If you know me, you're probably chuckling at this title. If you don't know me, suffice it to say that I have a lot of curly hair. At the outset of my career, I worried about whether I would be taken seriously or look professional with such big, curly hair. But as I started working, I realized that what I was so insecure about was actually vital to my self-confidence. I needed to be “me” to be authentic, and in turn, confident.

I recently presented keys to success at a law firm as part of the Women’s Leadership Committee’s programming. These tips are things I learned along the way during my career, things I saw others doing, or things that I wish I had done differently or better while in practice since hindsight is 20/20.

When I was in high school, I wrote a column called "On Marino's Mind." The topics ranged from taking my driver's test to the vocabulary of the cast of Dawson's Creek. I thought I would be a writer. Then, I joined the mock trial team. That was it. I decided to become a lawyer.