Today I sit down with Stephanie Pagni, General Counsel of Monzo Bank, a great model and real force of nature.. Stephanie discusses her educational background and her non-linear career journey, starting out on the trading floor and gaining on the job commercial experience before moving on to qualify as a lawyer with Allen and Overy and eventually spending 15 years with Barclays before moving to Monzo Bank. Stephanie emphasises the importance of cultivating practical and commercial acumen alongside legal expertise. She also talks about her challenges in balancing work and home life, particularly when her son fell ill, and stresses the importance of quality time over quantity. Stephanie shares her thoughts on gender roles, the potential future of the legal profession in the light of AI and automation, and the importance of adaptability and continuous learning.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

00:27 Stephanie's Career Journey

02:53 The Importance of Non-Linear Career Paths

04:00 Balancing Career and Personal Life

06:39 The Role of Coaching in Career Development

12:07 Transitioning to Scale Leadership

15:01 The Challenge of Delegation

18:18 Overcoming Career Challenges and the Importance of Visibility

21:53 The Importance of Public Speaking and Training for Lawyers

23:20 The Role of Sponsorship and Networking in Career Growth

28:30 The Challenges and Strategies of Asking for More Compensation

33:31 The Shift from Narrow Legal Advice to a Business-minded Approach

36:32 The Impact of AI and Automation on the Future of Law

39:19 Advice to Younger Self: Embrace Nonlinear Paths and Continuous Learning

Links to The Women’s Room – Legal Division:

• LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-womens-room-legal-division/?viewAsMember=true

• YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Womens-Room-Legal-Division

• Website https://www.ericahandling.com/the-womens-room-legal-division/

I’d love to hear from you directly using the CONTACT link below about

Contact Me https://www.ericahandling.com/contact-me/

• any coaching questions you have or challenges that you’re facing
• any topics you’d like me to cover on the YouTube Channel, or
• if you have any suggestions about an amazing woman working in around the law I should interview on the Podcast

https://feeds.captivate.fm/womens-room-legal-division/

This discussion focuses on how to navigate career setbacks, specifically not getting the promotion you’d been hoping for. I discuss our primal need not to be rejected and its impact in this type of situation. There are also effective strategies for handling these situations, like preparing for potential outcomes and being strategic about responses. I also suggest ways to handle feedback to ensure growth. Maintaining a professional demeanour around the office and seeking follow-up meetings for continued discussions and potential resources are also emphasised. Lastly, advice is given on keeping career options open and persevering through disappointment.

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:16 Understanding the Psychology of Rejection

03:12 Preparing for, and Reaction When Receiving, the News

04:31 Reframing Bad News

08:06 Handling the Meeting

09:42 Behaving Strategically Post-Rejection

11:19 The Follow-Up Meeting

15:43 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Links to The Women’s Room – Legal Division:

• LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-womens-room-legal-division/?viewAsMember=true

• YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Womens-Room-Legal-Division

• Website https://www.ericahandling.com/the-womens-room-legal-division/

I’d love to hear from you directly using the CONTACT link below about

Contact Me https://www.ericahandling.com/contact-me/

• any coaching questions you have or challenges that you’re facing
• any topics you’d like me to cover on the YouTube Channel, or
• if you have any suggestions about an amazing woman working in around the law I should interview on the Podcast

https://feeds.captivate.fm/womens-room-legal-division/

This enlightening discussion features Kate Huggins, a highly regarded legal headhunter at Leathwaite, who shares her invaluable insights about career progression, changing roles and job hunting in the legal field. The conversation takes a deep-dive into how to approach career progression including practical steps you can take to identify where you want to go in your career, how to put yourself in the best position to identify a new role and how to make sure you get it.  Kate's professional journey and her experiences with coaching are also discussed, along with her top 3 pieces of advice to her younger self.

00:00 Introduction and guest background

01:52 Current state of the legal recruitment market

02.38 Kate’s experience of coaching

05:32 Career progression and identifying potential new roles

08:05 The importance of networking

11:14 Looking for live roles, establishing relationships with recruiters

12:50 The importance of LinkedIn 

14:37 The key headhunters and advice on interacting with them

22:21 Crafting an effective CV

25:07 Strategic career planning

29:07 Three pieces of advice for my younger self

• A career is not necessarily linear
• Work with people you like
• Don’t let work become too all-consuming

Links to The Women’s Room – Legal Division:

• LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-womens-room-legal-division/?viewAsMember=true

• YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Womens-Room-Legal-Division

• Website https://www.ericahandling.com/the-womens-room-legal-division/

I’d love to hear from you directly using the CONTACT link below about

Contact Me https://www.ericahandling.com/contact-me/

• any coaching questions you have or challenges that you’re facing
• any topics you’d like me to cover on the YouTube Channel, or
• if you have any suggestions about an amazing woman working in around the law I should interview on the Podcast

https://feeds.captivate.fm/womens-room-legal-division/

In this episode, I deal with the fairly universal fear of speaking in public.  We’ll look at this topic from two angles:

 - firstly the psychological aspect and how approaching public speaking differently and reframing your thoughts about an upcoming event can be transformative to both how you feel and how you perform

 - and secondly some more practical tips about how to prepare and get yourself into peak condition to deliver your presentation.

00:00 Introduction to Public Speaking

01:00 Understanding the Psychology - Human Needs and Fear of Rejection

02:37 Reframing Your Mindset

03:56 Planning Your Speech - Key Points and How Do You Want the Audience to Feel

05:03 Physical Preparation Techniques

09:09 Practising Your Speech

10:15 Creating Effective Slides and Notes

12:08 Delivering Your Speech

13:58 Post-Speech Reflection

15:04 Conclusion and Encouragement

Links to The Women’s Room – Legal Division:

• LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-womens-room-legal-division/?viewAsMember=true

• YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Womens-Room-Legal-Division

• Website https://www.ericahandling.com/the-womens-room-legal-division/

I’d love to hear from you directly using the CONTACT link below about

Contact Me https://www.ericahandling.com/contact-me/

• any coaching questions you have or challenges that you’re facing
• any topics you’d like me to cover on the YouTube Channel, or
• if you have any suggestions about an amazing woman working in around the law I should interview on the Podcast

https://feeds.captivate.fm/womens-room-legal-division/

In this week's episode I talk about goal setting and achieving those goals for the upcoming year, starting with the importance of taking time out to plan. I emphasise the need to write down these goals for the sake of clarity and accountability. I also talk about the significance of focusing on the feelings associated with desired outcomes, not just the actions or goals themselves. 

00:00 Introduction to Goal Setting

00:29 The Importance of Taking Time Out for Planning

01:28 The Power of Writing Down Your Goals

02:10 Reflecting on the Past Year

02:27 Focusing on Feelings and Visualizing Your Goals

04:28 Creating a Personal Strategy Document

06:47 Using the Wheel of Life and SWOT Analysis

08:31 Setting Specific Goals for the Year

12:47 Using the GROW Model for Goal Achievement

15:31 Holding Yourself Accountable for Your Goals

16:11 Conclusion: Flexibility in Goal Setting

Links to The Women’s Room – Legal Division:

• LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-womens-room-legal-division/?viewAsMember=true

• YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Womens-Room-Legal-Division

• Website https://www.ericahandling.com/the-womens-room-legal-division/

I’d love to hear from you directly using the CONTACT link below about

Contact Me https://www.ericahandling.com/contact-me/

• any coaching questions you have or challenges that you’re facing
• any topics you’d like me to cover on the YouTube Channel, or
• if you have any suggestions about an amazing woman working in around the law I should interview on the Podcast

https://feeds.captivate.fm/womens-room-legal-division/

Accompanying Documents

A Conversation with Helen Burton, London Managing Partner, Ashurst

In this conversation, Helen Burton, London Managing Partner for the international law firm Ashurst, shares her journey through a multi-faceted 31-year long legal career. She considers what coaching could have offered her during more difficult periods early during her early career. and talks about her practice as a finance lawyer specialising in acquisition finance.  She shares her views on the business and commercial aspects of law firms, the need for broader skills in leadership roles within legal circles, and how personal achievements in career should be recognised. Helen emphasises that realising there are shades of grey in professional decision-making, instead of thinking in binaries, could provide more balance and contentment in life.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

00:32 Helen's Journey in Law

02:12 Work-Life Balance and Personal Life

02:49 The Role of Coaching in Helen's Career

03:09 Helen's Experience with Maternity Coaching

05:31 Returning to Work After Maternity Leave

07:27 Helen's Experience with Career Coaching

10:51 The Business Aspect of Law Firms

14:37 Helen's Experience Running for Global Chair

19:10 Reflecting on Early Career Challenges

32:08 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Downloads - Strengths, Values, Needs Excel sheet

Links to The Women’s Room – Legal Division:

• LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-womens-room-legal-division/?viewAsMember=true

• YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Womens-Room-Legal-Division

• Website https://www.ericahandling.com/the-womens-room-legal-division/

I’d love to hear from you directly using the CONTACT link below about

Contact Me https://www.ericahandling.com/contact-me/

• any coaching questions you have or challenges that you’re facing
• any topics you’d like me to cover on the YouTube Channel, or
• if you have any suggestions about an amazing woman working in around the law I should interview on the Podcast

https://feeds.captivate.fm/womens-room-legal-division/

In this episode, I explain why coaching can be a powerful tool for both personal and professional development. Just like Olympic athletes use coaches to fine-tune every aspect of their performance, having a coach can help anyone become better at what they do. Coaching can provide an opportunity to step away from daily stresses, offer a strategic thinking partner for reflection and be a channel to discover solutions by talking aloud. Here I clarify the difference between coaching, therapy, mentoring and sponsorship, emphasising that coaching is future-oriented with elements of looking back to understand behavioural patterns. I encourage you to clearly define your coaching goals for effective results and to think about desired life experiences which the subconscious can work towards.

00:00 Introduction to Coaching

00:01 Why Invest in Coaching?

01:26 The Power of Coaching

03:24 Coaching vs Therapy vs Mentoring

04:26 The Role of a Coach

05:23 Setting Goals in Coaching

06:04 Broadening Your Perspective

07:02 Conclusion: The Magic of Coaching

Links to The Women’s Room – Legal Division:

• LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-womens-room-legal-division/?viewAsMember=true

• YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Womens-Room-Legal-Division

• Website https://www.ericahandling.com/the-womens-room-legal-division/

I’d love to hear from you directly using the CONTACT link below about

Contact Me https://www.ericahandling.com/contact-me/

• any coaching questions you have or challenges that you’re facing
• any topics you’d like me to cover on the YouTube Channel, or
• if you have any suggestions about an amazing woman working in around the law I should interview on the Podcast

https://feeds.captivate.fm/womens-room-legal-division/

 Where am I going in my career? How can I feel more confident at work? How do I make sure I get my promotion? These are the type of questions that I often cover with my coaching clients. But not everyone has the luxury of access to one to one coaching, and so I wanted to see if I could share some of the great learnings I have gleaned from working with my amazing coaching clients, and those of some brilliant women who work in law. And that is how the website, the podcast, and the YouTube channel for the Women's Room Legal Division was born, driven by two real passions of mine, The advancement and fulfillment of women in the workplace and also the really transformational power of coaching.

So, while the Women's Room Legal Division provides some free coaching support, specifically to women working in and around the law, I'm really delighted if other people find their way here and find the content useful.

In this podcast, there are two different types of episodes. Those where I interview a woman working in the law about their career and challenges they've faced, as well as some live coaching around a specific issue.

And then sessions with me alone, dealing with topics that come up regularly when I coach that I hope you'll find helpful. Please do let me know if there are any specific coaching topics you'd like me to cover in my standalone sessions, and do put me in touch with any amazing women that you think I should interview on the podcast. You can contact me using the link in the show notes. Make sure you subscribe to this podcast on your preferred podcast platform so you don't miss a single episode, and if you found the content helpful, it would be lovely if you felt like giving the podcast a five star review.