A Moment of Gratitude

December always has a way of slowing us down. The lights get softer, and for some the Christmas lights come on, the work days feel a little shorter, and the world collectively takes a breath. It’s a season of reflection and planning — but also a season of gratitude. 

And this year, I want to encourage all of us to celebrate the small wins, not just the headline-making moments.

Because those tiny victories… those quiet steps forward… those are what carried us through 2025. 

We may not recognize them or celebrate them in the moment because they don’t feel so noteworthy as they happen but when you look back months later, they moved the needle. They kept you going. And they are so much more meaningful than you think.  So in 2026 encourage you to keep a list of them in your Notes app. And I hope you check it regularly, adding on where you can. 

Today I’m sharing mine with you. 

And as I sit in this season of gratitude, I want to say this clearly: my success is possible because of this community.

Every conversation, referral, message of support, and moment of connection has lifted me in ways you may not even realize. I’m celebrating this year with you because so much of it is thanks to you.

2025 was not an easy year — but it was a transformative one. Personally and professionally, it stretched me, challenged me, and ultimately rewarded me in ways I didn't see coming.

While there are a few exciting things I can’t quite share yet, I do want to highlight some moments that filled my year with purpose:

• From walking the halls of Capitol Hill (twice!! - once to testify and the other as a follow up with the staffers who reached out to me)

• To filming my executive education course and teaching in the online classrooms of the Stoops Center for Law and Business at FSU Law

• To being featured by my alma mater’s Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship at the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee

• To getting back into moving my body, therapy (with the right therapist), and learning how to rest

This year gifted me opportunities I once only dreamed about, ones I never saw coming and lessons I so deeply needed.

But the accomplishment I’m most proud of isn’t tied to a title, milestone, or platform.

It’s the growth I experienced as a woman, friend, sister, and daughter.

This year, I learned how to truly take care of myself — not perform it, not pretend it, but embody it.

I learned how to say no, and how to walk away gracefully.
How to release what isn’t meant for me and hold onto what is.
How to have fun without fear of tomorrow — because tomorrow is never promised.

I reconnected with people who genuinely want the best for me and welcomed new relationships rooted in sincerity, not status. People who see beyond the brand. People who show up not just for the wins, but for the hard and messy middle.

And I owe that in part to social media too. It’s the modern way we all meet, interact and stay connected. And the reminders that someone is always watching and to check my DMs and emails for important messages came at a good time. 

This year I struggled with my confidence and purpose. Maybe I’m not supposed to admit that outloud, but this is a safe space. 

I launched offers that didn’t gain as much traction as I expected and economically I and I think we all struggled, so there were days I was left feeling uncertain and almost paralyzed. But then I’d get a message from a law student or young lawyer reminding me that I’m paving the way. 

Not just for myself, because I definitely am doing that too, but for a new kind of lawyer. Rooted in passion and purpose. 

I had to remind myself this year, quite often, that I wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t just gone for it even when people told me I was crazy. And that my resilience and unwavering drive is the key to my success. 

So finding people who understood that and champion me, and challenge me when needed. But most of all, love and support me, no matter where they came from - whether it’s work, social media, yoga or reconnecting with childhood friends…

For all of that, I am deeply grateful.

As 2025 comes to an end, I feel both relieved and hopeful. And as someone who always believed that 27 and 2025 would be “the year it all comes together,” I can honestly say: while I’m not where I thought I’d be… I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. And it’s so much better.

And yes I have a really good feeling about 28 and 2026. Things might be a little “delayed” than I hoped or planned but as they say, life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. And my business is a testament to that. 

So as we wrap up this season, I want to celebrate your courage, your steps forward, your healing, your boundaries, your resilience, your joy too. 

I know this year was intense and insane for us all so if you’re reading this, you deserve a celebration of your small wins too. 

Miami Art Basel Has Come and Gone Too Soon

This past week in Miami we celebrated the art community, the power of story telling and of course the classic Miami party scene. Art Basel was everything Miami always promises — world class art and conversation, energy, late nights, and a city buzzing with creativity. But in between the after parties, installations, and the absolute surprise delight of seeing Ellie Goulding perform live (a total pinch-me moment as a former One Direction fan and college girl circa 2016), I made space for something even more meaningful: connection.

The first half of my week I spent time networking and partying with lawyers, innovators and creatives. And I closed out my Basel with women who are actively fighting to close the wealth gap. 

One the most impactful conversations we had during The Unlocked Foundation Women’s Wealth Summit centered on a theme that continues to show up in my life and work:

How do we start showing up?

Not just socially.
Not just when it’s convenient.
But in our careers, our businesses, and online—with intention, clarity, and consistency.

Personal branding isn’t a vanity project; it’s strategy. It’s how you build a name, create access, and open doors long before you ever knock. 

Whether you’re rising through corporate America or building something of your own, visibility is leverage. It’s presence. It’s power.

And my favorite takeaway of the entire week?

2026 will belong to the visible woman.

The woman who shows up.
Who speaks up. 

Who finally lets herself take up the space she’s earned.

Deep down I think I knew that, because it’s everything I stand for and do already to promote myself and my business but even I know I can do more and better. And I’ve already been working on ways to refocus and refine in Q1. So the message was timely and important. 

I also want to shout out my friend Matt Akiba, who moderated an incredible conversation on Art and the intersection of Tech and IP Law with the Miami-Dade Bar IP Committee on Thursday night. Most people don’t think law and art go together but for me it was the perfect change up to my Art Basel and I recently joined the committee and it was exciting to attend my second event with them. Even more so to celebrate Matt launching his own firm, Akiba Law, for artists and creatives. He always says I inspired him, but watching him step boldly into this chapter was a highlight all its own.

All in all, my 2025 Art Basel was a wild 5 day bender — my feet still hurt, and yes, I already booked a massage — but I wouldn’t change a single moment. Between the work days I still had to clock in early for, the art, the people, the music, the inspiration… it was the perfect closing chapter to a year of growth.

Until next year, Basel!

PS a hack is to only go to events you’re personally invited to and let the night roll from there… that’s how I ended up at Alex Prager’s Mirage Factory where I saw Ellie Goulding. 

DND Hot Take

I saw a post recently saying that a woman being on Do Not Disturb is a red flag. And honestly? I had to laugh. 

Because for me, DND isn’t avoidance — it’s survival. It’s structure. It’s the only way I can move through my day with clarity, purpose, and presence.

Staying on task and not getting pulled into the chaos of constant notifications is how I honor my commitments. My workday is for my clients — the people who trust me with real issues, real deadlines, and real expectations. It’s also for the family and friends who matter most, the ones who get my attention even when the rest of the world is muted.

People love to say in dating “if he wanted to he would,” as a cop out if a guy isn’t giving them attention how and when they want it but as someone who wants to be 1 intentional in dating and 2 not lose sight of myself and my goals, DND keeps me in alignment. 

If I had children or a partner they’d be bypassing that setting anyway. My family definitely does. So do my close friends. 

Everything else — social media, casual conversations, the “ping” of other people's urgency — belongs to after hours, whenever that happens to be. Because most of the time other people’s urgency is not my problem. And boundaries are a love letter to myself. 

But if I didn’t have DND on - which I have since 2018 when I was studying for the LSAT, and it automatically synced to my phone and I’ve never changed it because - I’d never get anything done. In work or my personal life. And trust me when I’m relaxing or at yoga, nothing is getting my way. 

Choosing DND isn’t about shutting people out. It’s about protecting my peace, preserving my energy, and giving myself the space to show up as the version of me that my work and the people I love deserve. Peace is not something I stumble into; it’s something I guard intentionally.

So if prioritizing myself is considered a “red flag”?

Then I’m proudly waving it.

And those who care about that, are probably not the people you want to surround yourself with anyway. 

Monthly Favorites

I love closing out each month by sharing the little things bringing me joy — from fashion finds to content that’s expanding my mind. Here’s what made the December favorites list:

What I’m Wearing

Commense Skirt
My go-to this month. Sleek, elevated, and the perfect everyday statement piece. Everyone at the Women’s Wealth Summit stopped me about it and it broke my DMs so I hope you love it!

Meshki Skirt
The fit, the fabric, the silhouette — everything about this skirt is chef’s kiss. It’s effortlessly chic and pairs with just about anything. It was my ode to a business suit for the IP committee event and I can’t wait to wear it again. 

What I’m Listening To

These two podcast episodes were standouts:

Hot Smart Rich 

A sharp breakdown of how Gen Z’s “Absurd Era,” AI, shifting consumer behavior, and the decline of the traditional influencer are reshaping the future of business, entertainment, and online influence heading into 2026.

Reese Witherspoon
A candid conversation with Reese Witherspoon on ownership, reinvention, and the power of betting on yourself — offering clear, empowering lessons on money, independence, and knowing when it’s time to step into your next chapter.

If you're curious where digital influence is going in 2026 and beyond, these are a must.

What I'm Watching

Scandal Rewatch
Because sometimes the only correct form of self-care is Olivia Pope, a glass of wine, and yelling “It’s handled” with your whole chest.

Outro

As we close out this year together, I keep coming back to this truth: growth rarely looks the way we expect it to, but it always leads us exactly where we’re meant to be. 2025 asked a lot of me — of all of us — and yet it offered just as much in return. 

The lessons, the breakthroughs, the people, the opportunities, the quiet moments of clarity… none of it was accidental.

Thank you for being here — for reading, supporting, encouraging, sharing, celebrating, and simply showing up. This community has been one of the greatest gifts of my year, and I don’t take a single moment of it for granted.

As we step into 2026, I’m carrying with me everything this year taught me: the power of visibility, the necessity of boundaries, the importance of protecting my peace, the beauty of authentic connection, and the magic of saying yes to what’s meant for me and no to everything that isn’t.

My hope for you is simple:
That you honor your wins — especially the small ones.
That you trust the timing of your own becoming.
That you give yourself permission to show up boldly and unapologetically.
And that you walk into the new year believing — truly believing — that you deserve everything you’re dreaming of.

Here’s to more growth, more alignment, more joy, more visibility, more peace, and more moments that make us stop and say, “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

Thank you for being such an important part of my 2025.
I can’t wait to step into 2026 with you.

Happy holidays, and here’s to a beautiful year ahead.

Keep Up With Kayla and Kayla Moran Law

Let’s make December a month of purpose, passion, and productivity.

Thanks for reading!

Talk soon,

Kayla