Lisa Freidel (Class of 2014) came into the Executive MBA with years of operations experience accumulated through her work at E. & J. Gallo Winery, SBC Telecom, AT&T, and the U.S. Army. Despite a successful career and a solid resume, Lisa felt that something was missing…but wasn’t able to pinpoint exactly what that something might be. An assessment administered during the program by Executive Coach, Dr. Sandra Kruse-Smith, identified Lisa’s career anchor (the value most important to her) as: lifestyle.
Reflecting on this, Lisa was able to pinpoint the discomfort she felt in her career and realized that she needed to make a change. Over the past decade, she had contemplated starting a business, but wasn’t sure what form it might take. After researching a number of potential options, Lisa and her husband, Mark, settled on a franchise that would allow them to start small, work close to home, and enjoy a schedule that would allow them to embrace all that life has to offer.
In October, Lisa and Mark, opened their Signarama store in Liberty, MO. From their store, they can design, produce and install all types of signs and graphics including (but not limited to) outdoor illuminated signs, window and wall graphics, vehicle graphics, banners, and yard signs. When asked about her feelings venturing into entrepreneurship, Lisa admits to being a “hopeless optimist” and described the process as more thrilling than frightening. Her upbringing, undergraduate study at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and subsequent career experience have made her fearless.
She credits the Executive MBA with helping her develop a broader business perspective that balanced her operations experience and served her well throughout the process of evaluating franchises and opening her business. Returning for graduate study twenty years into her career also reinforced her confidence to try new things. She acknowledges that she doesn’t know everything, but is comfortable jumping in and learning along the way.
It all comes back to that moment a few years ago when she realized how important lifestyle was to her career satisfaction. Curiously, the only other student in her class to share the same career anchor was Dr. Abid Bhat, who also launched a venture this year. Lisa believes that the work with the Executive Coach is so valuable because people don’t take enough time for personal evaluation and reflection, but when we do – it can take us in a new and rewarding direction.
Thanks for the shout out UMKC!
Absolutely! Best of luck in your new venture, Lisa!