For our first-ever Carr Workplaces client spotlight, we’re featuring Drew Amoroso, Co-Founder and CEO of information technology startup DueCourse, which connects lawyers with personal and professional development courses.
We talked with Drew about setting healthy life-work boundaries, prioritizing fun, and why purpose should be the driving force behind every business decision.
Q: What type of work do you do?
Drew: “I started my career as a lawyer but about six years in I found it hard to find meaning in my day-to-day work. I always loved coaching and training lawyers in my network and eventually decided to create a legal tech startup called DueCourse. At DueCourse, we help law firms build healthy cultures and use the power of coaching to support their lawyers. We support lawyers in achieving their individual and career goals by connecting them with a network of independent personal, professional, and business development coaches. Our platform allows each attorney to search for and select a coach who can work with them on things like personal wellness, time and practice management, leadership, mindset, business development, and resilience. We also offer courses, workshops, and training sessions on topics like leadership, feedback, DE&I, delegation, wellness, and workday mindset.”
Q: Who do you serve and what problems do you attempt to solve?
Drew: “In the midst of the Great Resignation, law firms are struggling to find new and innovative ways to support their professionals and build healthy, inclusive work cultures — particularly as they navigate the return to work and shift to hybrid work environments. Our platform is designed to pair coaches with their ideal coach — someone who can help them work through troubling situations, identify goals, set and keep healthy work boundaries, and create and commit to new habits that improve their work and their life. A coach is a co-active partner who asks thought-provoking questions to help coaches think through a situation, come up with actionable options, and choose which path to take, while providing accountability and ongoing support.”
Q: How do you stand out in your field?
Drew: “We’re a technology company that believes people are at the heart of organizations and legal services. Our platform is the legal industry’s only marketplace for personal and professional development coaches. Finding, vetting, and hiring the right coach with the right experience takes time and resources, and our technology is a simple, effective way to get lawyers the support they need. But one of the things that sets us apart is that our mission extends far beyond just building an effective product. Our goal is to create an inclusive, global community focused on sharing the impact of personal and professional growth.”
Q: What project are you working on that has you the most excited?
Drew: “All of it gets me excited! As a former lawyer, I struggled to find motivation and happiness in my day-to-day work.
I started DueCourse in my tiny apartment in San Francisco with the goal of helping professionals be active participants in shaping their career, so the idea of providing a resource that empowers lawyers to do this for themselves truly is thrilling. Every aspect of building and running our company gets me excited, even the most challenging parts.”
Q: How do you stay creative?
Drew: “I’m a big believer in work boundaries, building in time for play, and long vacations. For me, quality trumps quantity every time, and I stay focused on prioritizing things outside of work that help me show up at my best while I’m at work. I have a few creative outlets — like my podcast (The Workday Mindset Podcast), DJing house music at clubs and festivals, and throwing silent disco events. I love spending time outside and prioritizing play and fun. Getting away from work keeps me excited about and grateful for the work we get to do.”
Q: What is the one item or idea that helps make your day more productive?
Drew: “I’ve studied habits and routines for years and coach professionals on how to design their workday with intention. I love creating systems and automating processes and also look for any opportunity to delegate anything in my workday that prevents me from focusing on the projects and tasks where I can add maximum value.”
Q: What do you love most about working in your location?
Drew: “The view from the floor-to-ceiling window in my office [near the Spectrum Center in Irvine, CA] — the Loma Ridge off in the distance is a must see.”
Q: What is a book that you are reading or a podcast that you are listening to?
Drew: I’m partial to The Workday Mindset Podcast (!) and the Ram Dass Here and Now Podcast. I always have a copy of The Master Key System close by.
Curious to learn more? Book a visit to one of our Carr Workplaces today.
