October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. To raise awareness of the social and personal impact of domestic violence, Siria is releasing an episode from the Pivotal Moments HQ podcast, Surviving Chaos (episode 31). Co-host Melissa Robaina interviews Siria about her chaotic and violent childhood. Trigger/Content warning: Siria’s story involves domestic violence and self-harm. Listener discretion is advised. If you’ve been a victim of domestic violence, you can reach out to: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

Meet Jennifer Laskin, Esq. Jen is an attorney and educator. On this episode, Jennifer shares how the law is her second career, how she uses law and education to help youth, and how she created a unique legal position for herself. 

Stereotypes of what a lawyer is supposed to do are dangerous and do not serve anyone. Siria talks about checking in with yourself and how you want to be, rather than thinking or acting in a manner because you believe that you are "supposed" to do it in that manner.

Siria shares some breathing techniques to help you with stress management. She introduces you to box breathing, nostril breathing, and 4-7-8 breathing to help calm yourself down.

Meet Jennifer Fuentes Langi. She is an immigration attorney out of Salt Lake City Utah, an educator, and loves advocating for people. Her journey to immigration law is fascinating and shows us how following what our mind thinks is best, may not be our path. Jen's courage in finding her true path is inspiring.

Are you hoarding your knowledge? Knowledge is only as good as what you put into action. Siria invites you to use your life's knowledge by putting it into action and teaching someone something from your knowledge. She also briefly discusses and recommends the book Limitless by Jim Kwik.

Siria discusses money and money concerns that you may experience in transitioning to more fulfilling work or out of the practice of law. She encourages you to know yourself and what you are comfortable with in making these hard choices.

https://educationdata.org/average-law-school-debt

Siria discusses how she paid off $165k in student loans and $50k in interest to be free from the crushing debt of her legal education in 2019. Siria shares the mistakes she made, what she learned, and how paying off this debt was her choice.

Siria interviews Merlyne Jean-Louis. Merlyne is a business and entertainment lawyer. She's one of the OGs in the virtual law firm space and overall badass. We discussed her path to the law and how she loves helping creatives protect themselves.

Merlyne helps her clients become CEOs and protect their ABCs (assets, brand and content) via contracts, intellectual property (trademark and copyright) and entities. For more information, a free business checklist, and an informative blog, visit: www.jllaw.net.

Merlyne is also a virtual law firm coach/consultant who helps attorneys successfully and confidently build their own virtual law firms. For more information and a free law firm checklist, visit the website of Gambit Academy for Lawyers www.gambitlawyers.com

Siria shares her profound life changing experience at Rythmia Life Advancement Center with plant medicine, specifically Ayahuasca. She shares her healing journey because she is not a gate keeper, wants to share alternative healing modalities, and part of being a good lawyer is taking care of yourself first.