Our Consultant Spotlight series lets us tell the stories of the people who make up the Lions & Tigers community. Stephanie is an artist, business owner, and L&T Consultant. Passionate about helping others, Stephanie enjoys coming into a client’s world with fresh eyes to help them to do their best high-impact work.

ABOUT STEPHANIE

I’ve lived in Seattle most of my life, but the majority of my family is in Canada (Vancouver and Ontario). I have a little chihuahua/pug mix named Hutta who is equal parts cute and a terror.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE

I’ve been in tech consulting for around 7 years with the majority of my work being for Microsoft and VMWare. I started as an associate and worked my way up to management before coming to Lions + Tigers. Now with L&T, I am back with Microsoft working to support the Core Product Marketing team in BizApps.

WHY CONSULTING
I have a BA in psychology, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it. Luckily I happened upon a consulting firm that was looking to diversify their staff with unique backgrounds other than business.

WHY LIONS & TIGERS

I knew I wanted to come back to consulting, but I could no longer take the constant grind of ladder climbing and zero work life balance. I knew I needed to seek out an environment that was conducive to my mental wellbeing and would follow through on their values around work life balance. I was also very passionate about joining a firm that was in its beginning stages of growth and that really cared about their people. It was a huge bonus to both know and be able to actually feel that it is woman-owned.

MORNING OR NIGHT PERSON

Neither! My best work gets done right in the middle of the day. 😉

BIGGEST INFLUENCE

My mom! She’s my best friend and makes me a better person every day. She’s a cancer survivor and my absolute hero.

AREAS OF INTEREST & PASSIONS

Professionally, I’m passionate about making the lives of others easier and being a good teammate. I’m a true “helper” to the bone, and I think that really allows me to come into a client’s world and help them offload what is drowning them. Coming into a client’s world with a fresh eye allows me to be very strategic and help them to do their best high-impact work. Personally, I’m passionate about connecting with others, trying new art forms, spending time with my family, and personal growth. I love learning new things and having the time to really invest in social justice and continue to try and be a better ally each day.

FAVORITE ART FORM

I love all art forms! As a side business I own and operate Poppy Design Studios with my best friend. We create clay jewelry and accessories. Other than that biz venture, I am super into painting, crafting, and digital design.

BIGGEST BENEFIT TO HIGH IMPACT, FLEXIBLE WORK

Flexible work allows me to truly give time and attention to everything I care about outside of work. It has allowed me to find value in myself and really grow an identity outside of just “being the best worker bee”. Taking care of myself and my mental health outside of work allows me to approach work with a new mindset. I have the freedom to identify growth areas and focus on them, as well as continuing to push forward in areas I feel that I already drive high-impact work. I truly believe that when you are burnt out, you are never going to be the best version of yourself.

DREAM TRIP

Greece!

ADVICE TO OTHERS NAVIGATING A CAREER TRANSITION

We live in a world where it can seem like work means everything. It creates a false sense of status, self-importance, and ego chasing. Instead of chasing the next biggest position, try to think about what actually lights you up and helps you value yourself. I would suggest to anyone who is navigating a career transition to really identify what you want out of the place that you work, and what you appreciated and didn’t appreciate in the last places you worked. It is easy to say “go where you’re valued” or “only take a job you believe in”, but the reality is that many people just need to put food on the table. There is no wrong choice when deciding where to work – and nothing is final. You are not a failure if you decide a choice (work or not) isn’t for you. You get unlimited do-overs. Care for yourself and be kind to yourself. Ask for help when you need it. Everything will eventually fall into place.

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