From Federal Public Defender to Post Legal Career In Photography and Travel Journalism with Sivani Babu

Sarah talks with Sivani Babu. Sivani worked as a federal public defender before switching careers. She is now an award-winning nature photographer and travel journalist, and the co-founder and Creative Director of the cross-genre travel magazine Hidden Compass. In this conversation, Sivani shares about: Really enjoying being a federal public defender and getting up in court every day; Getting a “real” camera during law school and starting to take photos and display and sell her work simply as a hobby; The trip to Antarctica that changed the course of her career and her life; How the people who knew her best reacted to her decision to leave the law; Learning to navigate a new industry that was in the middle of massive transition; Being told that she needed to choose between a career in writing or a career in photography since that was how the industry worked in the past, and deciding to chart her own course; How she and the co-founder of Hidden Compass couldn’t find the kind of magazine that they wanted to read and write for—so they created it; How learning how to do new things helps you move forward with even more confidence; Why you should embrace your fear if you’re thinking about leaving the law; Why the skills that she brought from lawyering to her new career were so valuable; What you should consider when thinking about turning your hobby into a new career; Why you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable; and much more! Show Notes: Sign up for the free 5-Day Career Clarity Bootcamp—> formerlawyer.com/bootcamp Get Sarah’s free guide, First Steps to Leaving the Law—> formerlawyer.com/guide Connect with Sivani on her website , Instagram , or Twitter , or check out the Hidden Compass website , Facebook , or Instagram