March 30, 2024
Spring is in the air (and my seasonal allergy has confirmed it)! As Mother Nature is awakening from the frigid winter and begins to teem with life, this season is full of new beginnings, regrowth, hope, and love. Parents and kids are getting busy with all sorts of spring activities and to maximize some outdoor time to reacquaint with the warmth of the sun.
Before you rush to the next eggs hunt with the kids and need a quick pick-me-up, don't forget to check out our Fireside Chat this month featuring Gary Miles - a seasoned lawyer with over four decades of experience as well as a dad of five and a granddad of six! Gary understands parents are all about multitasking and efficiency as there is always too much to do in too little time. He has shared with us a short and sweet but to the point wisdom - Be Truly Present Wherever You Are!
Without further ado, let’s get started!
P.S. If you want to hear more from Gary, he has recently published an incredible book titled Breaking Free. I am reading and enjoying it myself and it is truly a guide to achieving personal and professional freedom as a lawyer. Gary also hosts a podcast The Free Lawyer and well as a blog.
Part 1 - Introduction
Hi, my name is... Gary Miles.
Year of call to the Bar: 1978.
Type of practice, your role, and where: I coach and mentor lawyers.
How many children do you have? 5, both genders ranging from 25-43.
What do you do for self-care or stress relief? Exercise, sleep well.
What would you do for work if you weren’t in the legal profession? Coach and support others.
Part 2 - The first “Dual 10” Challenge: within the first 10 years post-license
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?
Gary: I always wanted to be a lawyer and litigator. Find what you love. Do what you want to do, what you find fulfilling.
Equilawbrium: Please list one soft skill that contributed to where are you now and suggestions on how to cultivate it.
Gary: Listening empathetically.
Equilawbrium: Please list one hard skill that contributed to where are you now and suggestions on how to cultivate it.
Gary: Public speaking.
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 a family life and a work life simultaneously and harmoniously?
Gary: I was in a small firm we worked as a team, and family was important. This was not an issue for me.
Equilawbrium: Having walked the walk, what is the one parenting tip or trick that you wish you’d known?
Gary: Appreciate every age and every experience - they grow so fast.
Equilawbrium: What is your fondest memory of your kids at that age?
Gary: Family vacations.
Part 4 - Achieving Equilawbrium: how to survive & rise from the “Dual 10” Challenges
"Be truly present wherever you are." – Gary Miles
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?
Gary: Focusing too much on stuff/money/material possessions rather than the experience.
Equilawbrium: What is your take-home message for our readers who are trying to find their “equilawbrium”?
Gary: Be truly present wherever you are.
Equilawbrium: What is the one-word encouragement/support that you would want us to remember?
Gary: Gratitude.
<<End of Fireside Chat with Gary Miles>>
**A MILLION THANKS TO GARY!!**
<<Gary's Biography>>
Gary Miles has been practicing law for more than four decades, primarily in litigation and, more recently, in family law. He was the managing member of Huesman, Jones and Miles in Maryland for over three decades and is of counsel to the firm. He has been a trial lawyer, managing partner, author, leader, and entrepreneur. He loves helping folks solve their problems. He is passionate about showing people how to free themselves from the prisons that entrap them.
He has seen the pressures we face in the legal profession. He is dedicated to helping his clients achieve fulfillment in their practice. He provides practical tools to help his clients overcome obstacles, freeing them to enjoy the success and freedom they crave.
Gary has a popular, highly-rated podcast, The Free Lawyer, with 2 episodes every week. He also is the author of the book, Breaking Free.
He loves supporting lawyers and lifting the legal profession. He enjoys his Pinehurst, NC, home with his wife, Brenda, and their two beautiful English Goldens. They have five children and six grandchildren (so far!).
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.