Most lawyers build a career to check boxes: prestigious firm, litigation wins, a steady climb. Sevana Poladian checked those boxes too, then built something of her own. In this episode, Jonathan Cullen talks with the Montreal litigator about launching a solo practice in the middle of COVID, why she chose to partner up years later instead of staying independent, and how she's learned to say no to the wrong clients. This is a story about building a practice on her own terms, one boundary at a time. If you've ever wondered whether going out on your own is worth the risk, this episode is for you.

Guest Bio

Sevana Poladian built the kind of legal career most young lawyers dream about. She started at smaller firms then, moved into a larger litigation firm before eventually going out on her own. Today she's co-founder of Rastani Poladian Légal, a Montreal firm she launched with Camaylia Tavakol Rastani, pairing her civil and commercial litigation expertise with Camaylia's criminal law practice to serve clients across Quebec. She's also co-chair of the Armenian Bar Association's Québec chapter, where she supports Armenian lawyers and students.

Timestamps

00:00 Show intro

00:55 Meet Sevana

02:41 Starting out in litigation

04:07 How litigation builds confidence under pressure

06:44 The leap to solo practice during COVID

08:01 The entrepreneurial skills law school never teaches

10:52 Wearing every hat in a solo practice

13:33 Should young lawyers start their own firm early?

15:51 Why she decided to partner up

17:45 Building Rastani Poladian Légal

19:57 Two practices, one culture

21:02 Spotting client red flags

25:21 Her ideal client today

25:49 Leading the Armenian Bar Association

27:31 Boundaries and balance

30:49 Defining success on her own terms

31:42 Rapid fire

33:46 Closing thanks and where to find Sevana

35:19 Outro and takeaways

Key Takeaways

Litigation is training for entrepreneurship. Years of thinking on her feet and staying calm under pressure in court gave Sevana the exact muscles she needed to run a business.

The leap doesn't need perfect timing. Sevana launched her solo practice in the middle of COVID, after a personal awakening, not once things felt "ready."

Running a firm takes a different skill set than practicing law. Resilience, risk tolerance, empathy, and leadership matter as much as legal knowledge, and none of it gets taught in law school.

Wearing every hat is a phase, not a permanent job description. The growth comes from learning to delegate and finding mentors who've done it before you.

Partnering up can cure the loneliest part of solo practice. Joining forces with Camaylia in 2026 wasn't about needing legal help. It was about growth, and no longer building alone.

Selectivity is a skill you build over time. Sevana has learned to spot client red flags early and has gotten comfortable turning down work that isn't the right fit.

Success isn't a title or a verdict. For Sevana, it's inner peace.

Links

Sevana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sevana-poladian-b70b2b128/

Rastani Poladian Légal: info@rplegal.ca

Recommended show: The Good Wife

If this episode stuck with you, take the Free Lawyer to Leader Assessment at jonathancullencoaching.com

Shareable Moments

"I don't consider age as a factor anymore. A case can be won solely on the strength of the case, not the person handling it."

"I'd already proved to myself I could do it alone. So why not do it with someone else?"

"Nobody knows everything in this world, including lawyers."

"There must be a point where you draw a line, build a wall between yourself and your clients."

"Success to me looks like inner peace. There's a constant inner peace knowing that whatever decisions you make are the right ones."

"Nothing is guaranteed in life, not even the judge you get. About 95% of cases settle amicably."

"One word young lawyers need more of? Patience. Not just young lawyers, everybody, especially in litigation."

Episode Introduction

In this episode, Jonathan Cullen talks with Allison Canton about what it actually looked like to unravel while succeeding, why lawyers have such a high tolerance for their own misery, and how she rebuilt her life through small experiments instead of one dramatic exit. They also get into sleep, boundaries, and why "don't overthink it" might be the most useful advice a lawyer can hear.

Guest Bio

Allison Canton spent years checking every box on the traditional success list. Harvard Law. BigLaw. General Counsel at high-growth startups, where she scaled legal teams through hypergrowth and a multi-billion-dollar acquisition. Then came the uncomfortable realization: the work she excelled at was also making her miserable.

She didn't leave the law. She rebuilt her relationship with it. Today, Allison is a Senior Advisor at Markups.ai, where she helps legal teams use AI to move from contract processors to strategic partners. And through her new project Fit to Practice, she teaches entertaining, practical and data-backed CLE programs to help high-achieving lawyers protect their most valuable asset: their wellbeing. She also writes and podcasts about ambition, meaning, and life after chasing gold stars on her Substack, Practically on Purpose.

Timestamps

[00:00] - Dream job misery

[00:45] - The sleep deprivation trap

[01:39] - Podcast intro

[02:20] - Allison's story, and how she almost became a sociology PhD instead

[04:37] - 1L anxiety and not sleeping for days at a time

[07:58] - How a sleep meditation search became a 15-year practice

[09:24] - BigLaw reality check: they're buying 100% of your time

[12:08] - The leap to Flatiron Health as employee number two

[16:02] - Hypergrowth and the breaking point

[19:29] - Leaving to heal, and getting pregnant three weeks later

[22:16] - Rediscovering the self she'd cut off to fit the mold

[24:30] - The identity box: why her lawyer friend won't publish her books under her own name

[25:20] - The small experiments mindset

[26:02] - Testing meditation teaching in her own backyard before building anything bigger [30:01] - The alarm bells lawyers miss: impatience, dread, a tight throat

[33:05] - Rebuilding a legal life: advising, investing, and stepping back from GC-level weight [38:39] - Making wellness data-backed for a skeptical audience

[43:30] - Redefining success

[46:10] - Rapid fire

[48:31] - Where to follow Allison

Key Takeaways

Lawyers have a dangerously high pain threshold. Allison didn't notice she was unraveling until she was snapping at her three-year-old and journaling "I hate this" at 3am. The signs were there long before she acted on them.

You don't need 100% of your fulfillment from your job. Allison's advice: find one small thing outside of work, a ceramics class, a walk, whatever it is, before you try to overhaul your whole career.

Small experiments beat big plans. Instead of quitting to become a meditation teacher, she offered one free session in her backyard and asked for feedback. Lawyers tend to over-engineer the thing before they even know if they want it.

Sleep is non-negotiable, not a nice-to-have. Being chronically underslept is functionally like being drunk, and most lawyers would never practice law drunk. Allison holds a hard boundary now: in bed by 9 or 10, no exceptions.

Don't overthink the decision. Lawyers are trained to argue both sides, which means they can talk themselves into staying in something that's making them miserable. Trust your gut first, then use the analytical skills to execute.

Links

Allison on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/allisoncanton

Fit to Practice CLE: fittopractice.law

Practically on Purpose Substack: Allisonalliecanton.substack.com

Recommended book: Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

If this episode stuck with you, take the Free Lawyer to Leader Assessment at jonathancullencoaching.com

Shareable Moments

"I don't want to do this."

"We're really good at coming up with plans and following plans."

"Don't let analytical reason run rampant."

"That's the thing I always compromised on."

"This life, even as a lawyer, can be a playground."