Meet Lisa Brown: From Overwhelmed to Courageously Focused
Meet one of our 1,000+ TPS members, Lisa Brown. Lisa is a virtual assistant, fitness professional, veteran, mom of five and 20-year military spouse — surely a superhero among us.
Her first impression of The Paradigm Switch network was skepticism, one that we often experience as spouses when a new program comes to the scene. Initially, this was going to be a “no harm, no foul” experience for her. Lisa quickly realized this would not be the case. The honest, vulnerable and brave connections being made on The Paradigm Switch network sparked her interest. It was the welcoming community of like-minded, driven military spouses that convinced Lisa to explore the program further. “This is different. This isn’t what all the other programs are like”, said Brown.
Lisa’s words speak to me, as I felt many of the same emotions during my Switch journey. The program is designed to be individualized and impactful. What you put into Switch is what you will get out of Switch. Lisa committed herself to dig deep and take a good look at her past, present and more importantly, her future. “I have to be honest with myself. There’s nobody else. You’re not completing it for a certificate, you’re not completing it for anybody else but yourself,” said Brown.
Before joining TPS, Lisa was at a point of needing to refocus her energy towards something new, something better.
Lisa, like many women, felt held back by fear, “fear of failure but also fear of success”, she said. The balance of being a mom and a professional often left her not moving forward and taking bold steps. Switch helped Lisa to find the courage to reach her goals. “You have to really dig deep. You have to really take a good look at yourself and be honest about where you are, what you want and what you’re willing to do to get it”, said Brown.
As Lisa worked through Switch, her teenage daughter was looking at colleges. They were simultaneously experiencing reflection and goal setting for their futures. The Brown family was able to be brave together through conversations of not living with fear. “Everything has changed for us”, said Brown. Switch helped her create S.M.A.R.T goals — ultimately leading to employment after being out of the workforce for several years. She could now see a clear vision of her future. It gave her direction. “When you do complete it, you realize, that was one of the greatest things I’ve done in a really long time”, said Brown. What a profound way to summarize hers and many others’ Switch experience. She wanted to be better for her family, but also for herself. Switch gave her “back a community that she didn’t know she lost”.
Lisa’s new job has given her the ability to work from anywhere. She can work from her phone and enjoy a park play-date with her children. Post Switch, Lisa has not only transitioned into a fully remote role but has shared the benefits of having a remote military spouse team with other employers, leading to two military spouses hired! We should all be a little more like Lisa — sharing your experiences and our successes as spouses can continue to teach employers the benefit of hiring a military spouse, specifically in a remote capacity. Beyond her new remote career, Lisa is building her own fitness and personal training business. In December 2019 Lisa wrote, TPS “has given me the courage to go after the things I want with the passion I forgot I had.”
I’d like to leave you with Lisa’s words — TPS “sparks a revolution”.
We hope you will join our movement.
Watch Lisa’s Full Interview Here: https://vimeo.com/388523321
