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Leah Wise
I would cry. When I first started as a lawyer, I would cry. I remember sitting outside the courthouse and I would literally cry and I'd be like, what am I doing? Like, I'm not cut out for this. Why did you start your own law firm? This was a really stupid idea. Am I going to be successful? Is this going to work out for me? I've now represented thousands of clients. You know, when you hire a lawyer, it's like I am placing my faith and my trust in you and so that I don't take that lightly. And I've been able to grow the largest women run law firm in South Texas.
Narrator/Host Introduction
Leah Wise is a Texas attorney, founder of Leah Wise law firm and the face behind Crash Gal. Known for her bold brand, pink feminine energy and client first approach, Leah has built one of the largest women run law firms in South Texas by leading with fire, heart and authenticity.
Leah Wise
If you walk into my office, it's very pink, it's very girly, it's all girls. We are 100% women run. And those were parts of myself that I tried to stifle when I was first starting off as a lawyer because I thought lawyers can't wear pink. Lawyers can't be feminine. They have to be stern. And I was like, you know what? I wanna be authentic. I wanna be myself. And if that alienates people, that's fine. But I'm also gonna find my tribe by being myself. And I think that that is a big reason why people trust us, because
Rudy Moore
my name's Rudy Moore, host of Living
Leah Wise
the red life podcast.
Rudy Moore
And I'm here to change the way you see your life in your every single week. If you're ready to start living the red life, ditch the blue pill.
Leah Wise
Take the red pill.
Rudy Moore
Join me in wonderland and change your life.
Rhea Gutierrez
Welcome back to another episode of the living your legacy podcast, the women in power edition. For inside Success. I am Rhea Gutierrez. Joining me today is Leah Wise, attorney at law. If you've seen her face on billboards, I'm sure your face is on billboards.
Leah Wise
They are.
Rhea Gutierrez
Of course they are. She's real. She's sitting right next to me and she just finished her interview of women in power. Leah, how do you feel?
Leah Wise
Wow. I've never told my story that like, I've never gone into that much detail and it's such a release. It's like very cathartic. You know, the attorney I know, I've never like, I've never been that vulnerable. I've never told my story in that much detail. And it was nice to, like, get it all out. It was almost like therapy.
Rhea Gutierrez
Yeah.
Leah Wise
Do people say that? Do people say it's like therapy?
Rhea Gutierrez
Yeah. They're like, wow, that. That was really my life. And then they kind of squeeze the chair. I'm like. And then I'm like, you deserve to sit there. You deserve this moment.
Leah Wise
Yes, exactly. So talk about.
Rhea Gutierrez
Talk about. Vulnerability equals power in your life.
Leah Wise
That is one of the main themes of my life, I would say, because anytime I have, like, tried to, I don't know, like, not be myself or, like, try to seem, like, stronger or, like, fake or, like, yeah, I'm this big, bad, mean attorn, it's like, it always backfires, you know? And every time I'm like, you know what? I'm authentic. I'm going to be vulnerable. You know what? I don't know what that means. You know what? Yeah. I do struggle with this or I do struggle with that. It's always, like, turned into something beautiful. Like, I've built a connection with somebody who didn't expect me to be vulnerable in that moment. And I'm a big follower of. You may have heard of her. Her name's Brene Brown. She's a researcher, Right. And her entire, like, thesis is like, vulnerability is a superpower. Like, her whole books are called, like, being vulnerable is your superpower. And so I've listened to a lot of, like, her podcasts, I've listened to her books, and so I've learned that it's true. Being vulnerable is, like, it'll take you to places you didn't even think were possible. Because we're so busy trying to, like, seem strong and, like, put this facade on that we miss out on a lot of connection.
Rhea Gutierrez
I try to be all tough, like you said, but then you can kind of see it right in my eyes is like, no, dude, like. Like, you try to lead with your fire. Yeah, Right. You lead with your heart. Like, where do you lead from? Your heart, your ear, or with fire? Like, where does your power come from?
Leah Wise
I'm going to. Well, I'm a fire sign. I'm an Aries. I don't know. For people who know the zodiac, you're a fire sign. So you're fiery. But I would. Who would have thought I would say it's a mixture of both honest, because I. I think I lead with fire, and then I follow through with heart and emotion. And sometimes I'm a little bit more impulsive than I would like to be. But it's all. It all comes from the heart, you know? I'm definitely the type of person. My husband would say that, like, I wear my heart on my sleeve. He never has to wonder what I'm feeling because I'm gonna say it. I.
Rhea Gutierrez
Or just feel it in the room.
Leah Wise
Energy's coming from the fireside, My bad energy through the who or my good energy or whatever. So, I mean, I. I kind of like being that way because I know that there's people who, like, they let their emotions get pent up, and I just don't think that that's healthy. And then it breeds resentment. And so I like to be. I'm an open and honest communicator. I like to be transparent. Even with my clients in my profession, I like to be transparent. My job isn't to tell them what they want to hear. It's to tell them the truth, and it's to tell them, like, the reality. And so I would say I'm fiery, but I still have a lot of heart, and I like to be transparent and authentic with anybody I come across.
Rhea Gutierrez
Right on. Let's talk about your authenticity. How did you land being an attorney? Tell me this story, your origin story.
Leah Wise
I always knew I wanted to be an advocate. I always knew I wanted to uplift my community, be an advocate for my community. And when I was in college, I worked at the state capitol in Austin, and I got to see a lot of legislators doing just that for their constituents. Right. You're advocating for bills, you're authoring bills for your constituents, their best interests in mind. And I really loved that. But I have no desire to run for office, do not want to be a politician. So the best way to do that was to become an attorney so that I could advocate for my clients, so that I could represent them in court, make sure that they're getting justice, make sure that they're being taken care of, make sure they have somebody in their corner taking care of them. And so I. That's what made me fall in love with the law.
Narrator/Host Introduction
Wow.
Leah Wise
Yeah.
Rhea Gutierrez
What was your first day like versus a date that you have every day today? Like, walk me through the differences.
Leah Wise
So talk about being vulnerable. I was. I would cry. When I first started as a lawyer, I would cry. I remember sitting outside the courthouse, and I would literally cry, and I'd be like, what am I doing? Like, I'm not cut out for this. Why did you start your own law firm? This was a really stupid idea. You know, you just go through. I'm sure you talk to a lot of entrepreneurs, and you just go through, like, this Roller coaster of emotions and you're just like, I, am I going to make it? Am I going to be successful? Is this going to work out for me? So those first, you know, few days, the first couple years of my journey was very much a lot of self doubt, a lot of insecurity. And now after having gone through the fire, after having Kofi the director, he said, he said this really cool analogy. He said, he called it building the plane while you're flying it.
Rhea Gutierrez
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Leah Wise
That is such a good analogy because it's so true. I didn't know how to run a business. I didn't know how to be a lawyer. I didn't know how to do any of those things. But yet there I was building the plane as I was flying it. And now I would describe the plane as like the best, the best plane you've ever flown on. And it's like, I have zero regrets. Every day I wake up and I'm like, you know what? This is such an honor to be able to represent my clients. I've now represented thousands of clients who've placed their trust in me, their faith in me. That is a huge honor in itself. You know, when you hire a lawyer, it's like I am placing my faith and my trust in you. And so that I don't take that lightly. And I've been able to grow the largest women run law firm in South Texas.
Rhea Gutierrez
Let's talk about this.
Leah Wise
Yeah.
Rhea Gutierrez
This law firm. What's the culture like? What inspired its creation? What's it like walking into this office?
Leah Wise
It's like walking into a Barbie dream house. No, I'm just kidding. But not really. It is. So my office is a former strip club that I renovated and I kept one of the original poles in the, One of the original strip club polls is still in my office. And the, the woman, the contractor slash engineer who did the renovations, she did a great job of making it me. It's very girly, it's very pink, it's very feminine. And those were parts of myself that I tried to stifle when I was first starting off as a lawyer because I thought lawyers can't wear pink. Lawyers can't be feminine. They have to be stern. They have to be on the billboards, you know, with their arms crossed and back to back. Yeah, exactly. And, and I was like, you know what? I want to be authentic. I want to be myself. And if that alienates people, that's fine. But I'm also going to find my tribe by being myself and to Me, that was more important. So I really embraced my femininity. I embraced who I was. I embraced, you know, that I'm a lawyer, but I like to be silly. I like to have fun. I like to make fun content.
Rudy Moore
And.
Leah Wise
And it did alienate some people. You know, some people want a serious, boring lawyer. Some people, like, they. They want the lawyer who wears black, who doesn't smile, who doesn't laugh. And then a lot of people want a lawyer like me, and that's fine. And I realized that I didn't really start growing my brand and my influence until I started stepping into that authentic part of myself. So if you walk into my office, it's very pink, it's very girly. It's all girls. We are 100% women. Run. And I think that that is a big reason why people trust us, because we have a lot of compassion. We are all primarily Latina, so we're very fiery. We're very protective. We're very, you know, aggressive. Passionate. Yeah. Community oriented, family oriented. And I think that that has fostered a lot of trust between us and our clients. So it really does feel like you're walking into, like, a strong but feminine and approachable law office.
Rhea Gutierrez
I was just gonna say the lore. Even opening with just the backstory to all of this, I really hope there's a website I can go to visit and know your whole story, because just the story alone of the facility, the brick and mortar, your story, your philosophies. I'm like, how did it feel to just naturally be an influencer and then now a brand? It's quite the superpower.
Leah Wise
Thank you.
Rhea Gutierrez
And most folks don't understand what any of that is or understand how to even perceive it or even control it or create product within this world.
Leah Wise
It's really scary.
Rhea Gutierrez
Oh, absolutely.
Leah Wise
It's really scary. It is the most humiliating, dehumanizing process anybody can ever undertake. Well, I'm being dramatic, right? There are worse things, but being an entrepreneur, being a content creator, putting yourself out there on the daily is. It's hard. It's dehumanizing. People talk shit to you all the time. People leave, you hate comments. People make fun of your appearance. People make fun of the way you pronounce things. You know what I mean? They find the smallest things to nitpick. It's the same thing being an entrepreneur. For some people, you're never good enough for something.
Rhea Gutierrez
But at least they're engaging.
Leah Wise
Yes.
Rhea Gutierrez
So the engagement's high.
Leah Wise
The engagement, yes, exactly. Exactly.
Rhea Gutierrez
There's no such thing as Bad engagement. Well, there is, but it's just like at least it's thriving in the inventory, is moving.
Leah Wise
Right.
Rhea Gutierrez
You know what I mean?
Leah Wise
Some people leave comments, I'm like, yes. Because then there's other people in the comments fighting with them and then they're fighting together and I'm like, this is perfect for the algorithm.
Rhea Gutierrez
And folks that are in the know that know how this works, they always go straight to the comments.
Leah Wise
Yeah.
Rhea Gutierrez
Like they just kind of know, like, oh, this is going to be quite the tea.
Rudy Moore
Yeah.
Rhea Gutierrez
And like you always land on that very first, like smart ass, like passive. A graphic comment of like, yeah, nailed it. That's exactly what I was feeling.
Rudy Moore
Yeah.
Rhea Gutierrez
And then you move on to the next thing.
Leah Wise
Exactly. It's a scary thing to be doing every day as, as a entrepreneur, as a lawyer, as a content creator, as all these hats that I wear. It's terrifying. Even now, eight years later, you know, I still, sometimes I'm scared to open my TikTok comments and see what people are saying about me because I'm like, who's gonna hurt my feelings today?
Rhea Gutierrez
Or try to.
Leah Wise
Yes. But it's always short lived. In the beginning, I would sort of obsess over the criticism, the comments, and I'd be like, you know what, I'm just gonna stop doing this. I'm just gonna close down my practice, get a job. And now I kind of look forward to reading the comments. And now I'm like, I kind of like enjoy reading them. Every once in a while I do get my feelings hurt, but just for like a couple seconds, you know what I mean? Then I get over it. And then, you know, at this point it's like I'm so desensitized to it that it doesn't really make a difference anymore. But in the beginning it is really tough. Have you experienced that?
Rhea Gutierrez
Oh gosh, I got canceled, for God's sake. Of course I did. Look at me. I haven't, I haven't posted in seven years. I'm retired. I don't care. Oh yeah. All my social media is nice and quiet. It's been like that for seven years. I've been doing the social media hustle since like 2004, 2005. Before it was a thing.
Leah Wise
MySpace.
Rhea Gutierrez
Oh, MySpace. I worked at PlayStation. I launched their Instagram, like, oh, Twitch channel. Oh yeah, yeah. And all that is gone because I got canceled.
Leah Wise
Oh, okay. Well then you.
Rhea Gutierrez
So then you Google me.
Leah Wise
Well then you know what it's like.
Rhea Gutierrez
Oh yeah, you know what it's like also to have an arc now and be like, great, I got canceled. Now I have a comeback story.
Rudy Moore
Yeah.
Rhea Gutierrez
But it's also like I'm. I don't need to post. Like, I'm doing very well. Like, I don't need to go out there and, and slave away and go through the mental health alike. Now I have to create 10 pieces of content for the week because I have to entertain a bunch of strangers for likes and algorithms to generate a funnel to monetize what? To monetize my life experience.
Leah Wise
Yeah, right.
Rhea Gutierrez
Well, that's, that's a different chapter. We're still in 2020, Ray. We're not in 2025, Ray. Something I like to coach and I'm sure you can agree is you kind of find parts of your life pre cancellation, after cancellation go. The version of myself that I was in this decade is what I'm going to monetize. The version of myself that I am today, no one has access to that. This is the person that has healed, grown, and is moving on. But I can still monetize this 10 year bracket which was the launch of this, the creation of that even. What I'm doing now is masking. It's a podcast character. And that's something that I enjoy teaching entrepreneurs or folks that sit in that chair, they understand that now I have to create five avatars for my morning shift, my afternoon, and these different avatars, very much like a strip club. You don't walk into a strip club acting like you're in a doctor's office. You just put on a different facade. Very much like Kofi here. Kofi's an amazing energy and he's standing back there waiting for me to shut up. Leah, now that I can finally be quiet. How can people find you? How can people find your energy? Where can they find your billboards?
Leah Wise
Okay, so I am located in Texas. You can find my billboards in Austin, Texas. In McAllen, Texas, Edinburgh, Texas, mostly throughout the southern border region is where you can find me. That's where I'm born and raised, on the border. Love it. I was telling Kofi, like, being from the borders is such something special experience where you experience like two different countries at the same time, do two different cultures at the same time. And it really shaped who I am today. So mostly in the southern region of South Texas, but also Austin, which is where I went to school and love Austin. We're getting a lot of. We're experiencing a lot of growth in Austin and really all throughout Texas. You can find me on instagram @crash gal on TikTok@crash.gal. you can find me on my website, leahwise law.com. what am I missing? I don't do X. Do you do X?
Rhea Gutierrez
It's. I don't do anything. It's just sitting there.
Leah Wise
Oh, that's right. That's right. That's right.
Rhea Gutierrez
But you can do X. You could do threads. Do whatever.
Leah Wise
Threads. Okay, so I have my Instagram set up to where when I post, it automatically posts a thread. Yes.
Rhea Gutierrez
Thanks, Mark.
Leah Wise
I am on Facebook for the dinosaurs out there. I am on Facebook. I am a millenn. I'm on Facebook. And so that's just Leo Wise law firm. And you know what I'm noticing?
Rhea Gutierrez
Tell me.
Leah Wise
A comeback on Facebook.
Rhea Gutierrez
Oh, so if I was just gonna say there's a resurgence.
Leah Wise
Yes.
Rhea Gutierrez
The resurgence of Facebook.
Leah Wise
I was like, I thought I was done with Facebook. And then lately I've been like, whoa, I see you Facebook. Like, I'm seeing engagement. And sometimes great for leads, too.
Rhea Gutierrez
Yeah, great leads.
Leah Wise
Depending on your audience. You know, that's. Facebook still has a lot of value and like, especially with the older crowd. Right. Like the. Like my mom and dad's generation, like, they love Facebook. And yeah, I am noticing that. I am. I'm posting a lot more on Facebook because there is a resurgence. Why is that?
Rhea Gutierrez
Who knows? Life.
Leah Wise
Sure.
Rhea Gutierrez
I'm not sure. Folks are just kind of gravitating to some simplicity, form factors of UIs UX. Like, I didn't give you the whole philosophy of the original Twitter designs. Original, that. But that's. That's old school Silicon Valley speak.
Leah Wise
But I'm also on tv. If you live in South Texas, you can see my commercials. I'm on radio.
Rhea Gutierrez
Right on. You say you were in Austin now I have.
Leah Wise
Yes. I'm growing. I'm expanding into Austin. So you can see. You can find my billboards there. I have a large amount of clients in Austin.
Rhea Gutierrez
I love Austin. Lived there for three years.
Rudy Moore
Oh, you did?
Narrator/Host Introduction
Yeah.
Rhea Gutierrez
Yeah.
Leah Wise
How many years?
Rhea Gutierrez
Just three years. But it was during COVID so I didn't really count. And it was Lake Way, so it's not really Austin.
Rudy Moore
Oh, that's.
Leah Wise
Yeah, that's not really Austin.
Rhea Gutierrez
Yeah. Right. But you know Lake Way very well.
Leah Wise
If you know Lakeway. Yeah, so I'm sorry. So, yeah, I would say that my biggest presence is in South Texas, then Austin and then Houston, Dallas, so. But I also lived in San Antonio for a time, so I do have a good. A good network there. So really, I really. I am trying to be all Throughout Texas.
Rhea Gutierrez
Awesome. And what a place, what a state to be. All throughout. Like, it can't get any different between Dallas and Houston and Austin.
Leah Wise
It's so three different cultures. Yeah. It's amazing. It's like three different worlds, three different countries. And then where I'm from in the border, that's like a whole different country.
Rhea Gutierrez
That's a whole other.
Leah Wise
Yes, exactly. So it's a. I'm. I'm lucky to be licensed to practice law in Texas, where there's such a huge population that, you know, there's a need. And I'm lucky to be practicing primarily in my hometown. As I was telling Kofi, it's so rewarding because you hear about all these very, very talented people who leave the small town, go to the big city, and never come back home. Right. And there's a lot of talent needed back home. So it's very rewarding to be back home and trying to grow my brand there, grow my influence there, make a difference in my community, uplift my community. So that's very rewarding for me. And I'm. I'm very happy to be in Texas because, like you said, it's like, you know, three different countries just in Texas, and it's. It's a lot of fun. So I currently represent clients in every major city in Texas.
Rhea Gutierrez
Wow.
Leah Wise
So Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, South Texas, El Paso. And I'm. My goal is to become, you know, one of the largest law firms in Texas.
Rhea Gutierrez
Right on. And I. I foresee it. It has been done. You're welcome.
Leah Wise
It's gonna happen now.
Rhea Gutierrez
Leah, thank you so much for your vibrant, pink, feminine, beautiful energy. Quite the powerful woman. And with that concludes yet another episode of the Living your Legacy podcast for Inside Success. I am Riga Tierra.
Episode: How a Pink Law Firm Built a Texas Empire
Host: Rudy Mawer
Guests: Leah Wise, Rhea Gutierrez
Date: July 28, 2026
This episode spotlights Leah Wise, Texas attorney, founder of Leah Wise Law Firm, and the digital persona behind "Crash Gal." Leah shares her journey building the largest women-run law firm in South Texas, using unapologetic authenticity, embracing feminine energy, and devising a fiery, client-first brand in a traditionally staid, male-dominated field. The conversation—hosted by Rudy Mawer and featuring Rhea Gutierrez—dives deep into vulnerability as power, the struggles and triumphs of entrepreneurship, and the deliberate crafting of a bold brand.
Leah Wise's Opening Vulnerability: Leah reflects on her early days, struggling with self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the emotional weight of starting a law firm.
Connecting through Authenticity: Leah details how letting go of the traditional, steely legal persona and being open about her insecurities fostered trust with clients and her team.
Rooted in the Borderlands: Leah describes the value of building her firm in the region where she grew up—serving clients where “you experience two different countries at the same time.”
Vision for the Future: Serving clients across all major Texas cities, Leah aims for her firm to become “one of the largest law firms in Texas.” (20:02)
This episode is a candid, energetic, and empowering look at what it takes to break norms and build an empire with authenticity and heart—proving that “pink” and powerhouse are not mutually exclusive.