Sari Swears

As trial attorneys, you spend your days carrying other people's burdens.

But who's taking care of you, Friend?

In this week's podcast, I share the daily spiritual practice that helped me recover from burnout, process secondary trauma, and show up as a better coach, husband, and human.

And before you skip this one because of the word spiritual, I'm not talking about religion. I'm talking about creating a simple daily practice that helps you reconnect with yourself before you spend the rest of your day serving everyone else.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why burnout happens even when you love what you do

• How breathing, affirmations, and gratitude help reset your nervous system

• Why putting your oxygen mask on first makes you a better trial attorney

You don't need an hour. Just a few intentional minutes each day can make all the difference.

See you next week, Coach K

If you'd like to explore some of the tools I use in my own daily spiritual practice, I've included links to a few of my favorites 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.

• AWAKE: Inner Wisdom Cards – A reflection deck that encourages self-awareness, journaling, and deeper personal insight through daily prompts.

• Crystal Singing Sound Bowl – One of my favorite tools for slowing down, regulating my nervous system, and creating a moment of calm before the day begins or ends.

Quote:

"The best trial attorneys make time for themselves first. They charge their own batteries so they can show up as the best version of themselves for their clients. Putting your oxygen mask on first isn't selfish—it's essential." - 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/

If you're like most trial attorneys I work with, you've probably told yourself, "I just need to prepare more."

Preparation matters, but what if the thing that's actually missing isn't another hour at your desk?

What if it's play?

In this week's podcast, I talk about why creativity doesn't come from grinding harder.

I share why:

• Trying to be "100% prepared" often leads to burnout, not better performance
• Working in focused blocks with intentional breaks helps your brain perform at its best
• Simple, playful activities can unlock creativity when you feel stuck
• The attorneys who stand out aren't just well prepared, they're creative

If you've been feeling overwhelmed, mentally blocked, or like you're working harder without getting better results, I think this conversation will resonate.

Give it a listen, and then ask yourself one question: When was the last time you intentionally made space for play?

Love, Kevin

Quote:

"Don't get me wrong, preparation's important. But what if your preparation was more playful? What if your preparation was more playful and it fueled creativity in your work? That's what we want to get to. Being able to get on your feet, be playful, and get creative while you're preparing."

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/

If you've been listening to the podcast for a while, you probably know me as Coach K. While Sari is taking a well-deserved sabbatical, I'll be stepping in each week to share some of the mindset work I do with trial attorneys every day.

If we haven't met yet, I'm Kevin de la Motte, mindset coach here at H2H. This week's episode is about something I see constantly with attorneys: Overwhelm.

Not the kind that comes from having too much on your calendar. The kind that seems to follow you everywhere, even when you finally cross things off your list.

Here's the surprising part: Most overwhelm isn't created by your workload.

It's created by your brain's survival instinct.

In this episode, I walk through:

• Why your brain defaults to overwhelm
• How slowing down actually gives you more control
• A simple breathing practice to calm your nervous system
• Why reminding yourself, "I have choice here," changes everything
• The journaling questions I use every day to stay grounded
• The goal isn't to eliminate discomfort. It's to stop letting discomfort make your decisions for you.

If you've been feeling like you're constantly pushing through, I think this episode will give you a different way to approach it.

See you next week, Coach K

Resources:

Listen to the Two Windows Visualization and download the Four Square Breathing Exercise worksheet that I referenced throughout the episode.

If you'd like to dive deeper, I also highly recommend the two books that inspired much of this conversation:

Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You by Marc Schoen Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen

Quote:

"The goal isn't to eliminate discomfort. It's to stop letting discomfort make your decisions. When you slow down, calm your nervous system, and choose thoughts that serve you instead of reacting from fear, you become a better trial lawyer—and a better human being."

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/

Ever feel like you're carrying around a heaviness you can't quite explain?

Maybe you're exhausted, distracted, or constantly thinking about something that happened months or even years ago. Maybe you can't figure out why it's so hard to move forward.

This week's podcast might explain it.

Coach K and I are talking about something we don't do very well as humans: completion.

We rush from one thing to the next. We don't celebrate our wins. We avoid difficult endings. We leave conversations unfinished. We never fully process losses, transitions, or even really great moments.

And then we wonder why we feel stuck.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why endings often feel like failures
• How unfinished experiences create emotional and mental clutter
• Why completion is essential for learning and growth
• Practical rituals and conversations that can help you let go and move forward
• The question to ask yourself if life feels heavy right now: What in my life remains incomplete?

Listen to the episode and let me know what comes up for you.

Love, Sari

Quote:

"If you're feeling heavy and if you're feeling stuck, you might look at what is left incomplete in your life. Because if you go back and start intentionally completing those things, you're going to start feeling lighter right away."

Sari de la Motte

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/

Most lawyers would have taken the $400,000…

The plaintiff had healed. No surgery. Relatively modest medical bills. Plenty of risk heading into trial.

But attorney Matthew Wilson saw something bigger.

In this episode of Sari Swears, Matthew breaks down how he turned down the highest offer in the case, took it to verdict, and watched a jury return $1.8 million.

More importantly, he shares what changed his approach in the courtroom.

For years, voir dire was the part of trial that terrified him most. Then he started doing something different—having real conversations with jurors instead of relying on the same old script.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How a "small" injury case became a seven-figure verdict
• The overlooked damages that resonated with jurors
• What focus groups revealed about suing a city
• How authenticity changed Matthew's entire approach to voir dire
• The moment he realized jurors don't need perfection—they need a real person

And perhaps the most powerful part of the story isn't the verdict itself. 😉

Love, Sari

Today marks five years since the day I learned there was no more cancer in my body.

It's a milestone that means more to me than I can put into words.

In this week's podcast episode, I'm sharing the full story—from the diagnosis that changed everything, to the moments I was certain I couldn't do it, to the people who carried me through when I couldn't carry myself.

It's a story about hope, gratitude, and what it means to keep going when you don't know how the story ends.

If you've ever walked through a hard season—or loved someone who has—I hope you'll listen. 💖 Love, Sari

Quote: "There were many times during treatment when I would look at Kevin and say, 'Tell me how it goes.' I needed him to tell me the story of a future I couldn't see for myself. And every time, he would paint a picture of survival, healing, and getting our life back."

Sari de la Motte

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/

One of the most common mistakes I see attorneys make in voir dire is unintentionally putting jurors in the wrong seat.

When jurors answer your questions, they're automatically imagining themselves in that situation—and their brains are looking for ways they would have avoided the outcome.

That's not because they're against you.

It's because that's how people are wired.

In this week's podcast, I break down:

• What it means to put jurors in the right seat
• How defensive attribution shapes juror thinking
• Why some questions accidentally create defense arguments
• How to structure questions that generate plaintiff-friendly principles

It's a simple concept that can completely change the answers you get in voir dire.

Love, Sari

P.S. If you're ready to go deeper on voir dire, join me June 17–18 in Portland for my live Voir Dire Masterclass. We'll workshop your actual case, build stronger funnels, and help you avoid the common mistakes that can derail jury selection. → Grab Your Seat NOW: https://sariswears.com/voir-dire

Quote: "When jurors hear a story involving danger, their brains automatically place themselves into that situation and start looking for all the ways they would have avoided the outcome. That's not because they're against you. It's because that's exactly how the human brain is designed to work."

Sari de la Motte

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/

You want the breakthrough.

You want the next level.

What if the thing keeping you stuck isn't your trial skills, but the habits driving them?

In this week's podcast episode, I'm breaking down the hidden thought patterns and old wiring that keep trial lawyers operating on autopilot—even when they desperately want change.

We're talking about:

• why success still feels hard

• the habit of overworking

• how "authenticity" can become an excuse

• the money stories running your life

• and the real reason transformation feels so uncomfortable

Because here's the truth: What got you here won't get you there. Love, Sari

Quote: "What got you here is not going to get you there… and what got you here are the habits that you created a long time ago. Those habits sometimes have a voice. That's the saboteur that we've talked about. But oftentimes, the problem is not that we have the habits, it's the fact that we don't uncover the habits. We don't even know that they are there."

Sari de la Motte

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/

Most lawyers focus on how to argue damages.

Very few spend enough time truly understanding the loss.

And jurors can feel that.

In this week's episode, I break down the 3 components every damages argument needs:

• Understanding the loss

• Valuing the loss

• Communicating the loss

We also talk about:

• Why metaphor matters

• How small stories hit harder than big explanations

• A simple framework I use to think about non-economic damages

Because damages aren't about formulas.

They're about helping jurors understand what was taken.

Love, Sari

P.S. If this episode hit home for you, my live webinar on May 28th is going even deeper into how the H2H Method™ helps jurors connect to what actually matters in trial. We're going beyond the FHTH book and into what works in today's courtrooms.Register now → sariswears.com/webinar

Quote: "When everything says trial should be this very formal, sterile process, we have to fight against that. It's a very human process. The things jurors talk about in voir dire — family, health, purpose, connection — those are the exact things your plaintiff lost."

Sari de la Motte

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/

Today is my 54th birthday, which honestly feels surreal to say out loud.

And it got me reflecting on how I somehow went from being a classically trained pianist… to becoming the "Queen of Voir Dire."

There was no grand plan.

No moment where I suddenly felt ready.

Just a series of moments where my want became bigger than my worry.

In this week's podcast, I share the full story of how I found this work, the risks I took before I could afford to take them, the mentors who changed my life, and the 7 biggest lessons I've learned over the last 24+ years.

But more than anything, this episode is about what happens when you stop waiting for certainty and start trusting what you really want.

And THANK YOU for being part of this community and this journey with me. 💖

Love, Sari

P.S. Speaking of becoming the "Queen of Voir Dire"… I just announced a brand new live webinar happening May 28th! We're going beyond the FHTH book and into how the H2H Voir Dire method performs in today's courtrooms. Register now → sariswears.com/webinar

Quote: "The people who change their lives aren't the ones with the perfect roadmap. They're the ones willing to keep going before they know exactly how it all works out."

Sari de la Motte

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/