lisa wise testimonial 

 

Sometimes our stories lie dormant - even when we want to shout them from a mountain top. But in the absence of a sherpa, most writers will never find or be given voice. Maureen was the wind at my back as I considered ascension - then began the climb. The summit offers both pride and hindsight at once. The thought partnership, discipline and research Maureen brought to our partnership was Olympian coach caliber. And I credit her with the win.

 

I was a child left behind. I suffered underperforming small town Idaho public schools in the 70’s and 80’s and struggled to hit basic educational milestones. I was late to reading and much slower to writing. Yet authoring my first book, Self-Elected, has been the most critical milestone for me yet. Perhaps it’s because I needed to be part of a “we” and not rely on just “me” to frame a complex book about social justice business while telling a deeply personal story about my journey to entrepreneurship, public service and philanthropy.

 

Creatively and technically, Maureen was my ride or die as the book came to life. During the highs and low lows she knew how to give me space, to insist I reflect. In some cases I needed distance from the work to understand it and build on it. I needed distance so I didn’t give up. “Put it down” she would say. “Walk away.”  “Come back another time - but fresh.”  In other cases, I needed to exhale and relish the work. To savor my own words. Particularly as a hesitant, inexperienced writer. Maureen understood that part of the story too and ensured my passion and my whole self found its way to the page. With her the first to listen as the book unfolded, I found my writing voice.    

 

During our two years of collaboration, we teased out the arc and structure of the book. We identified and studied the companies featured in the book and we read. A lot. The research was as rich as the storytelling, because the book needed to make a socio-political and economic argument for justice-based business. And it did.  

 

I encourage anyone who sees themselves in the story above to contact Maureen. Don’t hesitate. Hire Maureen and invest in yourself. Without Maureen, I would not have written and published Self-Elected.  

 

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lisa wise is an author as well as Founder and CEO of Flock DC, a family of real estate management companies in Washington, DC that oversees over two billion dollars in property. She is also cofounder of BirdWatch an early stage home maintenance service scaling nationally and founder/funder of birdSEED a housing justice foundation. Oh, and she’s also a badass.  

You can meet lisa wise here.