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Today, we are joined by Lisa Keitges, who graduated from college during the Great Recession. With no formal job offer, she moved to New Orleans and reached out to anyone in her alumni network she could find. She received one response and was offered a summer internship with the New Orleans Saints. While this wasn’t the job she expected or wanted after school, she learned hard work and humility, which led to them offering her a full time role.
After a year in the role, Lisa was looking for a new position where she could make the most impact. Starting with working at the SPCA in Louisiana, she fell into the non-profit sector and never left. As a self described workaholic, Lisa was focused on her career. She moved to DC and eventually New York as she progressed through the non-profit sector.
While working for a consulting firm, Lisa struggled to push back and took on too much work. She realized the work was affecting her happiness, relationships, and health, so she decided to quit. She put together a budget based on what she was willing to give up in her current lifestyle to survive without a salary. Pretty quickly she started receiving inquiries from her network to help with different projects. Fast forward three years and Lisa is running her own consulting firm called East 5th Strategies. She focuses on working with clients that align with her values and she enjoys working with.
Most recently, Lisa and her boyfriend were both working remote in their New York City apartment during COVID. They began to re-evaluate their priorities of what was most important to them. So they bought a farmhouse in the Catskill Mountains in New York and moved their full-time. Lisa is now focused on working remote, finding new hobbies, and building a community in their new town.
Check out the conversation as we dive into the following:
Why building a community of champions is so important
How she has always been driven by not wanting to disappoint people
How lifestyle expenses increase as your salary increases
How workers have more leverage than ever before
Why it is up to us to define the narrative of work for the future
Listen to Lisa share her story and get inspired with her amazing advice to people thinking about following a similar path. Check out the full conversation on YouTube or Spotify by clicking the links below.
Know someone who should be on Why I Quit? We’re looking for all types of stories and people to feature at the top of the show. To nominate yourself or someone else, email dave@foundersapproach.com and tell us your name, where you’re from and what you want to talk about.