I celebrated my birthday last week with some very close friends and family.

This birthday was so much better than last year when we were in the beginning of the lockdown.

It was also so much more meaningful because I have grown exponentially as a result of being through a lot both personally and professionally which enabled me to find happiness again.

If you follow the blog, you know that it was like a bomb went off in my life about a year and a half ago. It basically sent me on a completely new path in my personal and professional life – one that I didn’t necessarily choose – but that I looking back, I can see I was ultimately destined for.

I used to hate change and be so afraid of the unknown. And now I am not. Don’t get set on anything in your life because you just never know what might happen and trust your gut most of all.

2020 gave me a new life along with wisdom, perspective and the tools to navigate new challenges. I’m really proud of the person that I am today. She’s a better friend, employee, sister and partner.

Here are a few other things I learned over the past year.

Michelle O’Driscoll has been in the legal marketing industry for more than 30 years, which means she’s pretty much seen and done it all.

As the Senior Business Development Manager at Sheppard Mullin LLP in San Francisco, Michelle is responsible for leading strategic practice group and industry team marketing initiatives to help lawyers increase their revenue and expand visibility.

In her bio, she calls herself “results-oriented, a connector and a “doer” and a critical member of any marketing SWAT team” which I think is clever and terrific.

Michelle previously worked in marketing roles for Bingham McCutchen, Sedgwick and Heller Ehrman. She is the mother of identical twin sons and co-authored the popular book “Play Around the Bay: A Guide to Bay Area Outings for Families with Young Children,” first published in 1999.

Learn more about her in this Women Who Wow profile.

There are so many reasons to use social media and if you are going to do so, it’s important to create a social media strategy for your organization whether it…

The next Women Who Wows is Dallas-based Leigh Doyle. Leigh is a marketing, communications and business development leader with more than 18 years of experience in the healthcare technology, startup and legal industries.

Her passion for people and human development is evidenced both in her education and training and in her daily operations at Winstead PC, where she works closely with high growth industry groups and attorneys to design strategies and initiatives that accomplish business growth goals.

Leigh is a mom of five (!) and they range in age from 20 all the way to 5, a runner, a lifelong learner and is passionate about helping others achieve their goals.

Connect with Leigh on LinkedIn.