Meet Suzi Hixon, esq. | Attorney | Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Suzi Hixon, esq. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Suzi, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
“Clients first!” Wrong!

I hear this piece of conventional advice thrown out all the time, and it sounds great in theory, but it’s not wise in practice.

Here’s the problem: “Clients first!” sounds great, right? It sounds noble. It’s one of those little soundbites that sound great, but there’s little forethought behind it.

I am a huge advocate of prioritizing ourselves, including our mental health, over clients’ matters.

Carve out personal time in that calendar first…at least a week ahead of time. And then, everything else fills in around it.

What should our readers know about your business?
I have been a practicing trademark attorney for almost 20 years. I worked in “big law” for 8 years, and eventually realized big law firm life was not an ideal career path for me. I love paving my own path, and defining when, where, and how I work.

I like to say that I am an entrepreneur, who just happens to be an attorney! When I started my own law practice, I had to be ready to wear a few different hats. I divide my solo practice into three parts:

1. Business development.
2. Practicing law.
3. Administrative.

I love business development, and it’s my zone of genius. So I’ve been great at building my practice into a solid client base in which most of my clients via referrals. While I do practice law, I also work with other lawyers on an independent contractor basis, which is ideal because legal work often ebbs and flows. I’m not great at administrative work, so I do outsource most of this work entirely, and oversee when I must.

One of my biggest challenges over the years has been addressing clinical depression and navigating this health issue as someone who is ambitious and looks and feels physically healthy most of the time. It’s also been challenging because there is such a stigma around it, and I want to make this my mission. To be able to talk about clinical depression freely, just like we talk about other health diagnoses. Why? Being able to talk about it means less stigma, which means people are able and confident in seeking help in whatever method or fashion works for them, albeit prescription, talk therapy, or a combination.

My goal now is to make my plight my purpose. I do not want other attorneys, or anyone, suffering internally because they are afraid of the stigma. We have to overcome the stigma.

I started Legally Blissed for this very reason. I know the name sounds like an oxymoron, but I think it’s vital to bring mental health awareness to the forefront for female lawyers. I get it.

Believe it or not, I felt like such a fraud as well when I started Legally Blissed because I was going through a period where I couldn’t really call myself “blissed.” But, again, my mess is my mission. And sometimes, we are messy. Even lawyers. We don’t always have our act together.

Legally Blissed is all about putting ourselves first. Even above our clients’ matters. This type of thinking is really anathema to how we are trained as lawyers.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am all about city AND mountain views when exploring!

Because a workout is a must, Red Rocks Amphitheater would be an amazing start to the day. Not only is the spot unique, but the views are also amazing and I love utilizing the steps to get my heart rate up! No concert required

A cool down with a walk through the Denver Botanic Gardens is up next, and then mimosas and bacon would be required for post-workout nutrition at Bacon House.

The best thing after a nice brunch is a stroll through Confluence Park, with the hopes that we could see some kayakers showing off. Maybe we would get crazy, and rent our own tubes!

After a little break and getting dressed up, I would take my friend to the gorgeous rooftop bar at Le Meridien ~54thirty for unique drinks and small plates. What an amazing way to end the day!

Mountain views and city views! Being active and eating! All of these are included in my perfect Denver day!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to give a shoutout to my coach Nicky Hammond. Nicky is a brilliant coach who challenges my thinking and helps me question my own deeply-ingrained beliefs about myself and what I’ve been taught. She helps me see new and different perspectives. She helps me see what is possible in my business and my personal life.

Nicky also helped me navigate a recent personal challenge. In fact, she helped me question whether that recent event was actually a “challenge.” She did so with kindness and love for me.

Even though we are about 9000 miles apart and work only through Zoom, digital or not, Nicky’s care for me is palpable. I consider myself so fortunate to get to work with someone like Nicky, and I’m excited to get to continue working with her in the capacity of a coach trainee through her training program. I hope that I can pass on the same genuine concern, curiosity and love for the clients with whom I work in the future.

Website: www.LegallyBlissed.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzihixon/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzihixon/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzihixon

Other: My Linktree: https://linktr.ee/suzihixon