Wake Up Call

Allison Williams is the artist formerly known as the "DYFS Diva."  She's an attorney extraordinaire by anyone's standards.  If you see her in court (which is unlikely these days), you better show up and have eaten your Wheaties that morning.  She "shows up" and she fully expects the people in her orbit to do the same.  Allison has curated a law career that would take the rest of decades to achieve.  She has built a 7-figure law firm.  And she's not done.  Allison's pivot has been as the "Law Firm Mentor."  (Hear more on her podcast, Crushing Chaos with the Law Firm Mentor).  Allison has completely transformed herself, her mindset and her life with self-awareness, which she shares very openly in this interview.   Now she's teaching other law firm owners how to do it.  The first thing they need to do is to get out of their own way.  Allison talks about how she got out of her own way and built the life and career of her dreams.  

Included in this conversation: 

• What she really wanted to be when she grew up
• Her first cross examination
• Her life as an introvert (yes, she is)!
• How she got past being shy
• Discovering the magic of the apple martini
• Evolution of her self-esteem and confidence
• Psychology of being a powerful, independent woman
• Life without a partner
• When she learned to be happy
• Her experience with personal development coaching 
• How life prepares you for life
• Law firm challenges 
• Dealing with trauma
• Dealing with other people's trauma 
• Book recommendations

You can find Allison's law firm, The Williams Law Group here: https://familylawyersnewjersey.com/

You can learn more about coaching with Allison as The Law Firm Mentor here: https://lawfirmmentor.net/

Follow the Law Firm Mentor on Instagram: @law_firm_mentor

Listen to Allison's podcast Crushing Chaos with the Law Firm Mentor here: https://lawfirmmentor.net/podcast/

Allison's book recommendations:

Relentless by Tim Grover 

Trust by Iyanla Vanzant 

If you enjoyed this episode, please RATE, REVIEW AND SUBSCRIBE!

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If you are interested in being a featured guest on Wake Up Call, please DM me or email me here: [email protected] 

Melaney LaGrone is a legal chameleon.  The law in various forms has been her calling.  She started out as a police officer in Detroit, walking the beat (back when cops actually had a beat).  When she filled her cup as a police officer, she moved on to law school, ultimately relocating to Atlanta to spend some time at the Prosecutor's Office before hanging a shingle.  Today she is the Atlanta Men's Law Firm with a focus on criminal defense and immigration.  But she's not done.  Melaney talks about her vision for the future which may bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community.  You'll hear how in this episode, as well as Melaney's why.

Included in this conversation:

• How Melaney almost became an accountant
• How she found her first calling as a police officer
• Why law enforcement was her path to the future
• Her first experience on a homicide scene 
• Her transformation from a "safety" mindset to a "growth" mindset
• Quitting police work cold turkey for law school
• How the police officer's mindset has evolved 
• How the job of a police officer has changed
• Bridging the gap between the police and the community
• Insight into the inner workings of the judicial system
• Melaney's vision for the future, personally and professionally
• Her greater calling in the law 
• Proust Questionnaire 

You can learn more about Melaney and her firm here: https://lagronelaw.com/

You can find Melaney and LaGrone Law on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/lagronelaw/

Check out Melaney's new podcast Black State Blue Nation: https://spoti.fi/3e1rLFu

Subscribe to Melaney's YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3eAZrcl

If you liked this episode, please RATE, REVIEW and SUBSCRIBE!  

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If you are interested in being a guest on Wake Up Call for the #FEMSQUIRE Series, DM me on social media or email me here: [email protected] 

I have had a girl crush on divorce lawyer-turned-mediator Phyllis Klein since I was a bright-eyed baby lawyer and heard Phyllis's voice bellowing down the hallway from her office fiercely advocating on behalf of a client. I thought, "THAT's the kind of lawyer I want to be!"  Fast forward about 17 years and here we are.  Phyllis has transformed her practice from divorce litigation to a strictly mediation practice.  She is a fierce mediator too!  What is that, you may ask? Aren't mediators supposed to softer, gentler? Well, not the ones who actually get cases settled!  Find out more about her style and why it's so effective.  We learn a little about Phyllis the woman, too.  I love her even more now.

Included in this conversation: 

• The job Phyllis really wanted
• Did she really like litigation?
• Why (and how) she converted to a mediation practice
• Her personal experience with divorce
• Her mediation style 
• What are we REALLY doing at mediation anyway?
• How can we make the divorce process better?
• Is a divorce a failure?  (we debate that question) 
• Getting along with your ex for the kids 
• Getting along with the ex for yourself, too!
• Does she have any regrets?
• What she hopes her kids learn faster than she did

If you are interested in using Phyllis Klein as a mediator, or just have questions for her, you can find her here:

https://dhkwlaw.com/attorneys/phyllis-s-klein-esq/

You can email her here: [email protected]

Are you interested in being on the #FEMSQUIRE Series?  Let's see if we are a good fit.  Email me here: [email protected]

Follow me on social media:

www.Instagram.com/theprev

www.Facebook.com/wakeupcallthepodcast

www.Twitter.com/wakeupcallpod 

If you liked this episode, please RATE, REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE!  

Danny Passafiume has had an extensive career in law enforcement, moving from corrections, to the local Sheriff's Department, and then to a local municipality.  While his house looked in order from the outside, he successfully hid an alcohol addiction from family, friends and colleagues for decades. As his life slowly spiraled out of control, Danny expanded his addiction to opiate prescriptions and got involved in a healthcare fraud scheme to which he recently pleaded guilty and, as of the publication of this podcast, is awaiting sentencing that could include jail time.  

So why is Danny on this podcast  talking about it?  He wants to the set the record straight as to how - and why - he went from a successful police officer to pleading guilty to healthcare fraud.  Danny's path, including the success and the failures, have lead him where he is now.  He shares his story and explains why he is just the person to help others struggling with addiction to have hope.  

Included in this conversation: 

• What it's really like to work in law enforcement
• Getting his street smarts on the job
• Working in corrections as a 21-year-old
• Getting accustomed to working with inmates 
• Learning prison culture 
• Learning how to assert himself with the inmates 
• Cops that go rogue
• How the code of blue works
• Prevalence of PTSS/PTSD on the job
• The realities of police work 
• Humor as a coping mechanism
• Struggling in secret with addiction
• Adjusting to police work with body cams
• Back injury and opportunistic drug addiction
• Looking back on being an alcoholic his whole adult life
• Sneaking alcohol and hiding it from everyone
• Evolution of his alcohol and drug addiction
• Coming to terms with being an addict
• Shifting from blame to personal responsibility 
• Taking responsibility for his divorce and his life 
• The damage of staying together for the kids
• Is addiction the problem or a symptom?
• Recognizing your pain
• Addiction as the symptom of a larger problem
• Danny's vision for the future 

Danny hopes his story will help others who are struggling with addiction, or their loved ones, understand the nature of addiction.  Danny welcomes your comments and questions. You can email him here: [email protected] 

If you enjoyed this interview, subscribe to this podcast for more interviews like this one.  

If you are interested in being on Wake Up Call or have a pitch, email me here: [email protected] 

Follow me on social media.

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Fertility & Reproductive Specialist Serena H. Chen MD was an open book, sharing her experience growing up in an Asian American immigrant family of physicians with pressures to go to Harvard Medical School. While Dr. Chen "only" went to Brown (you'll hear about that in the interview!) she still turned out pretty good!  

Dr. Chen graduated from Brown University in Providence Rhode Island. She attended Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, where she caught her first baby and decided to become an Obstetrician Gynecologist. She then trained in Gynecology and Obstetrics and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Chen serves as Director for the Division of Reproductive Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, and the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science, and is a Clinical Associate Professor at Rutgers, UMDNJ Medical School and the St George’s University School of Medicine.

Dr. Chen shared her special expertise about eggs, sperm, conception, IVF and fertility - and we even came up with an idea for a TV show!  (Margaret Atwood, call us!)  

Included in this conversation:

• The evolution of "test tube" babies and fertility clinics
• A walk through IVF treatments 
• Prevalence of endometriosis in the fertility population
• Unexplained infertility 
• Delayed childbearing 
• Endocrine disruptors
• How birth control pills can actually protect your fertility 
• Anti-aging and egg freezing
• "Geriatric" pregnancy
• Trend of later-in-life pregnancies
• Age vs. Lifestyle as a factor in fertility 
• More than you ever wanted to know about eggs
• The challenge of mid-40s fertility in women
• When should you freeze your eggs?
• Is it ever too late to freeze your eggs?
• What about freezing your sperm!
• Biological superpower of the egg 
• Designer babies 
• Can we "manufacture" eggs or sperm without a human?  (The answer will shock you)
• Ethics of sex selection
• The role of mother nature vs. science in fertility 
• Dr. Chen's book recommendations (see links below)

Follow Dr. Chen on Instagram: @drserenahchen 

https://www.instagram.com/drserenahchen/

Dr. Chen's website here: https://www.sbivf.com/fertility-doctors/serena-h-chen-m-d/

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Anchor: https://amzn.to/3cYEsAs

Big Potential by Shawn Anchor: https://amzn.to/2PDkWkr

If you liked what you heard, please RATE, REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE to Wake Up Call!

I help women professionals and business owners be seen, tell their stories and advertise without feeling like they're advertising.  If you're interested in being on the show, email me here: [email protected]

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Christina McKinnon was a feisty young lawyer who started her own law firm shortly after law school when her peers were just finding their way to court. While Christina insists that she's not as feisty as she used to be, there is no evidence to support that. What Christina calls "feisty" is what has allowed her to evolve into a bold, charismatic woman with a gutsy business acumen and fierce determination to succeed. (One example: closing down her law firm to take a maternity leave and then starting another one).  Christina talks about her evolution from feisty to fierce, including her experience with personal and professional coaching.  

Included in this conversation: 

• Childhood dream of becoming a lawyer
• Seeing herself as the "orator" at church as a kid
• This FL girl was in Michigan for a hot (er, cold) minute
• Short stint at a "job" after law school
• Starting her own law firm right out of the gate
• Biggest lessons she learned early in her entrepreneur-ship
• Influence of a strong mother 
• When it was time to engage in professional coaching
• Her vision for the firm and how that has changed
• Business managerial challenges 
• Personnel management (hiring and firing) 
• Building a practice vs. a business 
• Using Intuition vs. Data/Metrics to run a business
• Her personal style in handling divorce cases 
• How mindset affects your bottomline 
• Parenting a daughter to be an independent woman
• Proust Questionnaire 

Follow Christina McKinnon, Esq. on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/mckinnon_legal/

Find Christina McKinnon's law firm here: https://mckinnon-legal.com/

If you are a #FEMSQUIRE, #femDR and you would like the opportunity to be on Wake Up Call, message me on social media or email me to see if we are a good fit.  

Email me here: [email protected]

Follow me on social media:

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www.Facebook.com/wakeupcallthepodcast

www.Twitter.com/theprevite 

I help women professionals and business owners be seen, tell their stories and advertise without feeling like they're advertising! #powerhousemedia 

Dr. Rosiane Roeder may be a small town plastic surgeon in Hickory, North Carolina, but there is nothing "small town" about this lady! She is an accomplished physician and board certified plastic surgeon, one of the only 13% of plastic surgeons who are women.  Dr. Roeder performs the usual elective plastic surgery treatments we all know about, but she also helps people who are disfigured or have physical abnormalities feel whole and normal again.  We talk about Dr. Roeder's path to surgery, specifically plastic surgery (she almost became an infectious disease doctor!) and other issues such as the stigma associated with plastic surgery, using plastic surgery to feel more confident, and more detailed  information about some of the more common aesthetic treatments such as Botox and injectables.  

Included in this conversation: 

• Social norms relating to plastic surgery
• Dr. Roeder's own experience with plastic surgery
• Growing up in Brazil
• Her career path to becoming a plastic surgeon
• Skin care treatments for anti-aging and self-care
• Plastic surgery as an elective treatment
• Reconstructive plastic surgery
• Who is not a good candidate for plastic surgery
• Explaining a breast reconstruction
• Saying no to a prospective plastic surgery patient
• Men vs. Women getting plastic surgery
• Attitudes about women aging in our culture
• How to care for yourself in your 30s, 40s and beyond
• General guidelines for "prejuvenation"
• Diet implications for anti-aging and skin care
• Don't forget to take care of your neck!
• When is it time for a facelift?
• Body fat and how it impacts your treatments 
• What her first solo surgery was like!
• What goes on in the operating room 
• What it feels like to use a scalpel 
• What do we think of Kim Kardashian's butt?

Find more about Dr. Roeder MD here: 

https://ppsd.com/providers/rosiane-a-roeder-md-facs/

Follow Dr. Roeder on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosianeroedermd/

Find out more about me by following me on Instagram and Facebook: 

https://www.instagram.com/theprev/

https://www.facebook.com/wakeupcallthepodcast

If you are interested in appearing as a guest on Wake Up Call, or you know someone who would make a great guest, please DM me on Instagram or email me here: [email protected] 

Heather Keith was born and bred in Michigan, but nothing could stop this firecracker from becoming a Jersey Girl (whether she likes it or not).  Steve Jobs said you can only connect the dots looking back - and that's exactly what Heather did during this interview.  She understands her life's path, looking back on all the opportunities and challenges that brought her where she is.  Sometimes we can only appreciate the obstacles and hurdles long after they have passed.  Heather is very honest about her personal development path, engaging coaches for business and mindset.  Find out what held her back, what she did about it and what her master plan is.  

Included in this discussion: 

• Heather's background in the performing arts
• Heather can sing a mean White Rabbit
• College activism experience
• Mindset: Success vs. Hubris
• Law as a lifestyle 
• Experience as a child of divorce
• Divorce lawyer burnout and what she did about it
• Starting a law firm 
• Growing the law firm
• Finding "happiness"
• Getting to know who she really is and what she wants 
• Coaching with David Neagle 
• Coaching with Amira Alvarez
• Coaching with How to Manage a Small Law Firm 
• Heather's vision for the future and her master plan
• Heather's interest in equine therapy 
• Proust Questionnaire 

Find out more about Heather here: www.keithfamilylaw.com/heather-c-keith-esq/

Follow Keith Family Law on Instagram: www.instagram.com/keithfamilylaw/

Follow Keith Family Law on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KeithFamilyLaw

If you enjoyed this episode (listen to more!) and please Rate, Review & Subscribe!  

See more about me on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/theprev 

Are you a professional woman in law, medicine or STEM?  Let me help you share your story and advertise without feeling like you're advertising! DM me for info on Instagram or message me here: [email protected] 

Interviewing California Psychiatrist Dr. Jenna Luu MD for the #femDR Series was a real treat.  How often do you get to pick a shrink's brain, rather than them picking yours?  Dr. Luu got personal (and honest) about what it's like to treat people with "the usual" anxiety and depression, but also more serious afflictions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.  What may be surprising to you is how drugs and alcohol really affects our brains, especially as teenagers, the connection between the brain and your gut health, and overall nutrition as well.  It all plays a role in mental health.  Included in this conversation: 

• Are psychiatrists secretly examining us all the time? 
• Can she tell us if Donald Trump is crazy? 
• Assessing whether someone is a danger to themselves or others 
• The experience of treating someone who is suicidal or psychotic 
• Perceptions of mental health in America vs. Asian cultures 
• When “worry” is excessive 
• The propriety of medication in treating anxiety 
• How does mediation and breath work impact anxiety 
• The mechanics of how to breathe to reduce anxiety 
• The importance of curating your own environment 
• Acute crisis situations vs. general life stress 
• The impact of excessive alcohol and drug use on mental health and the brain 
• What it’s like to treat people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder 
• Childhood trauma and abuse and its effect on brain development 
• Inflammation in the body and brain dysfunction 
• Connection between heart disease and dementia 
• Connection between depression and asserting yourself 
• Treatment of marijuana-induced schizophrenia 
• Marijuana isn’t as harmless as many people think 
• Predispositions for mental illness and the role of genetics Increase in psychotic breaks in our society 
• The effect of psychotic breaks on the brain 
• The experience of having schizophrenic delusions 
• The experience of a manic episode 
• Dr. Luu's book recommendations  

Follow Dr. Luu on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/drjennaluu/ 

Follow me too!   

On Instagram: www.Instagram.com/theprev 

On Facebook: www.Facebook.com/wakeupcallthepodcast  

On Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ThePrevite 

Interested in being the next guest on the #femDR Series?  Message me on social media or email me here: [email protected]

If you think doctors are stuffy, you're going to change your mind when you meet Dr. Betsy Greenleaf DO.  Before we get to that, let's get her credentials out of the way.  Dr. Greenleaf is the first female in the United States to become board certified in Urogynecology. She is a women’s health expert, entrepreneur, inventor, and business leader, who has specialized in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery for over 20 years.  Unlike many other physicians who practice traditional medicine, Dr. Greenleaf takes a holistic body-mind-spirit approach to healing and wellness.

Included in this conversation:

• What is a "urogynecologist" anyway?
• Distinction between the MD vs. DO degree
• What is "functional" medicine vs. traditional medicine?
• The limitations of drugs and medication
• Pelvic mesh: dangers vs. benefits 
• Your vagina can literally turn inside out!
• What else happens to your vagina as you age (and what you can do about it)
• Plastic surgery trends (a.k.a. "rejuvenation) for your vagina
• The magic of lasers (not just for your face)
• The truth about hormone replacement 
• How estrogen got a bad rap (and whether it's still true)
• How to do a proper Kegel exercise 
• What is a pelvic physical therapist (and when do you need one)?
• Nutrition and diet for overall wellness and gut health
• A few other secrets women should know (and do) for wellness, vaginal health and anti-aging 
• Gluten-free diets: bullshit or not?

I am a huge admirer, supporter, follower and overall fan of Dr. Betsy.  (I've used her myself to restore my gut health and discovered I have a gluten sensitivity).  If you just want to know more about Dr. Greenleaf or potentially work with her, look here:

Dr. Greenleaf is the CEO of The Pelvic Floor Store, www.pelvicfloorstore.com, an online store dedicated to finding reliable products for pelvic health. She manages a blog at www.drbetsygreenleaf.com, and she is the host of Some Of Your Parts Podcast, www.someofyourparts.libsyn.com, dedicated to women’s wellness and the notion that “ you are greater than the sum of your parts.”

Podcast: www.someofyourparts.libsyn.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbetsygreenleaf/

Website: https://greenleafbewell.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.betsy.greenleaf

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBGreenleaf

DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: www.Instagram.com/theprev