Kathryn Burmeister : Addiction to the Status Quo

Our show is about addiction, not to drugs but addiction to work and maintaining the status quo. There are times when hard work is required, but society and corporate culture have created the hustle and grind, a badge to be worn with honour.

My guest on the show is Kathryn Burmeister, a recovering Attorney.   

 

Her desire to work in the law started in middle school. Kathryn was inspired by the books “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr and  “ To kill a Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee. Influential books that explore the law and the legal system. They planted the seed and set Kathryn on her life path of becoming an attorney. 

 

During high school, she found work in various law firms to experience different types of practice before going off to study law school.

After passing the bar exam, she got her license and went on to practice in her dream job at a personal injury law firm, working for people looking for compensation. 

It was a well-established firm; the managing partner had over 30 years of experience. He employed Kathyrn and a small team of attornies and paralegals. 

 

For over a year, it was the dream job she had hoped for until that 2am when that text arrived. It changed everything.

The senior partner could no longer hide his deception and took his own life.

He had been stealing the client's money for years and the hole had become too big to cover. He chose to leave rather than face prison.

Kathryn, a fellow partner, and a paralegal decided to continue the business and find compensation for the clients her senior partner had so badly let down.

 

That was the start of her Addiction to the Status Quo, she and her team took on over 70 cases. It became a mission, and they worked every hour they could.

Living on adrenaline, she was the emotional support to her clients and the team. It became an addiction with a price because Kathryn spent every moment thinking about this situation, and it was too much.

During high school and again in law school, Kathryn experienced anxiety and depression. The exhaustion and overwork brought these feelings back to the surface, and now she was considering her own suicide.

It had to stop. 


Our conversation is about her journey to recovery. It is about the status quo, the expectation from corporate culture and society that drives people into long hours and the building of unhealthy lives. 

 

It is the recognition that there must be a balance between intense work and life, less it becomes an addiction or worse. It requires boundaries to be set and maintained.


The experience led Kathyrn to write the book, “Overcoming Addiction to the Status Quo”.  On the show, you can hear that she is passionate about mental health and self-improvement.

Today she is a regular speaker at events on self-care, business, and law. 

 

She is also “The happiness lawyer”, supporting others in the legal profession to find their work-life balance.

 

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Further details about this podcast along with my Guest’s website and social links are all available at:

https://www.lifepassionandbusiness.com/kathryn-burmeister-addiction-to-the-status-quo

 

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Life Passion & Business is dedicated to exploring what it takes to be Extraordinary, to face challenges and rejoice in the opportunities they bring, and expand our vision into new ways of thinking and living.

There is a lot to gain from listening to other people’s stories, however, the real work begins by taking action in your own life.

For full details of Events, Resources and Services visit:
www.lifepassionandbusiness.com

 

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