Our Consultant Spotlight series lets us tell the stories of the people who make up the Lions & Tigers community. This week we feature L&T Consultant, Brenda Fisher, a Product Marketer and Product Manager who loves to read, travel, cook and spend time with her family.

ABOUT BRENDA’S FAMILY

Since I was 5 years old, I dreamt of becoming a parent through international adoption.  In 2011, my husband and I became parents to our son, Miko, through adoption from Ethiopia. Miko’s early years with us required medical care and therapies to support his development which required time away from work. Now as a 10 year old, Miko is an amazingly smart, curious, articulate kid who still needs additional support in some areas but excels in other areas.

CAREER 

For the last 15 years, I have worked in product marketing and product management of which the last 10 years were in technology.   Prior to joining L&T, I was a Sr. Product Manager at Amazon and I worked at T-Mobile for 8 years.

AS A CHILD WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

Throughout my childhood, I was certain I would choose a career in medicine and/or public health.  As a high schooler, I participated in a half-day program to become an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), taught CPR and first aid, and spent a summer in Paraguay and a second summer in Brazil volunteering in community health and development.    Although, I never took my career in that direction both are still interest areas.

WHY LIONS & TIGERS

As a woman and a mother in technology, I am used to being in the minority, but in a past role, I was one of a few women on a team. Being the only mother was really difficult.  I didn’t feel supported as a working parent and was not able to “show-up” in the way that I wanted for my family, nor was I able to do my best work.  I didn’t feel like I was doing anything well and was constantly stressed that I couldn’t spend the time I wanted to with my family while trying to meet the demands of work in an environment that did not support me. I was looking for a place where I could show up authentically as a parent and do the work I love but for less than 40 hours a week. What I got from Lions & Tigers is way more than I bargained for:

• An inclusive work environment where I can show up as a parent.
• A community that cares about and supports inclusion.
• A virtual, team that gives me a feeling of “belonging.”
• Reminders from both clients and L&T that I am doing great work and I am appreciated.
• No more panic when my son doesn’t have school because my schedule is flexible and I can work from home.
•  The ability to support our son’s learning from home during the pandemic with my flexible schedule.

It is amazing how being in an inclusive environment that allows you to shine results in showing up as your best self.

FAVORITE AUTHOR OR BOOK

I love to read and have a broad collection of books I read.  I consider myself a lifelong learner- on the non-fiction side, a peek in my Kindle library will bring up business, race and equity, travel, hiking and backpacking guides, nutrition, cooking, and history books.  Since I am not a TV watcher, I look to fiction books as my escape.  My favorite genres are historical fiction and cultural fiction but recently I have been exploring juvenile fiction.

INTERESTS & PASSIONS

Professionally, I have a passion for understanding customer needs and addressing customer pain points through product and feature development as well as content marketing.

Personally, I am committed to advocating for children with learning differences especially 2e (disability + giftedness) and 3e (disability + giftedness + black male learners). I love the outdoors—hiking, backpacking, camping, snowshoeing, XC skiing- all of it! I have a passion for international travel (which has turned into local travel/camping during the pandemic), learning about other cultures and learning languages.  Other interests include plant-based cooking and eating, gardening, yoga and fitness.

FAVORITE THING TO COOK

I love trying new flavors and recipes. Over the last year, I have been moving towards more plant- based cooking but I continue to be influenced by international flavors.  Over the last few weeks we’ve made:  pad thai, sushi, and godrogodro (a coconut vanilla cake from Madagascar).

BENEFIT OF FLEXIBLE, HIGH IMPACT WORK 

I love the work I do, and I still want it to be part of my life.  Most opportunities in my field are “full-time” which is always more than 40 hours a week.  Until I found L&T, I didn’t know I could have both my work and my family.  I love the mental stimulation of work balanced with the peace of mind that I also have time to focus on the people most important to me. In addition to my work at Lions & Tigers, I now have time to help my husband with his photography business and support our son as both a learner and a person.

DREAM TRAVEL DESTINATION

I have been extremely fortunate to have lived in or visited over 60 countries.  Travel, learning about cultures, and languages is a passion!  My favorite destinations are often international and include both a cultural and an active component (hiking, camping, biking, snorkeling).   Without the obstacle of time and resources, I’d love to do an overland tour of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.  I love to finish my trips off with a little beach time—my destination of choice would be Mozambique or Reunion Island.

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