Sari Swears

What happens when three trial lawyers commit an entire year to improving not just their trial skills, but themselves?

In this episode of Sari Swears, Sari de la Motte sits down with Sean Olson, Brian Turner, and Adam Princenthal as they reflect on their year in Sari's Mastermind program.

From letting go of scripted openings to rethinking their relationship with jurors, these three trial attorneys share the challenges, breakthroughs, and personal growth that came from consistent practice, mindset coaching, and working alongside one another.

And the biggest changes didn't stop at the courtroom door.

They carried into their law practices, relationships, confidence, and everyday lives.

Listen to today's episode to learn:

• Why trial skills are only part of the equation: How mindset work can change the way attorneys approach the courtroom and their lives.

• What consistent practice makes possible: Why meaningful growth takes more than attending a seminar or learning another technique.

• How to trust yourself in the courtroom: What happens when you let go of memorized scripts, embrace your natural communication style, and stop trying to control every outcome.

• The value of a supportive community: How learning alongside other trial lawyers creates meaningful relationships, accountability, and lasting personal growth.

You've heard what a year of focused trial training, mindset work, and meaningful connection can look like.

Now imagine what that kind of commitment could mean for you.

Sari's Mastermind is an exclusive, invitation-only experience for trial lawyers ready to go deeper into their trial skills and personal growth.

Interested in being considered for a future Mastermind group?

EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST

Submitting your information does not guarantee an invitation. Sari personally selects participants.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to the Sari Swears Podcast and leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Your support helps more trial lawyers discover the show.

The One Shift You Must Make When Growing Your Business

You started your business doing everything. Marketing, bookkeeping, client intake, delivering the actual service. And that worked when it was just you. But what happens when your business grows and you're still operating like you're the only person in it?

In this episode of Sari Swears, Sari de la Motte breaks down the critical mindset shift from solopreneur to entrepreneur and why hiring a team doesn't automatically make that shift happen. She shares three warning signs that you're still stuck in the solopreneur mindset, including spending too little time in your zone of genius, feeling constantly overwhelmed, and frustrating your team.

Sari also walks through the systems and leadership changes that make growth possible, from documented processes and accountability to finding an integrator, protecting your time, and learning to let go of control.

Listen to today's episode to learn:

• The solopreneur trap: Why the habits that helped you start your business can hold you back as it grows.

• Your zone of genius: Why Sari recommends spending at least 80% of your time doing the work you're uniquely suited to do.

• The three warning signs: How to recognize when your mindset hasn't caught up with your growing business.

• The shift to entrepreneurship: How processes, accountability, an integrator, boundaries, and a focus on results can help you lead differently.

🏛️ Ready to strengthen your courtroom skills? Get hands-on practice and live feedback at our Command the Courtroom Masterclass: https://sariswears.com/masterclass

Resources mentioned:

• The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

• Traction by Gino Wickman

• Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS): https://www.eosworldwide.com

• Coaching: https://sariswears.com/coaching

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What do you do after getting a defense verdict? You learn from it, get your ass back in the courtroom, and try again.

Chrissy Hagen is back on Sari Swears, this time with fellow trial attorney Emily Peacock, to break down what changed between a previous defense verdict and their recent plaintiff's verdict. We talk about the lessons they took from that loss, how they approached voir dire differently, the importance of finding the piss-off point, and why arguing about the medicine can cause you to lose sight of what jurors actually need to hear.

Listen to today's episode to learn:

Find the piss-off point: Give jurors something they can emotionally rally around instead of expecting the facts alone to move them.

Get ahead of defensive attribution: Build your voir dire around the ways jurors may instinctively distance themselves from your client's experience.

Stop arguing about the medicine: In a medical malpractice case, the stronger story may be about responsibility, choices, and what happened after the mistake.

Learn from the fucking loss: Chrissy shares how practicing more, learning from mistakes, and getting back into trial helped her become more confident in voir dire.

🏛️ Ready to get on your feet and practice the H2H Method? Claim a seat at our small-group Command the Courtroom Masterclass: sariswears.com/masterclass

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What if the one thing that could change how you show up in the courtroom is something you're already doing every single day? You're breathing, sure. But are you breathing well?

In this episode of Sari Swears, Sari de la Motte welcomes Kevin de la Motte, aka Coach K, to talk about why intentional breathing matters for trial attorneys. From stressful cases and opposing counsel's bullshit to the pressure of standing in front of a jury, they explore how your breathing can affect your presence, reactions, and communication.

Sari and Coach K also share practical ways to build a breathing habit, including Coach K's morning routine, meditation, exercise, and simple check-ins throughout the day. Because when everything is fucking hitting the fan, you want to be the calm presence in the courtroom.

Listen to today's episode to learn:

• Breathing Under Pressure: Why Sari and Coach K believe intentional breathing can help you stay grounded when trial gets stressful.

• Being Less Reactive: How noticing your breath can create space before you respond to opposing counsel, unexpected challenges, or your own thoughts.

• Showing Up as a Leader: Why Sari says the way you breathe affects how you sound, move, and communicate with jurors.

• Building a Breathing Practice: How Coach K incorporates breathing into his daily routine and shares ways to make the practice manageable.

Resources mentioned:

• Your Survival Instinct is Killing You by Marc Schoen, PhD

• Wevana Tabs (formerly Dharma Dr. Tabs)

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

🏛️ Ready to put the H2H method into practice? Join Sari for a small-group Command the Courtroom Masterclass: https://sariswears.com/masterclass

Want to explore coaching with Coach K? Learn about Momentum Coaching and book a free sample session: https://sariswears.com/coaching

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Are you spending your entire voir dire trying to figure out which jurors to kick off your case? You might be hurting your case before trial even begins.

In this episode of Sari Swears, Sari de la Motte breaks down seven reasons why exclusionary voir dire is limiting your case, from legitimizing defense arguments and creating a fear-based mindset to missing the opportunity to build a team with your jurors.

Listen in as Sari explains why focusing on who you want to exclude gives the defense unnecessary airtime, undermines your trial story, and keeps you from using a principle-centered approach to voir dire.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Legitimizing Defense Arguments: How exclusionary voir dire gives the defense valuable airtime before trial even begins.

• The Fear-Based Mindset: Why approaching jurors as potential enemies prevents you from building trust and taking risks.

• Protecting Your Trial Story: How focusing on defense points keeps you from putting your own story and principles first.

• Building Your Jury Team: Why searching for your people is more effective than simply eliminating the jurors you don't want.

🏛️ Ready to get on your feet and workshop your opening statement? Claim a seat at our small-group Command the Courtroom Masterclass: https://sariswears.com/opening

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Welcome to the premiere of Season 9 of the Sari Swears podcast! In this episode, Sari returns from a 12-week sabbatical to break down why trial law is inherently a creative profession—and why taking an extended break is essential for avoiding burnout and restoring your courtroom presence.

Listen in as Sari breaks down the difference between a vacation and a "rest and restore" sabbatical, the mistakes she made, and how trial lawyers who own their practices can train their teams to run without them.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Signs of Burnout in Trial Law: How physical symptoms and creative blocks indicate you need an extended break.

• The Anatomy of a Sabbatical: What a "rest and restore" sabbatical is (and why it is NOT a time to catch up on work).

• Gentle Goal Setting: How to set boundaries, build alone time, and calm your nervous system.

• How to Prep Your Law Firm: Step-by-step guidance on non-working vacations, team delegation, and stepping away from micromanagement.

🏛️ Ready to get on your feet and workshop your opening statement? Claim a seat at our small-group Command the Courtroom Masterclass: https://sariswears.com/opening

⭐ Enjoying the podcast? Hit Subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!

Can being too kind to yourself hold you back from achieving your goals? In this episode of Sari Swears, Sari de la Motte dismantles the toxic myth that trial lawyers must rely on self-criticism, fear, and burnout to succeed.

Grounded in the behavioral science behind James Clear's Atomic Habits, Sari explains why the human brain is wired to respond to joy, desire, and rewards—not self-punishment.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The Motivation Myth: Why self-flagellation is the exact opposite of what creates sustainable personal growth.

• The Science of Habit Formation: How cues, cravings, and rewards drive real change far more effectively than force.

• Self-Love in High-Stakes Law: How shifting from fear to self-acceptance allows you to build a successful trial practice without sacrificing your well-being.

Resources & Links:

🏛️ Transform your trial results at the Command the Courtroom Masterclass: https://sariswears.com/masterclass

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Struggling with employees, paralegals, or associates who aren't doing things the way you told them to? In this episode of Sari Swears, Sari de la Motte breaks down the secret to delegating effectively so you can step out of the daily administrative grind and into your Zone of Genius.

If you want your firm to run smoothly—even when you're on vacation or preparing for a trial—it comes down to one simple rule: Write it the fuck down.

Listen to today's encore episode to learn:

• The 3 reasons documenting your firm's processes will cut your meetings in half and save your sanity.

• Front Stage vs. Back Stage: How to map out every single client touchpoint and internal task.

• The simple framework to instantly know if a mistake was caused by a bad process or the wrong person.

Resources mentioned:

FREE TRIAL SKILLS TRAINING → sariswears.com/free

This is my fifth and final episode before Sari returns, and I'm leaving you with a topic that completely changed my life: manifestation.

I used to think it was complete bullshit, too. But it's not magic—it's neuroscience, awareness, and getting out of your own way.

In this last episode, I break down:

• Why fear and self-doubt are the biggest obstacles to creating the life you want
• The "Upper Limit Problem" and how we unknowingly sabotage ourselves
• How your brain's Reticular Activating System helps you recognize opportunities that were there all along
• The story of how Sari and I manifested our dream beach house
• The daily ritual I use to stay intentional, focused, and moving toward the future I want to create

Thank you for hanging out with me this summer. It's been an honor, and I hope these conversations challenged you to think differently—about your cases, and about yourself.

Until next time,

Coach K

If you'd like to explore some of the resources I mentioned in the episode, I've included links below.

• The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks – Learn how to identify and overcome the "Upper Limit Problem"—the subconscious beliefs and self-sabotaging behaviors that keep you from reaching your full potential.

• The Power of Consistency by Weldon Long – A practical guide to creating lasting success through daily habits, intentional action, and a clear vision for the life you want to build.

Anxiety is something almost every trial attorney deals with.

The problem is, most of us just push through it.

We tell ourselves it's part of the job. That the constant overthinking, worst-case scenarios, and pressure are just what it takes to be successful. I used to believe that too.

In this week's podcast, I share my own journey with anxiety, what I've learned coaching trial attorneys through it, and the practices that have helped me stop letting anxiety drive the bus.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why anxiety isn't something to eliminate—it's something to learn from
• The mindfulness and breathing techniques I use every day
• How to stop believing every anxious thought your brain throws at you
• Why anxiety can actually become one of your greatest strengths when you learn to work with it instead of against it

You don't have to wait until you're burned out or overwhelmed to make a change.

Sometimes the biggest shift comes from slowing down long enough to realize you have a choice.

See you next week, Coach K

If you'd like to explore some of the resources I mentioned in the episode, I've included links below.

• Calm the Chaos Cards – A deck of simple prompts and practices designed to reduce stress, calm your nervous system, and bring more mindfulness into your day.

• Anxiety: A philosophical guide by Samir Chopra – A refreshing perspective on anxiety that encourages you to step outside your thoughts instead of being consumed by them.

• Power of now by Ekhart Tolle– A modern classic on mindfulness and presence. Tolle teaches practical ways to quiet the constant mental chatter, observe your thoughts without judgment, and stay grounded in the present moment.

Quote:

"Anxiety isn't something you eliminate. It's something you learn to be with. And when you stop letting it drive the bus, it can become one of your greatest strengths."

Coach K

Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SariDLM

Free FB Group for Plaintiff & Criminal Defense Attorneys https://www.facebook.com/groups/fromhostagetohero/