Our Consultant Spotlight series lets us tell the stories of the people who make up the Lions & Tigers community. Eric Twelker is an L&T Consultant who loves his family, the outdoors, music and using his gift of storytelling to create compelling content.

ABOUT ERIC

As a kid growing up in the woods of Central Oregon, I was passionate about the outdoors, music, gadgets, and storytelling—the genesis for a career in content and communications. A move to Chicago in high school was a jarring, exciting culture shift that compelled me to focus college studies on journalism and public relations, leading me back to the west coast, first to Los Angeles and then to the Pacific Northwest. For the past 20 years, Seattle has been an idyllic basecamp for my wife, Debbie; daughter, Jules and I to explore the world.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE

Growing up, I dreamt of working in the music, consumer tech, or video games industries. I got my big break during college when I landed an internship at Warner Bros. Records, which led to publicity roles at MCA Records and EMI Records, just as the labels started exploring interactive media–the intersection of my passions. Soon after, I joined the first PR agency devoted to interactive entertainment, where I managed music-focused multimedia projects, working with artists like The Residents and Devo, and the interactive divisions of MTV, Viacom, Paramount, and Virgin Entertainment. I moved to Seattle in ’98 to work at iconic video game publisher Sierra Online and joined Amazon early on to help launch the video games category. In 2001, I kicked off a ten-year career consulting for a bunch of tech companies, from Intel to Real Networks, Cisco and many Microsoft consumer groups like Office, Windows, and Microsoft Games. I met Brea while leading content marketing initiatives at R2i Integrated, a digital marketing agency in Seattle.

BEST CONCERT EVER ATTENDED

Tough to pinpoint a single concert! Some memorable shows were The Smiths, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Oingo Boingo’s final concert, Peter Gabriel, Portishead, Steven Wilson, an early U2 gig, the first two Lollapalooza festivals, and every sunset at the Gorge Amphitheater.

CURRENT ROLE

I’m supporting the communications team within the Microsoft Business Applications group, providing messaging strategy, writing and editing.

WHY LIONS & TIGERS

Shortly after returning to the consulting world, Brea invited me to join a client project. Lions & Tigers didn’t exist when Brea invited me to work on the project. It’ll be no surprise to anyone who knows Brea that only six weeks later, Brea had recruited a half dozen other consultants, established a business as an official Microsoft vendor, and set the stage for a company that is the amazing team today known as Lions & Tigers. It’s been incredible to witness the fast growth of Lions & Tigers in an incredibly short timespan–a testament to what’s possible when one has an articulate vision for a business built around the way people live and work today. Being a part of this team has been a career highlight.

AREAS OF INTEREST & PASSIONS

Professionally, I love telling stories of human achievement, empowered by technology, that make a real impact on communities. Outside work, my passion for live music, travel and arts has been displaced by activities closer to home: firing up power tools and building stuff, exploring local trails, and enjoying quality family time. Lockdowns have postponed some of our adventures but brought us together in many other ways.

SOMETHING YOU’VE BUILT DURING THE PANDEMIC

I ripped and replaced a bathroom—and have the back injury to prove it!

FAVORITE HIKE

My favorite hikes are in Central Oregon: Tenas Lakes, Canyon Creek Meadows, Chambers Lakes, the Three Sisters Wilderness—the variety of terrain and views is unmatched. Locally, my favorite destination is Goat Flats, a beautiful alpine meadow on the saddle of Three Fingers.

BENEFIT OF FLEXIBLE, HIGH IMPACT WORK

For me, the best ideas are born spontaneously, away from the keyboard. I recently composed thought leadership while trudging up a ravine in the shadow of Mt. Rainier; the hook for a campaign was sparked at the dog park; and a chat with my daughter during breakfast revealed insights that inspired a campaign theme and approach. When people are untethered from endless meetings, information overload and strict work hours, great things happen- both professionally and personally.

FAMILY PET

Our canine companion is a one-year old Cavachon named Cosette.

THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF WORK

Technology has enabled many of us to do our best work at the right time and place. We’re living in a time that invites transformation—for business and ourselves—to rebalance priorities, reinvent how we work and take care ourselves, family, and friends. That’s the central theme of Lions & Tigers, and it’s amazing to see how its driving real impact and results.

Interested in joining Lions & Tigers?  Check out our open roles here.