Mia McNeil

I attribute my success to being open to mentorship and learning from people who were invested in what they do. When I reached a point in my life where I didn't know what I was doing, I asked God to send me guidance, and he sent me Raymont and Carolyn Henderson. They didn't just tell me things - they showed me through their actions. Watching them be completely invested in their business, seeing Carolyn sit on the CalSaga board and participate in Zooms, watching the caliber of people they surrounded themselves with - that taught me everything. It wasn't just what they said, it was what they showed. I learned that if you're going to do something, be completely invested in it as much as you possibly can. I also learned to watch the company you keep, because your friends say a lot about who you are. I realized I needed to control my life, build something for myself, and be an asset to myself and whoever's around me. I can't say I want to be of service to people if I don't have anything to offer them. That's why I've pursued so much knowledge and joined so many professional organizations - because somebody was of service to me without even realizing it, and now I want to give back in the same way.

The best advice I've received wasn't really spoken - it was shown to me through my mentors' actions. Watching Raymont and Carolyn Henderson run their business taught me that if you're going to be financially and emotionally invested in something, you want to know as much as you can about it. I watched Carolyn sit on the CalSaga board, get on Zooms, and be completely involved in the industry. That showed me that if I'm going to be in the legal field, I need to do the same thing - get on the ABA board, join LAPA, become a member of NALA. Be completely invested in what you do, as much as you possibly can. The other major lesson was to watch the company you keep. Your friends tell a lot about who you are. I was young and made mistakes, but now I realize that if you're trying to build a life for yourself, you need to surround yourself with the right people. If Kirsten's out every night at the club, she may not be ideal for you if you're trying to accomplish serious goals. This matters especially because I have plans for sitting on the bench and maybe running for city council - all those things are going to be looked at at some point.

Get a mentor. If you want to succeed in this field, find somebody that is in that resource area to help you. It's that simple, because they will guide you. A mentor will help you navigate everything, and I'm so thankful that I have one - it's been groundbreaking for me. And once you know what you want, write it down. Once you write it down, you're halfway done. Also, watch the company you keep. If you're trying to build a serious career, you need to surround yourself with people who align with those goals. If someone's out at the club every night, they may not be ideal for you if you're trying to accomplish something meaningful. Your friends say a lot about who you are, and if you have plans for leadership positions or public service like I do, all of those associations are going to be looked at at some point. So get a mentor, write down your goals, and be intentional about the company you keep.

I think the biggest challenge I see right now in the legal field is that people are really afraid of AI and not understanding that AI is just a tool. I was around when the internet first came out in 1999, and everybody was like, 'oh god, the world's gonna end.' Then when they got comfortable with it, they realized it was okay. But right now, AI is scaring people to death, and unless you understand the concepts of web development and software management and how that works, people think it's going to take over the world. But please, just use it as a tool. That's not a challenge for me personally because I'm certified with the National Society of Legal Technology and I'm certified in 16 different software programs, but for other people, I see that as a real scare tactic. Another challenge is that I'm in a not-city-based area, so I may have to venture out to a different area to get the kind of job I'm looking for. The big bucks are in LA, you know. But other than that, anything that comes my way, if it's meant for me, it's meant for me, and if it isn't, it isn't.