In the legal profession, we talk a lot about innovation, fresh ideas, and staying ahead of the curve. All of that is important.

But sometimes the most powerful lessons don’t come from what’s new - they come from the people who’ve already walked the path before us. Mentors, colleagues, family member...

During my little sister’s birthday, I was looking through old photos, and I found one that really made me pause. It’s a picture of us as kids, riding our bikes. I’m in front, glancing back over my shoulder, and she’s behind me, looking up and following my lead.

That simple image spoke volumes abo...

As is typical in the winter, Minnesota was in a deep freeze - schools were closed, my weather app showed -15°F with a "real feel" of -30°F, and I had to bundle up in a stocking cap and winter coat just to step outside and head to the law school to teach (law school classes are never canceled, it see...

Growing up, I always worked hard in the summers. As a first-generation college student who paid my way through college and graduate school, I had to have multiple jobs every summer (and throughout the school year). 

One of my many summer jobs was a lifeguard. I worked at public pools all day, every...

 It may feel like a strange juxtaposition, but thinking about Halloween also made me think of psychological safety, something I’ve been speaking and teaching about more and more.

Why is Halloween the perfect metaphor for understanding psychological safety in legal organizations?

Just as children g...

Mental health is a foundational component of well-being, so I want to devote this blog to mental health and breaking down the stigmas around it.  

World Mental Health Day: A Brief History

Every year on October 10th, the world comes together to observe World Mental Health Day. This day has its root...

I've been thinking of traveling recently - and I’ve also been thinking about how to bring some of that learning back to you and to make it relevant to your work and your life, just as I’m applying it to my own.

Here’s one lesson I wanted to share …

On the last night of our trip to El Salvador (...

On the evening of July 4, we loaded the family onto the pontoon like we’ve done for the last 20 years, and we chugged across the lake at dusk to catch the fireworks that started at 10:15 p.m.

We went to our usual spot which we knew always has a terrific view of the fireworks that were going to b...

This week, I want to introduce you to the four main components of emotional intelligence. This is a topic that's been coming up so much in my coaching and speaking work, so I wanted to share the nuts and bolts with you.

I'm guessing you might have heard of emotional intelligence before, but I deepl...

Valentine's Day is coming up, and it can be a complicated day for a lot of people. Some people celebrate it with their partners with roses, chocolates, and such, while for others it can bring up painful feelings of loneliness and anxiety.

Remember (even though it's hard sometimes), a relationship (...

Courage comes before confidence, not the other way around. Sometimes we wait to have confidence before we take action, but what we really need to do is act out of courage; confidence will follow. Here's an interesting article on the topic: Choose Courage Over Confidence.

The more we practice act...

Are you feeling tired? Overwhelmed? Like you don’t know how you will get it all done?

When you’re in need of a pick-me-up, J.D. Meier recommends leveraging four sources of strength: your mind, body, emotions and spirit.

Mind:

We can take our brainpower for granted, but we rely on it so much all...