An interview with Samorn Selim, author of “Career Unicorns 90-Day 5 minutes. “
Burnout is on an all -time high, especially in the legal profession. Deloitte reports that 77% of employees are experiencing burnout and Gallup finds that 67% feel the disengen.
Samorn Selim, daughter of Lao refugees and a first generation of professional, knows this battle intimatalyic. After experiencing career burning several times, she has now dedicated her life to helping others build happy, sustainable and flourishing careers.
As a founder of career union and train director for employer stays at Berkeley Law, she has coached over 1,000 women, BIPOC and the first generation of professionals. Her latest book offers a practical solution: A 90-day career-germination diary designed to break down in just five minutes today.
Olga Mack: You described yourself as a “recovering workaholic” that experienced burnout several times in your career, included when you were a biglaw lawyer. Can you paint a picture of what it looked like the worst?
Samorn Selim: As Type A, Workaholic, perfectionist lawyer in Biglaw, I worked from 7 p.m. 07:00 to 04:00 during the trial. I struggled with chronic migraines, back pain, and what doctors called “undiagnosing fatigue.” I hit the rock floor and was so burned out, anxious and depressed that I could hardly get out of bed. It was a wake-up call that my approach to work literally destroyed my health and well-being.
Sore: When you sought help, you were told to make “lifestyle changes” but felt overwhelmed by all the possibilities. How did you find out what actually worked?
SS: Yes. It was very overwhelming. Everyone asks you to meditate, journal or do yoga. But when you are already overwhelmed, it feels impossible to have a laundry list of wellness practice. Do you start with meditation? What type? How long? Through trial and errors over 10 years of practice, I discovered that small ones consist of practice made the biggest difference. Research recently supports this, which shows that frequent, shorter breaks and consists of daily practice is more effective than a two-wek holiday.
Sore: Your journal combines several practices: deep breathing, gratitude, recording, inspirational quotes, positive affirmations and tips for self -care. Why this specific combination?
SS: After trying literally hundreds of strategies over a decade, I found that this particular combination of practice helped me feel better little by little. Each element serves a purpose: Deep breathing The daily tips on self -care ensure that you take small, concrete, bite -sized actions to your well -being.
Sore: You’ve been shown by Forbes, Harvard Business Review, BBC and Google for your career coaching expertise. What patterns do you see among the 1,000 plus professionals you have helped?
SS: The fighting is notadublic similar across industries and backgrounds. People feel confused, drained and burned out, and these statistics from Deloitte and Gallup proved that this is not just anecdotal. What is fascinating is that when my clients begin to focus on gratitude and move their mindset from scarcity to abunance, everything changes. They begin to land dream job, successfully negotiate travel, be promoted to leadership roles and build really sustainable careers. Research shows that focusing on gratitude for work reduces stress and improves mental health so this makes perfect sense.
Sore: Why 90 days specifically, and why only five minutes today?
SS: Several studies show that 90 days are the ideal timeframe for the build -up of habit, although it varies by person. As a restoring perfectionist, I know that first -handed shelf self -care can feel when it is already stretched thin, so the journal is designed with people who are already busy and overwhelmed in mind. Five minutes (less than 0.1 invoicable hours) can be achieved for even the busiest professional. It’s about conscious of intensity. The day when only five minutes a day can completely change anyone’s perspective and trigger true career joy.
Sore: Your diary includes 90 gratitude questions, more inspirational quotes, positive affirmations and tips for self -care. How should busy legal professionals approach this practice?
SS: The beauty is that there is no “real” way to do this. When you prefer full sentences, ball points or even drawings, the key is simple to appear and be present with yourself. I encourage people to create a written ritual: set intentions, designate a certain time and place. Maybe it’s at. 9 with your coffee or before bedtime on your bedside table. Make it visible, make it easy and have compassion for yourself if you miss one day.
Sore: What is your advice to legal professionals who think they don’t have time for and five minutes of self -care?
SS: I get it completely. I was the person who worked 20-hour days thought self-care was either selfish or impossible. But the five minutes are not time lost, they are an investment that helps you get a group and actually lead to more productivity. When you burned out, you still do not work with full capacity. This practice helps you show up better, think clearly and work more effectively. Research shows that gratitude practice reduces stress and improves mental health, which ultimately makes you more productive, no less.
Sore: What do you hope readers will remove this after 90 days?
SS: My hope is that they are experienced by future shifts from scarcity to abunance. That they have practical tools to deal with stress and prevent burnout before it reaches crisis levels. The most important thing is that I will rediscover joy in their careers. Not only survive their work day, but thrives on actually. After 14 years of career coaching, I have this transformation happen again and again. It starts with something as simple as five minutes of gratitude, but it can really change the field throughout your career and help you build a sustainable and thriving career.
Olga V. Mack is the CEO of TERMERCOUTAn AI-Power Contract Contract certification platform that accelerates returned and eliminates friction by certifying contracts such as fair, balanced and market-respons. She was a serial CEO and legal technical director, and previously led a company through the successful acquisition of Lexisnexis. Olga is also one Fellow at Codex, Stanford Center for Legal ITand the generative AI editor at Law.mit. She is a visionary executive who transforms, how we law – how justice systems are built, experienced and trusted. Olga Teaches in Berkeley LawWide readings and advises companies of all sizes as well as boards and institutions. An award -winning General Attorney turned the builder, she also leads early stages that are included Virtual Gabby (Better Parent Plan),,,,,,,, Product Law,,,,,,,, ESI FLOWand Remarks to my (legal) selfEach reconsider the practice and business of law through technology, data and human -centered design. She has written The increase in product lawyers,,,,,,,, Legal operations in AI and data,,,,,,,, Value blockchainand Come on boardWith Visual IQ for Attorneys (ABA) upcoming. Olga is a 6x Tedx speaker and has been recognized as a Silicon Valley woman with influence and an ABSTA woman in Legal Tech. Her work genimages people’s relationship with the law-what makes it more accessible, inclusive, data lectures and adapted how the world actually works. She also hosts the notes for my (legal) even podcast (streaming on Spotify,,,,,,,, Apple Podcastsand YouTube), and her insight appears regularly in Forbes, Bloomberg Law, Newsweek, Venturebeat, ACC dock and over the law. She served her BA and JD from UC Berkeley. Follow her on LinkedIn and x @olgavmack.