The Lawyer's Edge

Dr. Lauren Tashman is a Performance Coach and the Founder of Align Performance, an organization focused on helping clients learn the science behind mindset, leadership, and team culture in order to better align their performance with their potential. She is also a Master Coach for Valor Performance and an expert in the science of performance coaching.

Dr. Tashman's background is in sports psychology and performance, and she currently teaches graduate sports psychology courses at John F. Kennedy University. Dr. Tashman has also co-edited three books and written countless articles in her areas of expertise.

You may be the most successful lawyer at your firm, the highest-grossing salesperson at your company, or the player with the most points on your team. But, once you advance to a leadership role, how do these skills carry over? Do they play a role in your new position, or do you need to gain some new expertise?

Although you may not know it, there is a lot of psychology behind being a leader. High performers aren't necessarily natural-born leaders, and the two roles require vastly different skill sets—including some that you may not have acquired in your initial position. According to Dr. Lauren Tashman, what's important here isn't necessarily that you immediately know what you're doing; what matters is your intention.

Join Elise Holtzman in this episode of The Lawyer's Edge as she sits down to talk with the Founder of Align Performance, Dr. Lauren Tashman. Dr. Tashman discusses her work as a mental performance coach, the different kinds of confidence that play a role in your success, and the way perfectionism can both help and hurt you. Stay tuned as they explore leadership and how to navigate the shift from being a good performer to a great leader.

Gina Rubel is the President and CEO of Furia Rubel Communications, an award-winning, woman-owned public relations and marketing agency that specializes in high-stakes public relations, reputation management, crisis planning, and incident response support for lawyers and law firms. Gina founded Furia Rubel in 2002, making it the first Pennsylvania marketing and public relations agency with a niche in the legal industry.

Gina has written two books on public relations for lawyers and currently works with clients in 28 states and five countries. She founded and co-chairs the Philadelphia Bar Association's Law Firm Risk Management Committee and was recently inducted into the College of Law Practice Management as a fellow. Gina is also the host of the popular podcast, On Record PR.

We've all heard this argument before: law is a practice, not a business. There is often a heavy resistance in the legal industry when it comes to marketing and public relations, but, according to Gina Rubel, this can be detrimental to the future of your practice and your present business.

Gina is the President and CEO of Furia Rubel Communications, one of the top legal marketing agencies in Pennsylvania. After starting her career in law as a judicial clerk and later diving into litigation, she noticed that there was a space in the industry that needed to be remedied: communications.

Join Elise Holtzman on this episode of The Lawyer's Edge as she sits down with Gina Rubel, the President and CEO of Furia Rubel Communications. Gina talks about her transition from a career in law to a career in communications, her strategies for crisis and reputation management, and the importance of internal training when it comes to public relations. Keep listening.

Elise Holtzman is an experienced attorney, a certified professional coach, and the founder of The Lawyer's Edge, a boutique firm that provides professional development services to individual attorneys and legal organizations.

Elise has a J.D. from Columbia Law School. She practiced commercial real estate transactional law before shifting her focus to empowering lawyers as they navigate their growing careers.

When we think about sales, it's easy to only focus on the negative connotations: the used car sales person, or the telemarketer who calls at all hours of the day, to name a couple. But in the ever-evolving landscape of law, it's important now more than ever to learn how to market and sell your services.

That's why Elise Holtzman, founder and president of The Lawyer's Edge, wants to help burgeoning lawyers level up their business without feeling pushy or overbearing. She assists her clients with mastering the skills they didn't learn in law school: namely, how to be a successful sales person.

On this week's episode of The Lawyer's Edge Podcast, Elise is interviewed by Rise25 co-founder, Smart Business Revolution podcast founder, and business networking expert John Corcoran about the importance of clearly and professionally selling your services. Elise and John get into the nitty gritty of quoting your prices with confidence, avoiding the commodity trap, and being okay with letting certain clients walk away. Stay tuned.

Anna McGrane is a former practicing lawyer and the current COO and Co-founder of PacerPro, a workflow automation and experience capture platform. PacerPro has become the standard for BigLaw and leading litigation boutiques when it comes to integrating federal court data into workflow and knowledge systems.

Anna speaks frequently on issues of law, technology, enterprise change management, workflow, and clean data capture. She has been featured in Lawyers Who Code and "Women of Legal Tech" and is an organizing member of the NYU Law & Tech community.

Historically, integrating innovation into the legal industry has always been a challenge. Whenever a new technology emerges, lawyers (and firms) at large are usually hesitant to try it out, and some even cling to their old workflows—regardless of how inefficient this makes them.

When it comes to new technology, you could be saving time, money, and most importantly, stress! So, why is the legal industry so slow to innovate? Former practicing lawyer and current legal tech expert Anna McGrane has a few ideas.

In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman sits down with the Co-founder and COO of PacerPro, Anna McGrane, to talk about how technology can streamline and enhance BigLaw. Together, they chat about the features of Anna's automation platform, whether or not the legal industry is becoming more open to innovation, and Anna's suggestions for law firm leaders who are ready to introduce new tech into their practices.

Domenic Cervoni is the Vice President of Legal and Senior Legal Counsel for HSBC, where he handles litigation and regulatory enforcement for the company's global banking and markets business.

Domenic has also developed a passion for employee health and well-being, with a particular focus on matters of mental health in the legal industry. This deep interest led him to pen his first book, From Tragedy to Triumph, and he is donating 100% of the proceeds to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

What does it take to be a better lawyer? Do you have to know the ins and outs of every case at your firm? Should you focus on making partner, no matter how many late nights it requires? Do you have to subtract vacations out of the equation to make it to the top?

According to Domenic Cervoni, the key to success is, instead, focusing on your mental health. A public speaker and Vice President of Legal at HSBC, Domenic believes that prioritizing your well-being is exactly what will make you a better lawyer and, ultimately, the best version of yourself.

Join us on this episode of The Lawyer's Edge as Elise Holtzman sits down with Domenic Cervoni, the Vice President of Legal and Senior Legal Counsel at HSBC. Domenic talks about his passion for focusing on your mental well-being, why the legal industry isn't the best at handling health issues, and how firms and other organizations can start to shift toward a culture with less burnout and higher retention. Stay tuned.

Corey Gray is a commercial litigator with Boies Schiller Flexner, and he is also a board member on the firm's diversity council. Corey specializes in high-stakes contract, antitrust, and energy litigation that often involves issues of first impression. With a mindset focused on serving the people, he's also active in pro bono outreach.

Before becoming an attorney, Corey served as an Officer in the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division and was deployed twice to Iraq. It was during his second deployment, when his service included a counterinsurgency strategy course, that his moral compass pointed him toward law school. Today, Corey continues to serve as Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.

When Corey Gray saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center on September 11th, something stirred inside him. Seeing the towers fall over the television screens as he walked through his college campus—and experiencing an anthrax scare while interning for a U.S. senator just a little while later—left him wanting to make a difference. So, he joined the military.

Two deployments to Iraq and one law degree later, Corey regards his (ongoing) time in the military and his career shift into BigLaw as a love letter to the citizens of America. He carries those same principles of servitude, leadership, and the protection of our inalienable rights in everything he does, whether he's in the courtroom or the field.

Join us in this episode of The Lawyer's Edge as Elise Holtzman sits down with commercial litigator and Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves Corey Gray to talk about what it means to be a true leader. Corey shares what he learned during his second deployment in Iraq, his work with the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, and his perspective on the current protests against systemic racism. Keep listening.

Laurence Whittam is a Business Advisor with Anchin, regarded as one of the "best of the best" accounting firms in the country. He is also a Profit Enhancement Leader for CostMarc, a consulting group affiliate of Anchin. Fresh out of college, Laurence was chosen to launch the American subsidiary of a UK firm, growing the company from a startup to a thriving business with $2 million in annual revenue in just five years. Since then, he has worked with over 250 professional service firms and has produced yearly savings of over $7.5 million across his clients.

Laurence is an authority on what a business should and should not outsource in order to stay efficient and effective. When he's not helping to implement strategies for profit enhancement, he volunteers with the KinderSmile Foundation and spends time with his wife and daughter.

When you hear the phrase "expense reduction," what is the first thought that pops into your head? Did you think of layoffs? Or, did the idea of cutting technology or letting go of some work culture comforts cross your mind?

According to Laurence Whittam, none of these should get the ax. In his work as a Business Advisor and Profit Enhancement Leader, Laurence has learned that the bottom line isn't as clear cut as it may seem. That's why his mission is to help companies reduce expenses in a way that optimizes their operations and transforms the way they do business.

In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman sits down with Laurence Whittam, Anchin Business Advisor and the Profit Enhancement Leader for CostMarc. Together, they talk about expense reduction and what that should look like for your law firm. Laurence also shares the importance of relationship building and an inclusive work culture, and his thoughts on why lawyers are a few years behind accountants. Keep listening.

Michelle Calcote King is the Principal and President of Reputation Ink, an award-winning B2B and professional services marketing and public relations agency. Although she is based out of Jacksonville, Florida, Michelle works with both nationwide and global firms to help them build their reputations, communicate their expertise, and grow their businesses.

Before founding Reputation Ink in 2011, Michelle managed a team of 18 senior-level consultants at Jaffe PR, a national PR firm that provides services for lawyers and law firms. Michelle has held a series of positions in marketing and public relations over the past two decades, and in 2015, she was named a "Woman of Influence" by the Jacksonville Business Journal.

It can be confusing to learn how to market your law firm, whether you've been in the business for years or are just starting out. Should you focus your efforts on blogging? Is it necessary to engage on LinkedIn? Would you benefit from reaching out to media outlets?

Michelle Calcote King has the answers to all of these questions, and more. As the Principal and President of Reputation Ink, a B2B and professional services marketing and public relations agency, Michelle has valuable expertise on everything from the early days of blog-mania to the modern trends of thought leadership. Now, she wants to share her advice with you.

In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman sits down with Michelle Calcote King, the Principal and President of Reputation Ink, to talk about all things marketing and public relations. Michelle discusses the importance of consistent and ongoing thought leadership, her thoughts on PR in 2020 (hint: you should be doing it!), and her research on whether your marketing efforts should be prioritized or left on the backburner during times of crisis. Keep listening.

Rob Toomey is the president and co-founder of TypeCoach, which helps companies and individuals achieve their business and organizational goals through the application of personality types. After five years as a practicing attorney, Rob started his unique coaching business with his wife (and co-founder!) Carly Toomey, using online programs as well as in-person training to help his clients maximize their potential.

Rob is also the founder of An Extraordinary Life, a company that is focused on helping professionals navigate complex career transitions. In 2005, Rob joined forces with SpeedReading People, which allowed him to grow his clientele to include more than 20 Fortune 500 firms.

Do you ever walk out of a meeting unsure of what is expected of you? Do you sometimes find yourself confused or frustrated when a colleague doesn't understand what you're talking about? Is it difficult to get your point across when speaking to certain people in your organization?

These experiences are more common than you think—and the answer might lie in the personality type of you and those around you. We all have different personalities and ways of thinking, and this affects our communication styles. So, how can you use your personality type and the personalities of others to better communicate in your workplace?

In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge Podcast, host Elise Holtzman sits down with the president and co-founder of TypeCoach, Rob Toomey, to discuss how to maximize potential at your law firm through the application of personality types. Listen in as they chat about which personality types help lawyers thrive in the different stages of their career, the importance of cognitive diversity in your practice, and the communication style that Rob believes is conducive to the most success.

Chaim Book is the Co-Founder and Head of Employment Law Practice at Moskowitz & Book, an employment law, white-collar criminal defense, and commercial litigation firm based in New York. Alongside his co-founder Avi Moskowitz, Chaim has successfully headed the firm for the last 24 years.

In addition to being named a New York City Super Lawyer by his peers, Chaim is also a storied mediator and advisor. He has worked with a number of nonprofit and religious organizations throughout his career, representing more than 50 synagogues, churches, and religious schools.

Whether you're a big law firm with endless practice areas or a small boutique practice that focuses on a single niche, it takes a lot of determination, communication, and strategy to succeed in the long run.

For Chaim Book, the integral element of success for his practice is one that's often overlooked by large and small law firms alike: flexibility. Chaim and his Co-Founder Avi Moskowitz have successfully run their employment law firm, Moskowitz & Book, for the last 24 years—longer than some marriages. That's because they prioritized flexibility without compromising their core values and goals.

In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge Podcast, Elise Holtzman sits down with Moskowitz & Book Co-Founder and Head of Employment Law Practice, Chaim Book, to talk about the necessary strategies for success in law. Chaim shares his thoughts on LinkedIn and the purpose of networking, how Moskowitz & Book has prospered for the last 24 years, and the importance of building relationships with both your confidants and your competition. Keep listening.