In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, interviews Maria Yiannitsarakos, a practicing real estate attorney turned confidence coach who brings ancient wisdom to modern legal practice. Maria shares her remarkable journey from working at a law firm to building her own practice while raising three children, driven by her need for freedom and the stoic principle of controlling what you can control.
Maria opens up about her personal transformation, including her decision to reconnect with her father after 15 years and how sharing her life journey publicly on LinkedIn has become a way to empower others. Her approach combines stoicism, strategic influence, and practical negotiation skills, drawing from philosophical texts like Marcus Aurelius' Meditations and modern works like Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power and Chris Voss's Never Split the Difference.
The conversation explores how stoic principles can reduce stress in the legal profession by helping lawyers focus on what they can control rather than external events. They discuss practical frameworks from Dale Carnegie's How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, including the powerful three-step formula for handling any crisis: identify the worst-case scenario, accept it, then work to improve the situation.
As an empty nester entering a new life phase, Maria embodies the philosophy of being "all in" on using modern tools like AI and social media to create the quality of life she wants, demonstrating how ancient wisdom and contemporary opportunities can lead to both professional success and personal fulfillment.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.