Know Thy Awkward Self

?? Welcome to Notes to My (Legal) Self, the frequently fun newsletter that helps you fearlessly build the legal career of your dreams.

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Happy New Year! It’s the time of year we’re often reminded of how far we’ve come.?

There was a time I cringed nearly every time I spoke. In law school, my foreign accent set me apart from the gifted orators who led the power-suit legal profession with ease. I’d float on the fringes of gatherings, always avoiding any attention that might call on me to speak.?

Moot court? Not for me. Growing up, the best TV lawyers spoke with the clearest voices. Self-assured righteousness flowed through exact enunciation. Crisp articulation left no room for uncertainty, and jurors swooned.

I was headed directly to the quiet world of corporate transactions. Or so I thought…

I graduated in 2006 with the U.S. at the brink of the recession. Firms were only hiring litigators!

A few years later I was deputized into the Justice Program of San Francisco’s DA office under Kamala Harris. I spent seven months speaking at arraignments, arguing motions, and trying cases daily.

The first almost five years of my legal career would require that I argue—out loud and in courtrooms full of would-be hecklers.

Have you ever felt like you were facing a firing squad? In those early days, my stomach often mimicked an imploding volcano. But something unimaginable also happened.?

Post-trial juror interviews revealed that both my distinctly non-American name and my foreign accent added to my credibility. Plus, I grew up in San Francisco. I knew every street corner and loved every park and alleyway. Our shared love for our city was a unique advantage when speaking with San Francisco’s judges and jurors.?

I’d let insecurity completely overshadow my stronger qualities. No lawyer can convince all the people she is right all the time simply by enunciating clearly. Heck, no lawyer is right all the time. And those TV lawyers were just trained actors!?

When I moved on, it was to embrace a whole world of opportunities.?

Nothing was off limits!?

Had I continued to believe the lies insecurity whispered to me, though, I would’ve grown increasingly fearful and held myself back even more.

Today, I fully embrace my accent. It’s part of my essence. It’s part of my story. And it’s why I question any insecurity I feel.?

Try embracing the awkward parts of yourself. Question the beliefs insecurity creates. You’ll often uncover more powerful truths that become your strongest source of unshakable confidence.?

Best,

Olga

Define your true self

The Strength of a Defined Identity: Join me in this podcast with BossMove.org as I dig deeper into why embracing your true self is the most fulfilling way to achieve success.?

(Additional links to podcast: Apple, Google, Spotify, Libsyn, Stitcher)

Showing up as yourself gives you the freedom and the ability to play on your unique strengths. And if you embrace them, you’ll have a recipe for how to succeed in life.?

?– Olga V. Mack        

The latest in building better relationships

Above the Law: Explore effective ways to promote effective teamwork and interpersonal relationships, including how to combine the business of work with being human in Personally Professional.

ACC Docket: Discover 5 approaches to legal practice that help you participate in beneficial, harmonious business relationships in which all parties find more ways to create value. Read Build Beneficial Relationships, Not Blighted Battlegrounds.

Forbes Technology Council: A concern that is sure to be on top of everyone’s 2022 agenda, here are 16 Ways Tech Leaders Can Keep Remote Employees On the Same Page.

Tiny hurricanes lead to big success

Have you heard that scientists have determined that, after evaluating its bodily mechanics, the bumblebee cannot fly? Supposedly, the bumblebee’s body is too big for its puny wings.?

Yet, the bees fly anyway because they believe in themselves, not the scientists. It’s an inspirational sentiment! Unfortunately, it’s a myth.?

Yes, if bees’ wings worked like airplanes, or flapped up and down like most birds’ wings, bees would have no more luck in flight than we do flapping our arms.?

But the ever-industrious bees figured out that partially spinning their wings in a back-and-forth sweeping motion generates vortices, like tiny hurricanes, that lift them up.?

The facts are encouraging as the myth!?

Physics thwarted the bees’ efforts to copy how birds fly. But the tenacious little bees persisted to finally create their own, unique method of flight.?

You already have the elements to achieve success within you. Copying others won’t benefit the real you. Show up as your true self, and you’ll develop extraordinary strengths of your own.

Notes to My (Legal) Self Podcast Episodes:

Rewirement: So many of us doubt we have it in us to succeed. We view success stories as exceptional, and we settle for good enough. Norman Bacal, a lawyer in the film and television finance industry for over 25 years, shows you how to define your path to capture success and master the elements in your head keeping you from it.

Creating the New Conscious Legal System: A new legal system is emerging, says J Kim Wright, coach, consultant, and co-founder of the Conscious Contracts? project. Find out how the Integrative Law Movement offers conscious, humanistic, holistic, values-based, and flexible alternatives to respond to rapid change.

Growing Personal Brand: How can in-house lawyers demonstrate their value both internally and externally leveraging their personal and unique creativity? Sarah Ouis shares a more user-centric approach to legal services delivery that adds value for end-users.

? Do you know an in-house leader who would be a great guest for the Notes to my (Legal) Self LinkedIn LIVE/podcast conversation? Let me know. And yes, self-nominations are accepted and encouraged!

The “Dry January” Challenge

During “Dry January,” people voluntarily avoid drinking alcohol to start the new year sober, safe, and healthy.

The British charity, Alcohol Change UK began Dry January in 2012 to “ditch the hangover, reduce the waistline and save some serious money by giving up alcohol for 31 days.”

Researchers found that of the people who participated in Dry January:

• 71% slept better
• 67% had more energy,
• 58%, lost weight and?
• 54% reported better skin.

Want a tip to make your Dry January a success??

Make it a self-care challenge, too. Do one nice thing for yourself every day while abstaining from drinking. Stay healthy and reward yourself!

Now it’s your turn to share

Thanks so much for reading and subscribing to my newsletter! Now I want to hear from you.?

• What are you thinking about right now??
• What does your mind wonder about when it wanders?
• What topics would you like to discuss?

Comment below! Or send me your thoughts and questions, then join in the conversation as I discuss the issues that concern you most in future newsletters.

?? That’s all the notes for this edition of Notes to My (Legal) Self. Don’t forget to subscribe to receive notifications when I publish each new edition.?

?? You can always find up-to-date information, insights, and events on the Notes to My (Legal) Self LinkedIn page. Follow the page, too, so you don’t miss a single beat!

Olga V. Mack is the CEO of Parley Pro, a next-generation contract management company pioneering online negotiation technology. Olga dedicates her career to improving the future of law through innovative solutions. She remains convinced that the legal profession will emerge stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than ever by embracing technology.?

Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to participate on corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat and Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security, and Blockchain Value: Transforming Business Models, Society, and Communities.?