Ep 99: Resilience, Wellness, and the Law: Keita de Souza on Building a Sustainable Legal Career

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What does it take to thrive in law without losing yourself in the process?   

In this episode of The Abstract, host Tyler Finn is joined by Keita de Souza, General Counsel of Ryse and a former big law attorney turned wellness advocate, for a conversation that redefines what it means to be successful in legal practice. From pushing herself to burnout in her early law firm years to navigating the emotional toll of winding down a startup, Keita opens up about how personal health crises sparked a shift toward sustainability, intentionality, and self-compassion.

Keita discusses her unique path from big law to in-house roles, the lessons learned from yoga and physical setbacks, and how she’s learned to prioritize both career and care. She also shares what it was like to lead legal through the closure of a company — and why she decided to take the leap again with a new startup.   This episode is a candid and empowering look at resilience, leadership, and how to keep your center while leading others.

Topics
Introduction: 0:00
Early years in Big Law and unsustainable pace: 3:07  
Physical breakdowns and health wake-up calls: 5:2  
Small habits that transformed wellness: 11:42  
Transitioning from law firm to in-house counsel: 13:30  
Differences Between Law Firm and In-House Legal Work: 14:54  
Developing Wind-Down Strategies and Daily Resets: 18:50  
Aggressive Self-Care Days: A Personal Practice: 18:55  
Leading Through a Company Wind-Down: 23:05
Staying Grounded in Crisis: Leading with Calm and Integrity: 26:57
How yoga helped her survive high-stress moments: 29:11  
Starting over as General Counsel at Ryse: 30:22
Balancing ambition with intentional self-care: 32:12   
Redefining legal excellence beyond perfectionism: 34:15   
Building confidence and shedding self-doubt: 39:03   
Daily Rituals for Reset and Recovery: 42:35
Professional Pet Peeves: 44:23  
Book Recommendations: 46:37  
Advice to Younger Self: 49:32

Connect with us:
Keita de Souza - https://www.linkedin.com/in/keitadesouza/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft   

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