I’m a native of Southern California, currently living with my husband Neil and two funny Frenchies in the low-key California beach town of San Clemente. Prior to launching Lisa Likes This, I spent the majority of my career in the insurance industry, with one (too short) segue into entrepreneurship.
In the early 2000s, I opened a Spin & Yoga studio in Manhattan Beach, California. The years spent launching and running that business, helping people with fitness goals and building a community were tremendously satisfying. Sadly, with the economic downturn of 2008, I had to face the harsh reality that I couldn’t make a living following this dream. It was one of the toughest times of my life, but I wouldn’t trade the experience I had and the friendships I made for anything. The lessons I learned while rebuilding my life were equally valuable (though admittedly less fun!).
Business Not-So Casual
Fortunately, I had an easy entrée back into the corporate world. I moved to New York – for the second time in my career – and slowly but surely dug myself out of the aftermath of closing my business. I sold my house, downsized to a 450-square foot apartment in downtown NYC, and got to work repaying my debt. It was a very humbling process – one I will share more about soon.
I spent the next 15 years in various insurance and technology leadership positions, eventually returning to Southern California. All was great in my world again… I had mostly recovered from the loss of my beloved studio, was making a great living, traveling a ton, working for a visionary leader, surrounded by a wonderful group of colleagues and leading a dynamic team.
Love & Marriage… after a short delay
In November of 2019, my awesome boyfriend proposed on the 5-year anniversary of our first meeting. Everything I had dreamed and worked for had finally fallen into place. But not for long! Our wedding plans were put on hold one month later when I was blindsided by a breast cancer diagnosis. Only a few months after that, COVID changed everything for everyone.
Fast forward to 2022; I have recovered from breast cancer treatment, the world has mostly returned to normal, and I am a 50-something first-time bride (yay!). I started a new position with an exciting firm, and my career and personal life were humming along once again. Until… the next challenge came my way.
The Next Chapter
There’s so much to my story that I look forward to sharing on this blog. Like most of us, I’ve been through incredible highs and terrible lows, with lessons along the way. For now, I want to set the stage for how I ended up in this space – a content creator launching a digital business. I look forward to sharing my journey with you, along with the inspiring people, products, services and I discover.
The Community
My hope is to create a community of like-minded women who enjoy learning about and being inspired by new things! In addition to sharing ideas for Everyday Style, Travel, Gifts and Home, I am looking forward to hearing from you! We all have stories to share. I invite you to share yours with me, and if you are willing, with our Lisa Likes This community. My hope is that through this community, we can learn from – and be inspired by – one another.
Thanks for reading. I am so excited about this next phase and am so happy you’re here!
