The International Lawyer Who Quit to Save Toxic Workplaces

What You'll Discover in This Episode:

Ever wonder what it takes to leave a prestigious legal career at Morgan Stanley and build a thriving coaching business from scratch? Annelise Pesa pulls back the curtain on her decade-long journey as an executive and leadership coach, sharing the raw truth about what it really takes to succeed as a coach entrepreneur.

In this conversation, Annelise gets refreshingly honest about the early misconceptions she had—thinking clients would just show up once she hung out her shingle. Spoiler alert: they didn't. She walks us through the mindset shifts, business investments, and strategic decisions that transformed her from struggling solopreneur to sought-after executive coach working with legal professionals across multiple continents.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why lawyers desperately need coaching and how toxic "prove yourself" cultures are driving talented professionals out of the industry—plus the specific leadership gaps that coaching fills when law school doesn't teach you how to actually lead people
• The chemistry session framework that actually converts including why Annelise shifted from offering 90-minute sessions to focused 30-minute consultations, and how meeting clients "where they are" emotionally makes all the difference in closing deals
• How to build authority through publication and why being a regular contributor to multiple industry publications creates a compounding visibility effect that brings clients to you (even when individual articles don't convert immediately)
• The brutal truth about "everyone and their mom" becoming a coach and why Annelise predicts most new coaches will fall away—plus what separates those who build sustainable businesses from those who give up
• Treating coaching as a real business with systems and discipline including the specific tools Annelise uses (like Capsule CRM), why she compares marketing coaches to personal trainers, and how she structures her time when there's no boss telling her what to do

This isn't motivational fluff. It's a practical masterclass in building a coaching business that serves high-level clients while maintaining your authenticity and avoiding burnout.

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction: The Missing Element in Coaching
00:28 Meet Annise Pezo: Executive and Leadership Coach
02:01 From Law to Coaching: Annise's Journey
04:46 The Importance of Leadership in Law Firms
07:33 Effective Coaching Strategies
11:00 Building a Coaching Business
16:05 Challenges and Realities of Running a Coaching Business
22:45 The Value of Coaching and Meat Analogy
23:19 The Importance of Writing and Authenticity
24:58 Building Visibility and Trust
27:19 Challenges and Rewards of Running a Coaching Business
30:57 Advice for New Coaches
39:44 Overcoming Difficult Times and Writing a Book
43:00 Future Plans and Conclusion

CONNECT WITH ANNELISE PESA:
🌐 Website: https://www.annelisepesa.com/
🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/annelisepesa
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annelisepesa/

Annelise Pesa is a Senior Executive & Team Coach (PCC/ICF) and former international finance lawyer who spent nearly a decade at Morgan Stanley. She specializes in empowering legal professionals and senior executives to unlock their unique strengths through a holistic approach that integrates positive psychology, NLP, and stress management.

ABOUT COACH AS ENTREPRENEUR:
Coach as Entrepreneur is the show for coaches building real businesses with systems, strategy, and heart. Hosted by David Chung, we explore what it actually takes to build a sustainable coaching practice, from client enrollment to systems that scale.

Connect with David Chung:
Website: https://kyberfive.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidchung-01/

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