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Young alumni

Mihi Sorensen

24 July 2023

LLB 2018

Host of EMPOWER with Mihi Podcast and Senior Project Manager to the Ministerial Advisory Board for Oranga Tamariki

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You’ve started a podcast! Can you tell us a little more about EMPOWER with Mihi?

EMPOWER with Mihi is a podcast that I started back in June 2021 when I had a very full-on job and was searching for a creative outlet. At the time, I was working as a litigation solicitor in Family Law, and I was feeling burnt out and overwhelmed at work. I decided to find something that I am passionate about to focus on outside of my job so that I wasn't totally consumed by work. I decided a podcast was the best medium to help me achieve that and fulfil that passion. EMPOWER with Mihi is all about motivating and inspiring you to live your best life as the best version of yourself. I drop a new episode every week and each one is full of life-hacks, learnings and honest truths either from myself in some of my own personal experiences or from the guests that I have on the show.

What is the most rewarding thing to come out of your podcast?

Without a doubt, it’s been discovering this incredible community of listeners that find genuine meaning in the things I discuss on EMPOWER with Mihi. I’ve always told myself that even if I had a positive impact on one person that listened to the podcast, then it was worth it for me. At the end of 2022, EMPOWER with Mihi was in the top 5% of podcasts most shared globally (according to Spotify) and I genuinely can’t even begin to comprehend that. But often I feel like the podcast is as helpful to me as it is to the listeners because it’s a good opportunity to reflect on my own experiences and subsequent learnings. The podcast has given me a whole new sense of purpose that I didn’t have before - admittedly I tried finding that in my legal career but to no avail. I’d say it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done and a total privilege to be able to connect with people I have never met before.

How do you juggle full time work and a side hustle and what advice would you give to someone looking to do the same?

There’s no denying it’s a big commitment – especially a podcast. I had no idea how much admin was involved in running a podcast until I started it. It was tough juggling EMPOWER with Mihi when I was still working as a litigation lawyer. My legal career consumed so much of my time, energy and brain power that by the end of each working day I wouldn’t have a lot left in the tank. When I left law at the end of 2021, I took on an advisory role that was completely remote, so I worked from home in the same space where I record the podcast. Working from home gave me a much better balance (rather than having ongoing days of back-to-back court appearances) so that I could invest a bit more time and energy into the podcast which made a huge difference. The biggest piece of advice I would give to someone looking to start a side hustle and work full-time would be: Make sure you are 100% in and ready to commit before taking the plunge. It took me months to mentally prepare myself for the commitment of a weekly podcast and I didn’t launch it until I knew I could stay consistent. 

Has your career evolved the way you thought it would?

Not at all. I thought I was going to be a career lawyer and had not anticipated a career in anything else but I realised quickly into my first legal job that I wanted a career through which I could extend my skills, earn a living and still have the capacity to explore my passions outside of work. Now that I am a few years into it, I’ve realised that the coolest part of my career so far has been the variation in both legal and non-legal roles. I have no idea what my career will look like in 10 years’ time but I’m excited to find out.

What led you to study Law at UC?

I initially opted to study at a different NZ university. The degree I studied alongside Law in my first year was not available at UC but I also wanted to explore another city after having spent my first 18 years in Christchurch. I realised very quickly that I wanted to move home and that’s what brought me back to UC. Before I even stepped foot on campus, I noticed straight away that it was really easy to access student support at UC compared to what I had experienced in first year. It was also really easy to adjust my papers and class timetable to fast track my through Law at UC (after being told it was not possible elsewhere). Because of that, I was able to finish my law degree in a total of 3.5 years study (the last 2.5 of which was spent at UC) which is one the achievements I am most proud of.

What were your fondest memories of UC?

My fondest memories at UC are all related to the awesome people I met while I was studying, many of whom I’m still connected to today. I was heavily involved with Te Pūtāiki which is the UC Māori Law Students’ Society and most of my support networks on campus were built with them. I also started BeyonSoc as a bit of a laugh with some friends and it was quite literally a Beyoncé appreciation club – we won best new club at UC in 2016! Those are definitely some of my highlights.

 

Check out Mihiterina Sorensen, one of our Ones to Watch profiles in our 150th Alumni Showcase here.

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