Rachel Sachs' Secret Sauce for Success

1. Who are you? What's your story?

I am still a relatively junior lawyer trying to figure things out. 

I went to school in the UK and in Canada. Even early in my career, I was fighting upstream, and am probably still fighting upstream to some extent. 

I have very much defined myself by my family and my personal relationships. I am a bit of an awkward person and I find that the relationships I am cultivating take a lot of work. However, once the relationships are built, they are very rewarding.

I think who we are in essence comes down to what we value and less about what we do.  

2. What's your definition of success?

I'm still trying to figure that out.

I look at what I am able to achieve in a short amount of time as well as how my actions have impacted other people. Have I been able to help out the people I have set out to help, whether they are my colleagues, clients, or friends? Have I been able to be there for someone when they needed it? 

I truly believe that success depends on who and what in your life brings you fulfillment. We are always chasing success to some extent, but it means different things to different people. For some, it's about financial success first and foremost. I consider myself very lucky and successful in so many other ways. For example, how interested is my child in learning and developing new skills? For me, success is much broader than the traditional notion of success.

3. How did you achieve success?

I was raised traditionally in the sense that I was told to get good grades, go to a good university, and get a job that pays enough that I am not stressed out. This is all despite my family being very family-focused as well. 

I always knew I was going to be a lawyer, but I feel I didn't do it the right way, which was a massive barrier for me. I then thought to myself, maybe I need to think differently and not accept other people's definition of success and how we get there.

People were quite discouraging when I applied to various firms near the start of my legal career. They would say "I see you have a law degree but first you have to be a law clerk" or "you went to the wrong kind of school" or "you chose the wrong path by doing LPP instead of articling". 

Thankfully, I am a very resilient and resourceful person and did not let the discouraging folks get in my way. I tried new things if something wasn't working out and never hesitated to do so. I attempted employment law and found out I don't like it. I never thought I would be working for people in the estates context until I spoke with an estates lawyer who said this might be a good option for me, and a couple of years later after trying it out, I found out I liked it. I have always had an interest in trying to find ways to improve the lives of older adults, so it was a great fit. 

So I think my way to success has been a combination of trying to make a beeline for my goal while also stumbling wildly on my way to get there. Along with that, I have gained confidence in myself over time.

4. What's your secret sauce for success?

Take everybody's advice, tune out what you don't like, and figure out what works for you. Ask people for help - I'm so bad at asking for help, but when I do, things improve substantially. 

I sometimes imagine myself as a lawnmower trying to get through everything - trying to cut through the grass! And last but not least, take the opportunities that you want - even if you feel you are not ready for something, just do it.

5. How do you prioritize peace? 

i) Delegate - I am learning to delegate better. I have a virtual assistant who is really great at keeping me on track and also taking things off of my plate.

ii) As a family we make it a priority to get out into nature on a weekly basis. I strongly recommend spending time with yourself to figure out what you need and then making time for it.

6. Anything else you wanna share? 

I think it's very important that we prioritize and learn things outside of the law. I have been trying to run my solo practice and I have also been doing an Executive MBA. This has been keeping me grounded and teaching me a lot about running a business. I also want to implement an initiative to help low-income people have proper wills and estates planning documents in place.