About Kara

I am Kara Stein-Conaway. I am a mother of two, wife, lawyer, owner of the Stein-Conaway Law Firm, P.C., and I am an industry disruptor. I am a past president of the Women Lawyers Association of San Luis Obispo County, and in 2022, I was the President of the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association.

I wanted to explain a bit more about what I mean by describing myself as an industry disruptor. As a lawyer, and with other careers as well, we are expected to take on extraordinary challenges and not let it show when we are struggling. I believe that the model of working ourselves into the ground as a measure of success and contribution is outdated and totally unhealthy. I am an advocate for developing a new way of relating to our work.

Part of my personal mission is that by sharing my stories with you, you will feel empowered to develop a way of relating to your work that feels right to you.

Practicing self-care and self-love has led me to uncover the happiness, creativity, and success that was just waiting for me to claim it. I’m passionate about helping career-oriented mamas to live empowered lives, knowing that they get to serve at the highest level in their careers and also have the loving family life they desire. 

I’m a career-woman. In my twenties, I completed law school, passed the California bar exam, and became a practicing attorney. When I turned 30, I got married and I knew in my heart that I wanted to be a mother. I wanted babies in my life but I was scared. I was so scared that I would be a bad mother because I would be too focused on my career and would not give enough to my children.

I almost decided not to have children because of this fear.

But that quiet voice inside me. That voice that can only be heard when I get still enough to listen, was stronger than my fear.

So, I jumped in, and in 2012 my husband Jason and I, welcomed our first son, Jackson, into the world.  

When I met him for the first time, I promised Jackson that I would be there for him, that I would love him, and that I would teach him to know that he is enough, and that he should go after his dreams. I would lead by example. I made the same promise to my son, Cameron, when he joined our family in 2016.

I am living the life of my dreams, a life where I get to contribute meaningfully to others through my work as a lawyer and business owner and also where I get to have immeasurable joy and connection with my sons.

During the last decade as I navigated the demands of and the joys associated with my career and my family, I’ve sought out guidance and inspiration from mentors. I’ve found those mentors by reading books, taking personal development courses, attending retreats and workshops, and listening to podcasts.

Although what I have learned is multi-faceted, I believe the success I’ve had both personally and professionally is strongly correlated with practicing self-kindness and self-love more consistently in my life.  

In the end of 2019, the editor of the San Luis Obispo Bar Bulletin, which is a publication of the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association, asked me to write a series for the Bar Bulletin for 2020 where I would share my perspective about navigating the various important roles I was balancing in my life.

I was surprised by how many lawyers reached out to me over the course of the year to thank me for writing these articles. I had people tell me that they were comforted to learn that they were not alone in struggling to try to find balance in life. They told me that based on the stories and tools I shared, that they had developed better boundaries with their work that aided them in having more fulfilling relationships with their families. They told me that they felt encouraged and nurtured by the messages that I was sharing. They told me that during a year that was filled with what sometimes felt like insurmountable challenges, that my articles brought them comfort, and were a light during a dark time.

I created the Business Mamas Podcast so that I could share my stories, and tools with more people who could benefit from hearing them. If you are experiencing a dark time in your life, I hope these episodes bring you light and hope. If you are experiencing peace and well-being in your life, I’m so glad, and I hope these episodes will help you continue to grow the tools you have available to you.

With gratitude,

Kara Stein-Conaway