409 From Café Owner to Lawyer at 40: Sonya Szabo on Reinvention, Visioning, and Building a Business on Your Own Terms

Quick SummarySonya Szabo is a Canadian business lawyer, former café owner, and entrepreneur who has never done things the conventional way — and that's exactly why it works. In this episode, she returns to the Rain or Shine podcast after eight years to share the full arc of her story: building and selling the Vic Café, going to law school at forty, battling imposter syndrome, and ultimately creating a law practice that reflects her values instead of the industry mold.In This EpisodeHow Sonya opened the Vic Café at 35 with three kids — and led with boundaries from day oneWhy she hired a manager before opening the doorsThe highs and hard realities of running a brick-and-mortar restaurant for eight yearsGoing back to law school at forty and navigating four years of imposter syndromeThe "90-year-old self" exercise Sonya uses to make every major decisionHer "quit week" in 2025 — what triggered it and what brought her backWhy in-person relationship-building has been her most effective marketing strategyWhat Zebo Law does and how to work with SonyaKey TakeawaysKnow your priorities before you open your doors. Sonya put a note in her very first employee handbook that said she was a mom first — and that transparency set the tone for every working relationship that followed.Build the business around your strengths, not your job description. She hired a manager before opening and stayed focused on owner-level decisions from the start.Your vision isn't a prediction — it's a decision-making filter. Sonya doesn't hold her vision because she expects it to happen exactly as planned; she holds it because it tells her what to say yes and no to.Think about your ninety-year-old self. When you filter decisions through who you want to be at the end of your life, the noise clears fast.A "quit week" isn't the end — it's a signal. Panic means something isn't working. Go back to your values before you go anywhere else.Memorable Quotes"Before we even opened our doors, we hired a manager. Traditionally that would have been the owner's job — but I knew I needed to outsource that and just be the owner.""When I hold a decision up against my vision and ask, 'Will this bring me closer to where I want to go?' — the answer tells me whether to say yes or no.""When people started connecting me and 'lawyer' together, you could see the relief on their faces — like, finally, a lawyer who doesn't make me feel belittled. Someone who makes me feel empowered."Resources MentionedThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. CoveyThe E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber (referenced)Sonya's Instagram: @askmeaboutcontractsSonya's Website: sonyaszabo.comKelsey’s Website: KelseyReidl.comKelsey’s Instagram: @KelseyReidlFirst Rain or Shine episode featuring SonyaVoxer app — walkie-talkie voice messagingAbout Sonya SzaboSonya Szabo is a Canadian business lawyer and the founder of Zebo Law, where she helps entrepreneurs and business owners navigate contracts, corporate structure, trademarks, and more — in language they can actually understand. After eight years running the Vic Café in Prince Edward County and selling it in 2023, Sonya went to law school at forty and built a practice rooted in her own experience as a founder, parent, and entrepreneur.