She left Big Law pregnant, burned out, and with a firm policy written about her. Here’s the full story.
What does it actually cost to make it in Big Law? For Danae Richie, attorney, entrepreneur, content creator, and founder of Beyond the Numbers, the answer was her health, her creativity, and nearly her sense of self.
Danae joined Exhibit A-List for her first time telling this story publicly and she did not hold back. We cover the moment she found out she was pregnant four months into her first Big Law job, working until 3am seven months pregnant, asking to log off at midnight and getting docked for it in her year-end review, and the firm that found her Instagram and wrote an actual policy, with a 2,000 follower limit, because of her!
But this episode isn’t just about what she left. It’s about how she left, strategically, with a plan, and completely on her own terms.
We also get into the legal side of the creator economy, the brand deal clauses most influencers completely miss, how exclusivity language can quietly destroy your income, who actually owns your content after you post it, and how having a law degree changes everything when you sit down to negotiate.
Plus, Petty Court is in session. Today’s case: the people who watch all your content, like nothing, share less, and then quote you at brunch. Danae called them silent haters. The verdict was jail.
In this episode:
— What Big Law actually looks like day to day and what law school never prepares you for
— Being pregnant at a Big Law firm and what it really costs you
— The influencer policy her firm wrote because of her
— Why she left, how she planned it, and what the “strategic pause” actually means
— Influencer contracts - the clauses, the red flags, and the negotiation leverage you didn’t know you had
— Beyond the Numbers and what’s next for Dee
— Petty Court: silent haters on trial
Find Danae:
Instagram: @influencedbydee
Blog & website: influencedbydee.com
Law school mentorship: beyondthenumbers.law
Find Exhibit A-List:
Instagram: @exhibitalistpod
Host: @jasminewegesq
TikTok: @jas_the_lawyer
If this episode resonated with you, share it with a woman who is in a career that is quietly costing her too much. She needs to hear this one.