Kathryn Burmeister makes a point to live every day. As a human being, she channels her passion for others into animal rescue, charities, and other causes. She is an entrepreneur, attorney, author, speaker, and guide to high-level service professionals.
Kathryn has served on the Board of Directors for Ahimsa House, a non-profit that helps domestic violence survivors and their pets get out of abusive situations. She is a member of Animal Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit whose mission is to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system, and is a member of their Pro Bono Program network; a member of the ACLU, a non-profit that works through the legal system and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country; and a member of the Female Founder Collective, a network of businesses led by women, that enables and empowers female owned and led businesses to positively impact communities, both socially and economically. She is also a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, whose mission is to protect the Constitutional promise of justice for all by guaranteeing the right to trial by jury, preserving an independent judiciary, and providing access to the courts for all Georgians.
Though she never anticipated having her own business, after a number of tumultuous events, Kathryn started her own law firm, Burmeister Law Firm, LLC, in October of 2018 and focuses exclusively on personal injury by giving a voice to those that have been hurt because of someone else.
She formed her personally branded business, Kathryn F. Burmeister, LLC in 2020. Known as The Happiness Lawyer™, she speaks, writes, and guides high-level service professionals towards living a full life (both personally and professional) of happiness. She wrote her first book, “Overcoming Addiction to the Status Quo,” in 2020, which tells the story of her journey hitting her rock bottom, mental health, self-improvement, emotional intelligence, and overcoming adversity as a high-level service professional.
A native Atlantan, Kathryn is an only child, of English, German, and Scots-Irish descent, and the second in her family to graduate college, earning her bachelors and law degrees from Mercer University. An animal lover, she rescued her first in the sixth grade. She has ridden horses since she was seven years old and enjoys taking equestrian vacations in different parts of the world.
Kathryn lives with her 4 cats, 1 dog, and husband in Atlanta.
INTERESTING DETAILS
Hobbies and Interests: true crime, Formula 1, rock climbing, reading non-fiction literature, hiking, camping, traveling nationally and internationally with her husband, horseback riding, animal rescue and advocacy, international cuisine (eating, not cooking), NCAAF, mental health, scrapbooking/journaling, watching historical fiction series
Publication I Read Regularly: National Geographic History magazine, NPR app
Favorite Places: anywhere in nature; Northern Italy
People I’d Like to Meet: Michelle Obama, attorney and former first lady; Ruth Bader Ginsberg, US Supreme Court Justice; Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama; Jane Goodall, primatologist and anthropologist; Lozen, warrior and prophet of the Chihenne Chiricahua Apache and; Mary Wollstonecraft, philosopher, writer, advocate.
Favorite Quote: “She was unstoppable. Not because she didn’t have failures or doubts but because she continued on despite them.” Beau Taplin
If I weren’t a Lawyer, I’d Be…: a professional nature photographer for National Geographic
Something I’m Very Proud Of: I am proud of having achieved happiness at such an early point in my life, having established my identity and values definitively, and having truly let go ever worrying about what others think of me.
Mission:
To authentically educate professionals through speaking, writing , and coaching about overcoming adversity, taking control of one’s life, and striving for balance between self, work, and relationship.
Vision:
To be the leading national speaker and writer that focuses on energizing, empowering, and inspiring professionals to own their life in a way that prioritizes self-reflection and self-care, which allows them to be better professionals, partners, caretakers, and individuals.
Values:
Authenticity – To share information, both good and bad, with those that I interact so openness, integrity, fairness, and truthfulness are the bases for all of my interactions. When transparency is in place, relationships can be built on foundations of trust.
Compassion – I prioritize being a generous, supportive, kind, and nonjudgmental thought leader by deeply listening, recognizing others’ realities, and offering support when warranted. When one feels heard, shame no longer has a stronghold and growth can take place.
Self-Improvement – I know how much the desire to grow can lead oneself to truly live beyond any self-imposed limits. Growth is never-ending and once that is embraced, we can be open to our successes and challenges in a way that allows us to maximize our own abilities like never before.
