OFFICE DOORS { valley changemakers }
A Day With
TRICIA SCHAFER Founding attorney at Vitality Law PLLC Julie Coleman I Contributing Writer
5 A.M. >> FOCUSING ON TWO C’S: CREATIVITY + CONNECTIVITY
Photograph: Studio No 5
Morning tends to be my highest level of creative productivity. I walk around the house, open the curtains and have my coffee. I have notepads in my bedroom, kitchen and on my desk and often have creative ideas about whatever is coming up for the day. I refer to notes I’ve left the night before about what I’d like to accomplish that day. I also reach out to two or three friends via email or phone calls. Many people were isolated during the pandemic, and I feel I have some strengths I can share. One of the joys of living
I have a pattern of breaking up my day by exercising, work, exercising, work. It fuels my creativity and effectiveness with both my oral and written communication. I draft or read something, let it percolate while I go for a run, walk or swim, and come back to it. This is the way I optimally create content and work product.
and working in this community for 23 years is the number
NOON >> NAMASTE
of people who have touched my life. It’s been rewarding
Midday is ideally the time for yoga. I call it my lunch break
to have the emotional and time bandwidth to engage with different people. I work out in some fashion, and this is driven by seasons. If it’s winter and still dark, I’ll hop on the rowing machine or the stationary bike until it gets light enough for me to run outside. If it’s summer, I shift the run to first thing in the morning and then do indoor training during the heat of the day. 9 A.M. >> A HEALTHY PATTERN
I practice business litigation law in many formats — large and small firm, government, in-house counsel, etc. The best way for me to balance everything I do is to intersect exercise and wellness principles throughout my day. My law practice harmonizes principles of exercise, wellness, nutrition, endurance, academics and the rigors of the practice of law. It is the reason for Vitality Law’s name and the branding of how I live my life. It is the most authentic and genuine way I know how to practice law. MAY/JUN 2022
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and let phone calls slide and don’t check my email during this time. Now that public health restrictions have been easing, I also enjoy lunches with business contacts. It’s been a much-needed reward after the past two years. I learn so much from others and always feel enriched and empowered by my time spent out and about socially. 1:30 P.M. >> FINDING COMMON GROUND
Someone asked me during the pandemic if I had ever thought of becoming an arbitrator and mediator. This was interesting because these were the disciplines that drove why I went to law school in the first place. I somehow had lost sight of that goal. Often, when people think of lawyers, they think of going to court. Private dispute resolution forums are a way to resolve disputes outside the public judicial process. After some training, I became an arbitrator and certified mediator. As a mediator, I try to resolve disputes without parties having to go to full-blown litigation. I focus on
FRONTDOORS MEDIA