1.Practus: Take us on a quick trip down memory lane. How did you get to Practus? (Bonus points for surprising us).
Dawn: Let me set the stage. Stephanie and I go way back. Our daughters became inseparable from kindergarten through 2nd grade – and so did we. Stephanie eventually convinced me to join her on the parent/teacher board, and we crushed it. We’ve always worked incredibly well together. When her family moved to Boston, she told me, “I just know we’ll work together again someday.” And she was right. We stayed close and about four years ago, when I was feeling a little lost and ready for a career change, she asked me to help her part-time with recruiting. I said, “Why not?” and the rest is history. We’re besties in both life and work. We know how to work hard, play hard, and most importantly, laugh hard, together.
2. Practus: What do you like most about your job?
Dawn: I love the people I work with. Our team is the best of the best. Helping attorneys leave the old-school law firm model and thrive on our platform is pretty cool. It’s awesome to see them go from burned out to fired up. I also secretly love the ops side of things. Stephanie’s the ultimate connector. She can talk to anyone, anytime. Me? I’m the wizard behind the curtain, making sure the magic happens without the chaos. We’re total opposites in the best way.
3. Practus: Sometimes our best quality – is also the one that can get us in trouble (not legal.) Tell us about your best quality – your secret sauce – and how it has worked mostly for you, but there was that one time ….
Dawn: My husband lovingly calls me a pit bull, because once I sink my teeth into a problem, I don’t let go. Whether it’s a stubborn website, a tech glitch, or figuring out a supplement routine, I give it the good old college try and then some. I’ll research, troubleshoot, test, and tinker until I crack it. It can be a little annoying (even to me).
4. When you’re not working at Practus, what keeps you busy? Family? Any cool hobbies or hidden talents we don’t know about? Lay it on us.
Dawn: I’m obsessed with travel. Honestly though, I might love planning trips even more than taking them. I’ve made itineraries for so many friends and family; it’s kind of my thing. I’ll deep-dive into the best spots, hidden gems, and perfect timing like it’s a full-time job. It’s a real passion… not that you’d ever know it unless you’ve been on the receiving end of one of my spreadsheet masterpieces. Currently planning my niece’s honeymoon in Scotland and Paris!
Would you be willing to plan a trip for any of your Practus colleagues, who may not have your organizational skills and ability to plan things in a timely manner? Asking for a friend.
Dawn: Uh, sure.
5. What would your colleagues be totally shocked or even mildly surprised to find out about? Do you kill it at karaoke? Write political thrillers? Train horses? Watch Star Trek (original) reruns?
Dawn: I’m a huge fan of belting out Disney songs—like, really loud. Mostly in the car though to save my family. I can sing almost every word, usually in full character voices, and I fully commit to the performance… even though I can’t actually carry a tune to save my life. I’ve even seriously considered joining a local Broadway group, just to live out my fantasy of being part of a Disney ensemble.
Practus: And your favorite Disney diddy?
Dawn: Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid
Practus: When you say, “fully commit,” does this mean you dawn the mermaid tail and sing from the rock/water feature in your swimming pool to your husband?
Dawn: Oh my gosh, NO!
6. Picture yourself walking down the street. The world is your oyster, and You. Are. Working. It. Your theme song is …?
Dawn: Hmmm. I’d say, “Good as Hell” by Lizzo. Because that’s exactly the energy I’m trying to live by these days, Fifty & Fabulous! I’m owning my day, lifting others up, and reminding myself (and the world) that I’ve got this.
Bonus Question: You’re on a deserted island and can only bring three things to help with recruitment. What are they, and how do you convince the islanders to join your talent pool?
Dawn: The three things I would bring are: my laptop, a solar-powered Wi-Fi hotspot, and a hammock because well, I’m on an island. Convincing my talent pool would only be easy if Stephanie Recupero was stranded with me. But if she wasn’t, I think she’s taught me enough that I could figure out how to pull this off. I would probably stroll up in my flip-flops, hand them a Practus branded beach blanket, and say: If you are tired of fishing for dinner, let’s chat about fishing for autonomy, support, community and transparent compensation—remote, flexible, and zero jungle commute! (My husband helped me with this one!) I’d also tell them they don’t have to leave the island—just bring their talents online. A strong resume, a good Wi-Fi signal, and boom—they can be practicing law from a hammock. But not my hammock. Just saying.
