09/14/2026
I'm good at telling my story. That doesn't necessarily get me theirs.
Last week at the International Academy of Family Lawyers global conference in Dublin, I was in rooms of family lawyers from all over the world, people whose reputations I knew long before I met them. Everyone is highly accomplished and whip smart. A summary of where I practice, for how long, etc. wasn't going to do it. And it certainly would not get me the information I need to keep these incredible practitioners top of mind when I need insight and collaboration for international family law matters.
So I stopped merely introducing myself first and asked two questions: what's one thing you're glad you packed? And one you wish you had?
Every answer was different. I remember all of them.
Here's the thing. I can explain how I practice in ninety seconds. That's never been the problem. The hard part is getting someone past the "what I do for a living" to who the person actually is. That applies to both colleagues and clients alike.
So: what are you always glad you packed? And what do you keep forgetting?