Shaking Things Up - and a big announcement :)

For the last few years, I've been on a mission to try to improve the legal profession.

That's involved plenty of complaining and calling out what I perceive to be problems. But it's also involved a lot of action.

• I wasn't happy with the level of training I got as a new lawyer. So we built what we can truly say is the top training company for junior corporate lawyers in Canada. As of last month, we've started working with some leading US firms. And we're just getting started.
• I wasn't happy with the expectations that I magically build a book of business without any understanding of how to do that. So we built a pretty incredible sales training company for lawyers that has changed people's lives for the better. And we also launched one of the top business development podcasts for lawyers.
• I wasn't happy with the traditional approach to practicing law, so in the past year, I started co-running a law firm and really doing things the way I always thought they should be done. I've barely talking about this 'job' at all, and there will be lots more on that in the future.

But there are still a lot of areas where I haven't been able to allocate enough time - despite the obvious need for change and my really strong internal desire to drive that change.

Things like mental health. How this profession treats people with different backgrounds. How women are treated. And how much of this is systemic - even though we love to allocate the blame to the individual.

I've spoken at a ton of events over the past two years, and one thing that's been gnawing at me is how - in many cases - these events could be so much more impactful. And the issue hasn't been because they were virtual.

So without burying the lede any further, I'm really, really excited to announce one of the things that we've been working on.

We're calling it The Authentic Lawyer Summit - it's free, it's virtual, and it's going to be really freaking good.

Think TEDx style - with tons of amazing speakers, deeply authentic conversations, and a focus on actual action after the event.

(and when I say amazing speakers, I am absolutely not exaggerating here)

Despite the name, this one is for everyone in the legal profession. Lawyers. Law students. Paralegals. Assistants. Clerks. Professional Development and Business Development professionals. You name it.

But it's especially for law firm leaders and partners - because accepting ignorance is just not something that we can keep tolerating by the people with power in this profession.

Our speakers are going to be talking about things that are not being talked about enough in the profession. We promise no dry panels. Absolutely no PowerPoints. And no fluff.

Just pure authenticity.

Here's what's on the agenda

• Getting Real About Mental Health (tears will be shed - I can almost guarantee that)
• Women in Law (this one is for everyone, but it is especially for the men - we'll see you there. Just in case you weren't sure if you were allowed to be there, the answer is yes - you are not just allowed to come but are encouraged to come)
• Parenting as a Lawyer (real talk on the challenges in a profession that's hard enough when you don't have kids)
• Setting Yourself Apart with Business Development (gain control over your practice, increase your fulfillment, and stop worrying about your hours)
• Understanding Different Perspectives (because it turns out not everyone is like you, so it might be helpful to understand how your colleagues and peers are experiencing things)

Nov 8-10. It's a worldwide event for legal professionals, by legal professionals. And it's free for everyone.

No more excuses - it's time to learn, to listen, and to act.

What's your excuse not to be there?

Sign-up and learn more here.