We recently connected with Jessica Medina and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

When I finally figured out I wanted to leave the law I created a 10-year exit plan for myself. That timeline was eventually cut in half because of one thing — an outside perspective. It was my then-future, now-current, husband’s action-oriented mentality and emotional support that supercharged my exit.

He served over 26 years in the Army and was at the tail end of that service when we met. At that time, the majority of my world was all lawyers. We were all pretty risk averse, set in our ways, and hesitant to make big changes.

He doesn’t operate like that.

His entire career (and survival) has depended on taking decisive action, oftentimes with imperfect information.

I’m not sure I could think of something more frightening than making a decision without all the information!

But that’s just life, and he understood that already.

So my prior 10-year exit plan ended up a 5-year exit plan, and we’ve never looked back.

Sometimes we need help getting out of our own heads to make the big decisions.

That’s one way I help my clients — I know how lawyer brains are paralyzed by overthinking and overanalyzing with no action.

As an Accredited Financial Counselor, I help my clients cut through all the noise so they can focus on the most important aspects of their money, and supercharge their own journey.

Jessica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

First came law, then came passion. I practiced law in the DC metro area for nearly 14 years before deciding to pursue my true calling: financial coaching.

I was a single mom of twins, had graduated from Columbia Law School with hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt, and was just trying to keep my little family afloat while I juggled a new life as a law firm associate.

To say those times were stressful would be quite the understatement!

I spent eight successful years at a large DC law firm(several more than originally anticipated), but always saw myself as a public servant.

I left Biglaw for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), taking a hefty salary cut but loving the idea of working for the people.

The Division of Enforcement at the SEC works tirelessly for those who have been defrauded by the financial industry, and my work there opened my eyes to how shady characters in this area can be and how regular folks are in need of personal financial guidance to avoid becoming vulnerable to such schemes.

My five years at the SEC were also a turning point in my personal financial journey.

I realized I was not passionate about the practice of law, just the part that involved helping people, and I needed to get my financial house in order so I could retire from my legal career and still support my family.

I achieved that goal in 2018 and left the SEC to pursue my certification as an Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®.)

The AFC® training and examination broadened my knowledge and experience both in the space of personal finance education and counseling. I have been working with clients on their personal financial journeys since I left the SEC and look forward to continuing to pursue the highest standards of excellence in educating and tailoring my guidance to each client’s unique situation.

I’ve now helped hundreds of attorneys reframe the way they think about their finances and how they affect their career and life choices. I’ve also assisted many of them with creating a path to student loan repayment (often times including forgiveness!) And it’s always a win when I get an update from a client that they’ve taken that new job, payed off their debt, moved into their dream house, or hit their savings milestone and they’re feeling so confident about all the money stuff.

My career has taken many turns, but I now see how each phase fit perfectly into the grand scheme of becoming a financial coach and serving those attorneys who are ready to pursue their true passions, no matter the salary.

My many years as a lawyer honed my counseling and listening skills so I can be a better ear and accountability partner for my clients.

My stint at the SEC heightened my sensitivity to the shady underbelly of the financial industry and the great need for objective, unbiased guidance.

My AFC® training refined my personal finance knowledge and deepened my counseling acumen.

And, my own journey taught me how changing habits and planning can open up new possibilities.

I believe lawyers are some of the smartest, most effective people in the world (self-serving, but true!). And every attorney deserves to use their law degree however they choose to put more good out into the world.

I may not practice law anymore, but I still think like a lawyer. So my clients never get a rigid set of rules, but rather the best solutions for their specific facts and circumstances. It’s the best way to create a life you absolutely love.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I was a total newbie to social media when I started my business. I made the mistake of thinking I needed to completely redefine myself and who I was in order to show up in a space I had not traditionally participated in.

As a lawyer, I spent my days reading other people’s emails and social media posts as part of litigation…so I was pretty hesitant to use the platforms myself!

And when I started, instead of going where I might feel the most comfortable, I thought I HAD TO BE on Instagram.

I knew nothing about Instagram.
I did not like hanging out on Instagram.
And I was trying to give financial tips on a platform that really prefers photos to financial strategies.

So I dreaded it.

And I wasn’t very good at it.

But when I allowed the “old” parts of me to be incorporated into my business — the lawyer part of me to be exact — and I switched my focus to LinkedIn my social media experience completely changed.

I was not speaking more directly to lawyers and their money issues.
I was on. a platform that rewarded longform written content.
And I was talking about something I understood quite well, the life of a lawyer and what it felt like to struggle with money.

This stuck a chord with my target audience and folks started reaching out.

I’ve booked many consults from a single LinkedIn post because I know how to reach my people and they like my message.

So my advice to those looking to use social media is show up where (1) your people already are; (2) you’ll be most comfortable; and (3) you can be yourself.

And then be yourself!

The magic will happen on its own from there.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

One of the things that helped me build my reputation in the market was free speaking.

I did free webinars, workshops, and presentations for Bar Associations, law school alumni groups, lawyer coaching groups, for local libraries, and on my own for three years before someone offered to pay me.

And those years of speaking cemented my reputation for expertise and approachability when it comes to lawyers and money.

I also met a ton of people this way who then were able to speak about my work and stay connected to me either on social media or my email list.

I’m now a paid speaker and continue to share my expertise in this format in order to increase my overall impact and make sure potential new clients can get a taste of how I work and my philosophies when it comes to money.

I also put on a pretty good show!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jessicamedinallc.com/
• Instagram: @jessicamedinallc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicamedinallc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamedinallc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9_kStA0zw2nXt8MbY6gulQ

Image Credits
Alicia Loos