Big Sis Briefing: What Came Up This Week (First Week Edition)

This was my first full week of doing this work and as I suspected, it lights me up to no end.

Holding space for big decisions, helping lawyers reconnect with their confidence, nudging people forward when they need it and offering practical structure when things feel too big or unclear.

It has filled my cup more than I can say.

Across every 1:1 this week, whether with a law student, a senior associate or someone plotting their next career chapter, the same idea kept coming up. A quiet but steady sense of wanting more. Not just more money or titles, but more meaning. More truth. More ease. More alignment.

There was also a common thread of waiting. Waiting for the right time. Waiting for permission. Waiting for someone else to validate that it's okay to want what they want.

So here's your reminder:

You do not need permission to build the life and career you want.

You might be waiting for a green light from someone else. But what if the green light is you? What if it has always been you?

Several clients this week were sitting on ideas they had already half-decided on. A move overseas. A shift in practice area. A brand refresh. A bold pitch for a new role. But they were stuck on whether they were allowed to want it. Or whether it was smart. Or whether it would work. That kind of self-filtering happens a lot, especially in this industry.

It’s old thinking. Let it go.

Legal Industry Observations

✨ The in-house to private practice story needs rewriting
It came up again this week. People worry they have shut doors permanently. But it is not true. Any firm that cannot see the value of in-house experience is behind the curve. You bring insight. Maturity. Client-savviness. It is not a liability. It is leverage.

✨ Business development is not just for Partners
If you are a senior associate gunning for promotion, you need to think beyond billables. Business development means showing you can help grow the pie. Build visibility. Start conversations. Nurture relationships. Be someone who thinks commercially.

✨ People are still shrinking when they should be shining
This one frustrates me. So many clients with five to eight years' experience are still talking like they are juniors. You are not. You have war stories. Range. Judgment. Do not let outdated ideas about seniority make you small.

Practical Advice from This Week

✨ Create a job search system if you are looking for your next gig
Do not rely on willpower. Rely on structure. Track your outreach. Set weekly goals. Build momentum like it is a campaign or a project.

✨ Start with the vision, then reverse engineer the pitch
If you are going after a role, make sure your resume and LinkedIn reflect the future, not just the past. Think of yourself like a product in the market.

✨ Use value overlays in promotion cases
Do not just list tasks. Explain impact. How did you help your team win? How did you make things easier, faster or more strategic? That is what decision-makers care about.

✨ Referrals matter more than applications
Everyone I worked with this week would benefit from networking more. Get visible. Be memorable. Stay top of mind. People hire people, not PDFs.

✨ Favourite Quotes from Sessions

“I don’t know if I’m ready.”
You are. The doubt is just noise.

“What if they say no?”
Then you try again, or try something else. But at least you asked. Rejection is redirection.

“I feel like I should just be grateful.”
You can be grateful and still want more. We are human and we have capacity to hold space for one more than one thing.

✨ Big Sis Reflection

There is so much brilliance in this profession. So much potential sitting quietly, waiting to be unlocked. I saw glimpses of it this week in every session. People taking themselves seriously in a new way. Trusting themselves more. Starting to dream again.

This work has reminded me why I now do what I do. There is nothing more energising for me than seeing someone find their spark again, speak up for what they want and feel a bit more powerful in their own story.

You are not stuck. You are not behind. You are more ready than you think.

Let’s do it all again next week.

Mel 💖