Transcript
Katie Frey: Welcome to Law Meets Life, presented by Pond Lehocky, where conversations go beyond the courtroom and into the people, experiences, and moments that define who we are.
I’m your host, Katie Frey, and today’s guest is the Director of Client Services for Workers’ Compensation at Pond Lehocky, Gabriela “Gab” Mastero.
Gab, thank you so much for being here today.
Gabriela Mastero: Absolutely.
Katie Frey: So, I have to say, Gab, when I was looking up information on you for this podcast, you have such a clean internet footprint.
Gabriela Mastero: Wow, that’s great to hear. I’ve never Googled myself.
Katie Frey: Okay, good. I saw something from high school where your parish, I think, was celebrating you and your graduation, but that was it.
Gabriela Mastero: Okay. Love to hear it.
Katie Frey: So, I’m excited to learn a lot more about you today.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah.
Katie Frey: Let’s dig in. I did know you were born, raised, and still live in South Philly. So, you are a South Philly girl through and through.
Gab, first question to you: What makes South Philly South Philly?
Gabriela Mastero: What makes South Philly South Philly? Wow. We’re just like a close-knit group. I feel like everyone just knows everyone. We’re tough. I mean, I didn’t have it too tough growing up, but you learn from the streets, I guess, if you want to say.
It’s a great culture down in South Philly. It’s all mom-and-pop shops. You can walk everywhere down there. I’m in the stadium district, so I’m right next to the stadiums. My dad’s still right on Packer Ave., across from Chickie’s & Pete’s.
Everyone just knows everyone. It’s like a big family down there.
Katie Frey: That’s such an iconic staple. Living across from Chickie’s & Pete’s.
Gabriela Mastero: South Philly can be a little chaotic, but it’s great. I love it.
Katie Frey: What’s one thing about growing up there that people who aren’t from Philadelphia just wouldn’t understand?
Gabriela Mastero: I mean, it’s chaos. We’re right next to the stadiums, so it’s very touristy. Everyone’s coming in. Everyone wants the cheesesteaks in the area. They’re traveling to the stadiums. So, it can get a little crowded.
Katie Frey: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen around the stadiums?
Gabriela Mastero: There are constantly fights breaking out, especially at Chickie’s & Pete’s. People are drinking too much. Everyone’s very riled up from the games. So, very often, there are fights breaking out. It’s pretty crazy.
Katie Frey: That’s just part of the—
Gabriela Mastero: It’s just part of everyday life in South Philly. We’re used to it.
Katie Frey: Just a day in the life. What’s your favorite South Philly tradition that you’ll never give up?
Gabriela Mastero: Sunday gravy, obviously.
Katie Frey: For anyone who doesn’t know, what is Sunday gravy?
Gabriela Mastero: Sunday gravy is the best. It’s pasta. People call it—you know, there’s the fight between whether it’s gravy or marinara. It’s Sunday pasta.
You make the meatballs. You’re making the gravy from scratch with the meatballs, the sausage, the marinara sauce. It all sits and simmers all day, and you get gravy out of it.
It’s a staple in every Italian house in South Philly.
Katie Frey: So you’re doing that every Sunday. I have Central PA ignorance, and I genuinely thought gravy meant, like, gravy.
Gabriela Mastero: Yes. Gravy in South Philly is like marinara sauce. It’s your meat gravy.
Katie Frey: I learned something new today because in Central PA we have Sunday dinners, and it’s like the spiral egg noodles and then actual gravy.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah.
Katie Frey: That’s our favorite. Okay, amazing. I love this. We have different Sunday gravies.
All right, Gab, you and I are spending an afternoon in South Philly. Where are we eating? Where are we walking to? What are we absolutely not missing?
Gabriela Mastero: Okay, let’s see. I love going up Passyunk Ave. There are a ton of bars and restaurants along the whole strip.
Some people call it “Pass-ee-yunk” if you’re going to pronounce it, but it’s “Pash-yunk” if you know. If you know, you know.
So, Passyunk Ave. We’re going up there. There are a ton of spots to hop around—eat, drink, get ice cream, everything. A lot of our friends own restaurants on the strip, so you’ve got to pay it to our friends.
Katie Frey: What else are we doing?
Gabriela Mastero: You’ve got to see a game if you’re in the area and there’s a game going on. A Phillies game is always fun.
I’ve only ever been to, I think, one Eagles game. Maybe two.
Katie Frey: No way.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah. Phillies is more my vibe.
Katie Frey: I was about to say we have to get you to another game. But if you love the Phillies vibe—
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah. I like the slower pace.
Katie Frey: You can’t beat it.
Gabriela Mastero: You can’t. You’re getting your hot dogs, your beer, you’re hanging out. It’s more family-friendly.
Katie Frey: Yep, exactly.
Gabriela Mastero: I take the baby, too, so she has to go to her first game. She’s already got all the gear, though, of course, so she’s ready.
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh. Are you serious? Does she have Pond Lehocky swag?
Gabriela Mastero: Of course she does.
Katie Frey: Okay, cool. I was about to say, we’ve got to hook you up if you don’t.
Gabriela Mastero: Of course she does.
Katie Frey: So, you have an 11-month-old?
Gabriela Mastero: An 11-month-old, yes.
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh. Congratulations.
Gabriela Mastero: Thank you.
Katie Frey: A lot of PLG babies.
Gabriela Mastero: Yes, absolutely.
Katie Frey: What has been the most rewarding thing that has come out of being a first-time mother?
Gabriela Mastero: Oh, wow. Just seeing them and how much they love you is the most precious thing in the world. Her just wanting to come to me and seeing how much she loves me and adores me—I’m like, “I don’t know why you love me so much.”
It’s just beautiful to see, and it’s beautiful to watch her grow. It’s really an amazing experience, and you don’t know this love until you’re really in it and doing it.
I could never imagine I could love another person this much. She’s the best thing ever.
Katie Frey: That’s what Tom said, too, when he was on the podcast. He said he didn’t know true love.
Gabriela Mastero: You don’t. You really don’t until you’re in it. You would do anything in the world.
Katie Frey: Now, are you the type of person who can never imagine leaving Philly, or has there ever been a city that’s tempted you?
Gabriela Mastero: I could see us leaving. It gets a little crowded in these rowhomes. There’s nowhere to go but up.
I definitely could see our next move being somewhere with more land. I’d love a yard—a big yard for Cam to run around in.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Gabriela Mastero: And Cash, of course. Cash we share with my dad. My dad lives around the corner on Packer Ave., so he’s been hanging with him more often. But he comes to see us from time to time.
Katie Frey: What is he again? A mini—
Gabriela Mastero: He’s a mini cockapoo.
Katie Frey: Mini cockapoo. We’ll have to add a picture in here. Cash is adorable.
Gabriela Mastero: Yes.
Katie Frey: I love it. What values from growing up in South Philly have carried into your career?
Gabriela Mastero: Good question. I’d say loyalty is huge. I think loyalty is huge here at the firm.
Just kindness. My mom has really instilled that in us—being kind to everyone. You don’t know where people are coming from or their background. I think that’s something we need to do here with our injured workers and what they’re going through.
Empathy. Kindness, loyalty, being trustworthy, dependable, responsible, reliable.
Katie Frey: Being able to deal with chaos, too.
Gabriela Mastero: Chaos, yeah.
Katie Frey: You grew up in South Philly, so you are no stranger to it.
Gabriela Mastero: I have some pretty tough skin, so I’m built for this place.
Katie Frey: I love it.
I love hearing career stories because they’re almost never linear. You started as an intake specialist at Pond Lehocky, and today you’re the Director of Client Services for Workers’ Compensation at Pond Lehocky, the largest work injury firm.
Gabriela Mastero: True. All true.
Katie Frey: What does that make you feel when you hear that?
Gabriela Mastero: That’s amazing. That’s pretty crazy. I’ve come a long way.
This February coming up, in 2027, will be 10 years.
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh.
Gabriela Mastero: That has been a long journey.
Katie Frey: Did you always think you would end up in workers’ compensation?
Gabriela Mastero: No. Before I came to Pond Lehocky, I didn’t even really know what workers’ compensation was. I wasn’t familiar with it. I’d obviously never had to utilize it.
But I love that I ended up here. Working in workers’ compensation is very gratifying. I’m glad I ended up here.
Katie Frey: What did you dream you’d be doing?
Gabriela Mastero: I thought I wanted to go to law school, so this was my “in” to a law firm to pursue that career.
Obviously, things changed. I ended up being more on the business side of things, which I love. I love that it pivoted.
That’s why I started here. I thought I wanted to go to law school. I was taking some time. I wanted to get into a law firm and learn everything.
I saw the job posting. Adam posted it at Penn. I went to the University of Pennsylvania. He was basically poaching all of the new graduates from there.
I responded, got a call, and here I am.
Katie Frey: Wow. What was your first job ever?
Gabriela Mastero: My first job ever? I worked in high school. You know how you have those side jobs after school? I worked in a daycare after school during high school.
My dad also had a family catering business. He’s in culinary. That business has since ended, and he’s at another employer working as a chef, but I worked for him all my life just to make some money.
Definitely some child labor laws being a little questionable there, but technically those were my first jobs. I’ve worked all my life.
Katie Frey: So you’ve been eating well your whole life. You have a chef for a dad.
Gabriela Mastero: My brother also went to the Culinary Institute of America, so you should see what he’s doing in the kitchen. I’ve been very blessed with good food all my life.
Katie Frey: I now have on my bucket list: Be invited to Gab’s family’s Sunday gravy.
Gabriela Mastero: Yes, please. I would love it.
We cooked a lot more before the baby. That was—you know, what else was there to do?
Katie Frey: Sure.
Gabriela Mastero: Now I enjoy cooking for her, and it’s mostly just her eating well and us eating crackers and chips.
Katie Frey: So someone in the house is eating well. I love that.
Was there ever a moment where you realized, “This is where I’m supposed to be”?
Gabriela Mastero: Wow. Deep.
I don’t know if I’ve ever had an “aha” moment, but every day—I mean, I keep coming back.
I love the culture here. I love who I work with—my bosses, the staff, everyone that I work with. So, I know that I’m supposed to be here. This is what I’m supposed to be doing.
I don’t know that I’ve ever had an “aha” type moment, but I know it.
Katie Frey: What is it about the culture that keeps you here?
Gabriela Mastero: It’s just chaotic. It’s crazy. We’re always changing and evolving and doing new things and pushing the limits. It’s just a fun place to work. It keeps us on our toes constantly.
It’s exhausting, but very gratifying.
Katie Frey: I always say monotony is my greatest fear.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah. It’s fun. I like having something different every day to do.
We’re always working on something different, something new. Shawn’s a big tech guy, so we’re always implementing something every day, it seems.
Now with AI, we’re getting into that.
Katie Frey: It opens up a whole new world.
Gabriela Mastero: Oh, it’s crazy.
Katie Frey: How have you seen AI change your workflow in the past year?
Gabriela Mastero: We’re implementing it in every way that we can. It’s changing every single process that we’ve built.
We’re working on implementing it into the phones—screening calls, helping us be more efficient and be better for our clients. It’s been huge.
Katie Frey: At the end of the day, what have you seen from an AI perspective that has made the biggest difference in clients’ lives?
Gabriela Mastero: All the automation is helping us be more efficient. It’s making their experience a lot better, quicker, and easier.
They can call in and get right to the right representative and ask their questions. We’re able to automate and leverage AI in ways that make their case journey so much cleaner and simpler.
They’re going through a rough time, so anything we can do to make it more streamlined and transparent, I think they appreciate.
Katie Frey: We’ll be back with more Law Meets Life after a quick message from our sponsor.
Sponsor Message
Voiceover: Do my eyes play games? What do you see, Captain? Is it the Redcoats?
No, it’s another Pond Lehocky billboard.
Who here has been injured at work?
Voices: We have, sir. It’s our fingers, sir. Oh, they ache.
Voiceover: Well then, you know who to call to the front. These things are everywhere.
Katie Frey: I’m back now with Gab Mastero, Director of Client Services for Workers’ Compensation at Pond Lehocky.
Today you are the Director of Client Services. When you first started, did you ever imagine that you’d be leading the department someday?
Gabriela Mastero: No. I could never have imagined. I thought I was going to leave and go back to law school.
I could never have imagined that the people who were training me, I would someday be managing.
It was difficult, honestly, at first. It was tricky. It was a little awkward. Literally, the people who trained me how to do my job, I was now overseeing and managing.
So, it was a little tough, but they grew to respect me, obviously, and we have a great team now.
Someone I manage has been here longer than me—Sydney Ree. I don’t know if you know Sydney. She’s my team lead on the PA team.
Katie Frey: Yeah, she’s awesome.
Gabriela Mastero: She’s been here longer than me.
Katie Frey: Wow. So, over a decade.
Gabriela Mastero: But it’s great people. They made it easy to step in and do what I’m doing.
Katie Frey: What’s been the hardest professional lesson that you’ve had to learn?
Gabriela Mastero: The hardest professional lesson? If you’re efficient and do all your work, they’ll reward you with more work.
No, but I’m kidding. Kind of.
Katie Frey: I was about to say—
Gabriela Mastero: I’m not kidding. Kind of kidding.
But the hardest professional lesson? I think, as a manager, you learn that it’s a lot of responsibility and accountability.
I’m accountable for a lot of humans at this firm. I’m overseeing different teams and departments. Any issue or mistake falls on you. Professionally, it’s a lot to bear, but it’s the job. At the end of the day, you do it.
Katie Frey: I feel like that bleeds into motherhood as well. You’re responsible for all of these people.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah, it’s huge. Now you’re responsible—
Please don’t remind me I’m responsible for a whole other human that I have to keep alive every day. It’s a lot.
Katie Frey: That’s incredible, though.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah. Very rewarding, for sure.
Katie Frey: What’s one lesson you learned as an intake specialist that you’ve carried with you into your director role?
Gabriela Mastero: Great question. It’s always about the client. It was always about the client back then, and it’s still always about the client right now.
Empathy and great client service are what we strive for. Even at the intake level, being on the call, you want to deliver the best client service and make their day, at the end of the call, as good as you can.
I try to do the same thing at the director level when overseeing processes—just making sure that, at the end of the day, the client is taken care of.
Katie Frey: It’s that client-centric mindset.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah.
Katie Frey: The customer is always right. The client is always right.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah.
Katie Frey: And if you take care of the client, the rest will take care of itself.
Gabriela Mastero: Exactly.
Katie Frey: Who has been your biggest mentor in your career?
Gabriela Mastero: Biggest mentor? Obviously, Shawn. Shawn and I go hand in hand here at the firm.
He has been huge in my growth here as I went up the ladder from intaker to manager to director. He’s had a huge hand in it. I’ve learned a lot from him, and I continue to learn every day.
Katie Frey: What’s something people assume about leadership that isn’t actually true?
Gabriela Mastero: That we know what we’re doing.
No, we usually do.
I think people assume that it’s easy, or that we’re up here and out of touch. A lot of staff might think we’re out of touch with the realities of being in the trenches.
Sometimes some are, but I think a lot of working managers and directors—especially since I’ve come from being an intaker—know what their teams are going through.
I’m open to any issues or struggles they’re going through. I think people assume we don’t really know what’s going on, but we do.
Katie Frey: Like, “I’ve been in those trenches. I know what’s happening.”
Gabriela Mastero: Exactly.
Katie Frey: Speaking of the trenches, I want to talk a lot more about workers’ compensation without the legal jargon and just get down to the brass tacks of it all.
When someone gets hurt at work, what’s the very first thing going through their mind when they call your team?
Gabriela Mastero: I think the first thing is, “When can I get paid?” That’s probably top of mind for everyone.
A lot of these injured workers are the head of their household. They’re bringing the bread home. So, I think first on their mind is, “When can I either get back to work?” They need medical treatment, but most of the time it’s, “When can I get my check? When can I provide for my family?”
Katie Frey: It’s huge. What surprises first-time clients the most about the workers’ compensation process?
Gabriela Mastero: I think how long it takes.
I don’t think anyone expects that, once you go through with this, if they have a denied claim, it can take up to 12 months. I don’t know that anyone’s expecting that type of wait.
I think that’s pretty surprising for everyone to hear off the bat.
Katie Frey: On that same wavelength, what are some of the biggest myths about workers’ compensation?
Gabriela Mastero: I’d say the 90-day rule is one of the biggest myths.
Katie Frey: Can you tell us more about that?
Gabriela Mastero: The employer pushes this narrative that you have to treat with their doctors—their panel doctors—for 90 days, which obviously would be a huge advantage for the employer to control the medical care for 90 days. That’s why they push it.
But it’s a huge myth. Three things usually have to happen in order for that 90-day rule to really be followed.
Every employee is supposed to sign an acknowledgment when they’re hired regarding the panel list. They also have to sign at the time of the injury, which could be nearly impossible depending on the injury—and a little awkward to ask someone to sign a form right after they’re injured.
Third, the panel list needs to be posted in a common area at the employer’s headquarters or office. The panel list also needs to be correct and list all the proper types of physicians that are required.
If those three things are met, then maybe they’ll try to enforce it.
Katie Frey: Are they ever met?
Gabriela Mastero: No. They’re almost never met, which is why we can usually get around it.
And even if they are met, Sam would still tell us, “Screw them.” We’re still going to control the medical care.
Katie Frey: Wow. So, people think that they have to listen to their employer when they say, “You’ve got 90 days. You have to use these doctors.”
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah. It gives them a huge advantage in controlling their medical care. They’re sending them to these panel doctors for 90 days and, in many cases, they’re not getting the treatment they need.
It’s a huge myth and issue.
Katie Frey: So, if somebody didn’t come up to you right after your work injury, hand you a form, and tell you that you have to sign it, you don’t have to listen to that 90-day myth?
Gabriela Mastero: No. And even if they did, like I said, we still would pull you from the panel unless those three items were met—and they probably haven’t met the other two.
Katie Frey: Crazy.
You mentioned that you’ll pull somebody from a panel. Can you tell me what that means?
Gabriela Mastero: The panel doctors are being paid through the insurance system, so there’s a concern that the injured worker might not always receive the treatment they truly need.
Sam will almost always have us pull their care from the panel doctors, and we’ll take over the care.
The medical care is one of the most important things in a case and in being successful in a case. So, making sure that we control the medical care—getting them to the right doctors, getting the right care, getting the tests they need—is extremely important.
Panel doctors can sometimes create roadblocks further down the process.
Katie Frey: It sounds like the system is automatically stacked up against an injured worker.
Gabriela Mastero: Absolutely.
Katie Frey: The insurance company is paid by the employer, which doesn’t feel legal but is completely legal, apparently.
So, the panel doctors that are paid through the insurance company and the employer—do they give you the best medical review?
Gabriela Mastero: Not necessarily. Of course they’re going to have the employer’s interests in mind.
They may send you right back to work before you’re ready or stand in the way of tests or care that you need.
There are obviously exceptions. Some panel doctors aren’t going to do that. Some doctors will actually give you the care that you deserve.
But in many cases, they’ll try to rush you back to work without further or true follow-up.
Katie Frey: Wow.
Gabriela Mastero: That’s why we’re so focused on getting you away from these panel doctors when appropriate. It’s probably one of the most important moves that we carry out as attorneys here.
Katie Frey: It’s so important for every injured worker to hear: If your employer or the employer’s insurance company is telling you that you have to treat with these doctors for 90 days, call our office.
We’ll get you to medical professionals who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated and who aren’t being paid by your employer.
Gabriela Mastero: Exactly.
Katie Frey: Which is crazy to me. I can’t believe this is allowed.
Gabriela Mastero: I know.
Katie Frey: That’s wild.
If someone says, “I don’t want to file a claim because I don’t want to lose my job,” what do you tell them?
Gabriela Mastero: I mean, that’s fair.
Obviously, it’s illegal to fire someone because they’ve suffered a work injury, but it happens.
I look at every case holistically. You have to weigh the pros and cons.
I’d look at their length of employment. How long have they been with the employer? If it was a job they’ve been at for three weeks, they might not care about losing it.
If it’s an employee or union worker who’s been with the employer for 40 years and really doesn’t want to risk that relationship—they love their employer—in those scenarios, they probably won’t lose their jobs, either. But the concern can still be there.
It’s tough. You definitely have to look at the case holistically and advise them accordingly.
Katie Frey: And you advise case by case.
Gabriela Mastero: For sure. No case is the same. There’s no magical answer that works for everybody.
Workers’ comp is chaotic and always case by case.
Katie Frey: I love that you take that time for each case and start from step one, saying, “What’s truly best for you as a human being?”
These are people. These are their lives.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah. We have to do what’s right by the client in every case.
We’re never going to push someone to file a claim just so we can have another retainer signed, our numbers look good, and we’re getting paid. That’s never our M.O.
We’re always going to do what’s best for the client at the end of the day.
If it doesn’t seem right for them to move forward, or it’s not in their best interest to file the claim—maybe they’re better off putting it through their personal insurance—we’re going to tell them that.
Katie Frey: That’s incredible.
You talk to injured workers every day. Beyond the physical injury, what emotional struggles do you see?
Gabriela Mastero: There’s a psychological aspect that Sam really likes to emphasize, and it’s so true.
Every physical injury that someone suffers has a psychological component.
Not being able to get back to your family or provide for them messes with your head. Not being able to do what you were able to do yesterday. Being out of your normal routine. Not being able to go to work.
You’re at home. You’re sitting on the couch. You can’t move. Your arm’s messed up. It affects you psychologically.
Then, obviously, add the financial aspect, which could drive someone insane, especially if they have to provide for a family.
Katie Frey: Absolutely. How do you navigate those types of emotional struggles? When someone’s coming to you, it’s not because they’re having the best day of their life.
Gabriela Mastero: We’re always trying to do what we can to make their day better and easier.
We offer as many resources as we can. We help them apply for unemployment if that’s something that’s available. If there’s disability coverage they can apply for while they’re waiting for their case to be litigated, we’ll help them with that.
Anything that we can do, we will do.
Even sending swag just to make their day a little better. Dylan likes to do that a lot, which is great. They always appreciate it.
It makes them feel like they’re not just a number or another client—that we treat them like family.
Katie Frey: They feel taken care of.
Gabriela Mastero: They’re taken care of.
Katie Frey: What’s something every worker deserves that they don’t always receive?
Gabriela Mastero: Their benefits and their medical care—medical benefits and wage loss.
Those are the benefits we’re fighting for, and they’re often denied off the bat. It’s a shame. It really is.
Insurance companies will deny claims when they can, but injured workers may be entitled to those rights and benefits. That’s why we’re here.
Katie Frey: What’s one phone call you’ll never forget?
Gabriela Mastero: I don’t know that I have a single phone call. There are so many.
Obviously, all the catastrophic injuries and fatal claims are always very tough.
I actually spoke to a client just two days ago—a Portuguese speaker. His father was just in a fatal accident last month. He was involved in a head-on collision with another driver who was coming up the highway the wrong way.
The three passengers all died.
I spoke to the son of one of the passengers. It’s horrible. They have to take him back to Brazil to bury him.
It’s all very sad, but there are many calls that I’ll never forget like that.
It’s very difficult to speak to these families because you can never really understand what they’re going through.
Katie Frey: How do you balance that? Because that’s a heavy weight every day.
How do you balance that and still be the Gab who can leave this place and show up and be Mommy? Some of these stories really hit too close to home.
Gabriela Mastero: We have a little group chat. Our intakers go back and forth about some of the calls that they’ve gotten, and they’re helping each other through those calls.
But it can be very hard. It’s very heavy.
I don’t know that I really leave it here. A lot of it stays with me.
I go home and just make sure that I’m fully there for Cameron, my husband, and our family. I make sure I’m more grateful for the time that we get to spend together.
Hearing these stories makes you more grateful.
Katie Frey: It sounds like you have an amazing support group, though.
Gabriela Mastero: Oh, yeah.
Katie Frey: And it’s great that there is that mental-health support for other team members to say, “You’re not alone. We carry this weight together.”
Gabriela Mastero: Absolutely. We have great teams here.
My intake team is phenomenal. They’re always lending a hand to each other and helping each other out. They’re great. We’re very lucky.
Katie Frey: That’s amazing.
People think client service is just answering phones. What does great client service actually look like?
Gabriela Mastero: Great client service, to me, is start to finish. It’s making sure everything is tailored to the client. Every little detail matters.
You go to Disney World, and they’ve thought of every single thing from start to finish—from the second you’ve entered the gates to the second that you leave.
Great client service isn’t just answering the phones and answering questions. It’s making sure that their experience is personalized and they feel like they’re family here and that we care about them.
We truly do care about them, but we want to make sure they know and can feel that.
Especially in this day and age with all the AI, automation, and everything else, it’s important to make sure clients don’t feel like another number.
Remembering little details about clients and their families goes a long way. I know a lot of our attorneys know those little details and can ask, “How’s your wife? How’s your son?”
I think that goes a long way in client service.
Katie Frey: Yeah, for sure. It humanizes them.
Gabriela Mastero: Exactly.
Katie Frey: You’re not a number here.
Gabriela Mastero: You’re not.
Katie Frey: If someone listening today is scared after getting hurt at work, what’s one thing you want them to remember?
Gabriela Mastero: That they’re not alone.
It can be very scary to try to tackle this process alone, and they don’t have to do that.
They have us. They have support systems, even if they don’t have family.
I’d say they need to remember that they don’t have to do this alone.
Katie Frey: Now, I love getting to learn more about you, Gab, so I want to ask some more questions about the person behind the title.
What accomplishment are you most proud of that has nothing to do with work?
Gabriela Mastero: Obviously, Cameron. I brought this beautiful baby into the world.
I don’t think I really understood how huge what mothers do is until I was further into it.
When I was pregnant, I was like, “Ah, it’s fine. I’m going to have the baby. People have babies all the time.”
I don’t think it really sinks in until you’re like, “Wow, I’m in this. I have to take care of this baby every day, every second of the day. There’s no off button. I can’t just say, ‘No, I’m actually going to call it for today.’”
You’re always on the clock.
It’s a huge responsibility, but it’s also very rewarding and a huge accomplishment.
Just seeing her grow and learn and be so smart and cute and beautiful is a huge accomplishment.
Katie Frey: Is she walking and talking?
Gabriela Mastero: So close. She should be walking by one for sure. She turns one next month.
Katie Frey: That’s so exciting.
Gabriela Mastero: She’s very advanced, of course.
Katie Frey: Of course.
Gabriela Mastero: I’m biased.
Katie Frey: Of course. She’s clearly advanced.
Definitely send us a video when you get those first steps.
Gabriela Mastero: Yes. I’ll send you some pictures of her in her Pond Lehocky gear, too.
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh, please.
Gabriela Mastero: I will.
Katie Frey: We have to make a whole kids’ line.
Gabriela Mastero: I’m trying to push it.
Katie Frey: We have so many babies here.
Gabriela Mastero: Right?
Katie Frey: We’ve got the onesies, which are cute.
Gabriela Mastero: We have the onesies.
Katie Frey: Do we have anything else?
Gabriela Mastero: We have the T-shirts. The Eagles T-shirts.
I want a little tutu-like thing.
Katie Frey: Yeah, something. I like this marketing.
Gabriela Mastero: As soon as Viv and Rua hear that I said this, they’re going to kill me, but that was my idea.
Katie Frey: A little headband would be so cute.
Gabriela Mastero: A headband. Oh, yeah.
Katie Frey: We’ll make it happen.
Gab, what keeps you grounded?
Gabriela Mastero: I think this everyday work.
Helping people makes you appreciate every day that I’m not injured and having to go through this process.
I’d say the client stories—being able to hear their issues, their problems, and what they’re facing—really keep everything in perspective for us and keep us very grounded.
Katie Frey: What does a perfect weekend look like for you?
Gabriela Mastero: That’s a good one.
I love a weekend where I’m not doing anything.
Usually, especially in the summer, we’re so busy. There are events and parties.
I was pregnant at the same time as four of my other friends, so we all have babies around the same age. Right now, especially, it’s a very busy time. Everyone’s turning one.
I just had a first birthday last weekend and another first birthday two weekends before that. I have two or three coming up, all before Cameron’s first birthday.
It’s very, very busy. It’s a lot of fun.
But my perfect weekend is just doing nothing. Me and Cameron hanging out. Me, Cam, and her dad. Just hanging with the family and cooking.
Honestly, just doing nothing.
The week is so chaotic and nonstop that it’s nice to have a little bit of nothing.
Katie Frey: Unplug.
Gabriela Mastero: Unplug, yeah.
Katie Frey: Were you the last to give birth out of your friend group?
Gabriela Mastero: Yes. Cameron’s the youngest.
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh.
Gabriela Mastero: She’s the youngest, and she’s the only girl, actually.
Out of the five of us, there are four boys. Cameron’s the only girl, and she’s the youngest. So, she’s the little princess.
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh. What were some of the birthday party themes?
Gabriela Mastero: The one we just went to last weekend was “First Lap,” so F1-themed.
Katie Frey: Cute.
Gabriela Mastero: Before that was golf. I forget what the catchphrase was.
The two coming up—one is “Fun to Be One.” The other one is lobster-themed.
Katie Frey: Lobster-themed. Oh my gosh.
Gabriela Mastero: I forget what her catchphrase was, too, but it’s cute.
And then Cameron’s is “Her First Fiesta.”
Katie Frey: I love that each one of these has a catchphrase. This is amazing. You need a catchphrase.
That’s incredible.
You told me before we started filming that your first birthday set the bar for first birthdays.
Gabriela Mastero: My mom really did it up for our birthdays.
We had clowns. Like I told you, we’re right on Packer Ave. It’s a major street and a pretty high-traffic area.
She had clowns. We had animals. There were donkey rides. It was crazy.
Katie Frey: For your first birthday?
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah. I don’t even remember it.
Katie Frey: She set the bar.
Gabriela Mastero: She set the bar very high, so we’re doing it up.
Katie Frey: That’s amazing.
Who has had the biggest influence on the person you’ve become?
Gabriela Mastero: Obviously, my parents.
My dad is a super-hard worker, so I definitely get my work ethic from him.
My mom is super compassionate. That’s definitely rubbed off on me, and she’s instilled that in all of us.
So, definitely my parents.
Katie Frey: Has your dad given you any of those chef skills?
Gabriela Mastero: Chef skills? I’m not up to his level or my brother’s, but I know a couple of things.
Katie Frey: Okay. So, what I’m hearing is that next time we have you on the podcast, we’re cooking something together.
Gabriela Mastero: Oh, yeah. For sure. Let’s do it.
Katie Frey: We should cook Sunday gravy.
Gabriela Mastero: Let’s cook it. Let’s do it.
Katie Frey: That would be so fun.
Gabriela Mastero: I’d love to. And fresh pasta.
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh. No way. Do you have a machine?
Gabriela Mastero: I have a machine, yeah.
It was actually my mom’s. So, I have my mom’s recipes. I have my mom’s pasta machine. It attaches to the table, and you do it all by hand.
Katie Frey: This is legit.
Gabriela Mastero: It’s legit.
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh. Okay, cool.
I would like to do a Philly lightning round of questions with you.
Gabriela Mastero: Oh, gosh.
Katie Frey: Okay, no pressure, but you are—I mean, hold the pressure—the Queen of South Philly.
Are we ready?
Gabriela Mastero: Let’s do it. Hopefully I don’t get any wrong.
Katie Frey: Geno’s or Pat’s?
Gabriela Mastero: Neither. But if I had to pick, I guess Geno’s.
Katie Frey: Which would you pick instead?
Gabriela Mastero: There are so many other great places.
Angelo’s in South Philly. Phenomenal cheesesteak. That’s probably one of the best.
Del Rossi’s—phenomenal cheesesteak.
Katie Frey: Let me just write these down.
Gabriela Mastero: Pond will tell you Oregon Steaks. And I will concede that they’ve upped their game recently. Their bread is way better than it used to be.
So, Oregon Steaks has a pretty good cheesesteak. That’s right around the corner from me.
Katie Frey: That would be so dangerous if I lived right around the corner.
Gabriela Mastero: I know. We should do a cheesesteak tour.
But yeah, Geno’s and Pat’s are just tourist traps.
Katie Frey: You heard it here.
Gabriela Mastero: If you know, you know.
Katie Frey: Roast pork or cheesesteak?
Gabriela Mastero: Ooh, depends where the pork’s from.
John’s Roast Pork actually makes a phenomenal cheesesteak as well.
I think I’d have to go cheesesteak.
Katie Frey: Really? I thought you were going to go roast pork.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah, it’s a tough one. It depends on the day.
Katie Frey: It depends on the day, your mood, the season.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah.
Katie Frey: Wawa or PrimoHoagies?
Gabriela Mastero: Oh, Primo’s.
Katie Frey: Broad Street Run or Mummers Parade?
Gabriela Mastero: Oh, that’s an easy one. My dad’s a Mummer.
Katie Frey: Your dad’s a Mummer?
Gabriela Mastero: Yes.
Katie Frey: What does he play?
Gabriela Mastero: The sax.
He’s no longer on the line anymore. He’s more in the background, but he’s still an active Mummer. He’s in Quaker City String Band.
Back in the day, he and his dad—my Pop-Pop—were sax players. My Pop-Pop was also in Quaker City as a Mummer.
Katie Frey: Did you play saxophone?
Gabriela Mastero: No.
Katie Frey: Gab, I know. I feel like Cam might be musical. She might have the musical bone.
I actually have a saxophone kids’ toy that I buy all of my friends who have kids so that I can indoctrinate them.
Gabriela Mastero: I love it.
Katie Frey: I’ll get her a sax.
Gabriela Mastero: Yes. Absolutely.
Katie Frey: I have a link for you after this.
Gabriela Mastero: Perfect.
Katie Frey: Favorite Philly neighborhood besides South Philly?
Gabriela Mastero: That’s tough. I love Old City because I love the cobblestones and the whole—
Katie Frey: Yeah, it’s beautiful.
Gabriela Mastero: Great restaurants. I’d have to probably say Old City.
Katie Frey: I thought you were going to say, “No other option. Only South Philly.”
Gabriela Mastero: No, there are some other great neighborhoods out there. I’ll concede.
Katie Frey: Now, best Phillies memory?
Gabriela Mastero: Obviously, when they won the World Series.
Katie Frey: Were you there?
Gabriela Mastero: Not at the game. But we’re so close that we were involved in the parade. It was insane. So fun.
Katie Frey: Yeah, it was crazy.
Soft pretzel with mustard or plain?
Gabriela Mastero: Mustard. And spicy mustard.
Katie Frey: Ooh. Brand? Or does it matter?
Gabriela Mastero: It doesn’t really matter. Spicy brown.
Katie Frey: One Philadelphia hill you’ll die on.
Gabriela Mastero: Obviously, the gravy thing is huge for all the Italians in South Philly.
I’d have to say gravy versus marinara sauce. It’s gravy.
Katie Frey: It’s gravy.
Gabriela Mastero: Yep.
Katie Frey: I’m with you on that one.
Okay, I love this game so much that I want to do another Philly game with you.
We’re going to play a game called “South Philly or Made Up.”
I’m going to read some Philly phrases or traditions, and you have to tell me if they’re real or fake.
Gabriela Mastero: Oh, I’m definitely going to mess this up. Okay, go ahead.
Katie Frey: You’ve got this.
Parking chair.
Gabriela Mastero: Parking chair? I mean, you shouldn’t do it in South Philly.
Katie Frey: Really? What happens?
Gabriela Mastero: You can’t put a chair out to save a parking spot.
Katie Frey: You mean in South Philly?
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah. People do it, but it’s frowned upon.
Katie Frey: “Wooder ice.”
Gabriela Mastero: Water ice.
Katie Frey: What about “water ice”?
Gabriela Mastero: Oh, water ice. Yeah.
Katie Frey: Hoagie tray at every party.
Gabriela Mastero: Nah. No. We like hoagies, but we don’t need them at everything.
Katie Frey: “Jeet yet?”
Gabriela Mastero: “Jeet?” Yes, that’s real.
Katie Frey: Do your parents say that?
Gabriela Mastero: No, but I’ve heard it.
Katie Frey: We’ve already talked about this one, but Sunday gravy.
Gabriela Mastero: Sunday gravy, of course. Huge staple.
Katie Frey: The Eagles chant in a grocery store.
Gabriela Mastero: Wait, you never just break out into an Eagles chant in a grocery store?
Katie Frey: I know. Crazy, right?
Mummers strut.
Gabriela Mastero: Mummers strut? Like, just—
No.
Katie Frey: And lastly, jimmies versus sprinkles.
Gabriela Mastero: Oh, that’s a good one. I’d have to go jimmies.
Katie Frey: Yeah, I’m “sprinkles.”
Gabriela Mastero: You’re “sprinkles.” That’s a tough one.
Katie Frey: Do you usually say “jimmies,” though?
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah, I’d say jimmies.
I don’t usually get jimmies or sprinkles, so I don’t say it often. But I’d say jimmies.
Maybe Cam will.
Katie Frey: We’ll see.
Now, finally, the name of our show is Law Meets Life. So, what does Law Meets Life mean to you?
Gabriela Mastero: I could see this going a few different ways, but I guess it’s making the law more digestible for people in everyday life—breaking it down into layman’s terms and making it make sense to common people.
Katie Frey: I like that.
Gabriela Mastero: Yeah. That’s the first thing that came to mind, so I’ll stick with that.
Katie Frey: I like that. Sam said, “The law is his life.”
Gabriela Mastero: Okay. So, there are multiple different ways you can take it, but I’ll stick to the original.
Katie Frey: I like that.
Gab, thank you so much for being here today and sharing your story.
Gabriela Mastero: Of course. Thanks for having me.
Katie Frey: It’s been an honor having the Queen of South Philly.
Gabriela Mastero: Let me know when the next episodes are going to air—the ones with the Mummers and the gravy. I can’t wait. I’ll be available.
Katie Frey: I love it.
And thank you all so much for watching Law Meets Life. Until next time.
