Testimonials

Sheila has been an invaluable coach. She has inspired me and taught me many invaluable business development strategies for growing my private practice. As a former officer and in-house lawyer at a major corporation, Sheila has the background and knowledge to coach lawyers in private practice regarding what in-house legal departments want and need and also to coach in-house lawyers regarding how to climb the corporate ladder within the law department. Sheila will help you create a plan and will touch base with you weekly to make sure you did your homework. This keeps you accountable. Sheila’s programs are personalized and provide practical tips. Sheila is a master at building a business network. I recommend Sheila wholeheartedly.

"Sheila has an actively growing network which means she has the pulse of what is going on in the legal industry. She also provides extremely valuable, pragmatic, and tailored tools that work."

Sheila’s informal coaching on building a legal business network has been invaluable for me. She also spoke at my law firm’s annual retreat and got rave reviews in delivering honest pointers on how law firms can best position themselves to compete for corporate clients.

Thank you SO SO MUCH for all of your assistance. The negotiation tips and market information we discussed allowed me to more than double my salary and upgrade significantly in the overall benefits department. Even before the new role, the adjustments to my social media brought in multiple speaking offers, network connections, and solicitations from countless recruiters. Further, I was able to negotiate a raise from a point of strength at my former company. Truly it all would not have been possible without your advice, guidance, and sprucing up of all of my materials. Simply put, hiring you more than paid for itself and was the best investment in myself I've made in quite some time.

"Because of her deep knowledge of the legal industry, Sheila helped me realize that getting to the next level was not about my legal skills. She helped me get comfortable using and expanding my network and touting my leadership skills to help me get the role I wanted. On top of practical advice and tools, she provided support and cheerleading to help me achieve the position I wanted."

"I really appreciate having the benefit of Sheila's expertise. I felt a bit adrift in this job search process. Working with Sheila has really helped to provide a rudder to my boat and winds for my sail."

Sheila Murphy is a one of a kind mentor and coach. Her thirty-plus years of experience as an in-house counsel give her a unique perspective on challenges facing women lawyers today. She provided invaluable advice to me about how to achieve my professional goals. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to work with her.

Sheila is wonderful to work with and has helped me advance my legal career. She listens intently and is able to help you target your strengths and goals. She then guides you as you build a plan to achieve those goals.

Sheila was a great mentor to me at for over three years and always made the time for me. She coached me as I (successfully) targeted a change in business functions within the company. She gave me timely advice and helped me navigate politics amidst a company reorganization. She also gave me a lot of personal perspectives as I added a new balance between work and being a new mother. I highly recommend Sheila for her practical candor, keen sense in navigating the business world, and affability.

Working with Sheila on a personal level has really helped me become focused and efficient in determining my goals and strategies, and then making it happen. With her insights and experience, she has helped me craft a step by step process for achieving these goals that seemed overwhelming before she was on the scene. Her knowledge of the industry, and the movers and shakers within it, has also been invaluable for helping focus my energies and directives and deciding where my efforts will be the most effective.

"I went to Sheila as it was clear that being smart was not enough to get promoted, and I was getting tired of seeing others advance when I did not. As a former senior executive leader with a strong legal network, Sheila knows how people are getting hired and how to position you for success. She has a practical approach which I love. Sheila also cares about her clients' success and pushes you out of your comfort zone."

Sheila is a smart, experienced, creative, incredibly organized, and an empathetic and engaging person. I am a partner at a small firm representing primarily large companies in their commercial and insurance litigation. When we initially engaged Sheila through Focus Forward to advise us, my expectation was that Sheila could provide us with needed guidance on our marketing strategy. In the time that Sheila has been counseling our firm, she has become so much more to us, providing career advice and support to our associates, human resources expertise, and words of wisdom during times of crisis, most recently providing excellent support during the COVID-19 crisis. With her deep experience in a large complex corporate environment and her current roster of corporate and Big Law clients, l feel extremely fortunate to have her on our side.