Stellar Women

Stellar Women is delighted to launch our first crossover podcast of 2022 with our friends and partner, EDRM. In this episode, Blair and I joined Mary Mack and Kaylee Walstad to share how we have been faring the last few months (spoiler alert: we are in good spirits)! We also dove into why we are focusing on small acts of kindness this year, and shared personal examples of how these acts have manifested in each of our lives. Be sure to listen as we share what the transition back to the office has looked like for some folks, and why it is important to give your pets, spouses, children, and most importantly yourself, a little bit of grace in yet another transitional time.

This month’s Stellar Women guest—Julia Hasenzahl—kept it real, allowing for an engaging and substantial conversation with hosts Mary Rechtoris and Mila Taylor. Throughout the episode, Julia shares how leadership polls their employees each week to gauge happiness, in hopes to identify areas for improvement. Interestingly, Julia notes the goal is to not get a 100 percent happiness score nor is the goal to get 100 percent participation. Rather, their goal is simple—assess where people are and understand how all the factors in the organization influence that score. Julia also talks about the unfair societal burden that is placed on female professionals, and why corporate policies about flex work do not go far enough if they are not explicitly targeting both female and male employees. You don’t want to miss this month’s episode!

As per Stellar Women tradition, Mila and I had this past year’s Stellar Women Innovation Award winner on the podcast—Heena Bhambhlani. I always leave our conversations with Heena feeling so inspired, and this one was no different. Heena shares her story into e-discovery, her leadership style, and what the Stellar Women community means to her. And, to close out the month, Heena shares her goals for 2022, including becoming a better version of her already-stellar self.

Love it or hate it, networking is a crucial aspect to navigating and advancing your career. We all need to do it, so why not be a pro at it? For Stellar Women, we’re providing listeners a preview of what’s to come in our next workshop. On December 8, Nikki MacCallum will share what she’s about successfully networking and provide tangible next actions for you to try. In this episode, Nikki talks about a time networking propelled her comedy career forward, and how networking has changed since the pandemic unfolded. Be sure to check out the episode and join us in a mere couple weeks to learn from Nikki and engage with your fellow Stellar Women community members!

Deeanna Fleener joined Mila and I on Stellar Women to talk about a recent project where she took a stand. After other project participants continually talked over her, she decided to take herself off the call. From there, she strategized on how she could participant in a way that felt right for her.

Mila and I had a much-anticipated guest on this episode of Stellar Women—Shannon Brayton. After hearing Shannon speak with our CEO Mike Gamson at a company event, we knew we had to have her on the podcast due to her energy, authenticity, and wealth of experience in both marketing and the world of tech. Shannon brought that same energy to the podcast. During this episode, we discuss why innovative companies are making diversity a part of their strategy early in their founding, her most controversial piece of advice, and how she became an all-star public speaker who has interviewed Michelle Obama, Richard Branson, Chelsea Clinton, and more.

We are counting down the days until next Wednesday for our Innovation Awards ceremony. Our Innovation Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the individuals who make our community stronger. These are individuals dedicated to innovation, elevating emerging leaders, and making our industry a better place. The Stellar Women Innovation Award is one that is dear to my heart. This year will mark the fourth year bestowing the award, with previous winners including Joy Murao, Stephanie Clerkin, and Kenya Dixon. This year’s finalists—Rebecca Grant, Kamaka Martin, and Heena Bhambhlani—are the epitome of what it means to be a stellar woman in tech. Mila and I wanted to give you all a better opportunity to get to know them. Check out this episode to see what makes all these women leaders in e-discovery.

Stellar Women had the great opportunity to connect with Tiffany Graves this week on the podcast. Tiffany discusses how a dedicated guidance counselor helped start her path in the law, and how her career has evolved since earning her law degree. During the conversation, Tiffany also discusses her transition from the private to public sector, and how her time in both areas prepared her for her current role as the first pro bono counsel at Bradley.

1 https://www.relativity.com/blog/prioritizing-mental-health-pandemic-stellar-women-mary-mack-kaylee-walstad/

2  https://edrm.net/2021/05/stellar-women-edrm-crossover-mental-health-podcast/

Oftentimes, our careers don’t follow a linear path. Opportunities may arise that may be completely different than what we expected but may serve us and our goals. This was true for Judge Kimberly Johnson, who went to graduate school to study psychology. Her path changed and led her to law school, ultimately becoming a trial attorney and a judge. In this episode, Mila and I chatted with Judge Johnson on the importance of giving junior attorneys opportunities to argue a case in the courtroom, and why diversity in trial teams is imperative.