Sarah Feingold was the first lawyer and 17th employee at Etsy. Now, she's General Counsel at Vroom.com, a public speaker, and a jewelry maker. In this episode, we talk about (and laugh about) the legal basics for aspiring professional speakers. This includes how to act like a lawyer when creating and reading contracts, how to be taken seriously as a speaker, how to know what you can protect through trademarks and what should be freely shared, and how to share your content while also protecting yourself. Sarah reminds us that all contracts ARE negotiable, and teaches us how to avoid a legal nightmare stemming from a speaking gig. Sarah also shares her personal mission statement, which I totally love: "I empower the dreamers, partner with the doers, educate the thinkers and inspire the aspiring. But most importantly, I hold hands with my spouse, sing with my child, and melt metal with fire." If you want to learn the basics of protecting yourself before getting on stage while laughing along with us, check out this episode.