Life Conversations with a Twist

“As a person who did not have anything to do but to keep moving forward, I did.” —Jenica Leonard Some lives do not fall apart all at once. They crack slowly under cancer scares, caregiving, impossible workloads, quiet drinking, and the pressure to hold everything together. This conversation sits in that place where careers, bodies, and identities stop cooperating, and starting over is no longer optional. We meet Jenica Leonard, a second‑generation attorney, breast cancer survivor, and sober mom who went from “for the people” prosecutor to criminal defense, from mommy wine culture to DUI, from breakdown to a different kind of service. Her story shows how tables turn when health, addiction, and the justice system collide, and how recovery can reshape the way our work and values line up. Press play to explore how our hardest chapters can become a blueprint for starting again, on our own terms, with our whole lives in the room. Growing up with a pioneering female lawyer and choosing public serviceWhat it really means to be a prosecutor versus a criminal defense attorneyMulti‑generational cancer, BRCA, and a breast cancer diagnosis at 37Double mastectomy, complications, and life in long‑term treatmentThe quiet slide from “normal drinking” into addiction and DUIGetting sober in the same community served as a prosecutorMental health collapse, PTSD, and leaving a stable government jobMidlife, menopause, and building a new legal practice around real valuesFinding support in recovery, women’s circles, and local serviceBoundaries, protecting our energy, and not abandoning ourselves again Connect with Heather:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:42 Meet Jenica— A Life-Changing Career Transition  09:41 Jenica's Family Influence and Career Choices 15:13 Encounters with Former Defendants and The Power of Respect 18:53 A Family of Cancer Survivors  24:28 Surgical Complications, Expanders, and Multiple Surgeries 30:25 Tubbs Fire, Evacuation, and Running the PTA While on Chemo 36:21 Surgical Menopause, Meds, and Long-Term Side Effects 41:44 Pain, Mastectomy, Recovery, & Online Support 48:11 The DUI Arrest that Changed Everything  53:39 Getting Sober in the Same Community You Prosecuted 01:02:22 Grace, Self-Compassion, and Doing Your Best in a Hard World Resources: 💲Discount CLEARSTEM Get a 15% discount when you shop at: clearstem.com Use Heather’s Code: SFVXPHXB 🔗Link: https://clearstem.com/SFVXPHXB Connect with Jenica:  Jenica Leonard is a Sonoma County–based criminal defense attorney with over 15 years of experience, including a career as a former prosecutor in the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office. A second-generation attorney, she now advocates for individuals in the criminal justice system, focusing on protecting constitutional rights. She is deeply engaged in community service and women’s empowerment, serving on the Board of Women’s Recovery Services. A breast cancer survivor and woman in long-term sobriety, Jenica brings lived experience into her work, using it to uplift other women and contribute meaningfully to her community. LinkedIn Support the show