#40 - Balancing the Scales of Business and Life

0:01 Hello, hello. So, as promised, I said that I would share one review every month, as I have a goal of getting 350 reviews, ratings and reviews in order to accomplish a goal of getting access to Spotify's studios. Because, as I've mentioned in the past, I do record in my closet. That's where, hey, that's where I get the best audio quality. Okay, and I want to provide good audio quality for you guys, and sometimes I can't be in my closet and therefore the quality might not be as great, and I'm still trying to experiment and trial and error and figure out what's best, but I don't want that to stop me from providing value. So I'm going to continue and it can only go uphill from here. So here's my favorite review that I've read.

0:41 So Renee Pardo, who is an attorney. She was a trial attorney for 25 years and she's also an upcoming guest on the podcast, so she says this should be required listening. I have spent the majority of my days of the last 25 years in a courtroom with a judge, lawyers and a court reporter. Despite that fact, listening to this podcast opened my eyes to things I had no idea court reporters were actively deciding and worrying about on a daily basis. I think any attorney that relies on court reporters to make their records in court or during depositions would be wise to take a listen. I think a few episodes should be required listening for new attorneys going to court or taking or defending depositions.

1:22 For court reporters themselves that are aspiring to get the most from their careers and possibly expanding to other businesses. Listening to this podcast is inspiring and really fun. Wow, I'm so grateful for Renee. She is so awesome and I'm excited for you guys to hear her on the podcast coming up as well. So that just really that. I love that review. That means a lot to me to hear from an attorney Like who would have thought that an attorney would say those things and would think that a podcast that's geared towards court reporters should actually be required. Listening for attorneys and this is something that we talk about in our episode and I also I talked about with Shalini is that court reporters and attorneys work so closely together that it's important for us to understand each other, to communicate with each other, to network with each other and to be colleagues.

2:13 It's something that we don't do that much as an industry, so we want to start implementing that a little bit more and help court reporters and attorneys to integrate and understand each other and network and collaborate and discuss things. If you haven't left a review yet, but you have gotten some value from this podcast, I would greatly, greatly appreciate your heartfelt review and as much detail as you'd like to provide. The reviews that really people put a lot of thought into it are really beneficial. I know that I struggled a lot as a new reporter and I still am new and learning every single day and I always wanted a podcast like this that would help me push through the struggles and help me to understand that I'm not alone and that everyone else is experiencing the same exact things and that it's normal and I'm not crazy.

2:54 So I don't want other people that could benefit from this podcast and that would like to listen to it not to know about it, because that's how I was for years and that's the whole reason I created this to solve that problem. So please share it with a friend, leave a review, leave a rating, and that will definitely help us out a lot Help me out a lot. Thank you so much. Court reporters hold one of the most important roles in the justice system. We're entrusted with the official records of the courts and we also have to run our own businesses, which is not something most of us were prepared for. I'm Bryn Seymour, court reporter and life coach, and I invite you to join the discussion about the problems we face and the solutions we create on the unique journey of a stenographer. Welcome to the Entrepreneurial Court Reporter Podcast.

3:35 Hey, I got the most exciting email this week. It says you've got one new response your audience wants to join the conversation about the Court Reporter podcast. I didn't even know that Spotify had this feature, so I guess every episode has this question. What did you think about this episode? Shout out to Lori, who asked a question. Okay, so Lori says Hi, brynn, thanks so much for the podcast. It's really reassuring. As a student, I was wondering how court reporters go back to correct the inaudible. Do you just look at context and figure it out? Okay, so this question was being asked in regards to episode 37, perfectionism in Court Reporting, where I shared about a time that I made the mistake of using inaudible in a transcript and the client was not happy with that.

4:18 Lori asked such a great question. The first mistake that I made in this situation was that I actually didn't scope or proofread my own work. I know I've talked a few times about how I hired someone to basically do the scoping, proofreading, the formatting. The includes the title pages, the cert pages. I know this is very different Not many court reporters do that but I just really wanted to create more time for myself and my time was so valuable that I really wanted to pay someone to take all that work off my plate. So I did and I trained her and she was amazing. I have no complaints about her. But you know, everyone makes a mistake. Sometimes it's 100%. It was my fault because I didn't catch it. So the moral of the story is that you should always be the final set of eyes on your work.

5:01 Our name goes on the certification. We are responsible for certifying that every word in that transcript is what we certify is true and was spoken at that deposition. So if I had proofed and scoped the transcript myself, I would have taken the time to check that and figure it out before submitting it. But, like I said, I didn't catch it. The second mistake was that I relied on the audio in that moment instead of having the courage to speak up. If I needed clarification, relying on the audio is really not a good idea, because you won't always be able to figure it out If something happens on the record where you missed something or you didn't hear something properly.

5:43 It's really important to train yourself to get in the habit of just immediately asking and not waiting, not marking it up to ask later. I can't tell you how many times I've marked it to remind myself to go back and ask later and then never got the chance to ask later. So it's really important to get in the habit of just building up that confidence and mentally preparing yourself to be ready to clarify when you need to clarify and also to really pay attention to the context. Okay, so yeah, don't rely on the audio, because you won't always be able to figure it out Sometimes. Yes, you'll get lucky and be able to figure it out. But, like, if you use audio and you know that you can always go back and check later, then it makes that decision to speak up in the moment much more difficult.

6:24 At that moment that we speak up, we're going to feel uncomfortable, we're going to feel scared, our brain is going to convince us that we should just take the easy route. You'll figure it out later. You'll be fine, don't worry. You don't have to interrupt. You're going to look stupid, you're going to be. Our brain is going to offer us all these thoughts and in that moment, since we only have a split second, it's going to be very easy to just take that easy, to just take the comfortable route of staying quiet, keeping your mouth shut and not saying anything and then having to deal with it later, which actually I noticed that when I don't use the audio sync, I'm so much more likely to to jump in and clarify and slow them down or ask questions, which does save so much time editing later on on the back end.

7:05 No one wants to put themselves in the spotlight and bring attention to themselves or make people question their ability to do their job or feel dumb, which is what our brain is telling us in that moment. To just stay comfortable and deal with it later. So I recommend doing the thought work and mentally preparing yourself to speak up and take charge of protecting the record, or just don't use the audio sync at all. That might be why we're not allowed to actually use it in the New York State Unified Court system. As human beings, we have that power and that authority to speak up and say something, and I know that it's not acceptable to put inaudible in a transcript because we're not robots. That's something that sets us apart from AI and a machine doing the job.

7:46 We have that ability to control the situation and to make sure that we get everything, so we must take that seriously. So I know this has been a very drawn-out, long, detailed answer, so I just really wanted to put my heart into it because I was so excited to get a question. To see that people are listening and paying attention and engaging and wanting to know more is so encouraging. Thank you so much for asking that question, lori. The second shout out I want to give is to Jenny, the first year core reporting student at Mark Kislingberry's Academy. I'm just looking at her TikTok page right now. Tips for learning steno briefs what I've learned from the first week of class, reasons why I decided to pursue stenography, and she posted a reel about her thoughts regarding an episode from the Court Reporter podcast, that same episode that I just was answering Lori's question to about perfectionism in court reporting.

8:40 I went really deep into the details of what perfectionism actually is and how it can really go overboard, like for us, of course, for our transcripts, yeah, we're going to make them as perfect as we can, but when it comes to things like creating content or putting out value into the world, the B minus work, the B minus concept, is what Jenny had a realization about and decided to post a reel, even though it wasn't perfect. She just wanted to share something valuable, which was a reflection on what she learned from that podcast episode. So I want to give a shout out to Jenny. Jenny's Instagram and TikTok handle are at the Steno Experience, so check it out. So, as I get more active and consistent with the podcast and more active on social media, wanting to engage more with people and wanting to partner up with companies and organizations that have similar missions, I have been doing some work to try to get clear on what exactly is my mission.

9:32 What is the purpose and the goal of the Court Reporter Podcast? I am a coach, a life coach, certified by the Life Coach School, which is, in my opinion, the best life coach School that exists, and through that certification, I've learned the tools on how to coach anyone through any issue, any problem. But of course, we as coaches usually gravitate toward a specific niche, like a specific area of life that we help people with, and for me, time management is my niche because of how valuable my time is to me, and so for anyone else who really values their time and wants to up-level themselves into like a CEO position where you work with a team and you are the boss and you become a leader and you have these people helping and supporting you and you serve them as the leader, but they also are serving you by helping you with your work, which is freeing up your time For some reason.

10:29 The things that are the most important and the most valuable to me are the first things that were sacrificed and were put on the back burner when I got really busy with work and with transcripts and deadlines and I wasn't okay with that and I was determined to figure out how to get back to living the ideal life that I want to live. And for me, specifically, it's my relationship with God and my time for prayer and for keeping service and gathering together, keeping the feasts of God, going to church after work, volunteering, with all the projects that we do, and for me personally, that's where I get my joy is spending time in like my spiritual home, storing up blessings in heaven, heavenly blessings.

11:09 So I know I might sound crazy to some people, but for me it's really important, and when I became a court reporter I had to give up so many of the things that were really important to me and so many activities that I loved to do, and it was just really sad that I had to give those things up for a few years. Okay, if you, if this description matches you, then you can probably relate to me. So this is specifically for court reporters who feel overwhelmed. You got into freelance court reporting because you want the freedom of being your own boss and having as much time as you want to pursue your creative passions your creative passions, your side business or travel the world with your family. Basically, you wanted financial freedom, but instead you became a slave of your work.

11:50 You know you're good at Steno and you know how much potential you have, but you just don't know what to do and where to invest your time and money the little bit of time that you do have to get your business to the place where you feel confident and excited about it. So how do we actually get to that point of being in control of our schedule, setting up boundaries and not feeling like we're constantly having to respond to emails, edit and submit transcripts. You've probably tried creating some kind of a schedule for office hours where you do all your administrative work, but how often do depositions interfere with that? Most of us don't exactly have predictable deposition schedules I mean, I know I didn't which makes it difficult to plan office hours.

12:31 So what do we end up doing? We take the depositions as they come and feel completely drained by the end of it because we go into it with overwhelm and we don't have the confidence to truly take control of the deposition. And then, when it's over, the last thing we want to do is more work. So we take a break with the intention of returning to our work in maybe another hour or so. But in reality, once we shift our focus to something else, we often forget to get back to our work that day, and then the next day it happens all over again. So you may find yourself kind of stuck with your rough draft from Monday a few days before it's due, and because you didn't take that administrative office time to figure out a workflow for that transcript, you're stuck with it yourself and now you have to drop everything else in order to get it done in time.

13:17 Like it becomes an expedite, rush delivery order, when it never had to be like that in the first place, if you had an organized system set up and some support in place. If this sounds familiar to you, just know that I've been there way too many times and for too long and in fact, there came a point I didn't even have time to spend with, even if I was physically present with them. My mind was occupied by, by the overwhelm of needing to get my work done and feeling like I'm forgetting about something, and just it just was never ending. So most of us are in this river of overwhelm and stress trying to manage our businesses. That school didn't teach us how to manage.

13:58 So you're making good money, but when you compare it to how many hours you're working, it's actually not that great, because your time is worth so much more than money. So, overall, the values of the Court Reporter Podcast as a time management coach, I'm dedicated to helping other court reporters get the same results that I've gotten, and I want to help people really elevate themselves to CEO level while achieving work-life balance. The values that I chose some of them there's a lot, but number one empowerment. Empowering clients to take control of their time, priorities and goals, enabling them to reach that CEO level success. Number two balance promoting a balanced approach to work and life, ensuring clients can excel professionally without sacrificing personal well-being.

14:46 Number three efficiency emphasizing efficient time management strategies to maximize productivity and effectiveness in achieving goals. Number four mindfulness Encouraging mindfulness practices to help clients stay present, reduce stress and enhance overall well-being. Number five strategic growth. So providing strategic guidance and tools for professional growth, helping clients advance in their careers while maintaining a fulfilling lifestyle. Number six authenticity Fostering authentic leadership styles and personal values to create sustainable success and fulfillment. Number seven continuous learning Embracing a culture of continuous learning and improvement, staying updated with the latest tools and technologies and techniques in time management and leadership development.

15:37 So with that comes up leveling to real time to do real time. I think that's really important and I'm going to talk more about that in another in the next, next couple of episodes. And then number eight collaboration promoting collaboration and networking opportunities to expand clients knowledge resources and opportunities for growth. Number nine accountability holding clients accountable for their goals and commitments, fostering a sense of responsibility and ownership in their journey to CEO-level success. Number 10, impact striving to make a positive impact on clients' lives by helping them achieve their professional aspirations while leading a balanced and fulfilling life.

16:17 So, basically, my goal is to empower ambitious professionals like you to elevate yourself to the CEO level and mindset where you can earn more while working less and achieve true work-life balance. As a time management coach, I do think it's extremely important to do real time. So if we want to maximize our efficiency and productivity, real time is the way to go, because that eliminates a lot of time editing and it's just the way to go. I mean, I have to elaborate more on it, and this episode was only supposed to be 20 minutes and I'm already at 30 minutes and there's so much more that I had to say.

16:59 For my solo episodes, I'm pretty committed to keeping them under 30 minutes. So I'm going to record another episode with all the other things that I wanted to share, all the other updates that are happening and the panels that I'm planning that are coming up and that you can participate in as well. The next episode, I'm going to share how my jury trial was and how I realized that I need to start doing real-time ASAP, as soon as possible. I will start doing real-time and I'm going to figure it out and I'm going to share it with you guys, so that no one has to feel that confusion and overwhelm that I felt for so many years, where I knew that I was a clean and good writer and I could be doing real time and making more money, but I wasn't doing it because I didn't have, like the opportunity or didn't really know where, like which software or which technology, even though I purchased Case ViewNet and I had it for a year but I never used it.

17:48 So that was really discouraging. And so I'm sure there are others who are in the same boat and I promise you I am not going to let this happen to others. Sure there are others who are in the same boat and I promise you I am not going to let this happen to others. Anyone who listens to this podcast, you're going to get all the benefits of learning the things that I learned the hard and long way. You're going to learn them much faster by listening to this podcast. So I'm going to take you along on the journey with becoming the most efficient and productive court reporter that you can possibly be and maximizing your productivity and becoming a master of your time and of your business. Hey, thanks for listening to the court reporter podcast. Please be sure to join our newsletter by going to wwwcourtreporterpodcastcom so that you stay in the loop on all new episodes and upcoming workshops, panel discussions and opportunities for you to get involved.

18:35 Some of the upcoming panel discussion topics are court reporting and AI, and then attorney and court reporter connection. We will have a panel of about three or four attorneys, judges and a few court reporters, and then also we want to do a court reporter panel discussion about preference sheet. I know it seems so simple, but when we start talking about these things it can go on for hours and then court reporters meet to discuss rates and negotiation tips. So these are all upcoming panel discussions and Q&A sessions and meetings that I am planning. Thank you so much for listening and have a great week.