The People Pleaser's Guide to Quitting: How to Have the Breakup Conversation with Your Law Firm

About this episode

Wendy Meadows shares her journey from BigLaw burnout to building a fulfilling legal practice on her own terms.

Hey Powerhouses! This week we're talking about what happens when you wake up and realize you're living someone else's perfect life—and what it takes to create one that actually fits. Wendy Meadows, seasoned family law attorney, former litigator, certified life coach, mediator, and author of the bestselling book Sparkle & Grit , joins us to share her journey from BigLaw burnout to building a practice (and life) on her own terms. We dive into why Wendy left her firm after 13 years (spoiler: asking permission for vacation was the last straw), how Beachbody coaching taught her more about running a business than law school ever did, and why so many lawyers who go solo end up making MORE money while working fewer hours than they ever imagined. Wendy breaks down the math (yes, there's a spreadsheet), walks us through the hardest part of going solo (the breakup conversation with your partners), and explains why hiring an assistant before you think you need one is non-negotiable. We also talk about the Sparkle and Grit framework—why you need both the feminine (sparkle) and masculine (grit) energy to succeed, how to recognize burnout before you hit the wall, and why 2026 is Wendy's…

People in this episode

Host: Erin Gerner

Guest: Wendy Meadows

Topics covered

• career transition
• law firm breakup
• work-life balance
• entrepreneurship
• burnout
• success redefinition

Keywords

• lawyer burnout
• solo practice
• business coaching
• work hours
• assistant hiring
• success
• divorce

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Sparkle & Grit

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