Erasing the Stigma

Burnout is a very real thing whether you are an associate or a partner. Career coach and former lawyer Annie Little knows firsthand and now helps lawyers navigate through the symptoms. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, she discusses the systematic causes of burnout and gets to the root of the problem with Mark Yacano.

Men’s mental health is often a taboo topic in society. Michael Kasdan has experienced firsthand how nerve wrecking and embarrassing it can be to feel not right. Since taking his first steps in his mental health journey, Michael has learned he isn’t alone and that the stigma around males owning their mental health is long from erased. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, he shares his story, experiences and advocacy with Mark Yacano.

Kristen Uhl Hulse, Senior Director of Attorney Development & Recruiting for Snell & Wilmer, believes there are new ways of developing young lawyers in this day and age of remote work. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma with Mark Yacano, she discusses reimagining mentoring, using strengths to build self-awareness and finding joy in your work by improving your mental health practices.

For Jay Williams, a mindful sales leader, thriving means figuring out what you value most and making sure the company you work for is giving you everything you need to get there. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, he explains what thriving in the workplace looks like as he chats with Mark Yacano.

Lawyers often approach the practice of law as a solitary task, internalizing their challenges, stressing over their workload and giving in to self-inflicted beliefs. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Angela Han shares with Mark Yacano why burnout is so prevalent in the legal profession and how perception skews reality—and increases our stress levels.

We work hard to appear strong by putting on armor, but in reality, we are much stronger once we drop the armor and own our narrative. That’s what Niti Nadarajah has learned since her “aha” moment of realization that she was holding on to a lot and needed to let go. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, she shares with Mark Yacano details of her personal journey and why she started writing about her life on LinkedIn.

“Thoughts are not facts.” Chelsy Castro’s interest in neuroscience and psychology led her for the legal profession to helping legal professionals develop healthy coping mechanisms to overcome the thinking errors we all project. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano chats with Chelsy who provides examples of our flawed logic and explores how to overcome these hurdles.

When her son suffered a traumatic brain injury, Francine Tone began studying brain science and discovered (through her research) how stress truly impacts lawyers. Francine shares with Mark Yacano her findings and tools for understanding what stress does to the brain and how to manage it.

There are myriad diets and nutrition program as well as fitness programs in the market today—but which ones to try? In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano sits down with Roxie Jones, founder of BodyROX, to discuss nutrition and strength training. Roxie explores the elements of a balanced diet, supplements you should consider taking and equipment you should have to work out from home.

After a year of remote work and isolation, law firm lawyers are feeling the effects of COVID. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano sits down with Dr. Rachel Fry to discuss the impact of COVID on lawyers looking at how junior associates have struggled to transition into practice and older associates have experienced extreme burn out. She shares her observations and encourages lawyers to get passed the stigma and seek help.

In order for your lawyers and professionals to thrive, they need to be in an environment where they are comfortable and receptive to constructive feedback. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Sheila Murphy, CEO of Focus Forward Consulting, explains to Mark Yacano the importance of cultivating your culture and then identifying the skills within each of your employees that will allow them to contribute the best to your firm or team.

Brad Baum, venture capitalist with Lightbank, knows a good idea when he hears it, which is why he believes in the development and distribution of technology that supports mental health and access to its services. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Brad and Mark Yacano talk about various technological tools available to clinicians and their clients and how the digitization of therapy has lowered the barrier to access—and hopefully the stigma.

Mark Goldstein accepted his depression and set out to feel like himself again, taking a leave of absence from the law. When he returned, he shared his story in The American Lawyer and now he shares his story with Mark Yacano in this episode of Erasing the Stigma. Listen in as Mark G. discusses the reactions he received and why he advocates for mental health awareness and normalization in the law and society.

Hosts Andrea Bricca and Eliza Stoker wrap up 2020 with a look back at the amazing conversations they’ve had with women who are leading the way in the legal profession. They chat about authenticity, the effects of the social justice movement on 2020 and how to support each other in this 30-minute conversation.

Laurie Lebrun, a partner with Major, Lindsey & Africa, has had an exciting career that took her from New York to Tokyo. In this episode of Millennial Murmurs, she shares with Nathan Peart how mentors (both formal and informal) guided her in her career, especially during her career transitions. They also chat about Nathan’s experience having Laurie as his mentor and about what Laurie has learned as a mentor.

Everyone comes to a place in their life and career where they may feel stuck and unsure of how to get out of their rut. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma with Mark Yacano, Madelaine Weiss, clinical social worker and executive, career and life coach, shares real-life examples of how people, particularly lawyers, have made positive transformations in their lives and found sustainable happiness using her G.R.E.A.T. strategy.

Paula Boggs took a leap into the unknown in 2012, leaving an unparalleled career in the law and starting her music career. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Paula retired GC of Starbucks and current frontwoman for the Paula Boggs Band, shares stories of her upbringing, her love of music and why being a Black woman has been her superpower.

With 30 years of experience as a law firm gaming attorney, Ellen Whittemore was up for the challenge when she stepped into the top legal role at Wynn Resorts. In this episode of Between the Legal Lines, Ellen talks to Andrea Bricca about what it was like to go from being a law firm partner to a general counsel. She also shares advice on what she would have done differently along the way and how leading during COVID has been an incredible learning experience.

If the idea of traveling the world sounds appealing to you or is on your bucket list, a career break may be the way to go. Claire Logan, counsel at Robert Weinberger Law PC, always knew she wanted to travel, so when she reached a crossroads, she decided it was time to go on a grand adventure and take a break from the law. In this episode of Millennial Murmurs, Claire and Nathan Peart chat about why she decided to take a break from her legal career, the steps she took to prepare for her break...

Creating a healthy work environment starts with the tone set by leadership. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Misti Burmeister, author and executive coach, discusses with Mark Yacano the importance of leaning in, listening and asking questions to connect commonalities. Using her personal experiences, Misti explains how we all need to get in touch with the emotional and accept that vulnerability in order to truly understand your people and create a safe space.