In this episode, attorney Maria Montoya-Chavez joins moderator Alex Lavidge to share a deeply personal story about a pivotal incident in 2019. Maria reflects on how that experience changed the way she sees herself—not only as an attorney but as a human being navigating the challenges of a demanding profession. Her journey highlights the importance of resilience, perspective, and the critical role of wellness in sustaining a meaningful legal career. Listeners will hear how she transformed adversity into growth, and took wellness practices into her professional and personal life as a non-negotiable foundation!
MARIA MONTOYA CHAVEZ is President and CEO of Sutin, Thayer & Browne. She has been a lawyer since 2000 and practices exclusively in family law: divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, and the division of complex assets such as professional practices and other businesses in the divorce context. She is a Collaborative Law-trained attorney and enjoys serving as a mediator and settlement facilitator.
ALEX LAVIDGE began his career in Silicon Valley in 2006 and has since focused on organizational performance and preventing professional burnout. He most recently served as Director of Membership and Corporate Wellness Partnerships at Sports & Wellness, a health & fitness club. He is the founder of Best Humans (besthumans.com) and leads 1 Billion Steps Albuquerque (onebillionsteps.org), a civic initiative mobilizing residents to walk together toward healthier lives and stronger communities.
Disclaimer: Thank you for listening! This episode was produced by the State Bar of New Mexico’s Well-Being Committee and the New Mexico Lawyer Assistance Program. All editing and sound mixing was done by the State Bar of New Mexico and/or the State Bar Foundation. Intro music is by Gil Flores. The views of the presenters are that of their own and are not endorsed by the State Bar of New Mexico. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment or legal advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and not intended as statements on behalf of their employers.