The Lawyer's Escape Pod

Shari Dunn leaves legal aid and policy work to pursue a dream of TV journalism, then pivots again to non-profit management

Shari Dunn is currently the Executive Director for Dress for Success Oregon. But, she’s had a pretty wild ride getting there. She started working in legal aid after graduation, then moved into non-profit and foundation work. Then she somehow ended up on the Oprah show talking to Oprah and Gail about dating?!? She decided to pursue TV journalism (an old dream of hers), and funded her transition with her earnings from Who Wants to be a Millionaire, because - you know - obviously that’s what one does. After a long stint in TV journalism, she has now come back to the non-profit world in her current role. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Going to conferences and putting yourself out there can lead to interesting career opportunities 
• Getting clear with yourself on what you want
• Listening to the universe when it presents you with new opportunities 
• Loving a career with many chapters
• Being willing to continuously learn in order to excel in new arenas
• How a law degree can help on many legs of your career journey
• How you are likely to have failures along the way, but it’s how you learn and grow; not a reason to avoid the journey all together

Ilana Gotlib tells us how pursuing an interest, networking, and a blessing in disguise led her out of litigation and into health care business

Ilana Gotlib is a former litigator who transitioned into business (specifically health care business) after leaving law practice. She’s currently the Strategic Alliances Program Director at DePuy Synthes, a medical device division of Johnson and Johnson.

Ilana tells us about how she managed family expectations about her career, rebounded after being laid off, and found a corporate job where she feels she has a purpose, the ability to direct her career development, and a comfortable work-life balance. 

Ilana is so open and thoughtful about her experience and has some really great pieces of advice for being intentional about your professional development. 

Jacquette Timmons tells us how to understand our relationship with money, take control, and master finances to create the future we want

Today’s episode is a little different. Instead of speaking with a lawyer, we’re going to speak with Jacquette Timmons, a financial behaviorist. She focuses on the human side of money and gets you to see that you don't just manage money - you manage your choices around money. And in our conversation, she explains what that really means. I know many lawyers feel trapped by the realities of student debt, family obligations, and other factors. She'll give you hope and tools to get on top of your finances so you can open up options for your future.

Jacquette can be found at www.jacquettetimmons.com. She is the author of "Financial Intimacy: How to Create a Healthy Relationship with Your Money and Your Mate”; a frequent blogger; and the host of her own podcast, "More Than Money." Her work has been featured on SiriusXM, "Good Morning America," Oprah.com, CNN, and many others.

Christina Ward leaves corporate law to become a wedding photographer

Christina Ward is a corporate lawyer turned professional wedding photographer. Christina tells us about the challenges of being super young when starting law school and navigating early law practice. The combination of inexperience and an entrenched and inflexible system can leave you feeling pigeon-holed in a practice area you don't enjoy. But, in the midst of that confusion and dissatisfaction, Christina allowed herself to pursue her side interest in photography. She ultimately left to run her business full-time, which she has now been doing for over 7 years.

Jen Kash talks about the burnout that comes with 3500 billable hour years, how she left the firm to get healthy, and starting her second act in the Caribbean

Jen Kash is a former partner at Quinn Emanuel in San Francisco, where she practiced for nearly two decades. But the years of stress and 3500 billable hours took their toll, and she ultimately took a sabbatical that has turned permanent. She’s currently living in St. Vincent and the Grenadines where she’s started a non-profit called Virgin Independence, which helps transitional youth in finding jobs and training. She is also in the early stages of building a retreat for lawyers in need of support managing their stress in healthy ways. Jen is amazingly honest and upfront about her own struggles with burnout and dependency and gives us an important lesson in the very real health risks of pushing yourself too far.

Rebecca Dussich leaves law firm life to jump into politics after the 2016 election

Rebecca Dussich practiced as a litigation associate in Cincinnati after law school. But shortly after she started, the 2016 election happened. And her whole outlook changed. She is now the States Operations Director for the Tom Steyer 2020 campaign. Her story highlights that sometimes outside factors serve as an inflection point in your career. You may not see it coming, but it can be the catalyst to get into work you find more meaningful. The best thing you can do is be flexible and follow your gut.

Jackie Sueyres talks about moving from TV broadcasting, to law, to home organizing

Jackie Sueryes is a former newscaster turned litigator, who now owns Neat Method Sacramento where she’s a professional organizer! She tells us how she took her hobby and turned it into a full-time business.

Mike Kaufman moves from big law to law school career services to HR

In my first real episode, I speak with Mike Kaufman. He left big law for law school career counseling only to find himself back at a big law firm doing recruiting. Then an opportunity took him EF Education First in Cambridge, Massachusetts where he is currently the Senior Director of People Operations. Mike tells us about these twists and turns, and you’ll hear how his path inspired my own career transition. 

Welcome!

Hello and welcome! Before getting into the real episodes, I wanted to say hi and give everyone a little more information on my background and what the podcast is all about.

Come find me at:

• Website: www.thelawyersescapepod.com
• Instagram: @thelawyersescapepod
• Facebook: thelawyersescapepod

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