Connecting, Not Networking

After a day of depositions in 2019 that personal injury attorney Janelle Carney Boston remembers as “extremely adversarial,” the opposing lawyer huffed that in 40 years of practice he’d never dealt with an attorney as difficult as her. 

“I remember thinking, ‘Why? Why is my advocating for my client seen as difficult?’” says Boston, regional managing shareholder at GLP Attorneys in Spokane. “He himself would have done the same things that I was doing.”

However she framed it, she kept coming back to the same conclusion: The standards of “acceptable” behavior were still different for women. And if she was encountering situations like this, surely other women—in the law and other fields—were facing similar challenges. What was needed, she felt, was an environment emphasizing community over competition, where women could give and receive support, share challenges and successes. She talked the idea over with friend and fellow attorney Randi Johnson at Gravis Law, who shared her enthusiasm. 

“I wanted to create something where you could share your true, vulnerable self and talk about being a woman and a business owner, or being a wife and mom and a working professional, and not feel like you were just crossing something off of your to-do list,” Boston says. This would not be networking, she decided. “When I first started my career, I did so much networking, and I would dread it. It felt more like pushing business cards. It didn’t feel authentic and genuine.”

The conversation between Boston and Johnson led to the creation of Lady Boss. It’s a group with no membership fees, and a membership that includes lawyers, doctors, realtors and business executives, as well as aestheticians, store owners, salon employees and craftspeople. 

If one member calls a friend from the group when they need a professional service, which happens fairly often, Boston says, “that feels more like a true connection, not cold networking.”

I wanted to create something where you could share your true, vulnerable self and talk about being a woman and a business owner.

The American Bar Association recently noted the period between 2016 and 2026 might be called “The Decade of the Female Lawyer,” as the profession shifts in the direction of a likely female majority. Men still dominate the leadership positions, holding the majority of law firm partnerships, federal judgeships and corporate counsel positions. When Boston first started practicing 20 years ago, she was often mistaken for a clerk or secretary and asked to make copies or fetch coffee.  

“You could just feel this ‘old boys’ culture,” she says. Such misidentification hasn’t completely disappeared. And then there are issues like pay disparity, work-life balance, and retention challenges. 

There were snags. The opening event for Lady Boss was planned for March 2020, but then COVID happened, and Boston and Johnson pivoted to a Zoom meeting. Word got out through personal invitations sent to friends and acquaintances, who in turn invited others. That first virtual meeting drew 15-20 women. 

“There was a real need for connection during those uncertain times,” Boston says, adding, “I think this just shows how sure we were that this was a great idea, because events kept getting canceled, but we didn’t stop. I actually think that as time passed, people got more excited about it and got the word out.”

Attendance at more recent events is closer to 100.

This February, Lady Boss co-hosted a Galentine’s Day event with Vested, an organization for female-identifying entrepreneurs. More than 100 people attended at the Spokane Club—which once upon a time had a separate entrance for women. “We really wanted people to realize the two organizations were not in competition,” she says. “We think it’s more powerful to say, ‘We’re all here to support each other.’” 

A handful of men attended, too. “People ask me if you have to be a woman to support Lady Boss,” Boston says. “The answer is no. Anyone who wants to support women in our community is welcome. … It’s ultimately about building a stronger, more inclusive community for women.” 

Both co-founders’ firms give financial support for Lady Boss, help drive awareness of the organization and its events, and provide on-the-ground event support. An associate from GLP who transferred to the southwest part of the state has started a chapter in Vancouver.

Sometimes after events, Boston says, participants approach her and say things like, “‘I came in not knowing anyone. I was really nervous. … Now I can’t wait for the next one.’ Or they’ll say, ‘I know someone who would love this and I’m going to bring them next time.’ That’s always really exciting.”