Kirby Yost, 34
Shareholder, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC; Graduate, Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law, Class of 2019; Young Lawyers Division Volunteer of the Year, Chattanooga Bar Association, 2014; Order of the Coif, University of Tennessee College of Law; Chancellor's Honors Scholar, University of Tennessee, 2007; Member, Pi Kappa Phi National Honor Society
Mantra: #juststaysane
Quarantine projects: I told myself I would improve my pace in running and maintain my normal productivity level for work. I have maybe slightly improved my pace, but running on a mountain is WAY harder than running downtown! I have maintained work productivity pretty well. My husband and I have also cleared our previously totally wooded backyard so that it is now usable. (Picture cutting down trees with a chain-saw and wading through thigh-high brush and poison ivy). I have also planted a lot of flowers and gotten pictures hung throughout my house that I had been meaning to do for months but never did.
What have you been most grateful for during the pandemic? 1) That we live in a city like Chattanooga where we can be outside during all of this. I would being going absolutely crazy if I lived in a densely populated city like NYC where there is not non-public outdoor space to get some time outside. 2) Extra time with my kids and husband. I get to eat breakfast with my kids, which I don't normally, and my husband has actually been working out with me when I take breaks during the workday, which is totally new. And of course on long runs that means he is forced to talk to me, without TV, cellphones or other distractions.
Has the pandemic changed your outlook in any way? Yes. It has forced me to realize the fragility of our world - the economy, our feeling of stability, etc.
What's one thing you couldn't live without? Exercise, wine, coffee, probably in that order.
What motivates you? I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I am always striving to do the most I possibly can and the best I possibly can. I am also very competitive, so I can't deny that I am also a bit motivated by competition, not so much because I want to 'beat' others, but more because it makes me think, "If he can do that, I certainly can."
One thing you wish you'd known at the start of your career? Say 'no' more often. You are no good to anyone if you are over-extended.