The Mother Board

When someone thinks of climbing the corporate ladder or succeeding in the corporate world, they often think of the cutthroat, political chess match that shows like Suits and Succession revolve around: The ones at the top didn't get there without stepping on a few toes and eliminating whoever they perceived to be “competition.”Alison Christian begs to differ. Former shareholder of a defense firm, corporate counsel at Liberty Mutual, and co-founder of Ladder Down, Alison has a resume few can compete with, yet she's always made the time and effort to help other women lawyers build and advance their careers. This week, The Mother Board picks Alison's brain to see what makes her so successful, what Ladder Down means to her, and to find out that she's not so different from the rest of us.Check out Ladder Down!Check out and like our new Facebook page!

How do you build your business in way that is unique to you and gets the job done?  The Mother Board sits down with Anna Hedgepeth, a lawyer by training who doesn't practice law – rather she uses her talents to promote and market the attorneys she works with, teaching them how to build their network and business paths in a way that centers their experience, their strengths, and their voice.  And, since The Mother Board always keeps it real, Anna discusses a personal challenge that she faced and what it means to be your authentic self.Check out and like our new Facebook page!

Artificial Intelligence. AI. We've all heard about it before. If it wasn't from your programming friends, it was probably from some sci-fi movie about robots taking over the world. What for a long time has been seen as speculative fiction, however, has taken 2023 by storm. From ChatGPT to AI art, many industries have been affected by this new revolutionary and slightly scary tool, and the legal industry is one of them.On this week's episode of The Mother Board, we welcome Jacqueline Schafer, founder and CEO of Clearbrief, an AI-powered legal writing tool. Join us as Jacqueline teaches the board about AI and its potential impact on the legal industry!Check out and like our new Facebook page!

Happy early 4th of July! With 2023 halfway over, The Mother Board decided to go back to our season 3 opener about a viral post in which a Cleveland attorney on maternity leave was berated and insulted by a firm partner through text. While the text recipient remains anonymous, Kelley Barnett, Senior Vice President and Counsel at AmTrust Financial Services, was given permission to share the messages online.On this week's episode, The Mother Board sits down with Kelley and reflects on her time in the legal industry and the lingering effects of internet notoriety: from her time as a criminal prosecutor to her efforts advocating for diversity in the legal industry, tune in and get comfortable for an insightful and eye-opening conversation from this modern-day trailblazer!

Yes, it's us. We're the problem. The Mother Board returns after a brief hiatus to do some VERY late spring cleaning! There comes a time every year to purge, reorganize, and  reassess our personal and professional lives, and our three hosts are no exception. From booking summer camps in January to knowing the best time to get a mammogram, The Mother Board shares their own life lessons and experiences of knowing what's important to prioritize at home and in the office.

This week's Mother Board episode recaps their live show at the 2023 Southeastern Women Litigators Conference at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina! Aarati, Taylor, and Whitney hosted a live show where they answered questions from the audience and shared stories and advice, emphasizing how important it is to take care of yourself first before you can take care of others. How did The Mother Board get started? Does the "Super-Mom" idea do more harm than good? What does mentorship really look like? Tune in to find out!

This week we welcome trucking lawyer extraordinaire and Mother Board listener/superfan Garner Berry as our guest. In a new spin on a prior “game” we played with Curtis Clark in our “Gender Defender” episode last season, we invited Garner to poll his fellow men and come up with a list of questions they always wanted to know but were too afraid to ask their female colleagues. In an episode that is guaranteed to give you at least one, literal, laugh out loud moment you will hear us try to answer each of the questions—which include a pair of questions posed by Garner's 12 and 13-year-old boys.  

Did you take Economics 101 in college? Maybe you wish you did, so you could understand all this money talk about stocks, the market, and Fintech. Join the Mother Board as they step out of their comfort zone as litigators and sit down with Liz Hogan Holt, our investment banking and Fintech expert. Tune in as Liz walks us through the basics like stocks and IPOs, and stick around for discussions of how Elon Musk's Twitter escapades affected the market, and why meme stocks matter (including a salacious tale involving a pump-and-dump scheme that resulted in tragic results for the CEO of a major corporation).And for more information on how to get started or to learn more, Liz recommends the following podcasts:  NPR's Marketplace, Make Me Smart, and Ellevest.

On this week's episode of The Mother Board, long-time friend of the podcast Lara Ortega Clark joins the TMB as guest speaker. The four discuss the dreadful, but inevitable, need to have difficult conversations at work. Whether it's asking for a promotion or needing to tell someone they're underperforming, the ladies share their own personal experiences and look for connections that might help anyone having to go through the same process. Lara also offers her specific perspective as a “blue” style communicator (see our Season 1 episode on communications styles for more info!). 

The hosts of The Mother Board are back! They're a little different than last season, but still with strong opinions! To kick start Season 3, we will discuss Taylor's recent viral LinkedIn post about standing up…err…sitting down…in solidarity for support of women on maternity leave. 

This week we welcomed Lynette Smith, general counsel of Chick-fil-A, to sit with us around The Mother Board kitchen table to share her recipe for blending a remarkable career and family life. Lynette allowed us to pepper her with questions, and in response she served up answers regarding why she doesn't count her chickens before they hatch, how she learned when to break a few eggs (and when not to) at work, and how she can enjoy a serving of humble pie regarding limitations. Lynette is calm, kind, and candid, and it's clear that she hasn't been chicken when her boundaries were challenged. You'll be as satisfied by this discussion as we were.

On this week's episode of The Mother Board, we celebrate the virtues of sisterhood. Our guests, Geneau Thames and Nicole Brunson, are two high-powered, successful attorneys who share how the women in their respective circles, a/k/a, their “band of sisters”, have helped shape both their personal and professional lives. Whether it's having your back when times are tough, providing guidance or a shoulder to cry on, or even just celebrating successes (with you and for you!), the power of women working together is a topic near and dear to the hearts of The Mother Board. And if you're reading this and thinking that you don't have an established band of your own, this episode will teach you how to get one (newsflash: it might be right in front of you). In the words of our ultimate girlfriend Lizzo, your band of sisters can help you “boss up and change your life”!

Arguably, women are already running many organizations--frequently behind the scene and without the proper credit. But officially, women still represent a small percentage of C-suite positions and law firm leadership roles. Yet, numerous studies show that businesses thrive with women at the helm. And the stereotypes that women don't work well with other women are finally losing steam. These issues beg the question-- would things really change if new leadership was given the chance? Tune in to this week's episode of The Mother Board as our hosts discuss their own personal experiences and thoughts on the connections they establish with their male and female coworkers.

It's been two years since everyone's lives came to a screeching halt and then changed forever. What have we learned? How have we changed, and in some cases, do we want these changes to be permanent? Join The Mother Board as we explore the proverbial couches blocking our stairwell, and how we learned...to pivot.

In any discussion of gender stereotypes among women in the legal profession, the topic of being mistaken for a court reporter will inevitably come up and result in an almost unanimous response of groans and head nods. In today's episode, we take a lighthearted approach to the serious issues continuing to plague the legal profession. We will provide a variety of real-life examples of bad (sexist) behavior in a professional setting. Playing Devil's Advocate is senior product manager and close friend of The Mother Board, Curtis Clark, who has taken the (thankless) role of defending his gender in response. Check out this episode to find out if Curtis can mount a defense to the charges of sexism and whether the co-hosts buy his defense!

In today's world, with the gig economy and side jobs, the pressure on us to monetize every minute of the day is real. Hobbies becomes hustles. But how do we do it? Tune in to The Mother Board with our guest, James Brennan Doyle, to hear how he turned a passionate interest into a side hustle, and hear how he went from a regular attorney facing the ups and downs of practice to "Making his applesauce."

As March Madness continues, we recognize just how important coaching is to not only making a team successful, but to help players perform at their absolute best. Coaching, however, is not exclusive to sports; coaches can help you grow your business, improve your strengths and weaknesses, and let you know when it's time to take a breather. This is where Tracey Livingston comes in! Tracey Livingston Howard is the CEO and co-founder of Liv.Lit! and has coached and trained over 1,000 CEO founders since 2016. Tracey has also pioneered a conflict resolution movement and has trained leaders in the West Bank, Palestine and across London, Germany, and North America. Tune in to this week's episode of The Mother Board as Taylor and Melody talk to Tracey on how to achieve one's full potential.Liv.Lit! Website

Welcome back! A new year brings new resolutions, and everyone has different plans for what those may be, including The Mother Board. For some, it's the year of YES to new opportunities and challenges. For others, it's the year of NO to overworking and putting more on your plate than you can handle. For the rest, it's both! This week, The Mother Board shares what their plans are for the new year and how they've been doing so far.

A continuation of the "What We Know About Crypto" episode, Juliana returns alongside Taylor and Aarati to discuss NFTs: how they work, how valuable they are, and what could be in the future.

On this episode, Winter shares how she started her mediation brand from the ground up, grew it quickly during the pandemic, and how she is simultaneously able to achieve success and justify her need to ask for help.To listen to her TedX Talks, Click on the links below:Confessions of a Mom Who Has It AllMastering the Art of the Uncomfortable ConversationTo listen to her podcast The Mediate Now, click on the link here

Rob has been with Drew, Eckl & Farnham for over 30 years and leads its Corporate and Transactional Practice Group. He works closely with corporate leadership to meet day-to-day legal challenges and accomplish long-term strategic objectives. His clients range from closely-held local businesses to mid-market national and multi-national companies. Rob also has extensive civil litigation experience, giving him valuable perspective in advising clients with regard to corporate risk management and litigation avoidance. Yet, despite the hectic nature and pressure of his job, Rob still takes the time and effort to look after his team, something Juliana is very familiar with. Listen to this week's episode to find out more!

For most jobs, it's relatively straightforward to measure how much work you have; whether it's billable hours, commission, project milestones, or just how long your shift is, there's often something to measure your performance with. But what about the things you can't measure? That's where "invisible" work comes in.In general, invisible work is unpaid and unnoticed work. Whether it's vacation planning, cooking, laundry, or simply driving the kids to school, invisible work piles on to the many responsibilities of a demanding career, and it can wear someone out fast.This week, The Mother Board discusses the invisible work in their lives, how to manage it, and how those around them have helped ease the stress of trying to do it all.

This week we celebrate the impending DRI Presidency of our partner, friend, and mentor Douglas Burrell at the DRI Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. DRI is one of the largest civil defense organizations in the world and Douglas's presidency reflects years of hard work to achieve this tremendous accomplishment. Joining us this week are our partners Karen Karabinos, Lara Ortega Clark, and Elissa Haynes. Also joining us is a very special guest, Lori Johnson, who happens to be Douglas's wife. She is also tremendously successful in her own right as the main female news anchor at WMAZ TV in Macon, Georgia. This week we discuss our experiences at the Annual Meeting thus far, the benefits (necessity?) of DRI involvement generally (hint: it's not just networking and CLE credit!), what it takes to be a great leader (hint: see Douglas Burrell), and how Lori manages to "have it all" while also support Douglas in his goals and dreams.

All of your The Mother Board hosts bring us into the fall season with some back-to-schooling on all things cryptocurrency. What do we know, what should we know, and why should we care about these digital currencies?Juliana mentioned that some well-known companies accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies from consumers buying goods and services, which is a growing group of businesses: Business Insider (May 2021): More Companies Are Accepting Bitcoin, Including PayPal and XboxPC Mag (August 2021): Walmart Is Working on a Cryptocurrency Strategy, According to Job Post MSN (Sept. 2021): AMC theaters will accept cryptocurrencies beyond BitcoinJuliana mentioned Bitcoin, Etherium, Helium, Emrit.io, and Sean Go of the Sean Go Gallery, as the NFT artist, on the show, and although she was not paid to mention them, she has engaged in transactions personally that have involved some of these. Her mention of these currencies, technologies, companies and people was for use as informational examples and was not her providing investment advice or an endorsement or solicitation of them for listeners to purchase cryptocurrencies or NFTs or to sign up to be a crypto miner on behalf of any of them. Listeners should discuss investment opportunities with their wealth and financial planners, accountants, and legal counsel, and research these currencies and crypto mining on their own, before making any purchases. The Mother Board presented this topic for general informational purposes and not as legal advice.

Welcome to Season 2! The co-hosts of The Mother Board return and explore the very real reasons behind career burnout and the ripple effect it has. Stressed out? Feeling like you're out of gas? Turns out, they are actually opposite problems. Together, our co-hosts discuss the signs of burnout, the real-life implications of it, as well as concrete ideas of how to avoid it. Hit the brakes with us and avoid the crash.

There's a reason so many lawyers strive to achieve positions as in-house counsel. In theory, it's a coveted role with more flexibility, no billable hours, and far fewer interactions with a rude opposing counsel. But what's it like in practice? Join us on this episode of The Mother Board where we chat all things "in-house" with Southern Company Gas' Yoon Ettinger, including her likes and gripes for her outside counsel.

On this week's episode of The Mother Board, we are joined by Solita Roberts, the founder of Style to Impact, a personal styling and image consulting agency working with high-performing, purpose-driven women entrepreneurs and professionals to refine their wardrobe and image so they can showcase their talents, expertise, and thought leadership with confidence. Listen as Solita challenges the myth that books and looks don't go together, and offers practical tips for how women can feel confident about placing importance on personal style.Click here to visit Solita's website Style to Impact.

Our last episode focused on Karen Karabinos, her somewhat non-traditional career path, and how it shaped her mentorship abilities and business development. But what about someone who wants to take a more traditional arc to her practice? This week, Taylor Poncz and Aarati Subramaniam talk to Sandra Cho, a partner at DEF, who put herself on the fast track, and found herself in a leadership role at a relatively young age. Now, with over two decades of practice behind her, she offers insight she would give her younger self and others who are just starting out.

Mentorship is key in navigating nearly any profession, but especially in the practice of law. Listen to this week's episode of The Mother Board, where Taylor Poncz and Aarati Subramaniam speak with one of their mutual mentors, Drew Eckl & Farnham's partner, Karen Karabinos. Karen discusses the many ways she has received and given mentorship over her 3+ decades of practicing law. She also offers advice and practical tips for how to weave her mentorship strategies into business development.

Whether it is buying a car or settling a claim, we all need to learn how to be better negotiators or peacemakers through dispute resolution. This week on The Mother Board, Matt Jordan of Jordan ADR talks turkey with our hosts about what makes for a successful dispute resolution process, tactics to avoid, and hallmark of a good mediator. So, do we have a deal?

What does your communication style say about your management style? And what does your management style say about your communication style? Join The Mother Board in this week's episode as we identify, analyze (and yes, even laugh at) our own communication styles, and discuss whether they are in line with what we predicted they would be, with how others perceive us to be, and what that all means in the context of leadership and management at work.Find the book where we took the communications style quiz here.

Aarati Subramanian is an experienced litigator specializing in workers' compensation defense and appeals, as well as a passionate mediator who enjoys the peacemaking process. But what do we not know about Aarati? Let's find out!

Our voice -- it can be our greatest strength, but also our greatest weakness. The key is learning how to use it correctly, and as lawyers, to use it persuasively. Join us on this episode of The Mother Board as we chat with vocal coach, Rena Cook, about speaking with our authentic voice to find confidence and presence. Be sure to check out Rena's latest book, Her Voice in Law, Vocal Power and Situational Command for the Female Attorney.

Law school can be a very drastic and frightening change of pace for students, especially in their first year. Partners Melody Kiella and Whitney Lay Greene were no different, and today they're here to tell us to 10 things they would've told themselves back in law school as 1Ls. From Imposter Syndrome to balancing social and school life, tune in to find out!

Whether you're a firm attorney, business leader, psychologist, or mother of twins (or all of these at the same time), you know “imposter syndrome” as a convenient description of a type of insecurity that can arise when you step into an industry or a role in which you seem out of place. In this week's episode of The Mother Board, we flip the script and challenge this pervasive "disease" after seeing it play out all too frequently in the tech and legal industries.  Join for an unanticipated dose of optimism as we redefine “imposter syndrome” and discuss how you can use this new definition to prevent the spread (masks optional!). Laugh along with the real-life anecdotes as we all build our immunity to imposter syndrome. Featuring: Aarati Subramaniam, Whitney Law Greene, and Melody Kiella Learn more about Meredith Fineman and her book Brag Better that is referenced in the episode at https://www.meredithfineman.com/brag-better-book. Other resources from the ABA https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/publications/youraba/2018/october-2018/tell-yourself-_yet--and-other-tips-for-overcoming-impostor-syndr/ And practical response tips from the Cleveland Clinic https://health.clevelandclinic.org/a-psychologist-explains-how-to-deal-with-imposter-syndrome/

BuT HoW do I nEtworK WhEn I cAn'T gO AnYWhere!?! - We get it -- the pandemic has crushed our aspirations and limited our networking capabilities - or has it? We've got your answer! This week's episode of The Mother Board features Megan Whiteside, lawyer, mother, law professor, and entrepreneur, as we discuss how to network in the virtual age. Forget live, laugh, and love. This is about Mom Life & Law. See below for a link to her upcoming seminar.https://www.momlifeandlaw.com/live

Whitney Lay Greene is an experienced civil litigator, practicing primarily in the general liability field. She handles matters in the fields of transportation/trucking law, ride-share litigation, premises liability, and products liability in both state and federal courts all over Georgia. Whitney is also an active member of the firm and in her community. She serves on numerous firm committees aimed at associate development and diversity and recruiting efforts. Outside of the firm, she is on the Steering Committee for the DRI Trucking Law Committee and also serves as Vice-Chair of the ABA TIPS Commercial Transportation and Litigation Committee. In 2020, McLane Company, Inc. awarded her with its Outstanding Service Award, in recognition of the exemplary legal service she provides to her clients. But what do we not know about Whitney? Let's find out!

Guilt is about as ubiquitous of a concept as stress, pressure, or determination for many professionals, especially those building careers while building families. It can break you down, but it can also serve as a motivator to set your own path, form your own rules and drive your own goals. We talk about Mom Guilt on this week's episode of The Mother Board, the pressure it can create, but also practical ways for putting it in the rear view mirror.

Taylor Poncz has been litigating cases for well over a decade and focuses her practice exclusively in the defense of Workers' Compensation claims for employers, insurers and self-insurers throughout the state of Georgia. She serves employers of all sizes across many industries, including construction, food & beverage, manufacturing and healthcare. Taylor's practice also includes work as a workers' compensation mediator. Listen to this week's episode of The Mother Board to find out more, including how she juggles her practice while playing the role of mom to 3 boys!

Diversity, equity and inclusion is a hot topic in the legal profession -- it's the subject of seminars, studies, firm initiatives and basic human rights. But is all the work people are putting in to DE&I efforts really moving the needle? Listen to this week's episode of The Mother Board with special guest J.C. Roper, a constant DE&I advocate and partner at Drew Eckl & Farnham, as they talk about the current status of DE&I in the legal profession, and specifically, the results of the 2020 ABA Model Diversity Survey Report, what law firms should be doing to hire, retain, and promote diverse attorneys, and how clients can help ensure that law firms are taking action.

Juliana Neelbauer focuses her practice on virtual general counsel for for-profit, non-profit charitable, trade organizations, and high-net worth individuals/families which hail from the consumer tech, commercial tech, health care, industrial/supply chain, finance, government contracting, charitable, and political action industries. She has also had extensive professional and academic experience specialized in the tech industry. But what do we not know about Juliana? Let's find out!

This Episode of the Mother Board discusses the weight of childbearing on women (and we aren't just talking lbs!), the impacts maternity leave (or lack thereof) has on working women, and the efforts to adapt, change, and update maternity leave policies across the corporate and legal fields.

Melody Kiella is an experienced civil litigator specializing in all aspects of complex civil litigation, including trucking/transportation law, catastrophic personal injury defense, premises liability, and negligent security. But what  do we not know about Melody? Let's find out!

This episode, the ladies of the Motherboard discuss their challenges and triumphs while working (and mothering) from home during an international and unprecedented pandemic. If you need tips on how to get the most out of your work-from-home experience or just want confirmation that you aren't the only one who ate too much take-out, took too few showers, and whose kids had way too much screen time in 2020--this episode is for you!

What is the mother board? Five DEF attorneys discuss work-life integration and what made them decide to launch their own podcast, named The Mother Board.