We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lisa Conners. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lisa below.

Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

A defining moment in my career was when I was passed over for a promotion that I had worked hard to achieve.
My team was excited when the job opening was announced and congratulated me on being recognized for all that I had accomplished as a leader and manager!

What I didn’t know, was that while I was focused on my work 24/7, someone else was busy socializing with the executive decision makers while undermining and casting doubt on my accomplishments and capabilities. He ultimately received the promotion and then made the rest of my time at that company very difficult.

I learned many lessons from this experience that I use as an Executive and Leadership Coach to help my clients be aware of the interpersonal dynamics that may not be obvious, to develop and maintain their networks so that they get a full view of what’s happening at the organization, and to create a strong leadership presence in every interaction.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I became a full-time Executive and Leadership Coach after a robust career in consulting, finance, non-profits, government contracting, and as a business owner. My roles included managing large-scale eCommerce and other IT programs, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, and Financial Management of programs.

Looking back on it, I now recognize that I succeeded at these diverse roles because I took a coaching approach to developing team members. Rather than telling each person what to do, I sought to bring out the best in each person so that they could perform at a high-level and freely share their work with each other, knowing that all contributions would be recognized and appreciated.

I now work with founders of companies, co-founder teams, and high-performing leaders such as cardiologists, attorneys, and CEOs. The consistent thread among my clients is that they are uniquely creative, very smart, and they see the world in an entrepreneurial way. They often see opportunity where others experience failure.

Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?

I bought a 24,000 sq. ft indoor play facility! I ran the business for 7 years and hosted thousand of field trips, birthday parties, and unplugged play sessions for children up to age 10.

During the acquisition process, I analyzed the financials, visted the facility, and researched potential competitors. I created my own business case and financial projections based on what I thought was possible.

What I didn’t realize was that the past financials, which hadn’t been audited, did not provide a full accounting of the business. I realized that when I visited the facility prior to purchasing it, I was there during the busiest of days and hours, and did not know that there were more slow days and hours than busy ones. If I knew that information, I would have modified my business case and likely not have purchased the business.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

As an Executive and Leadership Coach, the professional and personal lessons that I learned through my 30+ year career are invaluable in understanding what my clients are experiencing and being able to relate to their aspirations.

I continuously invest in my own professional development through coach training and I hire my own coaches who help me to develop skills in multiple areas. In addition, I earned multiple certifications through the College of Executive Coaching, the International Coach Federation, and the Public Relations Society of America.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.everbetteru.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaconnersvogt/
• Other: Podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/3NXLreGZY2qsHAeaoGJfSN
  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ever-better-today/id1067620648