In this episode, we explore motivation from two critical angles: what motivates jurors to stay engaged and move toward a verdict — and what actually motivates you to show up grounded, prepared, and consistent in high-stakes moments. Jurors don’t get motivated in isolation; they respond to your energy, clarity, and intentionality. And before jurors ever lean in, you have to generate momentum for yourself. This episode bridges courtroom communication with personal practice, showing how relevance fuels juror engagement and how motivation is built through small, repeatable actions — not perfect conditions.

LISTEN HERE...

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why jurors arrive already managing uncertainty, discomfort, and self-doubt

2. How unfamiliar language and legal concepts increase cognitive distance for jurors

3. Why facts alone don’t motivate — and what makes them land

4. How to anchor your case in jurors’ shared values and lived experience

5. What “relevance before information” really means in trial storytelling

6. Why motivation isn’t a feeling — it’s a practice

7. How internal “soundtracks” shape consistency, confidence, and momentum

8. Four practical soundtracks that support action, growth, and follow-through

Key Takeaway:

Motivation doesn’t start with information — it starts with relevance. Jurors engage when they can see themselves in the story, and you stay motivated when you stop waiting to feel ready and start practicing forward motion. Action creates clarity, not the other way around.

Favorite moment:

The reframe that “you don’t feel motivated — you practice motivation,” especially when paired with the reminder that consistency is built through small, imperfect reps.

Links & Resources:

Jon Acuff’s Soundtracks https://www.jonacuff.com/soundtracks

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If this episode resonated, share it with your trial team and start talking about how you’ll anchor relevance for jurors and sustain motivation for yourselves. And don’t miss the upcoming bonus episode wrapping up Season 1 and looking ahead to 2026.

Until next time — keep fostering your voice.

TRANSCRIPT:

Helloooooo!! Hello Foster Fam! Welcome to episode 50 of the Foster Your Voice Podcast. This is the final episode of the first season of our weekly chats. I can't believe it!! Now, we will have one more bonus episode next week as I do my annual recap and review as well as set some intentions. I have a whole process and I'm sharing it with you next week, so be sure to tune in for that. I look forward to it every year and i can't wait to share it with you.

As we wrap up Season 1, take just a second to leave a 5-star rating and, especially if you're on Apple Podcasts, leave a quick review to let me know what you've enjoyed and/or what you'd like for me to tackle in Season 2. I'd love to hear from you! If you'd rather send it to me in an email, that's awesome too. You can email me at [email protected].

Today, we're going to talk about motivation and...well...kind of two branches of it. Before we do though, I just had to share an experience from when I went to the dentist the other day and I want to get your opinion on it.

Okay, so first, let me say that I like my dentist office and I don't mind going. I know lots of folks find it traumatic and just hate going, but I'm fine with it...once we get to the actual cleaning. But first there's the pre-amble and the obligatory chit chat. And that's what causes me anxiety about going to the dentist. haha!

Don't get me wrong, I expect some small talk. I never REALLY like it just because it's counter to my introverted nature, and I just don't like being superficial. BUT...I know there's sound research and logic behind it's role in society and community formation. These kinds of low-stakes, brief interactions can provide a sense of connection and belonging. And, especially In this age of digital communication, small talk let's us practice spontaneous, in-person conversation and keep those skills sharpened.

It's not that I have to engage in small talk—I expect "Did that windstorm wake you up last night?" or "Can you believe it's almost the end of 2025? Where did the year go?" But at my dentist's office for some reason I feel a lot of pressure to go personal and to a deeper level of honesty when they ask "Where are you traveling this summer?" and "What kinds of events are you attending this holiday season?"

I know they're just warming things up and trying to get my mind of the teeth cleaning, but...I don't even know your name, and now I have to admit to you that "this holiday season I made a conscientious choice to limit my attendance at things and set some boundaries so I could preserve my energy and my peace, that for 30 years I've been part of concerts and shows and attending others' concerts and shows and this year I decided that it was a year for me to usher in the "all is calm" vibe and to give up on the hustle and bustle and the obligations. It's not that I don't love people and I'm not a humbug in my spirit, but I'm tired, I give a lot of myself year 'round and this month, I want to rest."

That feels like too much. haha! And then the "how 'bout you?" feels obligatory. I just need my teeth cleaned. I'm not nervous. I don't need some social exchange to set me at ease.

How do YOU do with small talk? I'm sure I'm over thinking it, because...hello...have we met? I'm an overthinker. haha! But seriously, tell me...what's the response i should give with those questions? Hit me up by email or in my DMs to help reframe my mindset around small talk. And then bring on the chit chat.

—BREAK—

Today I want to talk about motivation. More specifically, I'm gonna break it down into two paths:

1. What motivates a JUROR to make a decision and declare a verdict, and,

2. How do YOU get motivated?

And the reason I want to look at both is because jurors don’t get motivated in a vacuum — they’re responding to you, your energy, and how grounded and intentional you are.

Let's think like jurors for a minute. They are compelled to be at jury selection. Maybe some are interested at some level, but most are uncertain, are trying to figure out how they'll accommodate service if they're chosen, how disrupted their life will be and wondering for how long. And they're likely feeling a little out of sorts—this is a new situation, they're wearing clothes that are fancier than they'd like to be, they don't know any of the expectations, so far they've been herded around and they have no idea what, if anything, they will be able to contribute to this process that is called the justice system. So before a single word of evidence is presented, most jurors are already managing uncertainty, discomfort, and a low-grade sense of inadequacy.

Then, you start talking about "premises," or "product liability," or "federal motor carrier safety regulations," or "hypoxic eschemic incephalopothy"—words they’ve never heard and never needed to use. It's not that they don't want to care, but they don't have a foot in the door. What you're talking about, and what your case is about, doesn't relate to them at all. Or at least they don't think so. They've never had a conversation with their girlfriend over coffee about "facet joints" or "retaining wall construction." So this isn’t about jurors being incapable or unwilling — it’s about their brains having no reason to grab on.

So how do you get them on the same page with you — how do you make this matter to them? They are FAR more likely to engage and remember your case facts if they can connect to it in some way. So, what do YOU have to do?

You have to make the case NOT about the specific facts. Not because the facts don’t matter — they absolutely do — but because facts only land when they’re attached to meaning. Sure, the facts are going to be covered, in great detail, but the trial HAS to be anchored in their values, their experiences, and their sense of justice. For instance, if your case involves a wrongful death at a construction site, not a whole lot of your jurors will have ever been on a construction site or worked with general contractors or subcontractors or heavy machinery.

So, you have to expand your case to anchor in the principals around general workplace safety, or expectations around safety in any commercial location. The dangers of your specific location have to represent the dangers that ANYONE could encounter. Now the case isn’t about a job site — it’s about what we all expect when we move through shared spaces. Tap into their values for health and safety of themselves or loved ones as a bedrock of a viable community.

And once you’ve made that shift, this is where motivation really starts to take hold. Make sure to frame your points in ways that resonate with their shared humanity and their sense of civic responsibility. Jurors need to feel emotionally and morally invested, and when they do...? They’ll not only remember your argument but they’ll advocate for it and your client during deliberations.

Tap into their “why"—why does this matter? how does it impact me? what do i gain from this? how do I benefit? This isn’t about jurors being selfish — it’s about being human. Our brains prioritize what feels personally relevant. So be sure to connect your case to the principles that relate to the greater community, not just to your client. Motivation doesn’t start with information — it starts with relevance. Once jurors feel that relevance, the facts finally have somewhere to land.

Okay, so this is how you motivate jurors — how they process information, what helps them stay engaged, what allows them to move toward a decision instead of shutting down.

But now I want to pivot. Because before jurors ever get motivated… you do. And if I’m being honest, this is the part that trips most of us up.

We talk about motivation like it’s a feeling. Like something that shows up when conditions are perfect. Like we’ll feel ready… inspired… clear… confident… energized… and then we’ll act. But that’s not how motivation actually works.

Over the last year especially, I’ve been paying close attention to what keeps me moving forward — not perfectly, but forward, consistently. And one of the biggest things that’s helped me is something called soundtracks.

This is a Jon Acuff creation that, you know I just LOVE. Soundtracks are short, simple one-liners that I play on repeat in my own head — especially when I don’t feel like doing the thing. Some of these are from Jon directly, but others are just things I've picked up along the way.

They’re not hype phrases.

They’re not Pinterest quotes.

They’re anchors.

So I want to share a few of mine with you — not because you need my soundtracks, but because I want you thinking about what you’re rehearsing internally when motivation feels low.

Soundtrack #1: Action Breeds Creativity (ABC)

This one has saved me more times than I can count. Because when motivation dips, the story we often tell ourselves is: “I don’t know how to do this yet.” “I need to think about it more.” “I’ll start once I feel clearer.”

But clarity doesn’t come before action. It comes from action. Action breeds creativity. Not the other way around. This is a real challenging one, because I'm a perfectionist. And that's WHY i need this soundtrack. When I remind myself of this, that action breeds creativity, it takes the pressure off getting it “right” and puts the focus back on getting it moving.

One small action creates information. Information creates options. Options create momentum. Momentum creates consistency, and consistency is how new habits — and new neural pathways — are actually formed.

Soundtrack #2: Some Is Better Than None

This one is deceptively powerful. Because when we’re tired, overwhelmed, or stretched thin, the all-or-nothing mindset creeps in fast. “If I can’t do it fully, why bother?” “If I can’t give it my best, I’ll wait.”

But waiting drains energy. Movement creates it. Some preparation is better than none. Some vocal warm-up is better than none. Some intention is better than none. Some work on a project is better than none. And this matters because motivation doesn’t grow in leaps — it grows in reps. Tiny reps still count.

Soundtrack #3: Growth Is the Goal; Not Comfort

This one is especially important for high-achieving professionals.

Because comfort feels good… but it doesn’t change anything.

Growth feels awkward.

Unpolished.

Sometimes even embarrassing.

And when you’re expanding your voice, your presence, your leadership — growth will absolutely feel uncomfortable at times.

That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.

It means you’re doing it on purpose.

When I remind myself that growth — not comfort — is the goal, it reframes resistance as a signpost instead of a stop sign.

Soundtrack #4: You Don’t Feel Motivated. You Practice Motivation.

This might be my favorite one of all.

Because motivation isn’t a personality trait.

It’s not something you either have or don’t.

It’s a practice.

Just like breath.

Just like vocal technique.

Just like presence.

You practice motivation by choosing the next doable step.

By keeping promises to yourself.

By showing up imperfectly and staying in the process.

And the more you practice it, the more accessible it becomes.

And when you’re practicing motivation for yourself, you’re also modeling regulation and steadiness for the people listening to you — including jurors.

Closing Thought

So as you think about motivating jurors…

I want you to also ask yourself:

1. What soundtrack am I playing when things feel hard?

2. Is it moving me forward — or keeping me stuck?

Because the same nervous system you’re trying to regulate for jurors…

is the one you’re living in every day.

Choose soundtracks that support movement.

That create momentum.

That keep you in the game.

That’s how motivation is built — not found.

That's it for today, and that's the end of Season 1. Thank you for coming along on this journey. And, don't forget the bonus episode coming out next week as I wrap up the year and project into 2026.

Until then...keep fostering your voice.