We were lucky to catch up with Raisa Brashi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Raisa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success is being willing to take a chance and throw yourself into something new – and then realizing that when you’ve landed, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. I’ve learned that if someone has decided to take a chance on you, it’s because they see your strengths and your potential. My life is a series of jumps, from one thing to the next, trying to figure out where I’m supposed to plant my feet. Four(+) careers in, and I feel like I am where I am supposed to be.

Raisa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

From a post-college, decade+ musical theatre actor/server/barista residing in New York, to an NYC special education math teacher in an incredible middle school in Queens, to a 4th-8th grade theatre teacher in the suburbs of Minneapolis, to a child care administrator (while my kiddos worked their way into public school), I shifted what I was doing to find the perfect fit for my current circumstances. Always discovering things to be passionate about and people with whom to share joy and laughs, frustration, anger and excitement, I was determined to find reasons to be grateful for all of the unique opportunities that presented themselves to me.

Every experience has shaped me into the person I am today. I would describe myself as silly and easy to get along with, but also a bit tentative and very self-critical. However, the patterns of my life experiences shout adventurous, assertive, and ready to take on anything. I go 100% in with every new experience and allow myself to be scaled back when necessary – jumping in and doing whatever I can to help the people with whom I am working be successful.

Cut to last spring when I was presented with the opportunity to jump into yet another career. With the kiddos off to school, the opportunity was there – but it was yet another leap. I am one year into my new career as Marketing, Social Media & Events Coordinator at South Lyndale Liquors & Market in South Minneapolis. The owners approached me with an idea and I jumped head first into the position and haven’t looked back. Utilizing all of my past experiences, I have the incredible opportunity to create exciting and accessible experiences where people can relax and enjoy themselves, and also connect with others in our community. The most exciting part of my job is to see people return, again and again, because they love what we do! There is no greater reward than seeing those same faces return to our space because they enjoyed their time with us.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that I have become somewhat of a chameleon – a versatile and flexible person with a very unique skill set – who can adapt to all kids of different situations. Although the idea of changing careers can be really scary, it’s also been so incredibly exciting. Take a leap and go!

My dream as a child was to be a “professional singer,” and I am happy to say that I had the opportunity to live that dream by pounding the pavement in Minneapolis and NY as a musical theatre actor for 13 years, and landing a handful of jobs that took me around the globe. But, I also made a lot of lattes and waited a ton of tables, worked on an events team at a Michelin star restaurant in Manhattan and helped open a really cool Spanish tapas restaurant in Brooklyn while pounding that pavement. I married the love of my life and decided to pursue a new career as a special education teacher, and it was AMAZING! I think I would have retired there, but we decided to start a family, and our son came along. Far away from most of our family, we decided to move back to the midwest. I found the perfect new job that took us back there, and started teaching elementary and middle school theatre. After our second kiddo came along, I decided it was time for a change, so I transitioned into early childhood education. My theatre and eduction backgrounds were a perfect fit for that new field, and I stayed there until my youngest went off to school.

This is when I moved into my new career, where all of the incredible past experiences come together to help me learn and grow in a brand new role – planning events for people where they can come and relax and enjoy themselves in a comfortable space!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The mission is to continue on only if what I’m doing is what I enjoy doing. This new career is such an incredibly beautiful blend of everything I’ve learned and experienced over the last couple of decades. I feel blessed with the opportunity to learn new skills and grow as a professional in an entirely new field. I am using creative energy in a way I have never before. My brain has a hard time shutting off now, and that’s really exciting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://southlyndale.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southlyndaleliquors/