What if the fastest path to a top-tier legal career isn’t straight at all? We sit down with commercial attorney and strategic advisor Rhonda Coleman to chart a nonlinear route from high school English teacher to Big Ten Network dealmaker, from Axiom to Accenture, and finally to Google, before leaving to build a thriving fractional counsel practice built on autonomy, impact, and trust.

Rhonda breaks down how complex technology transactions actually move: align with the business early, collaborate with solutions architects to map the tech, and turn risk into clear, workable contract terms rather than roadblocks. We get tactical about master services agreements, outsourcing, and licensing, and we talk through the habits that shrink negotiation cycles, playbooks, prioritization, and tight feedback loops, especially for mid-market legal teams stretched thin. Her perspective across multiple clients reveals patterns that save time and money without ripping out tool stacks.

Beneath the tactics is a bigger shift: confidence and clarity don’t magically appear with a brand-name badge. Rhonda shares how executive coaching helped her unpack imposter syndrome, set real boundaries, and define success as the energy and freedom to do her best work. That values-first lens guided bold choices, including stepping away from a coveted role to build a business that lets her partner directly with general counsels, scale with specialized contractors, and bring enterprise-grade judgment to companies that need it most.

Reach Rhonda here:
www.rhondacolemanwandel.com

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Leadership In Law Podcast with host, Marilyn Jenkins
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