Lisa Frusztajer
Executive Coach, Educator Investor at Executive Coach, Educator, Investor
Women Empowerment
Education: University of Chicago - MBA, Columbia Business School, M.Sc., London School of Economics
Boston, MA, USA
Biography
I spent 20+ years working in technology and before that was in financial services and consulting. About 10 years ago I started investing in early stage companies, but realized I could do more to support founders, which led me to train as a coach. The tools I learned have been unlocking energizing paths forward and clarity about next steps for my clients. I now work with startup founders to help them pave entrepreneurial paths that energize them. And I work with corporate clients to help them identify what they want and how to go after it.
Passion
The transformations I see in people I coach are inspiring. I get to help people create career and life paths they love and to take next steps with confidence, focus and energy, reaching for goals and ambitions they never thought they could reach. I want to share the tools and perspective shifts that can make the difference between grinding mindlessly through a job vs. finding the path you know in your heart is right for you.
Best Story
When I was working at a tech company, I was part of a planning team to allocate crucial components for an upcoming multi-product launch. I was asked to be first on the agenda to share volume projections for my products. When it came time for the next team members to share theirs, I thought there were typos in their numbers because they were a tiny fraction of mine. Turns out I was running the highest volume products in the company, which was great. But what makes my heart sink today is that I didn't even know that. I was responsible for huge revenue to the company and had no idea how much value I was delivering. There were times when notes were literally dropped onto my desk, assigning me projects in areas where I had no experience and that were often only peripherally related to my core job. At the time I did not even consider saying no. I was the workhorse who would get it done, helping to make things run smoothly. I had no idea what I wanted other than, as a single mom, to have steady income to support myself and my kids and do a good job. I learned a lot and I am proud of the work I did, but my mission now is to help women figure out what they want, pursue their own ambitions and feel proud of what they accomplish.
Origin Story
I have always loved problem-solving and challenging myself. My father was an electrical engineer and I was fascinated by his work and all that he was able to create. Academically, I gravitated towards literature and history, so it did not occur to me to study engineering. But I did go to business school and the analytical skills I gained there gave me a way into working at a tech company. When I got there, I got involved in what the engineers were doing and over time got to manage them. It was a lot of fun problem-solving throughout the organization, from engineering, to operations, to finance, to sales and marketing to develop and launch $1 billion+ products.
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
Everything is negotiable
Topics
Best Story
When I was working at a tech company, I was part of a planning team to allocate crucial components for an upcoming multi-product launch. I was asked to be first on the agenda to share volume projections for my products. When it came time for the next team members to share theirs, I thought there were typos in their numbers because they were a tiny fraction of mine. Turns out I was running the highest volume products in the company, which was great. But what makes my heart sink today is that I didn't even know that. I was responsible for huge revenue to the company and had no idea how much value I was delivering. There were times when notes were literally dropped onto my desk, assigning me projects in areas where I had no experience and that were often only peripherally related to my core job. At the time I did not even consider saying no. I was the workhorse who would get it done, helping to make things run smoothly. I had no idea what I wanted other than, as a single mom, to have steady income to support myself and my kids and do a good job. I learned a lot and I am proud of the work I did, but my mission now is to help women figure out what they want, pursue their own ambitions and feel proud of what they accomplish.
Origin Story
I have always loved problem-solving and challenging myself. My father was an electrical engineer and I was fascinated by his work and all that he was able to create. Academically, I gravitated towards literature and history, so it did not occur to me to study engineering. But I did go to business school and the analytical skills I gained there gave me a way into working at a tech company. When I got there, I got involved in what the engineers were doing and over time got to manage them. It was a lot of fun problem-solving throughout the organization, from engineering, to operations, to finance, to sales and marketing to develop and launch $1 billion+ products.