'Thanks for nominating me for #ReflectthenElect Helen Burness: I really enjoyed writing this. A great idea from Janders Dean for individuals to share personal reflections from 2019 and then nominate others to do the same.
Catriona Macleod, Peter George, Jodie Baker, Janvi Patel, Christie Guimond, Nicky Leijtens, Priya Lele, Helen Burness, Dr. Bailey Bosch Paul Evans and Kate George, I hope you don't blush too much as you read this!
Katherine Thomas
CEO
Published on December 12, 2019
There’s no substitute for ‘JFDI’. That’s my reflection on 2019. So here are the people who are JFDI-ing it and who, in turn, will leave the world a little better than they found it. They have all inspired me during this exhausting and exhilarating year.
There are the experimenters: the people who aren’t afraid to try something new. From Catriona MacLeod who has – in practical and emotional ways – supported Free Range Lawyers since it was just an idea in my head, to Peter George, who, as Managing Partner at CIE Legal, has the courage to experiment and support change, I feel fortunate to work with leaders who are prepared to try….and I mean REALLY try, not just ‘PR try’. In a world where talk is cheap, their unassuming willingness to be vulnerable by giving things a go becomes more important by the day.
There are the authentics: Jodie Baker and Janvi Patel: two impressive founders I’ve been in awe of for so long and who I now count as friends on this professional journey. For me, they define JFDI! Their honestly and openness has made me feel that I am not alone. And that has made all the difference.
There are the enablers: These are the people who lift others up. Here, the ladies of She Breaks the Law lead the charge. What they have achieved this year is nothing short of incredible and I can’t wait to see what next year brings. Their focus on positivity and the power of connection is infectious and if you’re in any doubt about just how hard they work to raise-up women in legal innovation, email them and see how quickly they ALL respond…..then you’ll know!
There are the believers: A retrospective on this year wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Bailey Bosch and Kate George. Bailey, who believed in Free Range Lawyers and who has worked with me – day-in, day-out - to make it happen. Free Range Lawyers simply wouldn’t be here without her. And Kate, who joined soon after launch and has taken us to her heart as much as we have taken her to our’s. Not to mention Paul Evans of Toro Digital who gladly gave his time to share his immense knowledge with us and create an awesome website for our fledgling business. Through Bailey, Kate and Paul, I have learned about the power of another kind of ‘doing’: of demonstrating friendship and kindness in action, every day.
So, as I reflect on 2019, I also look forward to 2020. I hope for two things. First, that I can gather speed on my own journey of JFDI-ing and doing for others what these people do for those around them. Time to give back. Second, I hope that 2020 is the year we make good on our dawning acknowledgement that change – in any industry but especially in legal – is hard, is imperfect, is messy, is exhausting. Because wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were all prepared to be that little bit more imperfect, that little less knowing and that little more vulnerable in service of becoming one of those JFDI-ers that leaves their part of the world better than they found it?
