We were lucky to catch up with Hayley Tharpe recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hayley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

After graduating from Howard University School of Law, I began my practice in Big Law at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. While there, I began to practice intellectual property and products liability and was working tirelessly before eventually exhibiting feelings of stress and anxiety. Although I regularly met with an executive coach, I was slowly beginning to disengage from my external hobbies and would eventually lose a sense of self. I ultimately experienced burn-out which led me to retire from the practice of law for one year! I was completely done being a lawyer as I had forgotten my purpose and no longer had the energy to move forward. During my retirement, I began to engage in hobbies that I remembered would bring me joy, such as singing lessons, tennis lessons, salsa dancing, sewing, and eventually yoga. I specifically remember during a hot yoga class, while taking deep breaths, I thought to myself, “Wow, THIS is self-care, and I love it.” I realized that if I would have been engaging in self-care before, I would have been able to better manage the practice of law. I then became a certified yoga and meditation teacher and a certified wellness coach, which led me to start my business called, Legally Well, which teaches lawyers the importance of self-care. I am not back practicing law and I love it, as I have incorporated several techniques to maintain the intensity of the legal field.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

The journey of Legally Well quite literally started from the bottom. I had an idea and I tried different ways to get the message out. My vision first began with me going back to law firms and teaching different wellness courses to attorneys in real time.

To achieve that, I first conducted individual wellness coaching sessions with friends and colleagues to apply the skills that I had learned. I also began teaching yoga and meditation at Palisades Park in Santa Monica, where I had big signs that said “Self-Care for Lawyers” which attracted great attention. I also attended countless networking events and pitched my business every chance. Further, I received and recorded sessions for different mediums including the Unplug Meditation app.

Since its inception, I have visited various law schools (Howard University School of Law, UC Riverside, Southwestern Law School, etc.), have been invited by different bar associations (Women Lawyers of Los Angeles Association, Black Women Lawyers of Los Angeles, Association, etc.), community organizations (Make Good, Inc., Calvary Baptist Church, etc.), corporations (Dr. Pepper, Patagonia, etc.), and more to do group yoga classes, guided meditations, and wellness workshops. I have also been invited back to Greenberg Traurig, LLP to teach a Wellness CLE to the attorneys which felt like a dream come true! I now have multiple CLEs which have been shared across different states in the U.S.!

Legally Well has and continues to change the perspectives and habits of legal professionals. I am proud to say that I have impacted the lives of law students, attorneys, professors, and judges.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My business continues to expand due to my character and the fact that I practice what I preach. I engage in different forms of self-care every single day and it shows! There are a lot of different businesses and practitioners in this field yet I have seen many come and go depending on the season. This is not a seasonal trend for me, it is a lifestyle!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I love to use and reference the book, “The Four Agreements” in my teachings. This book allows individuals to first connect with self and brings awareness to how you represent yourself internally and externally. Because of “The Four Agreements,” I continue to overcome doubt and adversity as I pave my path, doing what’s best for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.legallywell.net
• Instagram: @hayleytharpe
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hayley.tharpe.7/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/

Image Credits

Main image (with California sweatshirt) by Dorian QD Photography