Kim Nicol is a lawyer turned mindfulness and leadership coach. Kim tells us about how she explored her natural interests and that took her into a new field. It was scary, but also enlightening to realize that people actually make money outside of the legal and corporate world. Kim has created a portfolio career for herself. Among other things, she specifically works with lawyers on wellness and mindfulness. It can be an important tool to calm your brain long enough to get clarity on whether you hate practice or just hate your environment. Kim is a great example of someone who’s found work that really aligns with her personality and strengths. And she gives us some hope about managing the stresses of being a lawyer. 

In today’s episode we discuss:

• Being good as a litigator was going to run against Kim’s natural grain

Illegal Design Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/illegaldesign 

Kim’s upcoming CLE: https://www.lawline.com/course/the-role-of-attorney-wellbeing-in-your-legal-practice

Kim’s Website: https://kimnicol.com/

In today's episode, I give you 5 tips on designing your home office:

• Quality Chair

Illegal Design Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/illegaldesign

Sarah Cottrell is my podcasting soul sister. She is a former big law litigation associate who, after 10 years of practice in various forms and paying off her law school loans, moved into the work she’d been wanting to do for years. She launched the Former Lawyer Podcast in August 2019 (within a week of this podcast’s launch!) and now also runs the Former Lawyer Collaborative.

In today’s episode we discuss:

• Sarah and I geek out on our shared brain

Illegal Design Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/illegaldesign

Former Lawyer Website: https://www.formerlawyer.com/

In the Illegal Design mini-episodes, I will go deeper on how we get unstuck and actually design a purposeful and fulfilling life. 

Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/illegaldesign

Annette Choti left a 20 year career at the Department of Labor to start her own legal marketing firm. Annette tells us how she came to make a shift, the moment of serendipity that led her to her new career. She also tells us about all the rewards and challenges of running your own business.

• Annette worked for Department of Labor for 20 years

Illegal Design Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/illegaldesign

Megan Smiley Interiors: https://www.megansmileyinteriors.com

Law Quill: https://lawquill.com

Today’s episode is a little different. I don’t have a guest. Instead, I’m filling you in on what has been going on in my life and career. I get into the whole process, what I’m doing now, and what I see on the horizon. I also talk about my thoughts on building a purposeful life and my new free Facebook Group designed to help us do that together.

In the episode I talk about:

• Getting stuck in my second career

https://www.facebook.com/groups/illegaldesign

https://www.megansmileyinteriors.com

Shunta Grant is a former litigator turned business owner. When it became clear that practicing law wasn’t a fit for her, she leaned into her side project making hair bows. She grew that business successfully and leveraged all of her new business experience to launch her current product, The Best Today Guide. Shunta tells us about the power of letting go of the expectations you had for yourself and creating a career around your life, rather than the other way around.

In this episode we discuss:

• Being focused on checking all the boxes

Shunta Grant’s Website: https://shuntagrant.com/ 

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelawyersescapepod/

Podcast Website: https://www.thelawyersescapepod.com/

If you ever feel like you’re drawn to something that just isn’t “realistic”, think about Jess’s story. It's hard to make a bigger leap than from international human rights at the Hague to stand-up comedy.

In this episode we discuss:

• The limited view of career options many of us have

Jess Salomon’s Website: https://jesssalomon.com/

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelawyersescapepod/

Podcast Website: https://www.thelawyersescapepod.com/

Jessica Medina is a former big law litigator and SEC investigator who now runs her own financial coaching business. She helps big law attorneys who need a financial plan in place to allow them the freedom to explore new career options. Basically - she helps people avoid or remove those pesky golden handcuffs so many of us get caught in. Jessica tells us about her own journey of 14 years in practice, 5 and 10 year financial plans, and finding the right fit for her next career move. I think her story is very relatable in that she identifies herself as a risk-averse person. But, just because you value security or your timeline may be a bit longer does not mean you can’t be making a plan to open up options for your future self.

In today’s episode we discuss:

• How a big firm career seemed like the only responsible option right out of law school as a single mother of twins 

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

Website: www.thelawyersescapepod.com

Guest Website: https://www.jessicamedinallc.com/

Charlotte Smith is a former UK employment attorney who now runs her own business coaching lawyers in her Life Design for Lawyers program. You can also check out her podcast, Limitless Lawyer. Charlotte tells us about her journey away from practicing law. She followed the breadcrumb path of her interests and intuition to her new career. It wasn’t always smooth, but these paths often aren’t. Charlotte’s core message to lawyers is that anything is possible, and you should design your life around what you want - rather than letting life happen to you.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Charlotte was on the traditional path in employment law, finding success

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

Website: www.thelawyersescapepod.com

Guest Websites:

• https://www.charlotte-smith.com/