blog: behind the scenes.
What Makes Lawyers Stand Out to Law Firms? (with Albert Tawil, Founder of Lateral Hub)
“You don't have to craft your resume to make it look like you've wanted to be a lawyer since kindergarten. Just show your authentic self.” - Albert Tawil
What actually makes someone stand out in the legal industry?
In this episode of So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast For People, Megan Senese and Jennifer Ramsey sit down with Albert Tawil, Founder and CEO of Lateral Hub, to talk about entrepreneurship, authenticity, legal recruiting, and why the most interesting thing about you might have absolutely nothing to do with the law.
From starting a Costco delivery business before Instacart, to disrupting the traditional lateral recruiting model, to helping law students learn how to share the parts of themselves that make them memorable, this conversation is packed with practical insights and refreshing honesty.
You’ll hear about:
Why authenticity matters more than a perfectly curated legal resume
The Costco delivery business that unexpectedly made Albert a standout candidate
How entrepreneurship shaped the way Albert approaches recruiting and business
The origin story behind Lateral Hub and the inefficiencies it set out to solve
Why traditional legal recruiting can feel outdated and expensive
The changing landscape of lateral hiring
What firms are actually looking for in interviews
Why being “well-rounded” is often more valuable than looking traditionally impressive
The role creativity and adaptability play in legal careers
What COVID changed about lateral hiring, remote work, and law firm culture
Why some industries are ripe for disruption, and where legal may be headed next
About Albert Tawil:
Albert Tawil is the Founder & CEO of Lateral Hub, a legal recruiting platform helping attorneys take a more transparent and efficient approach to lateral hiring. A former IP and Tech Transactions associate at Cleary Gottlieb and Fenwick & West, Albert launched Lateral Hub in 2022 after experiencing the lateral recruiting process firsthand and recognizing an opportunity to modernize it for both candidates and law firms.
Since launching, Lateral Hub has become a growing resource for BigLaw laterals, law students, and recruiting teams navigating an increasingly competitive hiring landscape. Albert received his J.D. from New York University School of Law and lives in New Jersey with his wife and three children.
Learn More:
Check out Lateral Hub
Stay Connected:
Love So Much To Say? Let us know! Drop a review, give us 5 stars in your favorite podcast app, and tell us what made you laugh, think, or just go “yep, that’s me.” Every review helps us reach more awesome humans who want to make legal…well, human.
Want to go deeper? Curious about 1:1 coaching with Megan or Jen? Or want the inside scoop on stage? Hit us up below, we’d love to chat!
Learn more about stage
Connect with Megan Senese
Connect with Jennifer Ramsey
The 5 Most Important Things to Do After a Conference
You’ve just come back from a big conference, energized, exhausted, and you’re ready to take action. You had great conversations, made meaningful connections, and now you want to keep that momentum going but aren’t totally sure of where to begin.
In this episode of Minis with Megan on So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast For People, Megan Senese offers 5 tips that help people focus on the part most people skip: the follow-up. Because the value of any conference isn’t just in who you meet, it’s in what you do next.
Who this episode is for:
Lawyers, legal marketers, and professionals returning from conferences or networking events
Anyone struggling to keep momentum after meaningful in-person connections
People overwhelmed by follow-up and unsure where to start
High performers who want to turn conversations into lasting relationships
Episode takeaways:
The real value of networking happens after the event
Follow-up often gets skipped—not from lack of intention, but lack of time
There is no one “right” way to follow up—what matters is that you do it
Small, timely actions build trust and strengthen relationships
Momentum fades quickly if you don’t capture and act on it
5 things to do when you get home from a conference:
Write a list of everyone you met: Names, companies, refer back to your photos, notebook, or notes app
Follow through on what you promised: Referrals, intros, or simple check-ins build trust
Share something valuable: Pass along insights, ideas, or “aha” moments from the event to colleagues or clients
Keep the conversation going: Set follow-up meetings, even if they’re weeks or months out to ensure nothing slips through the cracks
Reach out to missed connections: Follow up with people you didn’t meet or who couldn’t attend the event
What Happens When You Start Practicing Law Like an Innovator (with Vivek Jayaram)
“ For all of us, which is the hardest thing to do, is to really try to reach your true self.” - Vivek Jayaram
What if the problem isn’t the law…but how we talk about it?
In this episode of So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast For People, Megan Senese and Jennifer Ramsey sit down with Vivek Jayaram, an IP attorney who’s rethinking what it means to be a lawyer, not just in how he practices, but in how he shows up, communicates, and builds relationships.
From turning complex legal concepts into engaging Instagram content, to teaching intellectual property law through Taylor Swift (affectionately named “Blank Space”), to sitting in the room before the legal work even begins, this conversation challenges the traditional idea of what a “successful lawyer” looks like.
It’s a conversation about creativity, courage, and choosing to do things differently, even when the industry as a whole tells you not to.
You’ll hear about:
Why law feels boring, and how storytelling changes everything
Building a platform by making legal concepts relatable (and actually interesting)
The reality of getting comfortable on camera
Why authenticity isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a competitive advantage
Tips for helping clients get to yes
Why many lawyers think too small about their role
The long game of business development, and why most people quit too early
Why consistency matters more than talent when building visibility
The impact of teaching law through pop culture
How creativity shows up in unexpected places
Redefining what success looks like for lawyers
About Vivek Jayaram:
Vivek Jayaram is an attorney. But as Founder of Jayaram Law, he’s also a successful entrepreneur, which gives him a sound base for advising other entrepreneurs, creatives, and the companies they run. From groundbreaking artists and Web 3.0 innovators, to unique international brands in fashion and new media, Vivek handles their intellectual property transactions and disputes, corporate deals, and acts as an outside general counsel.
Alongside the day job, Vivek teaches intellectual property and entertainment law courses at the University of Miami Law School. Before Jayaram Law happened, he was an associate at Greenberg Traurig, as well as a law clerk to the Honorable Adalberto Jordan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Beyond work, Vivek plays and records music, collects contemporary art, and loves to get lost in great cities.
Learn More:
Check out Jayaram Law
This episode is brought to you by Dealmakers Forums:
Dealmakers Forums is a premier platform for high-impact networking and strategic deal-making in complex markets. Through flagship events across the U.S. and Europe, they convene a curated, senior-level community of investors, corporate leaders, funders, and counsel. Their focus is on delivering meaningful connections, market insight, and real business outcomes in litigation finance and intellectual property.
For more information, visit Dealmakers Forums and view their upcoming event calendar.
You’re Not Bad at Networking. You Were Only Taught One Way! (Minis with Megan)
Listen Now:
If networking feels awkward, even at a senior level, you’re not the problem. Most lawyers and legal marketers have been taught a version that actually makes real connection harder.
In this mini episode of So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast For People, Megan Senese challenges the way networking is typically framed in the legal industry. The version that says you need to work the room, prove your value, and leave with something to show for it.
That version doesn’t just feel uncomfortable. It makes real connections harder.
This episode offers a different approach. One rooted in curiosity, generosity, and the understanding that networking isn’t about what you get. It’s about how you show up and how you make people feel.
Who this is for:
Lawyers and legal marketers who feel awkward or drained at networking events
Professionals who leave conferences feeling like they didn’t “do enough.”
Anyone who believes they’re bad at networking
People are under pressure to turn every interaction into ROI
What you’ll take away:
You’re not bad at networking. You’ve been taught a version that doesn’t work
Why even experienced professionals still feel uncomfortable at events
How the pressure to “get something” undermines connection
What shifts when you approach networking with curiosity instead of expectation
Why people remember how you made them feel, not what you said
A different way to approach your next event:
Reach out to people you know will be there before you arrive
Let people know you’re attending and invite connection in advance
Focus on meeting people, not making something happen
Want more tips and insights? Connect with us!
You don’t need to be someone else to be good at networking. You just need to connect.
stage helps lawyers and legal teams rethink business development through a relationship-first approach: one that feels natural, sustainable, and effective over time.
Learn more about stage
Connect with Megan Senese
Connect with Jennifer Ramsey
Love So Much To Say? Let us know! Drop a review, give us 5 stars in your favorite podcast app, and tell us what made you laugh, think, or just go “yep, that’s me.” Every review helps us reach more awesome humans who want to make legal…well, human.
By Jennifer Ramsey and Megan SeneseRedefining Success in Law: What a ‘Career Quilt’ Actually Looks Like (With Ashley Herd)
Listen Now:
“I am redefining what success means to me.” - Ashley Herd
What if the way we think about careers, leadership, and success is completely wrong?
In this episode of So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast For People, Megan Senese and Jennifer Ramsey sit down with Ashley Herd, Founder of Manager Method, workplace expert, content creator, and author, to unpack what it actually means to lead, build a career, and show up as a human at work.
Ashley shares her journey from employment lawyer to in-house counsel to entrepreneur, and how a non-linear “career quilt” ultimately led her to building a platform that’s reshaping how people think about management. Along the way, she gets real about burnout, identity shifts, and the uncomfortable truth that many workplace norms still prioritize speed over thoughtfulness, and hierarchy over humanity.
This conversation is equal parts practical and perspective-shifting, especially for anyone working inside law firms, where influence often exists without authority.
You’ll hear about:
Why Ashley left law to build Manager Method
The concept of a “career quilt” vs. a traditional career path
How to lead and influence when you don’t have formal authority
The Pause, Consider, Act framework — and why it matters more than ever
What legal marketers and lawyers can learn from in-house client perspectives
Why asking your clients questions is still wildly underutilized (and powerful)
The reality of workplace culture — and how it shows up when people resign
“Luke” — the fictional (but very real) bad manager we’ve all worked with
How Ashley built her platform (and podcast) through simple, human outreach
Why redefining success might be the most important work you do
About Ashley Herd:
Ashley Herd is the founder of Manager Method, where she helps leaders become better managers through practical, human-centered approaches. A former employment lawyer and in-house counsel, Ashley now creates widely recognized workplace content across LinkedIn and social media, teaches leadership through her courses, and is the author of her recent book on modern management.
Learn More:
Check out Manager Method
Buy Ashley’s book, The Manager Method: A Practical Framework to Lead, Support, and Get Results
This episode is brought to you by HeyCounsel. Starting and running your own law firm can be scary, and honestly, pretty lonely. But it doesn’t have to be. After nine years in-house, Brian Scherer set out on his own and realized something: lawyers at big firms have access to resources, connections, and support systems that solo and small firm lawyers often don’t. So he built HeyCounsel to change that. When you join the HeyCounsel community, you get immediate access to an insane amount of resources, templates, free CLEs, masterminds, exclusive events and discounts to tech and tools to run your practice. It's like having big-firm power without having to join a big firm. You can join HeyCounsel for less than $65/mo with our discount code "SOMUCH". To learn more about HeyCounsel, visit them at heycounsel.com.
Stay Connected:
Love So Much To Say? Let us know! Drop a review, give us 5 stars in your favorite podcast app, and tell us what made you laugh, think, or just go “yep, that’s me.” Every review helps us reach more awesome humans who want to make legal…well, human.
Want to go deeper? Curious about 1:1 coaching with Megan or Jen? Or want the inside scoop on stage? Hit us up below, we’d love to chat!
Learn more about stage
Connect with Megan Senese
Connect with Jennifer Ramsey
By Jennifer Ramsey and Megan SeneseWhy Legal Professionals Struggle to Fully Power Down (minis with Megan)
Listen here
If your workday keeps you mentally “on” long after you close your laptop, this mini episode offers a moment to reset.
Most lawyers or legal marketers never allow themselves to come out of “on mode.”
They’ve only been trained how to push through it.
This episode of So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast For People, Minis with Megan is intentionally different. It creates space to step out of constant responsiveness and notice what is happening in your body while you work.
Many lawyers and legal marketing professionals move through their days holding everything. Shoulders stay tight. Breathing becomes shallow. The nervous system remains quietly activated, and mistakes increase.
This episode is permission for a brief pause. A chance to slow down, take a breath, and experience what even a few intentional minutes of reset can feel like, so you can go back to your work refreshed and recharged and with a moment to catch your breath.
If this moment resonates, a longer guided session is available on 4/16 for those who want to go deeper.
Join us for Off the Mat on 4/16 at 1pm ET / 10 am PT
A 30-minute guided breathing session led by a certified yoga instructor, our very own Jen Ramsey!
No camera required
No experience needed
Join directly from your desk
Email us at info@stage.guide or register here
Leaving Big Law: How I Rethought Business Development, Burnout, and Building Something Sustainable
For a long time, I followed the path that was supposed to make sense. I built a successful career in Big Law, worked my way up, and checked the boxes. From the outside, it looked like everything was working.
But at a certain point, it stopped feeling sustainable.
The pressure wasn’t new, but it became harder to ignore, especially during COVID, when workloads intensified and the lines between work and life disappeared. I found myself doing more, carrying more, and questioning how long I could realistically keep going at that pace. It wasn’t just about working hard. I’ve always worked hard. It was about whether the structure itself still worked for me.
That’s when I started thinking differently. Not just about my next role, but about whether I wanted to stay on the same path at all.
Leaving wasn’t a clean or easy decision. It meant walking away from financial stability and a career I had spent years building. But it also gave me the opportunity to rethink how I wanted to work, and what I actually valued in the process.
When we launched Stage, I knew I didn’t want to replicate the same business development strategies I had seen for years. So much of it felt transactional or built around environments that didn’t resonate with me. I don’t golf. I didn’t want to rely on traditional networking channels that felt forced or outdated.
Instead, I focused on something simpler: building real relationships.
I started writing on LinkedIn. I reached out to people directly. I shared perspectives that felt honest and relevant to the legal industry. At the time, I didn’t have a big network or a built-in client base. I was starting from scratch, which meant I had to figure out what actually worked, not just what we had always been told worked.
What I found is that authenticity scales in a way traditional tactics don’t. When you show up consistently, when you’re thoughtful in how you connect with people, and when you focus on relationships over transactions, opportunities start to build over time.
One of the biggest shifts for me was understanding the importance of building a book of business. In professional services, that’s where so much of your leverage comes from. Without it, you’re often supporting someone else’s clients, someone else’s revenue, someone else’s priorities. When you build your own, you create more control over your career, your time, and your future.
And there isn’t one right way to do that.
For some people, it might still be traditional networking. For others, it’s creating content, connecting one-on-one, or finding shared interests outside of work. The key is finding an approach that feels natural enough that you’ll actually stick with it.
Because that’s the other part people don’t always talk about, this is a long game. Relationships take time. Trust takes time. There’s no shortcut to that. But when you invest in it consistently, it becomes a much more sustainable way to grow.
Looking back, leaving Big Law felt like a huge risk. And it was. But it also created the space to build something that aligns much more closely with how I want to work and live.
If you want to hear more about my experience and how I approached that transition, you can listen to me on the The Femme Factor Podcast: Leaving Big Law to Start Something New
By Jennifer Ramsey and Megan SeneseWhy Most Lawyers Struggle After Parental Leave: What a ‘Mindful Return’ Looks Like (with Lori Mihalich-Levin)
Listen Now:
NOTE: This episode contains language around infant loss and miscarriage. Take care while you listen.
Most law firms treat returning from parental leave as a routine transition. For many lawyers, it’s one of the most destabilizing periods of their careers.
In this episode of So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast For People, Megan Senese and Jennifer Ramsey are joined by Lori Mihalich-Levin, CEO and Founder of Mindful Return, author of Back to Work After Baby, co-host of the Parents at Work podcast, and a healthcare lawyer at The GME Group. Lori shares why returning to work after having a child is one of the most professionally disruptive transitions lawyers face—and what a more sustainable, intentional transition can look like.
What began as a moment of desperation, crying while washing bottles and caring for two young children, led to a critical realization: most workplaces treat return-to-work as a logistical event, not a human transition. In response, she built Mindful Return, a national platform supporting working parents through this exact inflection point. Lori shares what’s often left unspoken: postpartum anxiety, identity disruption, the invisible labor of reentry, and the pressure to perform as if nothing has changed. She also breaks down what a “mindful return” requires from both individuals and organizations and why community plays a central role in recovery and retention.
This episode is essential for anyone navigating parenthood and career and for leaders responsible for whether working parents thrive, struggle, or leave.
You’ll hear about:
Why Lori created Mindful Return after her own painful return-to-work experience
The personal and professional identity crisis that can come after parental leave
What working parents actually need during the transition back to work
How Mindful Return’s cohort model helps moms AND dads feel less alone
Why parenthood builds leadership skills we still don’t talk about enough
The case for better workplace support around miscarriage, infant loss, and mental health
How mindfulness, yoga, and community have helped Lori navigate both work and family life
About Lori Mihalich-Levin:
Lori Mihalich-Levinis the CEO & Founder of Mindful Return, a nationally recognized platform supporting working parents through parental leave and the transition back to work. She is the author of Back to Work After Baby, co-host (with her husband) of the Parents at Work podcast, and a healthcare lawyer at The GME Group. Her work has been featured in Forbes, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Parenting, and more.
This episode is brought to you by: Latitude Legal
In partnership with Latitude Legal, stage offers four free business development sessions for any lawyer returning from parental leave. We call it Corduroy. It is open to any lawyer. We know how challenging it can be to be a working parent, and this is our way of giving back to the legal community through business development support. If you are interested in learning more about Corduroy for yourself or your team, you can email us at info@stage.guide.
Thank you to Latitude Legal and Kyle Robisch for being the sole partner supporting our Corduroy initiative. They recognize the importance of supporting working parents in the legal industry and are generously underwriting this program. To learn more, visit www.latitudelegal.com or contact Kyle directly.
By Jennifer Ramsey and Megan SeneseWhat Constant Responsiveness Is Doing to Legal Professionals (Minis with Megan)
Listen Now:
If your workday keeps you mentally “on” long after you close your laptop, this mini episode offers a moment to reset.
Most lawyers or legal marketers never allow themselves to come out of “on mode.” They’ve only been trained how to push through it.
This episode of So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast For People, Minis with Megan is intentionally different. It creates space to step out of constant responsiveness and notice what is happening in your body while you work.
Many lawyers and legal marketing professionals move through their days holding everything. Shoulders stay tight. Breathing becomes shallow. The nervous system remains quietly activated and mistakes increase.
This episode is permission for a brief pause. A chance to slow down, take a breath, and experience what even a few intentional minutes of reset can feel like so you can go back to your work refreshed and recharged and with a moment to catch your breath.
If this moment resonates, a longer guided session is available on 4/16 for those who want to go deeper. Details for registration are below.
Who this episode is for:
Lawyers and professionals who feel constantly “on” during the workday
Anyone overwhelmed by email, notifications, and nonstop screen time
People noticing physical stress (tight shoulders, shallow breathing, fatigue)
High performers who struggle to give themselves permission to take a break
Episode takeaways:
“Email apnea” and “screen apnea” are real: Holding your breath while working is more common than you think
Constant screen time and stress can physically impact your breathing, focus, and energy
You cannot do your best work (legal, strategic, or creative) if your body is in a state of tension
Taking a break isn’t indulgent; it’s necessary for sustainable performance
Even small, intentional pauses (like breathing) can reset your entire system
Small steps you can take to invite awareness:
Notice your body: Are you holding your breath, clenching, or bracing?
Pause and take a breath: Even one intentional inhale and exhale can interrupt the stress cycle
Give yourself permission to step away: You don’t need to “earn” a break. You deserve a break.
Create space for reset: Short, structured breaks can help you return more focused
Prioritize sustainability: Your performance depends on your ability to regulate, not just push through
Join us for Off the Mat:
A 30-minute guided breathing session led by a certified yoga instructor, our very own Jen Ramsey!
*No camera required
*No experience needed
*Join directly from your desk
* April 16 @ 1pm ET / 10 am PT
Email us at info@stage.guide or register here
By Jennifer Ramsey and Megan Senese