What happens when you’re building a company while managing mental illness? In this episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, we continue our Future Belongs to Builders series with a deeply personal and empowering conversation, “Building Companies With Mental Illness,” featuring Collin Williams, founder and chairman of New Era ADR. Collin shares his journey as a lawyer turned entrepreneur, offering invaluable insights into how mental illness can both challenge and fuel success in the high-pressure world of startups.

In this raw and insightful discussion, Collin opens up about his own experiences living with depression and how he’s reframed it as a unique motivator rather than a weakness. With a focus on practical coping strategies, from therapy to structured routines, Collin explains how mental illness doesn’t have to be a barrier but can instead be a source of strength. His candid reflections will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt the pressure to succeed while navigating mental health challenges.

This episode is a powerful reminder that entrepreneurship and mental health are not mutually exclusive. Collin offers a roadmap for founders living with mental illness, showing how to manage stress, maintain resilience, and build a company with the right support systems in place. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, legal professional, or someone curious about mental health in high-stakes careers, this episode offers a compassionate and honest perspective on the intersection of mental illness and business.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Understand how mental illness can serve as both a challenge and a unique strength in entrepreneurship.
• Learn about the importance of routine and structure in managing mental health while running a company.
• Explore how Collin reframed living with depression from a burden to a source of resilience and strength.
• Gain insights into how being open about mental illness can help destigmatize the conversation and encourage others to seek help.
• Discover practical strategies for balancing the stresses of startup life with mental health, from therapy to medication and community support.
• Learn the importance of transparency with business partners, employees, and investors regarding mental health.

Collin’s message is clear: mental illness doesn’t define you, but how you live with it can shape your success. Join us for a conversation that breaks the silence and empowers entrepreneurs to thrive, not in spite of their challenges, but because of them.

What happens when legal tech gets too helpful? In this episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, we kick off our new series, The Future Belongs to Builders, by exploring the fine line between legal information and legal advice. In “Too Helpful? What is the Line Between UPL and Legal Information?” Erin Levine, CEO of Hello Divorce, and Quinten Steenhuis, legal tech expert at Suffolk Law School and founder of Lemma Legal Consulting, join us to dissect how technology is transforming the legal landscape—and sometimes blurring boundaries.

Erin and Quinten dive into the critical difference between providing legal advice and offering legal information, a line that has become increasingly difficult to define as automation tools and AI evolve. With legal tech offering form automation, document generation, and AI-powered tools, where exactly does information stop and advice begin? The conversation unpacks how constitutional protections for legal form books and websites fit into this gray area, and how modern technologies are pushing those boundaries.

From exploring regulatory challenges to discussing real-world examples of how legal tech is improving access to justice, this episode is a must-listen for those curious about the future of law. Erin shares how Hello Divorce uses aggregated data to guide users, helping them make better decisions without crossing into legal advice. Quinten offers insights on how lawyers and legal tech companies can build services that comply with UPL regulations while still delivering valuable information to clients.

They also dive into the evolving role of AI in legal services, touching on how tools like ChatGPT are being used to draft documents and guide users—but with cautionary notes about the importance of supervised, lawyer-vetted systems. Practical strategies for staying compliant, including keeping humans involved in automated processes and offering users the ability to customize and review their legal documents, are front and center in this conversation.

As the regulatory landscape shifts and AI plays a larger role in the legal world, Erin and Quinten offer valuable insights for anyone navigating these waters. From the use of data-driven insights to enhance user experience to strategies for steering clear of UPL violations, this episode arms you with the tools to stay ahead in legal tech innovation.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the critical difference between legal advice and legal information, and how technology blurs this line.
• Explore how constitutional protections for legal form books and websites apply in the context of modern legal tech.
• Learn how AI-powered tools, like form automation and ChatGPT, are reshaping the legal landscape.
• Discover practical strategies for staying compliant with UPL (Unauthorized Practice of Law) regulations while delivering valuable legal information.
• Gain insights on how legal tech is improving access to justice and helping consumers navigate complex legal processes.
• Learn how data-driven insights and AI can guide users in making informed decisions without crossing into legal advice.
• Understand the importance of lawyer-vetted systems and keeping human oversight in automated legal services.
• Stay informed on the evolving regulatory challenges and opportunities as legal tech continues to advance.

The future belongs to builders, and this episode shows you how to be part of it.

AI and Environmental Sustainability: Can AI Shape a Greener Future?

🌿 How can AI shape a greener future? 🌿

Join us for a special episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self featuring the remarkable Pamela Isom, founder and CEO of Izabayte Consulting. With over 30 years of experience in AI, cybersecurity, and systems engineering, Pamela focuses on leveraging AI for sustainability and corporate governance.

In this episode titled "AI and Environmental Sustainability," we’ll explore how AI is revolutionizing sustainability practices across industries.

In this episode, we cover:

• How AI can revolutionize sustainability practices, from climate modeling to renewable energy.
• The use of simulated data to accelerate environmental efforts.
• The growing potential of AI-powered tools like text-to-video and audio, and their implications for sustainable practices.
• Pamela’s unique approach to coaching and training in AI for environmental goals.

🎯 Learning Outcomes:

• Discover how AI can drive real, tangible impacts in the environmental sector.
• Gain insights into how data simulations are advancing the clean energy movement.
• Understand the intersection of AI, corporate governance, and sustainability.

As you listen, consider these questions:

• Can AI truly make a difference in environmental sustainability, and if so, how?
• What are the ethical considerations of using AI for environmental solutions?
• How can organizations integrate AI into their sustainability strategies?

Don’t miss the opportunity to engage in a dynamic discussion about the future of AI and sustainability with one of the leading voices in the field!

Additional Resources:

• AI or Not the podcast: https://aiornot.buzzsprout.com/
• LinkedIn post that gives an example of AI sustainability issues and a good example of a sustainable prompt: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7244667489903681536/
• IsA website: https://www.isadviceandconsulting.com/