280 episodes

Sari de la Motte is the host of "From Hostage to Hero" and has been dubbed the "Attorney Whisperer" because of her unique ability to help attorneys communicate their real selves. Join us weekly as Sari shares tips that will help you up your game at trial and connect with your jurors.

From Hostage To Hero Sari de la Motte

    • Education
    • 5.0 • 116 Ratings

Sari de la Motte is the host of "From Hostage to Hero" and has been dubbed the "Attorney Whisperer" because of her unique ability to help attorneys communicate their real selves. Join us weekly as Sari shares tips that will help you up your game at trial and connect with your jurors.

    Curiosity: What Killed the Cat Will Save You

    Curiosity: What Killed the Cat Will Save You

    Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it's about to resurrect your trial game.
    Curiosity isn't just about asking questions; it's about forging connections that transcend courtroom formalities. 
    Curiosity isn't about having an end goal in mind. It's about embracing the unknown.
    I know you’re DYING to revolutionize your approach to voir dire, so go ahead and tune in.
    Xo,
    Sari
     
    Mentions:
    Ian Leslie -  Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends On It
     
    Quote:
    "What trial lawyers do is stand up for human values versus corporate values. And what curiosity does is say that this trial, this case, this voir dire, is a human endeavor. This is getting to know each other. This is connecting you with the themes, with me, with each other. The very work that y'all do is human work. It's about connection. And I honestly believe we cannot have connection when we don't have curiosity."
     
    * * * * FREE H2H TRAINING * * * * 
    THREE POWERFUL STRATEGIES TO HELP READ A JUROR’S MIND
    Understand what the jury is thinking, so you can gain the confidence to trust them - and yourself - in the courtroom.
    Get the training here: 
    sariswears.com/jury 
     
    Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here:
    Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/
    Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears
    Watch on Youtube:
    https://www.youtube.com/@saridelamotte
    Free FB Group for Plaintiff & Criminal Defense Attorneys
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/fromhostagetohero/

    • 18 min
    Why You Have to Make the Jury Uncomfortable

    Why You Have to Make the Jury Uncomfortable

    Are you ready to shake things up? 
    Good, because that's exactly what we're about to do. 
    In our latest episode, we're diving deep into the nitty-gritty as to why you HAVE to make the jury uncomfortable in voir dire or in your opening statement (and YES, it will make YOU feel uncomfortable, too, but that’s the point.) 
    I'll teach you how to captivate, motivate, and inspire action from the jury through the power of storytelling and more.
    So if you're tired of playing small and ready to make a real impact, this episode is for you.
     
    Xo,
    Sari
     
    Mentions:
    Jesse Wilson - Tell The Winning Story
     
    Quote:
    "Your job in a trial situation is to communicate to the jury that everything is not fine. We are trying to communicate to the jury that things are not fine because discomfort changes things. You’ve got to relay that things are NOT fine; things are f****d, and your job, jury, is to make that right. So what this means is you've got to make the jury uncomfortable."
     
    * * * * FREE H2H TRAINING * * * * 
    THREE POWERFUL STRATEGIES TO HELP READ A JUROR’S MIND
    Understand what the jury is thinking, so you can gain the confidence to trust them - and yourself - in the courtroom.
    Get the training here: 
    sariswears.com/jury 
     
    Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here:
    Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/
    Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears
    Watch on Youtube:
    https://www.youtube.com/@saridelamotte
    Free FB Group for Plaintiff & Criminal Defense Attorneys
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/fromhostagetohero/
     

    • 16 min
    My Advice for Young Lawyers

    My Advice for Young Lawyers

    This episode is dedicated to my young lawyers.
    Trial lawyering is literally one of the biggest mindfucks that could ever happen to a human being. 
    That means that you NEED to have your own back, and give yourself grace and compassion.
    Tune in to find out my top three advice for YOU as a young lawyer that if you use to shape your career, one, unlike Joe, you’ll get to skip the never-ending search for the “formula”, and two, you will never have to worry about winning again.
    Xo,
    Sari
     
    Mentions:
    Randi McGinn


    Quote:
    "You have to have your own back and talk nicely to yourself, because you're going to have a lot of bosses that are not going to talk nicely to you. You're going to have a lot of opposing counsel that's not going to talk nicely to you. You're going to have a lot of judges that are going to dress you down in front of the fucking jury. You've got to be the one person in your world that has your own back, that tells yourself, 'I could have done that differently, I did miss that, but I'm still a worthwhile person and I'm going to get this and I'm going to learn it.' Because what you're going through right now is already fucking hard. Don't make it harder by being your worst enemy."
     
    * * * * FREE H2H TRAINING * * * * 
    THREE POWERFUL STRATEGIES TO HELP READ A JUROR’S MIND
    Understand what the jury is thinking, so you can gain the confidence to trust them - and yourself - in the courtroom.
    Get the training here: 
    sariswears.com/jury 
     
    Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here:
    Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/
    Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears
    Watch on Youtube:
    https://www.youtube.com/@saridelamotte
     

    • 20 min
    The REAL Reason I Swear So Much

    The REAL Reason I Swear So Much

    If you've ever wondered (because why wouldn't you?!) the real reason behind my love affair with swearing…
    Then you're in for a treat.
    I don't want to spoil the episode for you, so go ahead and tune in.
    That’s an order from your Finnish mama.😉
     
    Xo,
    Sari
     
    Quote:
    “Most of humanity is fucking asleep. We compare ourselves to other people, to other trial lawyers in this industry, and then we conform to what we see. Then we start living lives that are boring and purposeless. I want to change the world. And in order to do that, I need your help. And in order for you to change the world, you need to disrupt shit. That means bucking the system. That means taking big risks. That means going all in with storytelling, feeling your feelings, getting emotional, being totally and completely authentically you.”
     
    * * * * FREE H2H TRAINING * * * * 
    THREE POWERFUL STRATEGIES TO HELP READ A JUROR’S MIND
    Understand what the jury is thinking, so you can gain the confidence to trust them - and yourself - in the courtroom.
    Get the training here: 
    sariswears.com/jury 
     
    Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here:
    Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/
    Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears
    Watch on Youtube:
    https://www.youtube.com/@saridelamotte
     

    • 14 min
    How to Combat the “Shit Happens” Defense

    How to Combat the “Shit Happens” Defense

    In this episode, we're diving deep into plaintiff trial strategies that'll encourage you to rethink how you present your case.
    I'll teach you what frontloading the danger means, and the importance of the order in which you present information to jurors that can make or break your case.
     
    Xo,
    Sari
     
    ➡️Listen on Spotify
    ➡️Listen on Apple
    ➡️Listen on YouTube
     
    Quote:
    "Stop telling the jurors what happened and then pointing out all the things the defendant did wrong and all the ways this can have been avoided, because it's too f*****g late. Instead, if you want to reverse this 'shit happens' defense, start by saying what the danger is, then how it can be avoided."
     
    * * * * FREE H2H TRAINING * * * * 
    THREE POWERFUL STRATEGIES TO HELP READ A JUROR’S MIND
    Understand what the jury is thinking, so you can gain the confidence to trust them - and yourself - in the courtroom.
    Get the training here: 
    sariswears.com/jury 
     
    Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here:
    Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/
    Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears
    Watch on Youtube:
    https://www.youtube.com/@saridelamotte
     

    • 25 min
    It's Ok to Want More (Truly)

    It's Ok to Want More (Truly)

    What's YOUR dream?
    For ME, my dream is to change the way law is practiced. And I'm doing it. But I'm not doing it ALONE. The H2H Crew, my rock through surviving cancer (You know who you are, and I love you! 🥹), has proven that I don't have to do things alone.
    And together, we are changing the game for lawyers across America – from how voir dire is practiced to how lawyers are living their day-to-day lives. It’s f*****g incredible, really.
    If anyone deserves to chase their dreams, it's YOU. The saboteur can throw all the arguments it wants, but YOU get to have whatever the hell you want.
    So push through, chase your dreams, and discover your true meaning of fulfillment.
    And I’m here to guide you, every step of the way. I swear.
    Xo,
    Sari
     
    Quote:
    “If you're a trial lawyer, it's a f*****g sacrifice. You are fucking sacrificing more than a lot of people in this world to do the job that you do. You are the healers. You're going to save the world. I firmly believe it. So if you are not allowed to chase your dream, then who the f**k is? You are literally keeping the rest of us safe. You're the only thing between us and corporate greed. You are the last resistance. I believe it wholeheartedly. This isn't something I'm just trying to make you feel good about yourself. That is what you do. And I, for one, want you to be happy and fulfilled and doing all of the amazing stuff because you worked for it, and you sacrifice so much for the rest of us.”
     
    * * * * FREE H2H TRAINING * * * * 
    THREE POWERFUL STRATEGIES TO HELP READ A JUROR’S MIND
    Understand what the jury is thinking, so you can gain the confidence to trust them - and yourself - in the courtroom.
    Get the training here: 
    sariswears.com/jury 
     
    Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here:
    Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/
    Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears
    Watch on Youtube:
    https://www.youtube.com/@saridelamotte
     

    • 15 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
116 Ratings

116 Ratings

Last Resistor ,

Career and Life-Changing All at Once

Have been listening since Sari started the pod because I thought her grasp of the problems we face in jury selection is dead-on. But she has been taking her insights to even more profound levels lately. Her recent episodes on Time and Money would be useful for anyone (lawyer or not), but they struck me as the best career advice I have ever gotten. The best trial lawyers in the country are following Sari for a reason: she has us figured out and wants to help us realize our dreams.

stpwhsprng ,

Top Notch

Sari delivers can’t miss content for Plaintiffs’ attorneys willing to forget what they think they know and try something that sometimes feels counterintuitive. For those willing to take that risk, they will be enriched with the knowledge of someone who has spent over a decade helping top tier attorneys hone skills that are essential to being a top notch trial lawyer. The free content on her podcast is worth volumes of Trial Guides books. I never miss an episode.

No doubt, Sari’s style isn’t for everyone. She’s bold, brash, and opinionated. She curses like a sailor and proudly plugs herself and her crew throughout the episodes. No doubt that can turn off some listeners who feel such self promotion somehow undermines the value of her free podcast. Those poor misguided souls. Why shouldn’t Sari promote herself? She has found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The podcast shows you the rainbow. The crew gives you the gold.

racehorse1791 ,

Fine!

Leaving this review only because the podcast host incessantly and shamelessly demands reviews.

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