My guest in this episode of the Happy Lawyer Happy Life podcast is Bruce Thiele, a top mediator and barrister who’s mastered the art of balancing a happy personal life with a demanding career, as well as learning how to put the right priorities in place. Bruce is not only a successful family lawyer, he’s also an elite athlete and proud husband and father.

Like most journeys, Bruce’s has had plenty of ups and downs. However, he managed to learn from his mistakes and turn the negatives he’s experienced into positive opportunities. He now lives a happy, balanced life and here he shares his story with me as well as plenty of invaluable wisdom. Enjoy!

We talk about…

Finding a way to help clients outside of the courts – how Bruce does it and why he thinks it’s important

Bruce’s experiences doing the Ironman triathlons

Moving away from litigation and focusing on mediation

How transference from his work began to negatively affect Bruce in his personal life

His decision to begin focusing more and more on mediation

Health, fitness and sport: how they’ve helped Bruce and ways they can help to destress your working life

Why you need to let your brain freespin from time to time

How sport helps Bruce to remain enthusiastic about work

The challenges Bruce sets for himself and why he does it

Bruce on family: giving him perspective on what really matters

How his personal experiences have helped Bruce to be a better family lawyer and to better help his clients

Realising that everyone makes mistakes and how we can learn from them

Bruce’s failed business ended in opportunity and reignited his passion for law

Mentoring and how young lawyers can develop mentor relationships

Bruce’s Happiness Challenge for this week!     

 

HAPPY LAWYER HAPPY LIFE

Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre.  A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.   

My guest in this episode of the Happy Lawyer Happy Life podcast is someone who has continued to move from strength to strength in her career without losing sight of what really matters… happiness. Her name is Nicole Abboud and she’s the presenter of her very own podcast show, The Gen Why Lawyer, as well as founder and owner of Abboud media – a content creation agency aimed exclusively at lawyers.

Nicole was a practising lawyer herself for several years but realised that she wasn’t finding it inspiring or fulfilling. So, she set about on her own journey of exploring her passions and sharing the stories of other Millennials crafting their careers and lives, as well as finding happiness and success.

Nicole lives in California, USA and so is my first ‘overseas’ guest on the show!  I have come to know Nicole over this past year thanks to this wonderful world of social media and she is just a delight to speak with.

In this episode, Nicole shares her story with me plus loads more inspiring pieces of advice.

We get into loads of great areas, like…

How Nicole used self-reflection to figure out what she really wanted

Why employers need to create working environments that make employees want to stay in the job

Nicole’s journey into fashion law and how it was only a temporary fix for her

The trend of lawyers practising in alternative ways

Nicole’s rewarding position teaching law at a community college

How people’s approach to work has changed drastically in recent years, particularly with moving between different careers

The growing role of tech in the legal industry

The importance of online word-of-mouth nowadays in the legal profession

Why the legal industry in shifting to a more client-centric focus

The human conversation – Nicole’s thoughts and why it makes business so much easier

The risk in using social media as a lawyer and why you need to be mindful with it

Generating leads from creating content – Nicole’s content creation agency and why it’s so important for lawyers

Nicole’s biggest learnings from her podcast

Why you need to put your plans into actions and make them happen ASAP

Nicole’s Happiness Challenge for this week!

 

 

HAPPY LAWYER HAPPY LIFE

Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre.  A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.   

Welcome to the sixth episode of Happy Lawyer Happy Life. My guest in this week’s show is someone who’s doing really important work in raising awareness on depression and anxiety in the legal profession. His name’s Jerome Doraisamy and he’s personally struggled with these issues and has since gone about tackling the problem head on with his public speaking, consulting, and releasing a book on the subject, The Wellness Doctrines.

Having suffered a breakdown not long before finishing university, Jerome began rebuilding himself and turning the devastating experience into an amazing opportunity. In this conversation, he tells me about the impact of his breakdown and what he’s done since to change his life and reassess his priorities.

I was so pleased to speak with Jerome because his story is truly inspirational. He talks with openness and honesty, and offers practical advice on an area that is often overlooked in the legal industry.

In this episode we talk about…

The moment when Jerome first realised he was struggling with depression

Identifying the signs that show you need to slow down

How we all experience stress and anxiety to some degree

Putting in place parameters to manage the natural stresses and anxieties that will occur in everyday life

Jerome’s advice on what law students can do to overcome pressure

Why marks and grades are sometimes irrelevant for your future career and employers

Asking ourselves human questions and connecting with people

How big law firms are bringing Jerome in to manage and identify issues such as depression

The importance of simply having someone in your life who can listen

The difference we can all make to another person’s life

Learning how to better manage expectations

Taking a holistic approach to personal and professional development

Why you need to be a happy, healthy person to succeed in any profession, not just law

The Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation

Identifying those things that help to achieve a balance in your life… and making those things non-negotiable

Different markers and pathways to success

Jerome’s happiness challenge

 

HAPPY LAWYER HAPPY LIFE

Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre.  A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.   

If you’ve ever wondered about how you can bring all your different personality traits together, at home and at work, then this episode is definitely for you. And that’s because my guest in this show is someone who manages to maintain an authenticity with her family, colleagues and even with her thousands of online followers! Mel Storey-Scott is not only a successful, award-winning corporate lawyer, she’s also the author of the Pearls and Protein blog… and a total fitness buff!

Unsurprisingly, Mel’s picked up the moniker, “The Lean Lawyer”, for managing to combine her successful legal career with her passion for bodybuilding and all things healthy. She’s got a strong social media presence (which is actually where I found her) where she shares her secrets on healthy mind and healthy body.

Give the show a listen to find out how she juggles her career and passions, and why she loves doing it all! And go find her on Snap chat where she is ‘theleanlawyer’ to see just how fun Mel really is! 

Here are just some of the things we talk about…

Mel’s difficult journey into law and words of advice for graduates going through similar challenges getting their foot in the door

Tips for graduates wanting to reach out to lawyers established in the industry

Challenging the rules of what you can and can’t do

Mel’s complex diet and why she preps all her meals for the week in advance

How Mel feels better in her own skin from eating well and exercising

Inspiring others through blogging and having an online presence

Having a personal brand and how to balance that with your legal career

The three key things that every one of Mel’s social media posts have to have

Only writing blog posts that actually add value

The importance of understanding why you do what you do

Why you need to be consistent with yourself but also respect boundaries, particularly in a formal industry like law

Steps to making mental wellbeing a priority and why that will help to make you feel more balanced

Mel’s happiness challenge to you

Mel’s headshot thanks to Carmen and Camilla at ‘Flourish Bomb’.

 

HAPPY LAWYER HAPPY LIFE

Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre.  A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.   

Welcome to the fourth episode of the Happy Lawyer Happy Life podcast. My guest this time is someone who I’ve been wanting to interview for a while now. Her name is Jacoba Brasch QC and she’s a real law-idol of mine. Jacoba has an incredible energy. Not only is she a successful Barrister, she is the chair of numerous committees across Australia, completed her PhD in 2010 and is a mother of four!   

Jacoba’s learned to succeed in the legal industry and be happy in it, which is one of the many reasons she’s such an inspiration to me and plenty of others. She has a wonderful outlook on how to lead a balanced, contented life which she shares with me in this conversation.

This is definitely worth a listen for anyone struggling to juggle a busy personal life with a hectic work schedule. Jacoba shares so many actionable tips that will get you feeling great straightaway!   

 

In this episode we talk about:

Asking the “why question”

Swimming as an exercise in mindfulness

Family life and the core of Jacoba as a person

The highlights of Jacoba’s career

How Jacoba manages challenges

Making the choice to be positive and happy

The importance of looking for the best in people

The “culture of winning” in the legal industry and why it causes unhappiness

Treating people as people

Why there’s a rise in law students dropping out of university

Jacoba’s aspirations of being a Formula 1 driver

The important questions that every lawyer needs to ask themselves

How mindfulness can inform our choices

How doing something kind every day can make a real impact on your life

Jacoba’s happiness challenge to you for the week

 

HAPPY LAWYER HAPPY LIFE

Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre.  A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.   

My guest in this episode is the awesome and inspiring Matthew Burgess. Matthew’s been a “Law Land” idol of mine for a while now and it was great to be able to sit down and chat with him. In 2014, he co-founded View Legal – a specialist, results-focused law firm committed to a type of law that friends would choose. Beforehand, he worked for 17 years at McCullough Robertson where he rose through the ranks to become one of the youngest partners in the firm’s history.

 

Like many lawyers, Matthew’s experienced some real highs and lows in his career. But he’s come through all of his struggles by employing some simple healthy-living techniques, as well as moving from timesheet billing to a fixed price model. Here he explains to me how he made this shift and the significant changes it made to his professional world and his personal life.

 

Matthew shares some great, practical advice that would be invaluable for anyone stuck in a rut in their work, finding themselves working too many hours and experiencing burnout. There’s plenty in this one so be sure to take notes!

 

In this episode we talk about:

  

Matthew’s journey to becoming a lawyer

The problem of burnout in the legal profession

Depression in the industry

Why you should always learn from failure

Matthew’s 90-day business cycle model

The importance of moving from timesheet billing to fixed price for your business

Matthew’s roadshow workshops

Having an outcome-focused approach

The link between timesheet billing and depression

What Matthew’s learned from writing children’s books

Matthew’s business book, The Dream Enabler

The changing landscape of experience in the law industry

How to maintain health while working long hours

Matthew on resting and eating well

The importance of regular exercise

Why being happy and healthy is best for your working life and those close to you

Matthew’s happiness challenge to you for the week

 

HAPPY LAWYER HAPPY LIFE

Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre.  A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.   

My guest in the second episode of Happy Lawyer Happy Life is the inspirational Fiona Caulley. Fiona is a talented family lawyer and is a Senior Associate at Phillips Family Law in Brisbane, where she provides specialist legal advice, care and guidance to people experiencing relationship breakdown.

Outside of her legal career, Fiona is incredibly passionate about food, fashion and mindfulness. In fact, she incorporates her mindfulness practice into her everyday work which allows her to manage the stresses that usually come with being a lawyer, connect better with her clients and find real enjoyment in her profession.

Here, Fiona shares some of her experiences with mindfulness and how it has benefited her career and working life. There are some real gems in this episode and it’s going to be really useful for anyone interested in finding ways of decreasing their stress levels and living in the moment… even at work!

In this episode we get really into:

Fiona’s experiences as a divorce lawyer

How she originally became interested in mindfulness

Fiona’s interests in diet, yoga and nutrition, and how they benefit her in everyday life

The period in her life when she was surviving but not thriving

The importance of mentoring in law

The right skill sets required to cope

Why lawyers need to learn how to “switch off” in order to feel energised

How to find the time to be healthy

The importance of creating a positive culture in the work environment

Fiona’s tip on taking morning teas at work

The science and statistics behind mindfulness

How you can bring mindfulness into your workplace

Why you need to focus on the task at hand – and how you can do it

Recharging your batteries

The art of persuasion

Mindfulness in communication

The importance of creativity in law

Creating an environment where you can thrive

Fiona’s tips for people thinking of getting into law

The happiness challenge for this week nominated by Fiona

 

 

HAPPY LAWYER HAPPY LIFE

Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre.  A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.   

 

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Happy Lawyer Happy Life! My name is Clarissa Rayward. I’m a wife, mum, blogger, Gorman addict, lover of all things dancing, exercise and chocolate!  Oh and in my day job I am a divorce lawyer and the Director of Brisbane Family Law Centre. I’m also known as the “Happy Family Lawyer” thanks to a blog I started about 3 years ago now when I was anything but a ‘happy’ lawyer.  A few years later, and after some great learnings and some hard work, I have found a way to be a great lawyer and be happy and so now I am hoping to share some of my insights through this podcast.  

In this podcast series, I’m going to be interviewing key people from “Law Land” about their experiences in their careers with a focus on how they have found happiness both in law but also in their lives outside of their careers.  Lawyers world wide are suffering from higher than average incidences of mental health and unhappiness is rife.  I am hopeful that by opening up the conversation around happiness in our profession we can all find better ways to be great lawyers and be happy in our lives.

For this first episode, I thought that I’d kick things off by sharing my own experience – my ups and downs, and how I’ve come to be happy in my career. Now, obviously I’m not going to interview myself so I’ve enlisted the help of my good friend, Ronsley Vaz from Amplify, a talented podcaster and interviewer who’s been instrumental in encouraging me to launch this podcast. So grab a cuppa or plug us into your car or perhaps head out for a walk and hopefully we can all share a few stories of ‘happiness’ in law together.  Enjoy!

 

In this episode we talk about:

How I got into law in the first place

The negative stereotypes of lawyers… and why they’re not always right

How the law industry is changing and why it’s ripe for disruption

My focus on ‘client centric’ practice

The impact of women coming into our profession over the past 30 years

Finding new and innovative ways to be successful in law

Why I believe it’s important to focus on the positives in life

Making a decision to be happy

Avoiding the question of being busy

The importance in having confidantes

Why you need to be comfortable being you

The impact of gratitude and kindness on an individual’s happiness (apologies for the incorrect University reference!  I was trying to refer to the Greater Good Centre at Berkley in the USA)

Why you need to create a healthy work atmosphere

My Happiness Challenge to YOU!

 

HAPPY LAWYER HAPPY LIFE

Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre.  A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.