't just about what's broken. It's about what's possible. Diana and Angela dig into what it means to lead without permission, to stop waiting for a stamp of approval and start showing up with intention, integrity, and a little less need for the crowd's validation.

Whether you're deep in your leadership journey or still wondering if there's even a seat at the table for you, this one's for you.

In this episode:

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What does it actually look like to build wealth, lead at the highest level, and never lose yourself in the process? Shomari James, Founder and CEO of Equity Now, Inc., is living proof that success without selling out is not just possible. It is powerful.

Shomari grew up getting kicked out of nearly every school he attended. He was raised by a mother who kept him grounded and a father who told him to push every limit. Those two forces shaped a leader who went on to spend 21 years in Fortune 500 boardrooms, build a thriving consulting practice, and found a nonprofit dedicated to closing the wealth gap through financial education. And through all of it, he never performed a version of himself that was more acceptable to the room.

In this conversation, we go deep on what that actually takes. We talk about the three sides of Shomari James and why he keeps all of them close. We talk about why leadership is an art and management is a science, and why confusing the two is costing organizations. We talk about the inner work that changed everything for him, including what a closed door taught him about a trauma he did not even know he was carrying. And we talk about what it means to hold the ladder steady for the next person coming up.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt the pressure to leave parts of themselves behind to be taken seriously. Shomari James is your reminder that those parts of you are not the obstacle. They are the edge.

Episode 12 of Breaking Rank. Let's go.

What does it mean to build something that outlasts you when no one built it for you first?

In this episode of Breaking Rank, Diana sits down with Carl Gray III, founder and CEO of Raising Founders and Launch with Carl. Carl grew up in DC navigating a dual life between the streets and the church pew, with a father in and out of jail and a mother who earned her diploma the same year Carl graduated college. The odds weren't in his favor. He didn't just survive them. He built a movement because of them.

Carl didn't set out to work with youth. He said he'd never get into education. Then, in the middle of grief that would have stopped most people cold, losing his niece and goddaughter in separate car accidents in the same week, he showed up for a room full of young people anyway. What happened next changed everything.

This episode gets into what Breaking Rank is really about: the moment you stop waiting for the systems around you to give you permission to become who you already know you are. For Carl, that reckoning came at 40. A prayer that sounded more like a demand. A beautiful house that felt completely hollow. And the recognition that the people who loved him most were the ones holding him back.

Carl and Diana go deep on:

This one will stay with you.

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The legal profession has never made it easy to be a present father. Matthew Korn decided to change that.

Matthew is a partner at Fisher Phillips and the founder of Dad, Esq., a community built specifically for lawyer dads navigating the intersection of high-stakes careers and hands-on fatherhood. In this episode, he and Diana dig into why working dads face a unique and largely invisible set of pressures, what it cost him to start talking about it openly, and how he turned that honesty into a movement.

From the mental health realities of life in law to the power of community to his vision for a profession where fatherhood is normalized rather than hidden, Matthew's perspective will challenge the way you think about success, leadership, and what it means to show up fully in every role you hold.

This one is for the dads, the lawyers, and anyone who has ever had to choose between ambition and presence. Spoiler: Matthew doesn't think you have to.

Follow Breaking Rank on Instagram and YouTube @breakingrankpod. Learn more about Dad, Esq. at dadesq.com.

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What happens when the plan falls apart and you build something better?

In this episode of Breaking Rank, host Diana Lauritson sits down with Jessica Aries, founder of By Aries and Legal Marketing Association International board member, for a conversation that covers it all: growing up in a single-parent household in Austin, TX, walking away from a law career, launching a business in the middle of a pandemic, navigating the emotional weight of IVF, and becoming one of the most recognized voices in legal marketing today.

Jessica's story is one of reinvention at every turn. From a childhood where her father's early influence sparked a lifelong love of technology, to a viral LinkedIn post during COVID that brought 9 law firms to her inbox in a single week, to building By Aries into a thriving consulting practice, Jessica does not just talk about playing big. She lives it.

In this episode, you will hear:

Whether you are a legal marketing professional, a woman considering entrepreneurship, or someone sitting on the edge of a career pivot, this episode will meet you where you are.

Subscribe, like, and share if this conversation moved you.

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What happens when you stop chasing titles and start choosing yourself?

In this episode of Breaking Rank, Diana Lauritson sits down with Laura Gutierrez for a deeply human conversation about leadership that is not driven by rank, optics, or traditional ambition. Laura has spent decades building digital infrastructure for marketing teams, but her story is not about climbing a career ladder. It is about resilience, clarity, and alignment.

As a queer Latina, solo parent, and breast cancer survivor, Laura was forced to confront what truly mattered when her body and life were pushed to their limits. Battling cancer reshaped her relationship with work, success, and identity. It revealed that ambition without alignment comes at too high a cost. She never chose to chase titles or status. Instead, she chose honesty, sustainability, and a form of leadership rooted in action rather than permission.

This conversation explores what it means to lead without conforming, to reject the pressure to perform success, and to define leadership on your own terms. Especially in systems that demand more than they give.

This episode is for anyone who has ever questioned the ladder, felt underestimated for refusing it, or learned through survival that alignment is the most radical leadership choice of all.

What does it mean to build a life with intention when the odds are stacked against you?

In this episode of Breaking Rank, I sit down with Sofia DeMartino for a powerful conversation about leadership shaped by lived experience. Sofia’s journey is not a traditional one. As a young single mother raising three children, she pursued higher education, earned advanced degrees, and built a career rooted in health, performance, and community impact.

Today, Sofia works at the intersection of human performance, wellness, and Black maternal health. Through her leadership in the Black Maternal Health Collective and her work as a lifestyle and human performance coach, she helps women reclaim their capacity, their health, and their power.

We talk about what it means to lead before you are given permission. We discuss growing up without knowing her biological father, navigating adversity as a young mother, and how those experiences shaped her approach to leadership, discipline, and purpose. Sofia also shares the story behind The Bluprint Academy and why designing your life with intention is one of the most radical acts of leadership.

This conversation is about more than resilience. It is about building systems for yourself and others when none exist. It is about turning experience into expertise and hardship into strategy.

If you have ever felt like you had to create your own path forward, this episode will resonate deeply.

Subscribe to Breaking Rank for conversations with leaders who challenge traditional narratives and build something different.

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What does it mean to stop asking for inclusion and start building power?

In this episode of Breaking Rank, Diana sits down with Aneka Jiwaji, a racialized woman lawyer who refused to let the industry define her value. Instead of accepting a narrative that positioned her as a diversity checkbox, Aneka chose something bolder. She built her own firm alongside her sister, rooted in justice, intention, and accountability.

This conversation moves far beyond surface-level DEI. Aneka speaks candidly about what it actually feels like to navigate law as a racialized woman. The assumptions. The scrutiny. The quiet pressure to be grateful. She shares how she stopped negotiating for legitimacy and started designing the kind of practice she once searched for.

This episode is about defying stereotypes, rejecting palatability, and understanding that representation without power is not progress. It is about choosing alignment over acceptance. It is about building something that reflects who you are, not who the system expected you to be.

If you have ever felt like you were invited into a room but not trusted to shape it, this conversation will challenge you to think bigger.

Listen in and ask yourself a harder question. Are you waiting for permission, or are you ready to build?

Breaking Rank with Diana Lauritson featuring Lindsay Ellis

What separates transformational leaders from the ones people quietly endure?

In this episode of Breaking Rank, Diana Lauritson sits down with Lindsay Ellis, executive leader, mentor, and author of Beyond the Ordinary Leader: The No-Suck Leadership Manifesto, to unpack what modern leadership really requires — and why so many organizations are still getting it wrong.

With more than two decades of experience in marketing and executive leadership, Lindsay has seen firsthand how micromanagement, insecurity, ego-driven decision-making, and fear-based leadership quietly erode trust, morale, and performance. In this candid conversation, she challenges outdated leadership norms and introduces what she calls The No-Suck Standard, a practical, people-centered approach built on mentorship, accountability, emotional intelligence, and sustainable growth.

Together, Diana and Lindsay explore:

Why micromanagement is often rooted in insecurity

The difference between accountability and “being liked” as a leader

How great leaders build teams that outgrow them

The role of introspection and self-awareness in executive leadership

Why empathy and high performance are not mutually exclusive

How leadership legacy is built through mentorship, not authority

This episode is for executives, emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals navigating high-pressure environments who want to lead without ego, fear, or control, and build cultures where people thrive.

If you’re ready to rethink leadership, elevate your impact, and break rank from outdated management models, this conversation is your starting point.

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