STRATEGY SESSION

There's a reason over half of all lawyers (and 67% of female lawyers) say they're stressed.

Most lawyers come into this profession driven to succeed.

We want to be the best at what we do, and we want our clients to get results.

But this drive is a double-edged sword.

The same drive that makes us excel at what we do is what has us feeling overwhelmed and stretched to the limits.

This doesn't mean we have to stop excelling.

It means we need to think about and take action completely differently than law school and society has taught us.

Where does the drive (and, let's face it, perfectionist qualities) start?

Sometimes it starts with our parents, but even if you don't have parents who drilled in the "importance of getting an A+" in every subject (even P.E.), we get societal brainwashing in school.

We're taught if we don't get an A+ in every class mean we're a failure.

We're taught if we're not working on holidays and staying up late reading cases, we'll fall behind in law school.

And we're taught we don't have value unless we're working because...billable hours.

This societal brainwashing seeps into every area of our lives and has us focusing on work to the detriment of our selves.

WORK - where we stay later and work weekends to try to stop feeling behind.

HEALTH - where we skip the gym because we think we'll fell better if we work late and get ahead at the office.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS - where we're rarely fully present with friends and family because our brain thinks it's more productive to worry about work and check emails.

CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS - where you say "yes, of course I can do that" before thinking about other commitments you have coming up and almost instantly regret it.

MONEY - where we think we just need to keep working harder to make more billables to get ahead financially, and then we'll feel better.

GOALS - where we put off what we want like our health, relationships and white space where we can think about nothing, so that work gets the attention it needs.

Because if we just work a little more, THEN life will feel so much easier.

How do I know this?

I've been there, my friend.

And I learned life doesn't have to be all about work.

We can have so much more, and feel so much more fulfilled.

Sound impossible?

It's not.

Us lawyers are really good at working harder and longer hours.

What we're not so good at?

Getting a 1,000 foot view of our processes and decision-making then evaluating whether we're doing the most impactful things and making the best decisions that make our goals easier to achieve.

We also haven't learned how to build sustainable habits like pressing pause before we react to an emotion in the moment, managing our time effectively and following through on those habits.

Some lawyers tell me they're afraid to do anything different because they think they'll drop all the balls.

Here's the kicker:

Balls don't get dropped when you're well-rested, think with clarity and develop habits that make sense for your practice and life.

Balls get dropped when you work at the expense of yourself, feel frozen in overwhelm, and ignore the 1,000 foot view that will help you make the biggest impact.

Some lawyers tell me they think they need more willpower.

You've probably noticed willpower isn't sustainable.

It's a finite resource just like the amount of time we have in a day.

That's why working harder and longer hours to try to get a handle on your caseload doesn't work either.

Following through on the promises to yourself has nothing to do with willpower.

Follow through is about managing the uncomfortable emotions that come up when you create new habits.

Managing uncomfortable emotions is about understanding how you think about problems you face and how you talk yourself through making decisions.

If you're relying on willpower, you're using dread to drive you to work and exhausting yourself instead of managing your emotions, so you can create the habits that make dread obsoliete.

If this is your M.O., it's not your fault.

The legal profession doesn't teach us this stuff.

That's why you and your practice needs an outside perspective.

A perspective that gets a 1,000 view and can help you see through that same lens in your life more frequently.

That's where I come in.

Working with me is for you if you answer "yes" to any of these sentences:

"I feel behind and want to take control of my law practice and my life."
"I have my own law practice, and I want to grow it without growing my stress."
"I want to work on business development, but I can't find the time."
"I know exactly what I need to do to hit my goals, but I never seem to follow through."
"I have a desire for something more, but I'm not sure what it is or how to make it happen because I don't have the time."

What law practices does coaching work for?

All of them.

I've worked with lawyers from every walk of life, including:

Estate Planning
Employment Law
Mergers & Acquisitions
Pharmaceuticals
Personal Injury
Elder Law
Family Law
Insurance Law
Litigation Practices
Criminal Law
Product and General Liability
Real Estate Transactions
BigLaw Partners and Associates
New and Aspiring Partners
In-House/General Counsel
Solo Practitioners
Boutique Firm Owners

No matter the practice area or where you are in your career, I can help you.

The legal profession is a broken paradigm.

It perpetuates over-working and hustle culture at the expense of the human.

Driven lawyers like you have accumulated years of habits reinforced by praise for over-working you may have received as a child and an adult.

If you're tired of working hard to prove your worth, think about this: you are already 100% worthy.

You were born worthy.

All you're missing are key habits and mindsets that will help you take control of your life and your law practice.

It can seem overwhelming.

So I make it simple for lawyers like you to change your habits to suit your particular needs.

You don't have to upend your life to make changes.

It starts with our very first session.

I evaluate where you can make the easiest changes.

"I felt like a hamster on a wheel. I knew something had to change.

"I thought my to-do list was working. It was not.

"Using a calendar calms your practice down because you are calmer. You can use it to calm your nervous system.

"I was surprised coaching was so easy. I'm now a firm believer that the answer is not to work harder. The answer is to work smarter. And we can work smarter with the tools Dina gives us.

"Coaching has saved my life professionally. Now I can do what I love in a way that is healthy and helps me grow personally and professionally without the stress."

Karene

I've worked the 70 hour weeks as a criminal prosecutor, had the health impact of a breast cancer diagnosis at 29 while a trial attorney, and I literally fell asleep on dates because I was exhausted from the day.

I needed something that would help me make the change I desperately wanted.

I needed to understand what was happening and how I could change.

That's when I found coaching.

It's what I wished I knew about when I started my legal career.

I also knew I was driven to do more in my life. For me that meant starting a business that makes a positive impact on the world.

Because I was so driven, I kept driving myself to work harder needing to prove to myself and those around me I could do it.

But I needed to change my work habits to make room for this new version of me. I had to unlearn the broken paradigm I'd been taught, so I could move forward.

This kind of help is missing from the legal industry.

You are not alone in your drive to achieve. But -- if you're here -- you likely feel overwhelmed and miserable most days.

That's why my mission is to help lawyers every step of the way to uplevel their law practice and their lives.

So they can be the person they want to be in the world for their families, their clients...and themselves.

Well, it may feel like magic, but I've strategically designed a plan with your specific needs in mind.

Each plan is designed with your specific needs in mind. I start learning these needs when during your Strategy Session with me.

When we work together, you're calmer and more in control of your life and practice.

You're more decisive about what you want.

Boundaries feel natural to you.

You make time for yourself.

These are some actual client results:

an estate planning client aiming for a $200,000 year in her practice blew past it to hit $250,000 while working less than she ever had before (4 days a week instead of 6!)
a law partner built a yoga practice on top of her full-time position in only a few hours a week, and now she's left the law and built a coaching practice for couples
an associate made partner despite thinking she didn't have a shot by learning to focus her time and grow her confidence
an estate planning partner stopped having cancellations and increased her revenue by $60,000 by gaining the confidence to charge for consults
a family law attorney in a solo practice increased her client work and began attracting her very best clients by gaining the confidence to raise her consult rates
Big Law clients stopped feeling overwhelmed and started having the confidence to say no to assignments they didn't want and start asking for what they DID want
a General Counsel stopped people-pleasing and started leading her team more confidently
partners hitting billable targets more easily and not sacrificing sleep or down time
partners freeing up time to work on their business development
a criminal defense lawyer and a family law lawyers learning how to hire better employees and fire employees hurting their practices

In a Strategy Session, you learn exactly what you need to know to make your next move.

If you don't know already, you'll get clear on what you want to make happen in your life.

We uncover your habits of thinking and being that created your life up to this point.

You may already know some of them because you're likely into personal development books and podcasts.

You know a thing or two about yourself.

What my clients usually don't know -- and what I teach you in the Strategy Session -- is what needs to change to take sustainable action to change those habits.

You learn the missing pieces preventing you from making change in the past.

You also learn how your brain processes decisions.

Decisions determine results.

Your decisions also determine whether you feel anxious, overwhelmed or stressed out.

A lot of my clients initially describe themselves as over-thinkers, people-pleasers and procrastinators.

If that's you, you'll learn why you have these behaviors and how your mindset influences your decisions and prevents you from achieving the results you want in your life and law practice.

By the end of our call, you'll have clarity on what you want, a plan to make it happen and know how your brain makes decisions.

Each decision we make impacts our results.

Start making more decisions that move you towards your goals, and you'll see a change.

Deciding to hire me as your coach is the ultimate decision to take control of your life.

✅ I'm super busy. Do I have time for coaching?

This is a two-part answer:

First, when we truly want something, we make time for it.

The only relevant question is, "Do I want change?"

If you do, then it's up to you to make it happen. It doesn't happen on its own.

All you need to do is make time for the Strategy Session, and we'll talk about the next step.

Second, if you have an emergency hearing or trial, I'm flexible with scheduling. If you let me know ahead of your session, then you can reschedule for that week and won't lose a session.

And of course, we'll talk about vacation scheduling, so you can take the time off you may not be taking...yet. ;)

✅ I've tried things in the past, and I didn't follow through. I'm afraid I won't follow through on coaching.

This is one of the most common fears I hear from lawyers.

Every single human on the planet has tried things to change, and they didn't follow through.

Every...single...human.

What's the difference between those who eventually create change and those who don't?

The people who make change don't give up.

They continue trying different things until they get the result they want.

Coaching teaches you the skill of doing things that are hard and showing you how capable you are of following through.

When we work together, you'll learn in your bones that what you've done in the past doesn't define what you're capable of.

You'll learn how to overcome self-doubt.

You'll learn how to talk yourself through doing tough things.

You'll learn that you are far more capable than your brain tells you.

Book a Strategy Session with me, and let's work together to transform you into a person who follows through on anything you put your mind to.

✅ I'm afraid I'm not fixable.

You're not alone if you think this.

First, you're not broken, so there's nothing needing "fixing."

You're 100% complete.

What may be "missing" is your understanding of how the brain works and how to use your brain's tendencies for you instead of against you.

That's where I come in.

Book a call with me, and let's go.

✅ I have hearings that pop up out of nowhere. What if I need to reschedule?

As a former prosecutor, I understand that lawyers sometimes get last minute hearings, assignments, etc.

When this happens, give me as much notice as possible, and you can reschedule our session.

✅ Do you coach men?

Yes! If you're a lawyer, I can help you.

✅ Do you coach non-lawyers?

Maybe. Book a Strategy Session, and we'll ensure we're a good fit.

✅ What topics do you coach on?

My focus is time management and business growth, and coaching always expands into other areas of our lives. The reason? The way we do one thing is the way we do everything. It's natural that topics other than the law come up too.

Here's some topics I coach clients on:

time management/overwhelm
building their book of business
employee relationships (hiring/firing/boundaries)
self-confidence/self-doubt/imposter syndrome
people-pleasing/client and employee boundaries
building a new practice area
leadership
money mindset
hearings/networking/speaking engagement jitters
difficult conversations with spouse/family
mother/father relationships
grief when a loved one passes
fertility treatments/growing a family
and so much more

I'm here to make your life easier. You can come to me intending to work on time management, and we'll work on whatever you need in our session that week. I've got you.

Also, you NEVER have to come to a session feeling "ready" or with a topic to get coached on.

As a Master Certified Coach and 16 years as a criminal prosecutor, I've got you covered. All you need to do is show up, and I'll take it from there.

✅ Are conversations confidential?

Absolutely. While we talk about your thoughts about partners, clients, and cases, we don't name names. Also, I don't share specifics about anything we talk about unless I get permission from you to share.

✅ Is coaching different from therapy?

Yes.

Therapy is past-focused while coaching is future-focused.

A therapist generally asks about your past and helps you work through unresolved issues impacting your present.

Coaching starts with your present, and it focuses on creating the future you want. We uncover the mindset leading to undesireable outcomes in your life, and we work through those to help you achieve your goals.

I've had clients in both therapy and coaching, and they found them complementary not redundant.

✅ I want to work with you, but shouldn't I be able to figure this out on my own?

I used to think this, so I'll share with you what I discovered.

This mindset so many of us have of believing we should be able to "figure it out on our own" comes from a broken paradigm we've been taught.

We've been taught that we should be independent and that if we ask for help, someone will think we don't know what we're doing. And if someone things we don't know what we're doing, they'll think less of us.

That paradigm has us working harder and longer hours until the wheels come off the car.

It's madness!

That's what happened to me when I had a cancer diagnosis at 29 years old.

I didn't need to learn more or do more to feel better.

I needed to change HOW I showed up in the world.

It was uncomfortable.

It required me learning how to ask for help.

It also required me understanding that our world is built on us each working together to help each other better ourselves and better the world around us.

We're interconnected.

Unfortunately, the legal profession doesn't always offer the supportive environments we need to feel comfortable asking for help.

My goal is to create a supportive environment for you to tap into capabilities you didn't even know were possible.

Doing more of the same won't help you change.

Change requires challenging how you think and interact with the world with a new perspective on the problem.

That's where I come in.

Book a call with me, and let's talk about what you want, and we'll take it from there.

✅ I want to work with you, but I'm not sure now is the right time.

What I've learned is that the time will never be "right."

There will always be something happening in your life.

The kids will be out of school, a parent will pass on, someone you love will have a diagnosis, you'll have a trial coming up.

Life keeps moving.

Your power is in learning how to go after what you want no matter what you think may be in your way.

That's what's required to uplevel your life and take control of it.

About Dina

Dina Cataldo is a Master Certified Coach who helps lawyers take control of their practice, find fulfillment and create a life they love.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer at 29, doing more with less stress became a non-negotiable. She had big aspirations, and didn't want stress preventing her from going after what she wanted.

She built her coaching practice while practicing as a full-time criminal prosecutor by changing her habits one at a time. Dina discovered she had more power to change herself than she knew and became an expert at managing her time and emotional health.

Now she’s helps lawyers around the world take authority over their time and their mindset, so they love their life and law practice.

Earnings disclaimer: Every effort has been made to accurately represent our programs and the educational value they provide. However, there’s no guarantee you’ll earn more money using the techniques and ideas in these materials. When we present revenue and sales figures on our website and other channels, we’re showcasing actual client results and they are exceptional meaning they don’t reflect the average experience. You should not rely on these presentations as any kind of guarantee that you’ll experience that level of success. Your results will be determined on factors over which we don’t have control such as your level of effort, prior experiences, your financial condition, and changes in market conditions. Building any business, including a legal practice, carries risks, and your use of any information contained on this website is at your own risk. We provide content without any express or implied warranties. By continuing to use our site and access our content, you agree that we are not responsible for any decision you make regarding any information presented or as a result of purchasing any of our products or services.

Feeling stressed? You're not alone.

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Imagine feeling accomplished and making more money in your practice while working less.

From overwhelmed to taking her life back.

Meet Andrea

"Am I a good fit to work with you?"

From putting fires out in her growing practice to creating a practice she loves.

Meet Alison

Reclaim your life and love your law practice!

From using an anxiety-inducing to-do list to calming her practice with a calendar.

Meet Karene

When we work together, magic happens.

Coaching accelerates your growth.

What happens in a Strategy Session?

More lawyers who loved working with Dina:

We celebrate successes.

Celebration hardwires success into our nervous systems.

Here are examples of client wins:

Frequently Asked Questions

What Lawyers Say About Their Strategy Session

Now is the time.

You're ready to create a life and law practice you love.

About Dina