The Free Lawyer

So many of us have been affected by the disease of addiction. Its impact on family members and loved ones can be overwhelming. How can we best show up through that crisis and still function effectively? How can we best support our loved one who is struggling with addiction? Today's guest is Nancy Espuche. For the last decade, Nancy has been an experienced sales professional who has been an active participant in the recovery community as she faced the daunting challenge of her son’s substance use disorder. In addition, she is a speaker and author. Unfortunately, on December 19th, 2016, her beloved son Lucas lost his battle. Her mission, through KardBoard House, is to address the impact of addiction on loved ones, family members, and, ultimately, the workforce. With business leaders, executives, educators, and mental health/treatment professionals, Nancy works with organizations to guide and support those whose professional and personal lives have been disrupted by someone’s substance use disorder. She shares her powerful insights on so many important topics: -The importance of doing it out of unconditional love, not to achieve the desired result -The powerful gift of acceptance as a tool for building freedom in an overwhelming situation -The need to understand we are truly powerless over everyone else's journey. We cannot chart the course of another's life. -The need for self-care to help manage the trauma of another's addiction -The benefit of the community and the gift of sharing with others what we are going through, so we know we are not alone, and we receive the support of others. -The need for forgiveness of ourselves and the addict -The benefits of speaking our truth about the situation -How law firms and employers can best support their staff as they work through the addiction process of a loved one This is a deeply human, intensely personal, and very moving episode not to be missed! Nancy has frequently spoken on this topic, including with Newsweek, the St. Paul Press, the New York Bar Association, and the Lawyers Assistance Professional Conference. Her website is kardboardhouse.com. Her powerful book Kardboard House; My Life-Altering Journey Through Lucas's Addiction is available on Amazon. You may reach her by email @Nancy18@KardboardHouse.com.  Are any of you suffering from burnout and difficulty in setting boundaries? If so, obtain my free tips on how to set boundaries and avoid burnout here: https://www.garymiles.net/burnout

Do you struggle with perfectionism? Try to do everything perfectly and procrastinate because you are afraid to make a mistake? Or be too hard on yourself because your work product is not just so? Or are there some days when you do not put forth the effort at work or home? Today we conclude our 5 part series on The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. Ruiz suggests these Four Agreements as tools for living: The Four Agreements Be Impeccable With Your Word. Don't Take Anything Personally. Don't Make Assumptions. Always Do Your Best. Today, we will examine the final of the Four Agreements, “always do your best.” We will discuss what that means, what it is not, the benefits of doing your best, and explain how to achieve that. We do not have to be perfect- just do our best under the circumstances. And, it is so important to practice self-acceptance and be good to ourselves.  Are any of you suffering from burnout and difficulty in setting boundaries? If so, obtain my free tips on how to set boundaries and avoid burnout here: https://www.garymiles.net/burnout I have now opened the doors to The Free Lawyer mentoring program to a limited number of lawyer clients. Would you like to be one of them? My clients receive personalized attention, and I work with them one-on-one to overcome their obstacles and enjoy the success they crave. I provide tangible, practical tools to help my clients overcome their obstacles freeing them to enjoy the success and fulfillment they have always dreamed. Would you like to learn more? You can find out more about my program here: https://www.garymiles.net/coaching​ I would like to have a courtesy call to chat about where you are, what is holding you back, and how to break through. You can schedule it here: https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-call

Erin Gerner joins the Free Lawyer today to discuss how women lawyers can find joy and fulfillment in their practice. Erin is a lawyer turned life coach who helps female attorneys break out of the toxic legal narrative, redefine success, and build a life and career they love. Key takeaways: -How we can learn to manage the overwhelm -The importance of enjoying the unpredictable journey -How we find more peace by showing grace and compassion to ourselves -The four key questions to ask ourselves when we are feeling stuck: 1. Who am I really? 2. How do I feel? 3. What do I need? 4. What is the one think I can do to remove the friction? - How to start taking action when we are feeling overwhelmed -How our brain can keep us in a safe comfort zone, where we do not grow, and how to break free, step out, and take on new challenges. -Achieving personal freedom by finding peace, joy, happiness and fulfillment in our life This a blockbuster episode. You will love what Erin has to share. After 7 years of practicing law, Erin decided to leave the legal profession, and is now one of the top coaches in the Dallas area. She’s been featured in podcasts and publications like Goss Magazine, Voyage Dallas, and Influence Digest. She’s a wife and a mom of 2 and currently lives outside of Dallas with her family. Are any of you suffering from burnout and difficulty in setting boundaries? If so, obtain my free tips on how to set boundaries and avoid burnout here: https://www.garymiles.net/burnout

Have you ever invited someone else for an evening, and they said no without an explanation, and you began to wonder why? Have you done something wrong? Really upset you about something? You began to assume that they no longer liked you or  wanted to have a relationship with you, and you keep telling yourself that story. Or, have you ever called someone or texted and they did not return your message? And called again, and still no return calls. What did you do wrong? Why were they avoiding you? Are they agitated at you about something? We frequently cause ourselves pain by making assumptions about other people, their feelings, emotions, and actions. We do not know if those assumptions are true, and they are often very negative. We place ourselves in a negative mindset by assuming the worst. Does that ever happen to you? If so, you are not alone. In this episode, we will examine we the third of Don Miguel Ruiz’s four agreements, “don’t make assumptions.” We will discuss the problem with making such assumptions, why we make assumptions, and how we benefit from not making assumptions. I review in detail these six tools to help us not make assumptions: 1. Practice self-awareness.  2. Ask for clarification. 3. Speak our truth. 4. Practice self-compassion. 5. Focus on the truth. 6. Choose positive thoughts Want to learn more? Have a listen! Are any of you suffering from burnout and difficulty in setting boundaries? If so, obtain my free tips on how to set boundaries and avoid burnout here: https://www.garymiles.net/burnout

Do you ever feel stuck where you are?  Are you interested in finding your dream job and not sure how to start? Today you can learn the answers! Melanie Wexler joins The Free Lawyer to share her expertise on how you can find your dream position. Bringing over 20 years of recruiting and staffing experience, Melanie started Career Coaching in 2017 to help people find meaning and fulfillment in their lives and careers.  Her road to owning and launching her own practice was not easy, from pivoting her career and overcoming entrepreneurial challenges. Today, Melanie has taken her success as a recruiter and an innate knowledge of the market to help her clients navigate the job search process.  She thrives on helping her clients better understand themselves, understands the job searching process, creates stellar resumes, and understands how to network and succeed in interviewing so that they can achieve their goals and land their dream jobs, find their passion, achieve their goals, and succeed in their careers. Melanie explains: -How to create the ideal resume and LinkedIn profile -Essential job search strategies -How to effectively network -Key interview skills -The importance of understanding the relevant job market -Turning your setbacks into opportunities -Evaluating what is important to you in your career so you can target your search to just the right positions -What to do when you feel stuck at work When not working with her clients, Melanie partners with her best friend and her daughter in building their non-profit Hearts 4 Honduras which helps support the Children’s Education Center in the village of Limon in Choluteca, Honduras. Where you can find me: Website: www.findsucceedachieve.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniewexler Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AchieveinFindingSuccess Instagram: @mwexlercareercoach Clubhouse: @Melaniewexler Twitter:@mwcareercoach Hearts4Honduras: https://givebutter.com/hearts4honduras Are any of you suffering from burnout and difficulty in setting boundaries? If so, obtain my free tips on how to set boundaries and avoid burnout here: https://www.garymiles.net/burnout

Have you ever had someone say something nasty about you, and your feelings get hurt? They may say something behind your back to another person, criticize you or make fun of you. How often do we allow the opinions of others to affect our happiness? Why? I have certainly had that experience. Almost all of us have. So today, we will examine the 2nd of Don Miguel Ruiz’s four agreements, “don’t take anything personally.” We will discuss what we do when taking things too personally, what is going on when things are said about us that bother us, and give tangible tools to help overcome this problem. It is not easy to stop taking things so personally, but it is critical to building a life of freedom. It is our journey, not theirs. Are any of you suffering from burnout and difficulty in setting boundaries? If so, obtain my free tips on how to set boundaries and avoid burnout here: https://www.garymiles.net/burnout

Do you ever feel stuck? Need help knowing where you want to be? Our life often takes unexpected twists and turns. Today, Lisa Lang explains how important it is to be open to learning from different roles in our lives and choosing the life you want for yourself. Lisa discusses: -It is our choice to determine what we want our life to be3 -If you want to change, be the change and change yourself -How to achieve work/life integration   -The importance of knowing what we can control and what we cannot -How to transition to a general counsel role -Finding personal freedom by integrating your work and personal life in a way that makes you happy Lisa Lang serves as Vice President and General Counsel for Ohio Northern University (ONU). Before coming to ONU, Lisa first worked in private practice specializing in insurance defense for a law firm in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2008, Lisa transitioned into the public sector to work for the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the Office of the Attorney General as an Assistant Attorney General and then for the Kentucky Department of Education, serving in various in-house roles beginning in 2011 until 2017 when she was hired as to serve as the General Counsel for Kentucky State University (KSU). Lisa served as KSU's General Counsel until accepting her current role at ONU in November 2022. In addition, she volunteers with Miss JD, helping women transition into the career in law they find fulfilling. Are any of you suffering from burnout and difficulty in setting boundaries? If so, obtain my free tips on how to set boundaries and avoid burnout here: https://www.garymiles.net/burnout

Have you ever had the misfortune of saying completely the wrong thing at the wrong time and regretting what you did? I know I have. Or, sharing something important and personal, and the other person responds with some dismissive comment? We of course all know that we should be impeccable with our words and most of us feel we do a great job at that. But do we really? It is not as easy as it sounds. Last week we began our review of Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements.  In today's we explore the first of the four, be truly impeccable with our word. I will examine exactly what it means to be impeccable with our words, the challenges in doing so, the benefits of using our words carefully, and 10 tools for improving in this arena. We receive so many powerful gifts when we listen attentively, are thoughtful about what we say, and say what we mean and mean what we say. Have a listen! Are any of you suffering from burnout and difficulty in setting boundaries? If so, obtain my free tips on how to set boundaries and avoid burnout here: https://www.garymiles.net/burnout

What a blockbuster episode! Wendy Witt, a consultant to over 8,000 lawyers and small firms, shares her insights about how to find the career of your dreams by learning how to find joy and create impact in your profession. Wendy shares her insightful wisdom on these topics: -Taking advantage of unexpected opportunities when they present themselves to you -Finding the courage to take the next step forward when you do know where it is going -The importance of determining the life values that are most important to you -How to accept being uncomfortable by stepping out of our comfort zone; that is where real growth occurs -Managing our terror barriers -Design your life and know that you can build it -You can do the work you love, make more, and work less -Our mindset can propel us forward or hold us back; the choice is ours -Create personal freedom by developing choices in your life, what we do, who we work with, etc. Wendy Witt is the founder of the private consulting firm, Million Dollar Attorney, where she serves as a Law Firm Business Strategist. Over the past 23 years, she has helped more than 8,000 solo and small law firm owners build their law firms so that they can have the life they love. Wendy is also a co-founder of Purely Estates Law Group; her guidance has been seen on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Forbes, and the like. Are any of you suffering from burnout and difficulty in setting boundaries? If so, obtain my free tips on how to set boundaries and avoid burnout here: https://www.garymiles.net/burnout

"Whatever happens around you, don't take it personally... Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves" - Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements Do you ever feel that life controls you? And you have a hard time finding peace and serenity with all that is whirling around you? In his huge bestseller, The Four Agreements, famed author Miguel Ruiz lays out a recipe for creating freedom in our life. In this episode, I will explain the background of how the world can control our happiness; how to break out of that prison; and four tools for living a life of peace and freedom. Are any of you suffering from burnout and a difficulty in setting boundaries? If so, obtain my free tips on how to set boundaries and avoid burnout here: https://www.garymiles.net/burnout