March 15, 2022
Today, I have the honor to invite Amy here as our Fireside Chat guest! You probably already know or have heard of Amy before. Amy is an active and valuable member in the legal community – she had participated in many speaking engagements and was featured in various articles and podcasts. For those of you who haven’t met Amy yet, she is a Big Law-trained lawyer and former sole practitioner who helps other lawyers build successful solo and small legal practices as a coach/consultant. Please check out her website here!
To me, Amy is so much more. She has been so kind and supportive about the Equilawbrium initiative. As you read along, I hope you will enjoy, as much as I did, Amy’s authentic and transparent sharing from a refreshing perspective!
Without further ado, let's get started...
Part 1 - Introduction
Hi my name is... Amy Grubb.
Year of call to the Bar: 2006
Type of practice, your role, and where:
I practiced corporate commercial law for 15 years before becoming a non-practicing legal consultant. I help other lawyers launch their firms and run more efficient practices.
How many children do you have?
3.
What is one thing that you do for self-care or stress relief?
Workout in the morning before my family wakes up and getting 8 hours of sleep. The sleep part was not possible when my kids were very young but now I try my best to make it happen.
Part 2 - The first “Dual 10” Challenge: within the first 10 years post-call
Equilawbrium: Did you have a master plan for your career path? What was the driving force behind your career decisions? What are the important things to consider as you are figuring out your career path?
Amy: I did not have a master plan for my career path. I did OCIs because that is what everyone seemed to be doing. I was fortunate to be hired through that process and became an articling student and then an associate. I figured I would eventually become a partner. Even early on in my career, as I looked around Big Law, the partners weren’t very happy. That made me question whether Big Law path was right for me. In the beginning of my career, the driving force behind my career decisions was basically whatever fell into my lap. This is not something that I would recommend! If you know what you want, you need to make that happen for yourself. Get out there, ask questions, speak to others who are doing what you want to be doing. No one is going to read your mind.
When figuring out your career path, think about where you want to be in 5, 10 or 15 years. Do you want to be doing what you are doing now or is it something different? If it’s something different, how can you map that out so that your path moves in that direction? Take little steps toward the direction you want to go and over time, you will steer the ship in the right direction.
Equilawbrium: Please list one soft skill that contributed to where are you now and suggestions on how to cultivate it.
Amy: Personal relationships. I am where I am today because of the personal relationships that I have developed and nurtured. I love to connect other people and help support others. When I am speaking with another business owner, I often will ask them, what’s new in your business, how can I help you? I genuinely want to know and I want to help where I can. Sometimes they are looking to hire an employee or they might be looking for a new bookkeeper or new tech. Although I am not the fit for these things, I may know someone who can help. I get great joy from helping to connect others.
Equilawbrium: Please list one hard skill that contributed to where are you now and suggestions on how to cultivate it.
Amy: Sales. No matter what you do, you need to know how to sell. In a job interview, you need to sell yourself, in a potential client meeting, you need to sell your services, when negotiating with your kids, you need to sell why one option is better than the other. I always considered myself to be “bad” at sales. But I never really knew how to do it until I owned my own business. Sales does not have to be sleazy. It’s about building relationships and providing value to others.
Part 3 - The second “Dual 10” Challenge: have kids in their first 10 formative years
Equilawbrium: How did you juggle work/life responsibilities? Is it possible to have it all?
Amy: I take care of myself. I have a very supportive partner and I take a weekend away every quarter to just recharge. I schedule this time at the beginning of each year so that I don’t miss taking it.
I am also not afraid to ask for help. I have built a community of people who have children around the same ages as mine and we regularly help one another out. Whether it be picking their kids up from school because they are running late, or sending my kids to their house so that I can run errands, we have each other’s backs.
Equilawbrium: Having walked the walk, what is the one parenting tip or trick that you wish you’d known?
Amy: Get rid of the baby stuff as soon as they outgrow it. Sell it, donate it, whatever it takes. I found it very freeing to clear out the space and move on to the next season of life.
Equilawbrium: What do you miss most about your kids at that young age?
Amy: I miss having a little one that would snuggle right into my chest and fall asleep.
Part 4 - Achieving Equilawbrium: how to survive & rise from the “Dual 10” Challenges
"Put self-care in your calendar and consider that your sacred time. Don’t let anyone interrupt that time." – Amy Grubb
Equilawbrium: What was your biggest challenge going through the Dual 10 phase? Any advice for our readers who are living and breathing this phase and trying to survive and excel?
Amy: When they were very little, the biggest challenge was not getting enough sleep. We will always be sleep deprived in the beginning but don’t be afraid to lean on others for help. My parents made me frozen meals when I had a newborn. My husband did all of the late night diaper changes. My sister would babysit so that I could take a nap. But if I hadn’t asked, those things would not have happened.
Equilawbrium: What is your take-home message for our readers who are trying to find their “equilawbrium”?
Amy: There is no perfect “balance”. Ask for help when you need it and don’t forget to take time for yourself. Put self-care in your calendar and consider that your sacred time. Don’t let anyone interrupt that time.
Equilawbrium: What is the one-word encouragement/support that you would want us to remember?
Amy: Breathe.
<<End of Fireside Chat with Amy Grubb>>
**A MILLION THANKS TO AMY!!**
Disclaimer: Any views, information, and personal opinions expressed by the authors or guests are entirely their own and do not reflect or represent those of their employers or clients.