Being raised on a central Minnesota dairy farm, I learned early on that a key skill in life is knowing how to differentiate between the things you can control and the things you can’t. Making these distinctions helps you anticipate how things beyond your control might unfold, and how to respond to the unexpected when it inevitably occurs. It also enables you to identify the areas where you can focus your time and energy in order to make the biggest impact on a situation.

Farming taught me the importance of these distinctions, but being able to make them continues to be integral in both my personal life, especially as a mom where very little seems to be within my control, and in my legal practice. I strive to help my clients focus time and resources on the things they can control, to anticipate and prepare for the things that they can’t, and to thoughtfully address the unexpected when it occurs.