The Playbook: Conversations With Craig Budner – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Patrick Krill is a lawyer, addiction counselor, and founder of Krill Strategies—a consulting firm dedicated to improving mental health and well-being in the legal profession. Patrick is widely recognized as a leading authority on behavioral health in law, having led groundbreaking research and authored over 70 articles on addiction and mental health. He’s a trusted advisor to many of the nation’s top law firms and a driving force behind initiatives like the ABA Well-Being Pledge and Anti-Stigma Campaign. Patrick’s work has been featured in major outlets including CNN, NPR, and The New York Times. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Patrick speaks about his career pivot from lawyer to addiction counseling, specifically focused on legal professionals. Patrick touches on addiction, both within the legal industry and broader, as well as his ongoing research in this space which includes an extensive study of more than 35,000 randomly selected lawyers. The findings of this lawyer mental health study, conducted in conjunction with the ABA and his research partner, will be released sometime in early 2026 within a peer-reviewed journal. Patrick also discusses what law firms can do to support their lawyers, provides resources to turn to in times of need, and much more.

Neil Smith is the former general manager of the New York Rangers, where he led the team to a Stanley Cup win in 1994, the only Cup for the Rangers in 84 years. Throughout his professional career, Neil has been credited with identifying some of the great talents of the National Hockey League (NHL) and is regarded as one of the most highly influential executives in the NHL. Neil now serves as an on-air analyst for the NHL and an advocate in the mental health space. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Neil and Craig discuss Neil’s career in the NHL as well as the death of his son and the journey that has followed.


https://www.klgates.com/client-conversations
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-budner-02bbb0b/
Neil Smith's Podcast: https://nhlwraparound.com/

Mark Koulogeorge is the managing general partner of MK Capital, an early and growth-state venture capital firm that primarily invests in disruptive business-to-business software and technology companies in their A and B stage. In this episode of Client Conversations With Craig Budner, Craig and Mark discuss Mark’s career as a venture capitalist, his cancer diagnosis and how it has impacted his life, as well as technology in today’s society, books recommendations, and more. 

Tina Parker is an American actor and director, and currently serves as the co-artistic director and company manager at Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas, Texas. In this episode of Client Conversations, Craig and Tina discuss her career, including her time on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, as well as her role at Kitchen Dog Theater. Hear from Tina about how to deal with rejection, what inspires her, and more.

Lacey Bundy is the SVP, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary at PetSmart. In this episode of Client Conversations, Craig and Lacey discuss the importance of vulnerability and creating last connections in the workplace and beyond. Listen to Lacey’s advice to young female lawyers, tips on how to trust your gut, and what she looks for in outside counsel.

Erin Millender-Rubin is the vice president of legal at Hyperscience, an intelligent document processing platform. Erin is a self-described generalist, where she advises growth-stage companies on day-to-day legal and business issues. In this episode of Client Conversations, Craig and Erin discuss the world of artificial intelligence and how Erin’s diverse background led her to tech space. Listen to Erin’s thoughts on imposter syndrome, the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and the mentors who made a lasting impact on her.

Dr. Julie Bell is the founder and president of The Mind of a Champion, where she has worked with a variety of teams, individuals, and organizations to improve their mindset. In this episode of Client Conversations, Craig and Julie discuss performance psychology and how Julie works with athletes, business professionals, and individuals to help them build confidence in their work and personal lives. Listen to how Julie helps clients to build better habits and change their way of thinking long-term. 

Rudy Rodriguez is the Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer, and Corporate Secretary for CEC Entertainment. In this Client Conversations episode, long-time friends Craig Budner and Rudy discuss the influences that led Rudy to a law career in the retail industry. Listen to Rudy’s advice to young lawyers searching for mentorship, and how to be the best leader possible.

Olivia Duane Adams (Libby) is the chief advocacy officer (CAO) and co-founder of Alteryx and one of only a handful of female founders to take a technology company public. Listen to how Libby’s how her client-centric approach propelled her and fellow co-founders to be leaders in the data analytics industry.  

In this Client Conversations episode, Craig Budner interviews Josh Glessing, Vice President of Strategy at Haslam Sports Group (HSG).