Conversations With Innovators

The Conversations with Innovators blog discusses new innovations, big ideas, disruptive technologies, and the thought leaders, innovators, rebels, entrepreneurs, and trailblazers that make all of this possible.

This week we are talking with Elise R. Holtzman, JD, PCC, founder of The Lawyer’s Edge, which offers business and leadership development training and coaching for law firms and lawyers.

1. What was the big idea behind The Lawyer’s Edge?

Have you ever heard someone say “lawyers are SUCH bad businesspeople?” There may be some truth to that, but it’s not their fault!

Law school gives us two things: a foundation in the law (we learn about contracts, torts, criminal law, etc.) and the skills to “think like a lawyer.”

The challenge is that no one ever teaches us about the everyday opportunities and challenges lawyers need to navigate, such as starting and running a law firm, marketing our legal services, communicating effectively with clients and colleagues, or leading and managing others. Instead, lawyers are somehow expected to figure it all out on their own. When you add that to other stressors faced by many attorneys, such as ridiculously long hours and 6- or 7-day workweeks, that uncertainty can lead to challenges with physical and mental health, frequent turnover, and lawyers who simply throw in the towel and leave the profession.

When I started the Lawyer’s Edge, my goal was happier lawyers! I wanted to help fill the gaps in lawyers’ education by working with law firms and attorneys to adopt the mindsets, skills, and habits of effective business owners, rainmakers, colleagues, and trusted advisors. Most lawyers work hard to help their clients achieve their goals – we are here to support our clients in achieving theirs.

2. Who is the target market for your services, and what problems do you help to address?

We work almost exclusively with private practice lawyers in the US and Canada, from small boutiques to extremely large firms in the AmLaw 50.

Our individual coaching clients sometimes find us on their own, while others are referred to us by leaders in their firms, such as chief marketing officers or directors of professional development. All our clients are already successful lawyers who are committed to some sort of growth, whether it’s as a rainmaker or leader.

Law firms also engage us to design and deliver customized workshops, webinars, and retreats. Whether the topic is business development, leadership, or improved communication, the goal is to offer an opportunity for participants to get away from the billable hour for a while and focus on the business of the law firm.

Some of the topics that routinely come up for our clients include how to:

Build a book of business and retain existing clients
Go from being a great lawyer to being an effective manager or leader
Communicate effectively even in the face of personality or generational differences

3. What led you to the move from being a practicing attorney to founding and growing The Lawyer’s Edge?

I started practicing in BigLaw in New York City at a time when there were very few women in leadership roles, there was no such thing as part-time or remote work, and there were no women’s initiatives or women’s bar associations. When my BigLaw lawyer husband and I had our first child, the situation became untenable. We were both working day and night and even had two shifts of babysitters, one for daytime and one on standby for evenings. While I loved practicing law, I couldn’t figure out how to make it all work. With no one to guide me, I concluded that stepping away from the legal profession was the right course of action.

After being a stay-at-home mom for several years, I decided it was time to get back into the workforce. Reluctant to turn my life over to a law firm again, I did some research on alternative careers and discovered the coaching profession, which seemed to offer a combination of everything I love and the things I’m good at doing. After completing a full-year training program in professional coaching, I launched The Lawyer’s Edge.

4. Do you have any new services on the horizon or any announcements?

Early bird registration is now open for the Ignite Business Development Accelerator 2026, a 9-month group program for junior to mid-level women partners and counsel. Ignite is a proven, powerful program that combines content, coaching, and a community of ambitious, energetic women who are committed to becoming rainmakers and leaders and supporting the retention and advancement of other women in the profession. Visit our webpage to learn more and see testimonials from our alumnae!

5. What kept you going during the early days of The Lawyer’s Edge?

I found the challenge of building a business to be exciting. I didn’t grow up in a family of entrepreneurs, so launching the business was like drinking from a fire hose. Every day was an opportunity to learn something new. I also genuinely get a psychological boost from helping others achieve their unique version of success, so the work itself has always been immensely satisfying.

6. What is the best way for a lawyer or law firm interested in your services to start?

Just reach out to us by email or fill out our intake form on The Lawyer’s Edge website! We will set up a complimentary call to get acquainted and learn about your needs and goals. If we can help you, we will let you know how. And if we don’t think we are the best fit for you we will do our best to get you to the right people. We don’t work with everyone, so there’s never any pressure to become a client.

7. Best mistake you have made so far?

Almost becoming business partners with the wrong person. While to this day I genuinely like and deeply admire him, it turned out that he and I had very different visions for the business. It took a while to admit it to myself (and to him) and I’m grateful to say that not only did he agree that it wasn’t a good fit, but we parted as friends. The reason I say it was a “good” mistake is that the experience forced me to articulate my values, vision, and strategic plan in a way I hadn’t done before. It resulted in some aha moments and a renewed focus on my goals.

8. What’s the “one thing” most responsible for your professional success?

A focus on taking action. Like most lawyers, I am typically risk averse. But when it comes to my business, I tend to default to executing on ideas even if the path forward is not entirely clear. For example, I launched The Lawyer’s Edge podcast in the summer of 2020 during the COVID lockdown. As crazy as it sounds, I had never even listened to a podcast and I certainly didn’t have any know-how or technical skills. Something similar happened when I launched the Ignite Women’s Business Development Accelerator. I was thinking, dreaming, and pondering and then got fed up enough with my own navel-gazing that I publicly announced the launch of the program even before I knew what it was going to look like.

9. What’s a piece of advice would you give to the younger you when you started your business?

To not do everything myself and to invest earlier in hiring experts such as a bookkeeper, executive assistant, and director of operations. Lawyers are typically reluctant to delegate because “if I want something done right, I have to do it myself” and I was no different! The truth is that, in those early years, I probably could have grown the business faster if I had been willing to invest in working with people who would have freed me up for the highest and best use of my time.

10. You get a surprise free day off. How do you spend it?

With my family at our lake house, kayaking, motor-boating, swimming, or just sitting on the deck looking out at the water. There’s never a bad day at the lake!

To learn more about Elise R. Holtzman and The Lawyer’s Edge, please visit the website here.

Conversations With Innovators - Q&A with Elise R. Holtzman, Founder of The Lawyer's Edge