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“Stories stick
and inspire change.”
I love to talk.
I also love to tell stories. Stories stick and if they’re relatable, they’re more effective at inspiring change than corporate speak or platitudes.
It was 1999 and I was an unhappy part-time lawyer with two young sons, trying to advance to partner and also figure out that balance thing. I had a strong sense that I was not alone and that there had to be a better way. I sent out an email to a handful of women struggling with the same issues. Within days, 150 lawyers responded. That led to a brown bag lunch group that grew in ten years to a network of over 10,000 lawyers — first women, and eventually anyone who understood that the legal model was broken.
I am a change agent. Back in 2007, I conceived of the Best Law Firms for Women initiative and fueled a competition and benchmarking among law firms on women’s issues which I led in a partnership with Working Mother for a decade. In 2011, two colleagues and I co-founded Bliss Lawyers, a company that hired hundreds of lawyers to work on temporary engagements for clients across the US. Nine years later, I co-facilitated the successful acquisition of Bliss by its largest competitor, Axiom, the global leader in high-caliber, on-demand legal talent. It’s truly rewarding to go beyond talking about change to facilitate new ways to deliver legal services and for lawyers to work.
Today, I run DEH Consulting, Speaking, Writing and I still lead that network, which has evolved into the DEH Speaker Series and the Inspiration Loves Company podcast featuring prominent thought speakers and an exchange of ideas about what's working, what's not, and how to make things better. I consult to companies and firms and I speak at client events and in public venues in the US and abroad. My focus and expertise have broadened and I work across industry to cover careers, workplaces, and women as well as law. Having given nearly 1,000 talks in my career, I also serve as a communication coach and work with groups at companies and firms as well as individuals.
I believe my story can inform your story. Along these lines, this site provides resources for you, including:
- The quarterly DEH Speaker Series that is livestreamed and recorded
- The podcast, Inspiration Loves Company - Download to enjoy
- Events where I speak professionally in the US and abroad
- Popular speaking topics and articles I've authored
- Information about our consulting and communication coaching services
- Press features, video clips and highlights of our work
- The DEH network and how to join to receive links to writings, events, press features, job opportunities, and future happenings
If you like what you see, perhaps you’ll recommend me as a speaker at an event you’re hosting or hire me for a consulting engagement or as a communication coach where you or a colleague need help. Most of all, I hope the information you find here will motivate you to make things better for you and those around you. I also hope you enjoy your stay, let me know what you think, and come back to visit often.
I Love to Talk
For 25 years, I’ve focused on three major areas:
Debbie Epstein Henry
Speaker, Consultant & Communication Coach
Hi. I’m a lawyer turned speaker, consultant, author, and communication coach with expertise in careers, women, workplace dynamics, and law. For 25 years, I’ve advised clients and spoken at private retreats, public venues, and conferences. My international work has brought me to wonderful places including Paris, Madrid, Vienna, The Hague, London, and more. I’ve also been fortunate to have hundreds of news outlets feature my work including The New York Times, NBC Nightly News, The Wall Street Journal, and, National Public Radio. Among my favorite things to do is host the DEH Speaker Series and the podcast, Inspiration Loves Company, where I invite thought leaders to explore how to do and be better at life, work, and everything in between. I also enjoy consulting to companies and firms on challenges they’re facing and coaching clients on how to improve their public speaking skills and communicate with confidence. I’m a member of the Brooklyn Law School Board of Trustees and past President of The Forum of Executive Women. My husband and I are married 30 years and we have three grown sons.
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"It’s truly rewarding to go beyond talking about change and instead, facilitating new ways to deliver it."
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“Debbie has been a terrific partner for Kirkland in a variety of settings ranging from strategic planning with our global women partners to re-shaping our family-friendly policies and engaging senior partners via targeted programming. She took the time to understand our unique environment and history, and delivered thoughtful, engaging programming and practical solutions that have propelled us forward on the gender front.”
Linda K. MyersPartner, Debt Finance Practice Group; Member, Global Management Committee, Kirkland & Ellis LLP -
“Debbie Epstein Henry spoke brilliantly at our event on the evolving landscape for law firms and the changing talent pool.”
Hannah KayeExecutive Producer, Intelligence Squared, Ltd., London -
“Debbie Epstein Henry has consistently been ahead of the curve in innovating not only how work and family fit together, but also how law can be both good and practical.”
Anne-Marie SlaughterPresident and CEO, New America; Author, Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family -
“Debbie’s consulting work for the United Nations has helped institutions pioneer new and more productive ways of thinking and working, transforming organizational culture. We’ve also been inspired by her public speaking engagements, finding her an invaluable resource on women’s issues and beyond.”
Aparna MehrotraDirector, UN System Coordination Division and Focal Point for Women in the UN System, UN Women