The Wellness Esquire Podcast: Happy, Healthy, Successful Lawyers

Ariella Cohen Coleman
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Lawyers are done believing they have to choose between a kick-ass career and a kick-ass life.Authentic conversations showcasing all the ways to do law differently, for lawyers who want a thriving career and a happy life. Hosted by attorney Ariella Cohen Coleman.Every Wednesday, lawyers, coaches, and thought leaders share the stories most people in law are afraid to tell: anxiety, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, identity, mistakes, and what it really takes to build a legal career on your own terms. Then we get practical about how to thrive.For attorneys, law students, and ambitious professionals changing the whole damn game. 💛

  1. 1 day ago

    Lawyer and Dad: You Don't Have to Choose, with Matthew Korn

    A year after their first son was born, Matthew Korn's wife told him she felt like a single mom. He was a lawyer first, everything else second. That moment started him down a different road, and eventually to founding a community for every lawyer dad asking the same question. Matthew is an employment lawyer, partner at Pierson Ferdinand, father of four, and founder of Dad, Esq. He thought it might be five or ten guys on a Zoom. It's now heading toward a thousand members, with local chapters and a January virtual summit open to everyone. Join Dad, Esq. (free for lawyer dads): dadesq.com Register for the Jan 20-21 Dad, Esq. Virtual Summit: dadesq.com/register In this episode: Why the day to day of your practice matters more than the substanceThe false belief that prioritizing family means you're less committed, and why dads feel it now too"I'm not really listening": catching yourself at home, and what he does about itPosting about Crohn's, and the one DM that made it worth itThe invisible load, and why making lunches is "like five percent of the work"Why his community is free, and learning to delegate something that feels like your babyA firm with no associates, no offices and no billable hour targetMentioned: Dad, Esq.: dadesq.comDad, Esq. 2027 Virtual Summit, "Better Lawyers, Better Dads: Raising the Bar in the Age of AI," Jan 20 to 21, 2027: dadesq.com/registerMothers Esquire: mothersesquire.orgOne L by Scott Turow: amazon.com/dp/0446351709?tag=edsetc-20The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer: amazon.com/dp/0525653090?tag=edsetc-20 (Book links are Amazon affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.)Connect with Matthew: linkedin.com/in/matthewkorn · Dad, Esq. on Instagram: instagram.com/Dad_esquire Watch the full conversation on YouTube: youtu.be/hkvHa6FiPYE New episodes weekly! Subscribe to The Wellness Esquire so you never miss an episode! 💗 We'd love to hear from you through Fan Mail! Host: Ariella Cohen Coleman The Wellness Esquire: Authentic conversations showcasing all the ways to do law differently, for lawyers who want a thriving career and a happy life. Ariella Law, PC: strategic legal support for entrepreneurs, growing companies, and mission-driven organizations. Formation, contracts, compliance, and fractional general counsel, by project or by subscription. Follow Ariella: LinkedIn · Instagram · Website Follow The Wellness Esquire: Website · Substack · Instagram Sponsor: Superhuman: email, faster. Get one month free Thank you for listening! Subscribe, share, and review. 🤩

  2. 22 Oct

    Build a Law Practice You Don't Dread on Monday, with Brian Glass

    What would it take for Monday to bring work you actually want to do? Personal injury lawyer Brian Glass has an answer, and it starts with the people you do it with. Brian joined his dad's firm, BenGlassLaw, in 2019, after a hard delivery with his third child put everything in perspective. Since then he has built a practice where the team gets interesting problems, routine work goes to VAs and AI, and he leaves at four most spring and fall afternoons to coach youth sports. His definition of success changed along the way: from trading time for money to buying time back. In this episode: Why "freedom from" the desk means nothing without "freedom to"The three constraints every law firm has, and why you can only solve one at a timeMeasuring every stage of a case, and adjusting when the data surprises youWhy most lawyer marketing is generic, and what to post insteadThe one-email rule, and taking email off your phoneAbout Brian Glass: Brian is a personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia, who owns and runs BenGlassLaw, the firm his dad Ben Glass founded, and co-runs Great Legal Marketing. He's a William & Mary Law graduate, and in 2022 a Fairfax County jury awarded his client more than $4 million after a head-on collision with a drunk driver. Brian on LinkedIn · Brian on Instagram · BenGlassLaw · Great Legal Marketing Mentioned: Alex Hormozi, Winston (Ariella's legal practice management software, with demos starting soon) Connect with Ariella: thewellnessesquire.com · ariellalaw.com · LinkedIn · ariella@thewellnessesquire.com New episodes weekly! Subscribe to The Wellness Esquire so you never miss an episode! 💗 We'd love to hear from you through Fan Mail! Host: Ariella Cohen Coleman The Wellness Esquire: Authentic conversations showcasing all the ways to do law differently, for lawyers who want a thriving career and a happy life. Ariella Law, PC: strategic legal support for entrepreneurs, growing companies, and mission-driven organizations. Formation, contracts, compliance, and fractional general counsel, by project or by subscription. Follow Ariella: LinkedIn · Instagram · Website Follow The Wellness Esquire: Website · Substack · Instagram Sponsor: Superhuman: email, faster. Get one month free Thank you for listening! Subscribe, share, and review. 🤩

  3. 14 Oct

    Who Decided What's Professional? How to Stop Following the Lawyer Rules You Never Chose

    A senior lawyer once told me taking calls outside looked like I didn't take my work seriously. Within a couple of hours, his client called me instead. In this solo episode, I share the moment I realized some of those old lawyer rules are still stuck inside me, even after building a practice entirely my way: monkeys were dancing right outside my door during a podcast, and I wouldn't turn my head to look because I didn't want to be unprofessional. This episode is about noticing the inherited rules of what a professional looks like, keeping the parts with real value, and letting go of the nonsense. In this episode: Why "where you sit does not mean you don't take your work seriously"The shape of who we're told a lawyer is supposed to beWhy birthdays have been hard since my dad died when I was 17, and how I'm learning to like mine againMy husband's birthday advice: treat every day like it's your birthdayWhy I'm rethinking how (and how often) this podcast comes outYour challenge: am I doing this because I want to, or because I think I have to?Mentioned: Gwen Griggs and Whitney Harper on The Wellness Esquire Podcast: https://youtu.be/k6hWz-ahWlsErin Gerner's Powerhouse Lawyers podcast: Apple PodcastsTell me what you're questioning: ariella@thewellnessesquire.com, or find me on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/ariellacoleman) and Instagram (@ariellacohencoleman, @thewellnessesquire). New episodes from The Wellness Esquire! Follow, subscribe, and send this one to a lawyer who needs it. 💗 We'd love to hear from you through Fan Mail! Host: Ariella Cohen Coleman The Wellness Esquire: Authentic conversations showcasing all the ways to do law differently, for lawyers who want a thriving career and a happy life. Ariella Law, PC: strategic legal support for entrepreneurs, growing companies, and mission-driven organizations. Formation, contracts, compliance, and fractional general counsel, by project or by subscription. Follow Ariella: LinkedIn · Instagram · Website Follow The Wellness Esquire: Website · Substack · Instagram Sponsor: Superhuman: email, faster. Get one month free Thank you for listening! Subscribe, share, and review. 🤩

  4. 30 Sept

    Perfectionism Isn't a Flaw: Why I Stopped Being a "Recovering Perfectionist" | with Ariella Cohen Coleman

    Perfectionism isn't something lawyers need to recover from. It's something we need to get better at. 🤣 In this solo episode, I get honest about my own perfectionism: the decades I spent beating myself up for tiny mistakes, the podcast (this one) that I kept not launching, and why calling myself a "recovering perfectionist" quietly dulled my sparkle. I spent most of my life as a maladaptive perfectionist, and I didn't have the language for it until I read my all-time favorite book, The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler. I share what shifted when I started seeing perfectionism as part of who I am, something to aim in a healthy direction, not remove. I also talk about hiring a friend to press publish on the podcast because I couldn't do it myself, learning to surf this year and being objectively not good at it (and loving it!!), and why you can absolutely burn out doing work you love. In this episode: Maladaptive vs. adaptive perfectionism, and why the difference changes everythingWhy "if you can't face a mistake, you can't learn from it"How treating everything like a lab (throwing spaghetti at the wall) made me a better attorneyWhy I quit calling myself a recovering perfectionistExcelling on your own values, not someone else'sWork-life integration, and why loving your work doesn't make you burnout-proofA community challenge: the one thing you've been scared to doMentioned in this episode: The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler, and Whitney Harper of Advos Legal. Tell me the one thing you've been scared to do and are going to do anyway: ariella@thewellnessesquire.com, or find me on LinkedIn and Instagram (@ariellacohencoleman, @thewellnessesquire). New episodes on Wellness Wednesdays! Follow and subscribe to The Wellness Esquire, and send this one to a lawyer who needs it. 💛 We'd love to hear from you through Fan Mail! Host: Ariella Cohen Coleman The Wellness Esquire: Authentic conversations showcasing all the ways to do law differently, for lawyers who want a thriving career and a happy life. Ariella Law, PC: strategic legal support for entrepreneurs, growing companies, and mission-driven organizations. Formation, contracts, compliance, and fractional general counsel, by project or by subscription. Follow Ariella: LinkedIn · Instagram · Website Follow The Wellness Esquire: Website · Substack · Instagram Sponsor: Superhuman: email, faster. Get one month free Thank you for listening! Subscribe, share, and review. 🤩

  5. 16 Sept

    Who Am I Without Law? Erin Gerner on Rebuilding a Lawyer's Identity

    You don't hate being a lawyer. You hate the way you're doing it. Erin Gerner spent years believing she had to choose between being a lawyer and being herself, and this conversation is about everything she found on the other side of that lie. Erin excelled at the path everyone told her to want. Top of her class, then big law, then physically sick before work every morning. When the 2008 crash ended her firm job and a premature baby changed her whole world, she walked away from the law entirely, and ran straight into a question she couldn't answer: who is Erin if she's not a lawyer? What she rebuilt from there, the creativity and community and coaching that law had buried, eventually led her back to practice, this time on her own terms. If you have ever wondered whether you're in the wrong career or just doing it the wrong way, this one is for you. In this episode: Why "I don't want any of this" in big law was information, not weaknessThe identity crisis almost no one warns you about when you step back from the lawWhy the answer is usually not burning it all down, but small, simple changesHow Erin built a coaching practice (and a full cohort) before she had a programWhat it took to come back to practice after a decade away, and quiet the self-doubtWhy "and" might be the most important word a lawyer can learn00:00 Two beach-loving, "yay"-saying lawyers find each other 04:47 Becoming a digital nomad: "we just did it" 09:47 Why she went to law school, and following the path 12:10 Big law, and being physically sick before work 15:36 "Everyone else seemed fine," and why that's a lie 18:00 A baby born seven weeks early changes everything 20:29 The identity crisis: who is Erin without the law? 24:23 Rediscovering the parts the law had sucked out 28:02 Doing it messy and scared 30:20 "Why are you not helping lawyers?" 32:16 Forty women in the DMs, and no program yet 38:33 You don't hate law, you hate how you're doing it 43:57 What success actually means now 45:29 Going back to practice, on her own terms 49:54 Coaching baby-lawyer Erin through the self-doubt 55:44 The one lesson: the power of "and" About Erin Gerner: Erin is a lawyer, coach, and host of the Powerhouse Lawyers podcast. She helps women lawyers redefine success and design careers and lives that actually fit them, and recently returned to practice under a firm model built for entrepreneurial attorneys and those who are looking to build their practices on their own terms. Links: Website https://www.eringerner.com/ |LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-gerner/ | Powerhouse Lawyers on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/powerhouse-lawyers/id1686603658 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0KpzrGa6PkI7U2HKwpPSQq New episodes weekly! Subscribe to The Wellness Esquire so you never miss an episode! We'd love to hear from you through Fan Mail! Host: Ariella Cohen Coleman The Wellness Esquire: Authentic conversations showcasing all the ways to do law differently, for lawyers who want a thriving career and a happy life. Ariella Law, PC: strategic legal support for entrepreneurs, growing companies, and mission-driven organizations. Formation, contracts, compliance, and fractional general counsel, by project or by subscription. Follow Ariella: LinkedIn · Instagram · Website Follow The Wellness Esquire: Website · Substack · Instagram Sponsor: Superhuman: email, faster. Get one month free Thank you for listening! Subscribe, share, and review. 🤩

  6. 9 Sept

    I Lead the Lawyer Wellbeing Movement, and I Still Won't Rest | with Ariella Cohen Coleman

    OK, that was a bit nerve-wracking, but it went way better than I expected! I already have a page of notes for myself for next time, and I'm super excited to do more of these solo episodes. Partly because I have so many ideas about how to bring tons of value to our community, and partly because this is the next thing to do that scares me a little. I used to run from things that scared me, now (apparently) I run (or crawl) toward them. So here's my first solo episode. I am one of the leaders of this whole lawyer wellbeing movement, and I just got over being sick - and I got sick because I didn't listen to my body. I added a lot to my plate without taking anything off it, and then I didn't truly rest. In this convo, I get honest about that, about why I started The Wellness Esquire when I'm not always very good at the whole wellbeing thing, and about some of the things I'm doing to help myself avoid this from happening again... And, btw, there's so much more I'm doing to take care of myself that I didn't talk about here, and I'm excited to get into that in another episode. That topic on its own could be its own multi-series. In this episode: - Why a solo episode felt scarier than any interview I've ever done - The confidence people say they see in me, and why it's newer than you'd think - How I talked myself into taking on too much, and the moment my body made me stop - What knowing the science of wellbeing does and doesn't do for you (my conversation with Jordana Confino) - Setting boundaries with clients: why it used to terrify me and why I love it now Chapters: 00:00 Why a solo episode felt scarier than any interview 02:23 The confidence you see in me is new, and hard-won 05:20 Why today: I got sick because I didn't listen to my body 07:18 Knowing wellbeing matters vs. actually doing it (with Jordana Confino) 11:54 The freedom that lets me live this way, and the "a lot" that comes with it 17:43 My city nervous system vs. my jungle nervous system 20:09 I'm bad at resting, and even my trainer knows it 22:36 The recap: what I took on, and what I'm changing 28:30 Setting boundaries with clients used to terrify me 32:38 Why I built this: what if we don't all have to hit rock bottom first New episodes every week for Wellness Wednesday. Follow The Wellness Esquire so you never miss an episode. 💗 We'd love to hear from you through Fan Mail! Host: Ariella Cohen Coleman The Wellness Esquire: Authentic conversations showcasing all the ways to do law differently, for lawyers who want a thriving career and a happy life. Ariella Law, PC: strategic legal support for entrepreneurs, growing companies, and mission-driven organizations. Formation, contracts, compliance, and fractional general counsel, by project or by subscription. Follow Ariella: LinkedIn · Instagram · Website Follow The Wellness Esquire: Website · Substack · Instagram Sponsor: Superhuman: email, faster. Get one month free Thank you for listening! Subscribe, share, and review. 🤩

  7. 2 Sept

    Harassed by the Judge She Clerked For: Aliza Shatzman on Fighting Back

    Law clerk harassment is one of the legal profession's best-kept secrets, and Aliza Shatzman lived it. A federal judge harassed her, fired her, and then torpedoed her dream job as a homicide prosecutor with a single negative reference she was never allowed to see. Then she found out she couldn't sue him, because 30,000 people who work for the federal courts have no protection under Title VII. I have my own (much less dramatic) version of this story, from a networking event my 1L year, so this conversation went straight to the thing so many of us carry quietly: you feel a power imbalance, you feel confused and alone, and you have no idea who to tell and what to do. Aliza's answer is bracing and hopeful. You have more power and agency than you think, and using your powerful voice is what makes it better for everyone who comes after you. In this episode: - What actually rises to the level of harassment, and why "it's just a bad fit" is a lie you don't have to accept - Why filing a formal complaint is the single best way to protect yourself from retaliation - The power dynamic that makes law students, clerks, and junior associates most vulnerable, and how to navigate it - How Aliza turned the worst moment of her career into the Legal Accountability Project - The internal reporting channels that exist, and which ones are actually HR for the judiciary In this episode: 00:00 The 1L networking story that started this 05:53 What drew Aliza to law school 07:11 The clerkship that changed everything 10:26 The negative reference that cost her the dream job 12:19 Why 30,000 court employees have no Title VII protection 16:07 You are not powerless: your voice is your power 18:11 Glassdoor for Judges and the daily work of accountability 22:47 What actually counts as harassment 30:38 Your real options: EDR, DWR, and formal complaints 32:57 Retaliation, and why a written record protects you 39:41 Building a life and a career on her own terms About Aliza: Aliza Shatzman is an attorney, advocate, and the President and Founder of the Legal Accountability Project, a nonprofit working to ensure law clerks have positive clerkship experiences and extending accountability to a judiciary that has long operated without it. Links: Legal Accountability Project: https://www.legalaccountabilityproject.org/ Aliza on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliza-shatzman-58b55223/ LAP on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelegalaccountabilityproject/ New episodes weekly. If you're a lawyer who has ever felt this, you're not alone. Follow The Wellness Esquire so you never miss an episode! We'd love to hear from you through Fan Mail! Host: Ariella Cohen Coleman The Wellness Esquire: Authentic conversations showcasing all the ways to do law differently, for lawyers who want a thriving career and a happy life. Ariella Law, PC: strategic legal support for entrepreneurs, growing companies, and mission-driven organizations. Formation, contracts, compliance, and fractional general counsel, by project or by subscription. Follow Ariella: LinkedIn · Instagram · Website Follow The Wellness Esquire: Website · Substack · Instagram Sponsor: Superhuman: email, faster. Get one month free Thank you for listening! Subscribe, share, and review. 🤩

  8. 26 Aug

    Why So Many Successful Lawyers Feel Like Nothing Inside: David Sazant on Self-Worth and Identity

    You can look like you have it all together, everything tied up in a beautiful little bow, and still feel like a fraud on the inside. David Sazant, a former litigator turned therapist for lawyers, says that gap is one of the most common things his clients are too ashamed to say out loud. We talk about why so much lawyer anxiety, imposter syndrome, even anger is really about self-worth, and why the self-worth we build on other people's approval never holds. So much of this, for David, comes back to identity, to who we are and who we know ourselves to be. If you think you're the only one who struggles with these feelings, David and I promise you, you're not. In this episode: - Why so many high-achieving lawyers feel like frauds no matter what they accomplish - Why self-worth built on other people's approval never holds, and how to start internalizing your own - The difference between "I am anxious" and "I'm experiencing anxiety," and why it changes everything - Why anger is so often just not feeling good enough wearing a different face - Why saying the hard thing out loud is where connection starts, not where your credibility ends About David: David Sazant is a former litigator turned therapist and the founder of Pursuit Counseling and Therapy, a practice serving men, many of them Ontario-based lawyers and other high-performing professionals.  Connect with David at Pursuit Counseling  New episodes weekly! If you're a lawyer who has ever felt this, you're not alone. Follow The Wellness Esquire so you never miss an episode. We'd love to hear from you through Fan Mail! Host: Ariella Cohen Coleman The Wellness Esquire: Authentic conversations showcasing all the ways to do law differently, for lawyers who want a thriving career and a happy life. Ariella Law, PC: strategic legal support for entrepreneurs, growing companies, and mission-driven organizations. Formation, contracts, compliance, and fractional general counsel, by project or by subscription. Follow Ariella: LinkedIn · Instagram · Website Follow The Wellness Esquire: Website · Substack · Instagram Sponsor: Superhuman: email, faster. Get one month free Thank you for listening! Subscribe, share, and review. 🤩

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Lawyers are done believing they have to choose between a kick-ass career and a kick-ass life.Authentic conversations showcasing all the ways to do law differently, for lawyers who want a thriving career and a happy life. Hosted by attorney Ariella Cohen Coleman.Every Wednesday, lawyers, coaches, and thought leaders share the stories most people in law are afraid to tell: anxiety, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, identity, mistakes, and what it really takes to build a legal career on your own terms. Then we get practical about how to thrive.For attorneys, law students, and ambitious professionals changing the whole damn game. 💛

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