40 Years, Three Generations and a Rugby Cap: Mary Pat McFarlane on Loyalty, Leadership and Saying Yes

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Mary Pat McFarlane, Director of VMH Solicitors — a firm celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, with staff members who have been there since day one.

Mary Pat has been with VMH for 22 years, progressing from assistant solicitor to associate to partner to director. She's also a former Scotland international rugby player who credits the sport with shaping how she leads, prepares and builds teams to this day.

This is a conversation full of practical wisdom — about what genuinely great staff retention looks like, why acting decisively in a crisis matters, and why the best networks sometimes come from places you'd never expect.

We cover:

- What makes VMH Solicitors genuinely special — including a team member who's been there since day one 40 years ago

- How over two-thirds of their business comes from repeat clients — including three generations of the same family

- What they actually look for when hiring (and why cultural fit matters as much as competence)

- Mary Pat's career journey from junior solicitor to director, including stepping back during the 2008 crash

- What she's learned about herself as a leader — and why people management was the hardest part

- The transferable skills from playing rugby for Scotland: preparation, team dynamics and working toward a common goal with people you wouldn't always choose

- How competitiveness can be both a superpower and a challenge in leadership

- Where she gets support — and why her biggest network came from rugby, not traditional business circles

- Her perspective on being a woman in law: why she's never felt held back, and what that tells us

- The advice she'd give her 18-year-old self — and why it all started at the first week of university

**Quote of the episode:** *"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. It's all about the preparation."* — Mary Pat McFarlane

Whether you're building a team, leading through a crisis, or wondering whether your personal network is your greatest untapped business asset — this episode has something for you.