How I Built My Business from Debt to a Multi-Million Dollar Business

The amazing thing about Leah Wise building a fabulously successful law firm, clothing line, real estate empire, and supportive non-profit organization is not just that she did it all, but also the speed with which she did it. After graduating with her Juris Doctorate in 2016, Wise started Leah Wise Law Firm the exact same year, becoming the first Latina-owned personal injury firm in South Texas. Since opening her firm, Wise has started her own clothing line, invested in real estate, and started a non-profit called Wise Women Foundation. As if she had time to spare, she is also the co-founder of “Latina Feature Friday,” a social media segment that features Latina entrepreneurs. 

The busy Wise has been running seemingly full speed ahead since law school graduation, but it hasn’t always been an easy path. “I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur,” Wise said, “but I just didn’t know how I was going to achieve it.” 

A pull towards community advocacy drew Wise to the legal profession, and her passions filled in the rest. How she went from a place of law-school-sized debt to an entrepreneurial empire with several income streams is a story that is peppered throughout with following dreams and going to where one’s skills would be put to good use.

Building from the ground up

“When I first started with my law firm, there were no lawyers advertising on social media,” says Wise. Starting on a shoestring budget, Wise took to social media because she couldn’t afford any other form of marketing. She was hoping that people would connect with her as a young lawyer, driven by an interest in justice. Personal injury was a very male-dominated law concentration, and Wise knew she had to stand out to draw people to her firm. 

What she did worked, and in 2020, Wise obtained the largest settlement in the state of Texas for that year — $7.9 million. On the heels of that win, she was given an honor for Top 100 Settlements in the Nation by Best of the Bar. Her practice has been and is centered around giving back to the community. 

Building her firm directly out of law school took more than just chutzpah, it took the direction and support of mentors that Wise leaned on in the early days of getting her firm off the ground. “My mentors taught me how to draft motions, present to the court, try cases, and even how to run a business,” says Wise. She is paying forward the benefits of those mentorships by acting as a mentor to other women in the law field and beyond. 

“I did not know a single female lawyer growing up. It was intimidating for me to practice law as a young woman,” Wise explains. “I hope to serve as an example to young women and show them that they are capable of achieving anything.” 

Passion-fueled moves

Not satisfied with just being a legal wunderkind, Wise followed a dream she had in the fashion industry as well, opening Crashgal Couture in 2022. “One of my favorite hobbies has always been fashion,” she explains. She recently acquired a building in Texas, once a popular gentlemen’s club, that she will transform into the CrashGal Headquarters, which ABNEWSWIRE called a “vibrant hub dedicated to fostering business, collaboration, and empowerment.” 

Wise’s true passion lies in philanthropy and inspiration. She formed Wise Women Foundation with the idea of the empowerment of Latinas in many spaces — from business to education. In 2022, Wise sponsored the Leah Wise Latina Student Hardship Fund at the St. Mary’s University School of Law, her alma mater. She has pledged $50,000 to the law school to help Latina law students like herself. Other projects that have captured her heart for philanthropy include raising money for menstrual products for low-income schools.

Getting ahead by giving back

For Wise, going from very little funds right out of law school with which to kick off her career to founding a multi-million-dollar empire has been all about following her heart. “When I think of industry disruption, I usually think of it as a positive thing, especially if what they are doing is revolutionary and helpful towards society,” Wise explains. 

Even though her more altruistic projects are in their beginning stages, Wise is very excited about their initial growth and where all her ventures could be heading in the near future. She knows wherever life does take her, within her career and with her philanthropic projects, there are many out there who want to see her succeed. 

“We tend to worry about what people say and think about us,” Wise admits. “The truth is that very few people spend time thinking about you. Most people are so caught up in their own lives that they don’t have the energy to focus on what they’re doing. Of course, there are outliers and people who will criticize you, but the vast majority of people want to see you win.”