The Less Stressed Lawyer

Founder & Certified Life Coach

Flood Law PLLC

Associate

Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP

Law Clerk

Wayne County Prosecutor's Office

•	Negotiated settlements with claimants and lien holders in forfeiture cases
•	Conducted research and drafted complaints, consent judgments, and other legal documents
•	Created Excel databases and coordinating procedures for expediting forfeiture cases
•	Trained ten students entering office’s internship program

Intern

Michigan Journal

•	Supervised production and publishing of a weekly newspaper
•	Edited editorial content and negotiate advertisement contracts
•	Conducted business and editorial meetings

Managing Editor

"If only there were more hours in the day."

I used to say this to myself ALL the time.

I was convinced I just needed a little extra time to tackle my to-do list. 

Or a new planner to fine-tune my time management skills.

But no matter how many planners I purchased or how many all-nighters I pulled, nothing changed.

I still felt crushed by competing deadlines.

I cancelled plans last minute, because I had too much on my plate.

I woke up early.  I worked late.

I thought if I could just work harder, I’d get there.  I’d get it all done.

The higher-ups would be happy.  Which meant I could be happy, having finally received their approval.

Turns out . . .

You can't hustle your way to happiness.

Believe me . . . I tried.

Sound familiar? If so, here’s what I want you to know.

Through all of that trying, I learned something they don’t teach you in law school.

The solve for stress? 

It isn't TIME management.

It’s MIND management. 

That’s right.  You don’t need a new planner.  You need a new plan.  

One where your well-being, not your work-load, gets to be the top priority.  

Sounds impossible?  It’s not.  I’ll show you.  

I work solely 1-on-1 with attorneys who are over the overwhelm.  

I help them start living lives with less stress and far more fulfillment. 

If you're ready to start living that life, let's get started.

Olivia Vizachero

A few years ago, a man leaned into my face at a bar and told me: “You know you’re kind of a bitch.”

But it didn’t bother me.
 
Let me explain.

I was out grabbing a bite to eat by myself.

Something I do often.

It was late.

I was in the middle of a launch.

And I was famished but still had some work to get done.

So I bellied up to a bar, ordered a burger and a beer and proceeded to work on my phone.

A man sitting next to me bought me a drink.

I said thank you and then explained I had some work to finish on my phone so I wasn’t up for chatting.

He said “that’s not a problem.”

But he didn’t mean it.

It was a problem.

He was persistent.

And kept trying to start a conversation.

I’m going to be honest with you.

Social conditioning is strong.

So I had an urge to people-please him and engage in the conversation, but since I found coaching, I’m much better at holding my ground and saying no.

So, despite his numerous attempts to strike up a conversation, I explained again that I wasn’t up for chatting.

By this time, I’d also been on the receiving end of a lot of non-consensual shoulder touching.

So I was pretty motivated to bring the exchange to a close.

I wasn’t rude.

But I was direct.

I didn’t mince my words.

I didn’t beat around the bush.

I made it clear I didn’t want to talk.

He quickly took offense.

And moved to a different area of the bar.

Good riddance, I thought to myself.

At which point I continued working and eating in peace.

About 30 minutes later, on his way out, he walked up to me, put his face uncomfortably close to mine, and said…

“You know, you’re kind of a bitch.”

I didn’t gasp.
I didn’t clutch my pearls.
I didn’t take offense.
I didn’t defend myself.
I didn’t explain a thing.

I simply nodded.

And said “I can see how you might think that. Have a great night.”

And turned back to my phone as he walked away.

I didn’t need to change his mind.
I didn’t need to make him wrong.
I didn’t need him to be any different than he was.

I just let him be wrong about me.

Here’s why it’s possible for me to do this…

I know I’m not a bitch.

(I’m actually a damn delight.)

I know who I am. I know what I am.

I’m so sold on my own opinion of me that I don’t care what his opinion of me is.

I can just let him be mistaken.

People waste so much time trying to control what other people think of them.

To manage their perceptions.

To earn their approval.

None of that is necessary.

Maybe you don’t worry about people thinking you’re a bitch.

Maybe you worry they’ll think you’re…

Lazy
Incompetent
Unprofessional
Rude
Selfish
or
Arrogant

It doesn’t matter what the judgment is.

When you know who you are and what you’re about, you don’t have to worry about what others think.

No matter what they might be thinking.

Because you already know what you think.

And your opinion becomes the opinion that matters most.
 
If you want to learn how to let people be wrong about you and stop caring about what they think, DM me. Let's talk.

Lawyer turned Life + Business Coach | I help people create lives they're obsessed with. Creator of The Obsessed Membership + The Obsessed Retreat.

Do you apology vomit?

Here’s what it looks like in the moment…

Nobody:
You: I’m sorry for my delayed response.

Nobody:
You: I’m so sorry to bother you.

Nobody:
You: I’m sorry I don’t know how to do this already (despite never doing it before), but I have a question.

Nobody:
You: I’m sorry I didn’t catch that mistake.

Nobody:
You: I’m sorry that meeting/hearing/whatever didn’t go better.

It also shows up in more subtle ways…

Like vomiting your itinerary when no one asked for it.

For instance…

Nobody:
You: I’m not going to be able to look at that until this afternoon.

Nobody:
You: I’m going to be unavailable for the next hour.

Nobody:
You: I wish I could come, but I have X, Y, and Z commitments that day.

You do this to level-set expectations ahead of time so no one gets upset with you.

Whether it’s apology vomiting or itinerary vomiting…

The pattern is the same.

You apologize and over-explain everything.

You apologize for being human.
For having questions.
For taking up space.
For having a schedule.
For having a life.

Why do people do this?

It’s driven by guilt, worry, and fear.

You’ve been conditioned to feel bad anytime you perceive yourself as inconveniencing someone.

Even when you aren’t.

You believe you cause other people’s negative emotions.

Even though you don’t.

You worry that by taking “too long” to respond, asking for their time, or not being available every second, they’ll be upset, annoyed, frustrated, or disappointed…

And that it’s your fault.

Even though it's not.

So to escape your own discomfort—the discomfort that comes from believing you caused theirs—you reflexively apologize and over-explain.

Now, why is this a problem?

Well, apologetic energy is not aligned with the confident, capable powerhouse you are or want to be.

And it undermines your competency and credibility.

Because this behavior is timid.

And meek.

It doesn’t scream promote me.
It doesn’t scream retain me.
It doesn’t scream hire me.
It doesn’t scream respect me.
It doesn’t scream take me seriously.
It doesn’t scream I’ve earned my place here.
It doesn’t scream I belong.
It doesn’t scream I’m your equal.

It screams the opposite.

Apology vomiting restricts you.

It keeps you small.

But you have nothing to apologize for.

Which means it’s time to stop.

Stop apology vomiting.

Stop playing small.

Stop being sorry when you have nothing to be sorry for.

It’s time to own who you are.

And how great you are.

It’s safe to be human.

It’s safe to take up space.

It’s safe to be yourself.

No apologies needed.

If you want to stop unnecessarily apologizing and undermining your credibility and authority in the process, I'll show you how.

Click "Visit my website" at the top of this post and book a consult to get started.

You have to stop telling yourself you’re going to “make time” to achieve your goals.

Because that’s not how time works.

We all get 24 hours a day.

And every single day, we use all 24 of them.

There is no remainder.

No unused balance.

No secret stash of extra minutes waiting to be unlocked.

You use your entire time allowance. 

Every. Single. Day.

Which means if there’s something you want to do that you’re not doing right now…

You cannot “make time” for it.

You can’t make time to work out.
You can’t make time to market your business.
You can’t make time to start the side hustle.
You can’t make time for date nights.
You can’t make time to learn a language.
You can’t make time to see your friends.
You can’t make time to be more present with your kids.
You can’t make time to write the book.
You can’t make time to cook more meals at home.

You have to swap time.

By replacing something you’re already doing with what you say you want to be doing instead.

You have to swap the endless scrolling.
You have to swap the Netflix marathons.
You have to swap the overworking that keeps you “busy” but stuck.
You have to swap the online shopping spirals.
You have to swap the YouTube rabbit holes.
You have to swap the podcast binges.
You have to swap the people-pleasing commitments you resent but keep saying yes to.

You cannot make time.

You have to swap it.

And here’s the part most people don’t want to admit...

What you’re really being asked to swap is instant gratification for long-term fulfillment.

Temporary dopamine for lasting progress.

Comfort now for the life you actually want later.

And that swap is uncomfortable.

It requires learning how to feel bored, deprived, impatient, confused, guilty... 

And take action anyway.

That’s the skill.

Not motivation.
Not willpower.

Discipline.

The ability to move through discomfort instead of organizing your life around avoiding it.

So ask yourself:

What do you want to accomplish this year?

And what do you need to swap to make it happen?

You already know the answer to both.

The only question left is how.

How do you stop choosing the easy relief and start choosing the actions that actually change your life?

That’s exactly what I teach people how to do.

It's a skill I’ve mastered myself.

It's what I coach my clients on.

Every. Single. Day.

If you’re ready to stop putting your goals on the back burner and make 2026 the year you trade temporary pleasure for a regret-proof life...

Come work with me. 

Click "Visit my website" at the top of this post to book a consult to learn more about working with me 1:1 or get on the waitlist to join The Obsessed Membership the next time enrollment opens. 

It's time you learn how to swap comfort for the life you actually want.

Let's go.

You aren’t lazy.

That isn’t the reason you aren’t doing the things you know you “should” do.

And here’s the problem with telling yourself that you are.

When you buy into that BS story, you deny yourself access to the awareness of what’s actually causing you to not follow through.

And without awareness of the actual problem, you can’t ever solve it.

Believing you’re lazy is such a convenient excuse.

If you’re “just lazy,” then you’re inherently flawed.

Which means there’s nothing to examine.
Nothing to diagnose.
Nothing to solve.

Just pack your bags.
Call it a day.
Throw in the towel.
Guess this is just who you are.

🤷🏻‍♀️

Convenient.

But wrong.

You aren’t lazy.

Lazy people don’t accomplish what you’ve accomplished.

It took you way too much hard work to get to where you are now.

Instead of laziness, here’s what’s actually going on…

You think negative thoughts about the actions you should be taking.

Those thoughts create negative feelings.

And instead of feeling those feelings…

You avoid them.

Through inaction.

Let me show you what I mean.

You look at your long to-do list and think: "I don’t know where to start. I don’t have enough time to get to everything."

You feel confused and overwhelmed.

And you avoid those feelings by indulging in inaction.

Or you’re working on a new kind of matter and think: “I’ve never done this before.”

You feel unprepared and insecure.

So you avoid those feelings by indulging in inaction.

Or you’ve been putting off a project and now you’re telling yourself: "I should have finished this already."

You feel guilty.

So you avoid that feeling by indulging in inaction.

Or you have to complete a task that you hate, like drafting a social media post, sending out invoices or entering your billable time, and you’re thinking: “I don’t want to do this.”

You feel dread.

So you avoid that feeling by indulging in inaction.

This is why you don’t follow through.

It’s not laziness.

It’s comfort entitlement.
 
You feel entitled to feeling good.
 
So when completing a task would force you to feel uncomfortable, you opt out.

The solution isn’t more motivation or shaming yourself harder.
 
It’s learning how to feel these negative feelings and take action in spite of them.
 
Or as I like to say, #GAGandGO through your discomfort.
 
Meaning...

Feel the overwhelm.
And do it anyway.

Feel the insecurity.
And do it anyway.

Feel the dread.
And do it anyway.

This is the work I do with my clients.

I teach them how to take intentional action despite discomfort.

It’s my specialty.

I have the deepest understanding of why you aren’t doing what you know you should do to get the results you want.

If you’re ready to stop indulging in inaction and start becoming someone who follows through no matter what you feel…

Click “Visit my website” at the top of this post to book a consult to work with me.

The problem isn’t laziness.

It’s that you’ve been negotiating with discomfort.

And I’ll teach you how to stop.

Yesterday, I turned 37 today.

Here are 37 lessons I've learned over 37 years.

1. Circumstances are neutral.

2. They don’t cause your feelings. Your thoughts do.

3. You can change your thoughts, which means you can change how you feel.

4. Negative thoughts never create positive results. Think responsibly.

5. You're not responsible for another person’s feelings. And no one is responsible for yours.

6. It’s okay to say no.

7. You don’t disappoint people. People disappoint themselves with their thoughts about what you do.

8. Decisions don’t take time. They happen in an instant.

9. You create certainty by trusting yourself to handle whatever happens.

10. A well-defined problem is problem half-solved.

11. You can’t expect yourself from other people.

12. People get to do whatever they want. You can only control yourself and how you respond.

13. Everything you want is on the other side of the discomfort you’re avoiding. You have to GAG and GO through that discomfort and take action anyway.

14. Done is better than perfect.

15. Other people’s opinions of you aren’t facts.

16. There’s nothing you can’t do if there’s no feeling you’re unwilling to feel.

17. The people with the results you envy aren’t special. They think differently, feel what you avoid, and take actions you don't. Learn those three things and replicate them.

18. It will take longer and require more effort than you think to get where you want to go. That’s not a problem. Keep going.

19. You cannot fail if you do not quit.

20. Everything is happening for you, not to you.

21. Complaining is a waste of time.

22. It’s okay to not be okay.

23. You get to have preferences.

24. Confidence comes from taking action before you feel ready and figuring it out.

25. Prioritizing yourself isn’t selfish.

26. Support is nice, not required.

27. To be successful you have to fall in love with boredom.

28. Most things aren’t hard. They’re just uncomfortable.

29. Unsexy progress creates sexy results.

30. The gap between your expectations and reality is where your suffering lives. Change your expectations, reduce your suffering.

31. You learn by doing, not by consuming.

32. Don’t take advice from people who haven’t done what you want to do.

33. You only “have” to do five things: eat, drink, breathe, sleep, and use the 🚽. Everything else is optional.

34. You always have options. You may not like them, but you have them.

35. Time is a math problem. If you want to feel accomplished plan less than what fits in the time you have.

36. Wanting more doesn’t make you ungrateful. It's okay to want a big life.

37. Consistency is everything.

At 37, I am obsessed with my life.
 
It feels like mine.

Not built on should.
Not curated for approval.
Not optimized for optics.

Built on desire.
On alignment.
On self trust.

I wouldn’t trade a single year to be younger.

If you give up the years, you give up the wisdom.

What are the biggest lessons you've learned? Tell me in the comments.

CEO Growth Advisory | Speaker, Strategist & Coach | Making It Easier For CEOs to Lead & Make Critical Decisions | Reserve Your CEO & Company Diagnostic | Healthcare, STEM & Law 🔥

CEOs succeed when they make the right decisions in the right sequence and pace. 

CEOs stall when decision-making slows, friction compounds, and when they hit an impasse. 

I advise and coach CEOs and leadership teams in Healthcare, STEM, and Law who operate in high-demand, high-growth environments where success is the only option. 

Partnering together, we prevent missteps, misaligned leadership, and avoid reactivity.

This creates profitable growth in less time. 

This specialized method focuses on:

	•	Unblocking critical decisions that delay revenue and scalability 

	•	Elevating executive presence and influence so leaders are trusted and highly effective within their industry 

	•	Reducing leadership drag created by over-involvement, unclear roles, or weak systems

	•	Creating leverage so growth never requires burnout, micromanagement, or constant emergencies. 

This is a high-touch strategic advisory grounded in leadership science, human behavior, and real-world executive decision dynamics.

Clients engage when:

	•	The company is growing but leadership feels heavy, not inspirational 

	•	Decisions are high-impact and time-sensitive

	•	The CEO needs faster clarity and the best team; not more conflict

	•	The cost of staying stuck is greater than the cost of acting decisively

Engagements are private, selective, and outcome-driven.

→ Private CEO Diagnostic available by invitation in The Featured Section.

Niha Wunnava, MHSA, Fellow ACHE

True leadership isn’t just about hitting KPIs, managing spreadsheets, or assigning tasks. It’s about empowering your people, appreciating their efforts, advocating for them, protecting their well-being, and helping them grow. When leaders create that kind of environment, trust develops and teams truly thrive. When people feel safe and valued, they contribute more, take bold risks, and innovate freely. In the end, leadership isn’t only about protecting results, it’s about protecting the people who create them. Agree?

The CEO Advisor | ICF Certified | Goldman Sachs 10KSB • ACHE Fellow | 25-Hour CEO Framework | Follow for CEO Scale & Leadership

The smartest founder in the room keeps losing deals. 
Not because their offer was weak. 
Because being right isn't enough.

Your pitch was solid. Your numbers made sense. They still said no.

Because your delivery triggered resistance, not trust.

Here's how to close a founder without triggering their ego:

1. Lead with a credit sentence
"What you've built here is impressive." Respect opens the door. Logic walks through it.

2. Name the gap, not the mistake. 
"This approach worked at Series A. It's limiting you at Series B." Founders defend their past. Don't fight it. Reframe it.

3. Move from your solution → their vision
"If you want to 10x the team, the current structure won't hold." Attach your insight to their dream.

4. Ask questions that create space
"What's the one assumption your current strategy depends on?" The right question is worth 10 right answers.

5. Keep their identity intact
"Your instincts built this. Now let's build the next layer." Challenge the strategy. Never the founder.

6. Use one sharp proof
One number. One founder story. One before/after. Data whispers louder than opinions.

7. Offer a low-risk first step
"Let's test this with one team for 30 days." A small yes leads to a big yes. A big ask leads to a polite no.

If your message makes founders defensive, you won't get a client. You'll get "let me think about it."

The goal isn't to sound smart. It's to make them feel understood.

Which of these 7 do you struggle with most? Drop the number below. 👇

P.S. I help founders build the leadership clarity to scale past their current ceiling. DM me "CLARITY" and let's talk.

♻️ Repost to help a founder in your network. Follow Niha Wunnava, MHSA, Fellow ACHE for executive leadership insights that actually work.

After speaking with dozens of CEOs, one pattern is clear:

The biggest revenue leak isn’t sales.

It’s decision bottlenecks at the top.

I call it CEO Drag.

Here’s the 3-layer system I use to eliminate it. ↓

#BusinessStrategy #ExecutiveLeadership #CEO #Leadership #Growth

View newsletter: The CEO Competitive Edge

Every CEO I talk to is obsessed with revenue growth. But a silent killer is draining 20-30% of their potential revenue that most never see coming. It'

Open article: CEO Drag: The Hidden Tax on Your Revenue (And How to Eliminate It)
 by Niha Wunnava, MHSA, Fellow ACHE • 4 min read

CEO Drag: The Hidden Tax on Your Revenue (And How to Eliminate It)

I made one leadership mistake… 
and it changed everything. 


A while ago, I was leading a big project. I thought I had it all figured out. I was making decisions fast, focusing only on results, and moving ahead.

But slowly, I realized something. People weren’t speaking up. Small problems were building up. And I hadn’t noticed.

Then one day, a small mistake turned into a big one. Everything I thought I knew… wasn’t enough.

I had made the biggest mistake a leader can make: not really listening.
That moment taught me something simple but powerful:

Leadership isn’t about being in control.

It’s about pausing, asking questions, listening, and understanding others.

Since then, I try to stop, reflect, and engage before making decisions. The difference is huge: stronger teams, better results, and trust instead of stress.

Leadership is messy, personal, and full of surprises.

What’s the biggest leadership mistake you’ve learned from?

15% of CEOs leave in under 2 years. 

Most fail for reasons no one talks about.


The truth is, CEO turnover is accelerating faster than ever and it’s not always about performance.

From picking the wrong leader, to not having the right talent in place, to trying to do too much at once… small missteps can cost a company millions and destroy trust in months.

In 2026, boards and leaders who understand these trends, focus on high-impact priorities, and align talent to the problems that matter most will be the ones who survive and thrive.

I’ve broken down the 3 trends every board and CEO must watch to avoid becoming a statistic.

15% of CEOs leave in under 2 years, what boards and leaders need to know in 2026 CEO turnover is accelerating, and it’s not just about performance. Th

Open article: CEO Turnover Trends in 2026 You Can’t Ignore by Niha Wunnava, MHSA, Fellow ACHE • 3 min read

CEO Turnover Trends in 2026 You Can’t Ignore

Insider CEOs are walking into a trap, 
and no one’s warning them.


CEOs promoted from within often get less attention and support than outsiders. 

Everyone assumes they already know the company, the strategy, and the people, so it “should” be easy.

But the truth? Insider CEOs face huge challenges different from outsiders, yet just as real.

The 5 Biggest Challenges Insider CEOs Face

1️⃣ Living in the shadow of your past
People remember your old role and have expectations.
Shift your mindset early and focus on the company as a whole, not just your previous responsibilities.

2️⃣ Making tough calls that upset supporters
Decisions will disappoint some who backed you, even friends and allies. 
Seek diverse perspectives and avoid favoritism.

3️⃣ Leading former peers
You may now lead people who were once your equals or even your superiors. 
Have honest conversations, assess their strengths, and build the team that aligns with your vision.

4️⃣ Establishing the right pace of change
You might have a long list of improvements, but rushing can backfire. Balance immediate wins with long-term planning to avoid stress, fatigue, or failure.

5️⃣ Managing the outgoing CEO
Even smooth transitions can create confusion. Ensure clarity on who is in charge and support the predecessor’s exit properly.

Insider CEOs are often left to sink or swim. Awareness of these challenges and careful planning can make the difference between thriving and struggling in the first months.

Insider CEOs (or aspiring ones):
Which of these five challenges would hit you hardest in your first 90 days?

Follow Niha Wunnava, MHSA, Fellow ACHE for more leadership insights.

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Niha Wunnava, MHSA, Fellow ACHE

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The Battle

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Niha Wunnava, MHSA, Fellow ACHE

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