Eat the Artichoke Dip

Not long ago, my daughter went out to dinner with our family. She looked over the menu as we sat at the table when she hesitated. She eyed the white pasty, uneven textured indulgent but quickly dismissed it. "I know no one else will like it," she said. "I'll order something else."

But then, something shifted. She looked at the menu again, thought momentarily, and said, "You know what?” ‘I’m going to order it.” “I love artichoke dip.”  When the dish arrived, her face lit up. She dug in with joy, raving about how marvelous it was—just as she had known it would be.

This small decision, ordering something off the menu purely because it felt good to my daughter, became a powerful reminder: We should all eat the artichoke dip. We should give ourselves permission to make choices that are not dictated by what others expect or by practicality alone, but by what truly resonates with us in that moment.

For women, particularly in careers like law, mediation, arbitration, and ombuds work, so many factors are at play—family, expectations, practicality, compensation, societal perceptions. What if we made choices based on what feels right, rather than simply what is most practical or expected?

The Statistics on women and law and why it matters

Women make up 40.6% of all lawyers. 25.9% of equity partners are women and, 34.6% of nonequity partners are women according to survey data in Law360 Pulse's 2024 Women in Law Report. Yet women lawyers are leaving law firms at rates that exceed their representation in firms.

Women often make decisions with practicalities in mind, but not necessarily with their own sense of joy and fulfillment. A study by the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) showed that only 25% of female lawyers are satisfied with the current trajectory of their careers, citing work-life balance, financial compensation, and family responsibilities as key factors influencing their choices. Moreover, 67% of women reported that they often feel pressured to conform to traditional roles or standards of success in the workplace.

And yet, there’s a silver lining. According to a Harvard Business Review study, 68% of women said they were happiest when they made decisions based on their own interests rather than what was expected of them. These women reported feeling more fulfilled, more productive, and more connected to their work when they trusted their instincts and prioritized what made them feel good.

Take a moment to consider your career trajectory, your relationships, your lifestyle choices—do you feel like you’re always opting for what’s practical or what’s expected of you? Have you chosen the most fitting educational path, job, or opportunity simply because it made sense on paper?

And what about your friendships, your hobbies, or even what you choose to eat—are those choices rooted in practicality, or do they also reflect your true desires.

A call to action   

The phrase “Eat the Artichoke Dip” is a call to action to make choices that feel good. It’s a reminder to trust ourselves and to pursue the things that bring us joy within the profession and outside. It's about not waiting for approval or conforming to expectations, but instead choosing what aligns with our authentic selves, our values and what is fulfilling.

So, the next time you’re faced with a decision—whether it’s in your career, relationships, or even at a restaurant—ask yourself: “Does this feel good? Does this align with who I truly am?” If the answer is yes, then go ahead—eat the artichoke dip.