July 31, 2025
Clio is best known for its innovative legal-tech platform, but its edge increasingly comes from the people building it. In this episode of Real Lawyers, Kevin talks with Katie Wyka, Clio’s first in-house performance coach, about the psychology and practice of helping teams hit ambitious goals while staying resilient.
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Episode Outline
- 0:00 – Intro — Why Clio invested in a full-time performance coach
- 2:15 – Katie’s Path — From organizational psychology and consulting to Clio
- 6:10 – Performance vs HR — Where coaching sits inside a scaling company
- 9:40 – Solo, Doubles and Team — A framework for individual and group growth
- 14:55 – Mental Toughness — Blending accountability and psychological safety
- 19:30 – Coaching at Hyper-Growth Speed — Meeting leaders where they are
- 24:20 – Clio Cloud Conference Insights — Community lessons for law firms
- 29:05 – Measuring Impact — Metrics Katie tracks beyond revenue goals
- 33:45 – Advice for Firms — First steps to build a coaching culture
- 38:50 – Lightning Round — Habits, books and daily checkpoints
Key Takeaways
- Performance coaching focuses on mindset, clarity and follow-through rather than task management
- Confidential one-on-one sessions create space for candid reflection and faster growth
- Trust and ambitious goals can coexist when leaders model vulnerability and give clear feedback
- The simple solo, doubles and team language helps employees decide whether to act alone, pair up or rally a group
- Even small firms can pilot coaching by pairing senior lawyers with junior colleagues for structured reflection