In this episode of the Legal Growth Podcast, host Aaron Fulk sits down with Trina Nudson, founder of The Layne Project, Inc. and My Child Advocate, to explore how purpose-driven leadership, coaching, and systems-level thinking can radically change outcomes for families navigating the legal system.

Trina shares her powerful journey from foster care social worker to attorney and entrepreneur, driven by deep frustration with a system that too often fails the people it is meant to protect. Encouraged by her then-boyfriend (now husband) to “go be one of them,” Trina leapt into law school and ultimately into building not one, but two mission-driven organizations dedicated to helping families and children through moments of crisis.

Opening both a law firm and a social service agency at the same time in 2008, Trina reflects on the resilience it took to survive the early years, the lessons learned through entrepreneurial education, and how falling down repeatedly became the foundation for long-term success. She explains why coaching—not traditional lawyering—became her most powerful tool, and how guiding people to find their own clarity leads to better legal, emotional, and life outcomes.

Trina also discusses the evolving role of courts, attorneys, and technology, highlighting a shift from being “right” to truly “getting it right.” She introduces her newest platform, Be Aligned, a reflection and preparation tool designed to help clients arrive more grounded, focused, and ready—allowing attorneys to practice law instead of crisis management.

Listeners will learn:

- How Trina’s background in social work shaped her legal and entrepreneurial path

- Why she opened two mission-driven organizations at the same time—and survived

- How coaching differs from lawyering and why it matters for client outcomes

- Why emotional preparation is missing from most legal processes

- How technology and tools like Be Aligned can transform family law and mediation

- Why attorneys need systems that support clients without burning out lawyers

- How intellectual property and lived experience can be scaled for greater impact

👉 Tune in for a deeply inspiring and forward-thinking conversation about leadership, resilience, and building systems that serve people—not just cases.