Ep. 2 QUANTUM LEAP WITH FAMILY LAW PRACTICE OWNER, ELIZABETH YANG!
Updated: Jan 27, 2023
Bethany Londyn 1:14
Welcome to my first podcast. Yeah, with the fabulous Elizabeth Yang. I have known her for almost a decade now it feels like but I guess eight years or so. Yeah, she is the owner of a very successful multi million law family law practice here in California and has achieved so much she used to be at Raytheon as an electrical engineer. She has six books, her first one being a best seller with Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul. And she is well on her way I work with her regularly to being a billionaire. She is She is your queen of quantum leaping. And that is what we're up to today. So let's dive in. I am I would ask you, let's ask you first what would you say your quantum leap has been in life? Because I have my ideas, but I'd love to hear yours. Oh my god? That's
What was your first quantum leap in law?
Elizabeth Yang 2:16
a great question. There's been so many quantum leaps. And I credited it all to the world of transformation. My first quantum leap, I would say, Well, maybe not my first quantum leap. But one of my major quantum leaps was starting my own business, and expanding into all the different areas of law that we currently cover. So I started out my career as an engineer, and somehow quantum leaps into becoming an attorney.
Bethany Londyn 2:53
Yeah, those don't really go together to me. Yeah. Especially from the law. Pratt, the family law side with that. So yeah, what led you to that magically?
Elizabeth Yang 3:06
Family lots took a couple of weeks. So from engineering to law. So my undergrad was electrical engineering and computer science. And my first area of law when I graduated law school was intellectual property. So that was actually a pretty predictable transition. After I got into IP, I found out that many IP attorneys actually have engineering backgrounds. So that made sense. And then after I became an IP attorney, how I got into family law was during my divorce, they say
breakdowns lead to breakthroughs.
So my four year divorce was probably one of the biggest breakdowns in my life. And one of the toughest challenges I went through. during those four years, if you asked me, Why are you going through this? What's the end of the light at the end of the tunnel? I'd be like, I have no idea. Like, I don't know why I'm
Bethany Londyn 4:08
here. We're just like in the muck of it, just like going day by day. Like, I'm just curious what was going on in your mind during that process? I mean, I went through an ugly divorce too, so I get it.
Elizabeth Yang 4:19
Yeah, well, my whole bedroom was filled with my own court papers. I was like, inundated with court hearing after court hearing. It was really nasty. Like, you're literally sleeping in it to pretty much I was sleeping or not sleeping, losing sleep over it. Both. Yeah. So it was it was a long ordeal for years of the divorce when the marriage only lasted a year and a half. Because we had two kids out of it. So it was like taking care of the kids on top of attorney fees and all that
Bethany Londyn 4:53
and what were you doing for work at that time? That was that I had just
Elizabeth Yang 4:56
started out my own practice. So I was pretty new. Oh, okay. Yeah, didn't really have a stable income, you know, starving entrepreneur. Yes. Trying to get my own clients trying to make it work and trying to make this divorce go away.
Bethany Londyn 5:13
Yeah. Putting on a happy face for your clients. Yeah.
Elizabeth Yang 5:20
And, you know, fast forward after the divorce finished, it was basically looking back, it was a four year education and family law. And I became so well versed in family law that I, it only made sense to add it to my one of my areas of practice. So they added family law into my law firm practice area. And during the pandemic, the last two, three years, family law cases skyrocketed. There's been so many family law cases, it's crazy. Our phones are ringing off the hook. And IP cases actually went down. If we had only dependent on IP cases to survive, and a pandemic, or law firm probably would have gone under. But it's been family law. That's been
Bethany Londyn 6:11
what did I am in curiously, what is the timeframe from you going from like, let's say on your bedroom floor, going through all these all this paperwork to being multimillion dollar company.
Elizabeth Yang 6:25
So my divorce, I filed for divorce in 2010. The divorce lasted four years. So I ended the divorce in 2014. And then, in 2016, I split up from my business partner, I came out on my own and really got into family law. So it was mainly the last five or six years that I've grown my practice to where it is now.
Bethany Londyn 6:48
catapulted. Yeah, I have, like 30 employees
Elizabeth Yang 6:52
is that 30 employees approximately, and five virtual assistants? So yeah, I'm still growing.
Bethany Londyn 7:03
So how did you I know you've done a lot, you've done a lot of personal development. And I know there's a lot of CEOs and whatnot out there that may not dive into that space just yet. So how would you say that has supported you in actually attracting all this business? Or do you think that there's a correlation at all?
Why it’s so important to have clear energy in the corporate world.
Elizabeth Yang 7:28
Oh, there's definitely a correlation. I think there's a correlation and everything in anything. So Beth, and I work with you on a very energetic level. And I know how important it is to clear energy in the corporate world. You know, things happen so often in our worlds, that sometimes unexplainable, that something unpredictable, just completely happens out of the blue, like miracles happen. And so it's so important to clear energy, because otherwise, random things will happen that could just devastate the business or random things can happen. That could just elevate the business. And I feel like a lot of this stuff is out of our control. You know, like, the the success of my business right now. Dependent on the pandemic happening. That's yeah, my control. I
Bethany Londyn 8:22
couldn't I didn't know that. I didn't know that part of it. It's interesting. Yeah.
Elizabeth Yang 8:27
Yeah, it dependent on couples quarantine, and getting sick of each other. That's why they wanted to file. Yeah, it depends on our economy and our industry, it depends on so many things that I feel like are out of our control. And so it's really important for business owners to have clear energy because there's so many elements that affect our business that's that I feel like are out of our control.
Bethany Londyn 8:54
Yeah. Yeah. So surrendering to knowing that you don't completely have control. And then it sounds like you've kind of like swayed and and shifted with it as well. So it's like you're aware of what's happening and willing to jump in any which way? Mm hmm.
Elizabeth Yang 9:16
Yeah, we can, you know, control what we do on a daily basis. You know, how we respond to things all that we can control, but there's lots of entrepreneurs out there that respond Wow, they're smart, and they still fail. Yeah, so true. There's so many elements and you know, it's we got to the timings gotta be, right, the People's gotta be right. Like if I put out a job posting today, versus a month from today, I'm gonna get different people applying for the jobs. I can't control who applies and what candidates I get and you know, what not I can control my job posting. I can control my interviewing skills I can control who I hire, but I can't control who applies. That is all based on timing and energy. Right? Yeah. Because if
What has supported her to get to where she is today?
Bethany Londyn 10:07
another person was by your side and parallel moving through the, the timeline with you and trying to build their own family law practice, I just I'm curious because you've obviously accelerated more than I would say, maybe this person over here. So you have this drive about you, you do have like a very open energy already, because I know you've done a lot of clearings, which I also would love to dive into in a minute. But what do you think has supported you and like being this much more above the rest?
Elizabeth Yang 10:41
I think a lot of investment into personal growth, into getting a lot of support, on my side, a lot of coaching to see my blind spots, because I feel like I always have blind spots. There's always things I don't see or can't see. And so I've got a lot of support, and people backing me up. So if I fall, or if I have a bad day, or if I, you know, my energy is low for some reason. The people around me they have hired a GE you know, an amazing new husband, by the way. Not a new husband, but a new business partner. Oh, yeah.
Bethany Londyn 11:25
The last one?
Elizabeth Yang 11:27
Oh, yeah. My second husband? Yeah. It's been for 11 years now. So 11 years. That's not really new husband, but he just started working with me at the firm the last two months. Yeah. So that's brand new.
Bethany Londyn 11:42
That is brand new. So amazing. Okay, so one of the things that is really come to me to bring up in this these podcasts is I want to tie it to our childhood. So like what are things that happened before the age of 10? Because if you think of like some people, they will be like, I'm I'm a super wealthy person, because I never wanted to be poor, because that was something that was happening in my family. So I'm curious if there if you were to like, tie some, some dots, connect the dots looking backwards? What would you how would you say your childhood supported you? In where you are now.
Elizabeth Yang 12:23
I feel like my child has everything to do with where I am today. So number one, I didn't grow up in a wealthy family, I grew up in a pretty poor family and my father passed away when I was only three years old. So my mom that basically had to raise me and my younger brother all by herself, she didn't get remarried until we were in college. So it was just her. And when my dad passed away, she she was a home homemaker, she had never worked a day in her life. So she was all of a sudden thrown into like this really dark area, where she had two babies to raise no husband, no way of making income and had to just get creative. So we did live off of food stamps and welfare for a while. Went to a lot of different schools growing up was very unstable. But one of the things she did with me was that she wanted to make sure that me as her daughter never got put into the same situation as she did. So she made sure my focus was education, getting good grades in school, she actually intentionally kept me out of the kitchen, so that I wouldn't get domesticated. And so there would be no way I would ever become somebody's housewife. Oh my gosh, that's funny to hear, you know, the family and the kids that are financially independent. Yeah, so I mean, I wish I knew how to cook but because of her keeping me out of the kitchen, I I've got really poor cooking skills now.
Bethany Londyn 14:03
Well, and if you really wanted to learn to cook or you had you were inspired you probably would, but it's obviously not there.
Elizabeth Yang 14:11
Yeah. Something that I didn't grow up with, you know, like, people are like, Oh, we've got my grandmother's favorite recipe or this recipe. Like I never had that going home. No, no recipes were ever taught to
Bethany Londyn 14:25
God are so funny. That explains so much. So yeah, so that really supported you in in like making things happen. Just I feel like yeah, being
How her extracurricular activities helped her get into the habit of making things happen.
Elizabeth Yang 14:39
academically inclined, I think booksmart she gave me all these different extracurricular activities as well. And then she she helped me get some good habits in my life. So every day we had a different class piano lessons on Mondays Dance classes on Tuesdays chess lessons on Wednesdays, you know, voice lessons on Thursdays tennis on Fridays, like swimming, you know, all these different classes. And I'm doing the same with my kids now. Like they're in all these different classes. And I think that's how I got really, you know, I'm in so many different nonprofits now, and so many different activities. And I'm like very knowledgeable, and in a lot of different things and not afraid to try new things. So I really feel like it's childhood, like, It shapes who you are.
Bethany Londyn 15:36
So did you. I'm curious, though, if you were to go back. Did you love that? Did you love like doing something new every single day? And like, you did?
Elizabeth Yang 15:45
I think I did. Yeah. Because I love doing that today. Okay, I'm the type who can't sit still, if I've got a lot going on. It's great. And I'm happy. And I'm like, this is exciting and fun. I think I think based on how I'm still creating that today, I feel like it's something that I've enjoyed, because otherwise, I feel like if there's something in our childhoods, that's really something we don't like, as we grow up, that's what we're like, okay, that's something we definitely don't want to do. Right? So we're gonna stay away from.
Bethany Londyn 16:23
Yeah, and you're experiencing so many different things, you're able to, like, lean in the direction like you were in the engineering, and then you leaned into law exam, because my guess is you were like, You were intrigued by it in some way, shape, or form through the experience you went through?
Elizabeth Yang 16:40
Yeah, well, adaptability is another aspect that I gained from having so many different schools. So I went through like four different elementary schools, oh, my two different middle schools, until I finally we finally moved to a stable area. And when I was in seventh grade, and then I went through the same high school, but every time I switched, I mean, you know how nasty elementary school and middle school kids can be, like, oh, the new kid again. And I didn't have my circle of friends, would it be the new person. And I was actually very introverted. When I was a child, I had no social skills, I didn't know how to make friends. Language was even a barrier because my mom only taught me Chinese at home. Even though I was born in the United States. I didn't know any English when I went to school. So I didn't know how to talk to people. There's language barriers, and I know how to make friends. I got bullied a lot. And just when I was felt like I had made some friends, boom, we changed to another school. And I did leave all that behind it brand new again, you know, did that four times in elementary school. So every time I felt like I made a friend, boom, new school. And
Bethany Londyn 17:57
yeah, I would say you're pretty outgoing. So I'm wondering, did that support you in becoming outgoing, then maybe
Elizabeth Yang 18:03
I did not become outgoing until after college until after I entered the working world. Even in college, I kept to myself, I one of the reasons I graduated college in two and a half years was because I cannot wait to just get out of there and go back home. They don't want to go home. I don't want to be away from my comfort zone. I don't like living in the dorms alone with new people. I just not comfortable. And so I decided I'm just going to get all my credits done. So I can be out of here. And
Bethany Londyn 18:36
you did engineering in in two and a half years.
Elizabeth Yang 18:40
Yep.
Bethany Londyn 18:42
Wow. That sounds like a quantum leap.
Elizabeth Yang 18:46
Yeah, that was a quantum leap to
Bethany Londyn 18:50
most people. I think it's five. Isn't it five
Elizabeth Yang 18:52
or four years on notice for? For college? Yeah. Wow,
Bethany Londyn 18:59
insane. And we'll walk you through to the being outgoing.
Elizabeth Yang 19:04
So when I got into the working world, I realized I kept quiet had to myself, I wasn't going to climb the corporate ladder. Yeah, you have to speak up. You got to lead. You got to make yourself seeing in order to be successful at work in the working world.
Bethany Londyn 19:20
So did you discover that on your own? Like, did you coach yourself into that?
Elizabeth Yang 19:26
I think I did. Yeah. And I think maybe just timing, you know, maybe I was a late bloomer and didn't, didn't really bloom until I got to, you know, my 20s when I was working, yeah. So during that time, I met friends at Raytheon. There was not very many women there because engineering. You know, it's a world full of men. So we had a few women and Raytheon and we just stuck together. And we stuck together because it was just us. And we got really close. And we started traveling, we actually started partying together. And that's when I actually started going out and learning how to go clubbing and dancing and friends. I never did that in college. Yeah, so and a lot of my engineering girlfriends, they were the same way to, they came from families that just made them steady, steady, steady, get good grades, didn't really have fun, didn't have social skills. And now that they were working finally free, that's when we all started to get out of the system.
Bethany Londyn 20:35
Got it? Well, in talking about all of that, I would like to bring up one more thing before we start closing it out. Because I know a lot of the CEOs that I work with they it's like all the weight is on their shoulders, it's very stressful. Sometimes they aren't very present with their family, or they only show up to like certain things because they're just so inundated with like paying all the bills and paying all their employees bills and all that. So I feel like you do a phenomenal job at being with your family. Your your real family and your real family. It's all real family. But like your kids, and then like also your like other family, all your other family and friends. Like you haven't figured it out as far as balance. I mean, I don't know if you feel that way. But from like an outsider, it seems like you do.
Three keys to quantum leaping
Elizabeth Yang 21:24
I definitely I'm, I prioritize the work life balance. So I was working at the big law firms, I was billing the requirement 2000 hours a year, working 80 hours a week. And so when I gave birth to my daughter, that first year, I barely saw her I had a nanny I could afford, I was getting paid a lot of money. But I was never around to see my daughter, I'd be at work before she even woke up. And then by the time I got home, she was asleep. So I was like, you know what if I'm gonna continue this, and my daughter is gonna grow up thinking that or nanny is her mom. And so I left the corporate world and started my own business. And the main reason was to get the work life balance to get flexibility in my schedule. And so now that I have my own business, I'm like, I'm not going to create the same life that I did working for a big law firm. Now I can leave the office, take my kids to their activities, I can pick them up from school, and I can schedule my meetings around my family and around fun, you know, because what's the point of working so hard? If we can enjoy it? So I'm sure that you know, I, I, I live to travel and to eat. Those are my two
Bethany Londyn 22:46
lives it.
Elizabeth Yang 22:49
Family and eating are my two big passions. And make sure I make time to travel and to dine out and good new restaurants all the time.
Bethany Londyn 22:59
Yes, you do. How many hours a week? Do you say that you work now would you say?
Elizabeth Yang 23:06
Um, I work all the time. Like I don't even count how many hours but I don't see it as working because I mean, I'm building my business. My baby. And my daughter is interested in becoming an attorney is like, you know, I'm working on this. This gift to give her when she gets old enough to take it over.
Bethany Londyn 23:28
Wow, that's amazing. Wait, she How old is she? She's 13. That's way thought. Like, wow, okay, that's you're inspiring her. That's so beautiful.
Elizabeth Yang 23:38
Yeah. So she's my little cousin. She just completed her summer internship at my office. And so I I'm inspiring people
Bethany Londyn 23:48
to want to become an attorney. So yes, you guys, you guys need to follow Liz, or Elizabeth Yang. And we'll have all this stuff in the show notes later. But if you were this is going to be my question. For the podcast. If you were to look back, connect all the dots like we were talking, what would be three keys to quantum leaping?
Elizabeth Yang 24:13
I think number one is getting coaching or support from somewhere. Because a lot of the quantum leaps, it's it's in our space, but sometimes we can't see it. And that's why I take so many seminars, I go to all these personal development classes and trainings, and I get coaching because it gives me ideas that's maybe stuck in the back of my head or my subconscious. And this stuff will pull it
Bethany Londyn 24:39
out. So how many coaches do you work with?
Elizabeth Yang 24:43
I have a daily coach, a weekly coach and you're my monthly coach. Yeah, my daily goal is that I call every morning 10 to 15 minutes, and she's like, okay, what are you declaring for today? What are you calling Eating. What are you grateful for, you know, gets me all pumped up for the day. And I love it.
Bethany Londyn 25:05
I love it. Okay, so your two other keys?
Elizabeth Yang 25:09
Say yes, as much as you can. Because the universe will bring things to your space. And it's up to you to say yes or not. And I feel like any opportunity that the universe is university poses to us. There's a reason behind it. So I just say yes, as often as I possibly can. Amazing.
Bethany Londyn 25:33
That's, that's a good practice for sure.
Elizabeth Yang 25:35
Yep. And then I don't know a third one, I guess. Third one, quantum leaping is to stay organized, so organized. Like there's so many people out there that have bad organization skills. And for me, like I've got my whole schedule written down, I plan it by every 15 minutes, every 30 minutes. What am I doing? What am I up to, I've got all my emails organized. So I make sure I don't miss emails, I know when to follow up. I know what gets to be done. Nothing does falls through the cracks. So I feel like staying organized, especially in today's day and age when we've got so much information coming at us through text through Facebook, social media, email, phone calls, voice messages, computers, like there's so many avenues. So being able to organize everything, and not miss things is really important. I'm so
Bethany Londyn 26:32
grateful for being able to like voice to text now and be like, Hey, Siri, add this to my calendar right after a phone call. Because it's like if I'm driving or something, and we're gonna my phone just like activated. Like, place it there. Because if I wait, by the time to the time I like, get to wherever I'm going, I might lose it.
Elizabeth Yang 26:51
Exactly like or thoughts are just going at a million miles an hour. So like if I don't do it immediately or write it down immediately. I'm gonna forget it and like Yeah. Did you just freeze up?
Bethany Londyn 27:10
One thing I wanted to share regarding the Yes, really quick that you just shared is I used to work with a coach and he was like Say yes, say yes. Because if the more you say yes, the more Yes, the more opportunities will be handed so we'll get more and more opportunities. So even if someone's offering you a slice of pizza, and you don't do dairy, it's an opportunity to be like yes, I'll have that slice of pizza even though I don't really want the pizza because even if it's just a little bite that you take, then you're getting the yes you're saying yes to the universe and and basically like thank you for providing opportunities. So anyway, my laptop,
Elizabeth Yang 27:49
my laptop just died.
Bethany Londyn 27:52
It just froze up. All good. We're just finishing up well, it's been amazing having you for my first podcast. Thank you so much. If you want to find Liz I will be tagging everything in the show notes on my website. Bethany Londyn not calm but if you want to share where people can find you as well, Liz here that are listening. Yes, they can go to
Elizabeth Yang 28:19
Yang law offices.com. Or my Instagram is also at Yang law offices.
Bethany Londyn 28:26
Okay. Both and follow her. She's amazing. She's so inspiring. She is always traveling and eating and like, how did she do this and have her company it is what I mean. I feel like you're gone almost every other month. I aim to travel at least once a month. There you go. There you go. at all and a beautiful family and friends and I'm so blessed to have you in my life as well. So yeah, thank you. Thank you. We'll have you on when you quantum leap to the next level.
Elizabeth Yang 29:04
Absolutely. Yes.
Bethany Londyn 29:08
Yeah. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. If you love what you heard, be sure to subscribe and let me know by leaving a review on iTunes. It fuels me to keep bringing you more juicy guests. And if you aren't already following me on social media, check out at Bethany Londyn on Instagram lnd. Why and that's a cool factor, or go to Bethany Londyn not calm for healing opportunities courses and additional thoughts. And don't hesitate to create some IG stories tagging me in our guests with your favorite quotes so we can reshare them. I can't wait to connect with you in the next episode and in the meantime, wishing you that quantum leap.