I’ve been ready to launch this program for a little while except I haven’t been able to think of what to call it. The words that seemed to fit have all been overused, misused, or abused. Some of the thought process went like this:
Everyone is hawking something that is meant to relieve the stress of the current times, an antidote to the VUCA world, a New Normal. Many are looking for leadership development, reinventing themselves, or the magic pill.
Yes, there is some leadership development in this program. But, it seems like everyone has something to say about Leadership these days. We’re all living in an uncertain world that everyone is hoping someone will step up and show us the way. Or maybe we think we have all the right ideas and others should listen to us. Leadership isn’t about learning a theory. It isn’t about having power over others. It isn’t some trick or skill you’re going to learn so you can convince people to follow you. Leadership is within us. It may even begin with stripping away all that we aren’t and opening up a path to authenticity.
Authenticity has become such a buzz word that it doesn’t mean anything anymore. Like transformation, disruptive, thinking-outside-the-box, and an assortment of other terms that started out to distinguish something and have been so overused. Authenticity is getting to the essence of who we are, being willing to be courageous even when it is not popular.
Consciousness is another one of those overused terms. We all want to look like we’re better, more spiritually-evolved, more aware than the next person. Few want to do the work that is required to actually become more conscious. It is easier to just pretend to be better than everyone else but then we feel like imposters…because we often are.
Coaching is the new chosen path for many people who are leaving regular jobs. Everyone seems to be a coach! Some people take coaching classes and learn the skills of coaching. Others put up a website, maybe read a book, and then start practicing on their friends. A few of us were coaches before coaching was cool. We know that coaching requires a special skillset and the ability to create a partnership with the client. My own practice is a blend of coaching and consulting and I’ve practiced it around the world for almost 30 years.
About Me
All my life people have told me that I couldn’t do something because……. Fill in the blank, there was a long list of reasons. I was a fat little girl from a small town, a working-class family. I was so shy that I could barely speak in class. I read a lot and wrote stories in a notebook about lives I could never know. Even my eighth grade teacher told me that I didn’t have enough experience to write a book. (I even hid my notebook after that encounter.) I was destined to work at Walt Disney World (because everyone else did) and have a normal life.
My family and friends meant well. They’d come to terms with their lives in the small town. They didn’t dream much bigger than having a good job, buying a house someday, and sometimes driving a nice car. Normal people were satisfied with normal lives. They wanted to save me from the disappointment of thinking too big, getting out of the box.
But I had other ideas.
I was the first member of my family to go to college, the first to go to law school, the first to have a passport, the first to travel around the world, the first to write a book. I learned about new ways of practicing law that fit my own vision and purpose. I created my own law practice using those new ways – twice. I took the lessons from that experience to create a career as a writer, consultant, coach, and leader of a movement. I gave up the trappings of house and office and traveled around the world as a digital nomad (before such a term existed). I have reinvented myself several times. I have helped countless others reinvent themselves, too.
What this program is about
This is a conscious leadership program where you will get in touch with your deep authenticity and reinvent yourself for the New Normal. You will be coached and you will learn new skills; you will develop a supportive community and a grounded strategic plan for your future.
It is a program where you will go deep into who you really are. You’ll have the peace that comes from clarity of purpose. You’ll do a combination of discovering and creating your core essence so you will have a compass that guides you no matter the circumstances.
You’ll reinvent yourself inside of the life you’ve made so far. You don’t have to sell everything you own and go sit on a mountaintop and meditate. You don’t have to win the lottery or be appointed to the bench. We start where you are, not in some new imaginary place.
You’ll find your own courage and tools for living in a world that becomes more unsettled and uncertain each day.
You’ll improve your emotional intelligence, no matter where you are starting out.
You’ll learn about new models of law practice that will fit your created self. You’ll create a path in law that allows you to be yourself and still be a lawyer.
You’ll design your work environment and practice to maximize your productivity.
You’ll find a community where you belong, where you can contribute and learn together.
Time commitment
Monthly 2-hour class – everyone in the program will participate in the live classes
Monthly 1-hour individual coaching session for each participant in the program.
Homework of 3 to 8 hours per month
Logistics and Other Details
We’re going to start in January, 2022. We’ll mix Zoom and telephone calls, information delivery with personal inquiry. Sign up by October 15 and get two one-on-one sessions at no additional cost.
The program is monthly January through June, breaks for July and August, and resumes for September and October. That is 8 monthly group sessions and 8 individual sessions. You will have time to integrate the lessons into your life and to see actual results.
Maximum enrollment is 10.
You must be a law school graduate to participate, preferably a practicing lawyer.
The program is offered on a sliding scale between $5,000 and $15,000. Please choose the level which will demonstrate the intersection of your commitment to the program and your budget.
Full payment is due by January 25, 2022 unless prior arrangements have been made.
The program is open by application only. Please apply by sending an email to kim@cuttingedgelaw.com. I’ll send you some more information, answer your questions, and get to know you and whether you are a fit for the program.