Employee Spotlight Series: Taryn Mohnsen

Taryn Mohnsen is quite simply the marketing machine behind Smokeball.  Taryn is the longest-tenured member of Smokeball’s marketing department and serves as that team’s operations manager.  She ensures everything from conferences to ABA Tech Show to partnerships with state bar associates runs smoothly and on time.  She’s also one of the most helpful Smokeball employees, always helping when other teams need assistance.  With Taryn’s giving spirit leading the way, we thought she’d be the perfect Smokeball Spotlight for this holiday season!

Taryn came to Smokeball after experience in a small law firm right out of college followed by work in a physical therapy office.  Starting out in a small bankruptcy and foreclosure firm gave Taryn the insight she uses each day to relate to Smokeball’s clients.  “I love Smokeball’s legal document automation feature because of what I had to do when I oversaw 12 attorneys’ work at my small firm job,” she elaborated.  “Smokeball is all about streamlining a practice, and we walk you through everything so that you can get back to practicing law, what you were trained to do.”

Her passion for sports and physical fitness landed her in a physical therapy job and contemplating a career in the field.  She got her degree from the University of Iowa in Recreation Management.  “I wanted to be Leslie Knope,” she joked about the Parks & Rec character made famous by Amy Poehler.  “I was always into sports, and still love the community surrounding sports and recreation.”  When an opportunity to work in physical therapy arose, she jumped at it, working mostly in sports-related injury rehab.  “It was fun to give my friends and family help in that regard, too.”

But the legal world came calling again.  “Legal technology was really taking off, and exploring that area with a young company like Smokeball really piqued my interest,” she recalled about what drew her away from physical therapy and to Smokeball practice management software.  Her immense coordination, partnership, and team-building skillsets have been nothing short of essential to Smokeball’s marketing team.

Since making that choice, it’s been the people and culture of Smokeball that keep Taryn excited to come to the office each day: “people are what is best about Smokeball.”  But the nature of her marketing role has been a huge career draw as well.  “There’s always something new and exciting that’s happening in marketing,” she stated about the fast-paced nature of marketing in the legal tech space.  “There’s always chances to learn new things each week, from colleagues or on my own.  There’s so many possibilities in marketing—it’s just an exciting place to be.”

In her sparse free time, Taryn is almost always with her family, especially with her six nieces and nephews all under the age of seven.  Besides running around after all those little ones, Taryn is an avid runner and is usually training for some kind of Chicago-area race.  When she wants some quiet time to herself, she’s running on the Chicago lakefront while listening to a podcast.  Taryn’s travels have taken her to Ireland, a favorite stop abroad for her and her husband.  “It is very beautiful and exceeded all expectations.  Plus, we were there around Christmastime, and it was amazing seeing all the decorations.”  When she’s back home in Chicago, Taryn and her husband enjoy Chicago Q.  “It has a very cozy atmosphere and great BBQ!”

Taryn brings an amazing energy to Smokeball and is the perfect person to organize a busy and ever-changing marketing agenda.  Energy, enthusiasm, and a mind for legal tech makes Taryn this month’s Smokeball Spotlight.