Guest speaker at the Troy Chamber Women's Business Forum Meeting.

Topic: “Finding Your Calm When Things Are Far from It” Speaker: Hailey Burrell, JD is an attorney with the estate planning firm Schluter & Hughes, where compassion is more than a value, it's part of the culture. Hailey shares insights from her practice guiding families through some of life's most emotional and overwhelming moments. In a profession where clients are often navigating grief, uncertainty, or crisis, Hailey leads with empathy. Her approach is grounded in calm and the belief that good energy is contagious.

Thank you, Tara Tomcsik-Husak, President/CEO Troy Chamber of Commerce for these kind words! “Honestly, Hailey was BRILLIANT!  The presentation was informational yet warm and approachable. I got amazing feedback. I think there were some great takeaways, but the real gift was just having this conversation in a group setting. It gave the ability for people to share some of their concerns and find the calm within themselves.” 

This blog post is the draft version of the speech given at the Troy Chamber Women's Business Forum Meeting. What you'll read here is the written foundation, though the live talk followed the same themes, it naturally grew and shifted with the energy of the room.

Opening
Hello Everyone,

As women entrepreneurs and leaders, we juggle so much — growth, family, employees, clients, and the unexpected. And if there's one thing I know, it's this: life rarely waits for us to feel “ready”.

That's why today I want to talk about finding your calm when things are far from it.

Oprah once said: “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
Calm is not about everything being perfect. It's about showing up steady — even when life is anything but.

Personal Note: Experience going to law school, having a baby, taking the bar exam.

From My Work
As an estate planning attorney, I meet families in moments that are anything but calm. A sudden loss. A medical crisis. The uncertainty of “what now?”

And yet, I've seen this again and again: when one person in the room finds calm — even for a few breaths — everything shifts. Emotions soften. Choices get clearer. People move forward.

One client came to me after losing her husband unexpectedly. She was drowning in grief and paperwork. Instead of starting with documents, I asked her to tell me a story about him. For twenty minutes, she laughed and cried. Only then could she face the decisions ahead.

Calm created clarity.

Another family came to me fighting over who should handle their father's finances. Voices were raised. The room was charged. I asked each person not for their opinion, but for their greatest fear. Suddenly the energy shifted. We moved from anger to understanding — and eventually to agreement.

Calm doesn't avoid conflict. It transforms it.

Lessons from Leaders (
Brené Brown says: “Calm is not a fixed state. It's a practice.”
And that's good news — it means we don't need to be born with it. We build it.

Michelle Obama reminds us: “You may not always have a comfortable life… But never underestimate the importance you can have. Courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.”

I'd add — so can calm.

Activity

What stirred up feelings for you today?

What stirred up feeling for you this week?

Practical Tools
So how can you, as business owners and leaders, practice calm in your own life? Here are five anchors I lean on:

1. Name the storm. Say, “This is fear” or “This is stress.” Naming feelings takes away their power.
2. Breathe on purpose. Even one deep breath slows your body's stress response. Four square breathing.
3. Anchor in gratitude. A quick list of three things you're grateful for shifts your mindset.
4. Pause before reacting. Often the calmest voice in the room is the one people follow. And Mel Robbins gives us a tool: the 5-second rule. When you feel panic or hesitation, count backward — 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 — and act. It interrupts the spiral and brings you back to the present.
5. Protect your energy. Surround yourself with people who bring out your best. Good energy  and Calm energy is contagious, but so is chaos. Find your tribe.

Find Your Outlet

As women, we often forget to take a moment for ourselves. In order to show up as better professionals, we need to take care of ourselves personally.

1.      1 hour a day to yourself

2.     Get moving

3.     Cut down on caffeine – are you eating lunch?

4.     Get enough sleep

Small habits start to build and allow you to compartmentalize. Sometimes scheduling specific time is helpful.

Closing
Maya Angelou said it best: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

When you choose calm — for yourself, your team, your clients — you create not just solutions, but healing.

So when life feels far from calm, remember: you already carry within you the power to bring calm. And when you do, you give others the courage, clarity, and hope to move forward.

Thank you.