Meet Lisa Berkovitz (or as Gary Vee does it: Berk - o - vitz)
I have three great passions:
1. People who are doing what they love most and using their unique gifts in their work,
2. Inspiring and teaching others how to become one of those people themselves, and
3. Travel, travel and travel! (See the photo gallery for more on that one.)
This site (and all I do) was actually born back in the days of my corporate life, out of my own yearning sense that there was something more to life than serving a corporate culture that centred around working long hours, taking a couple of weeks off a year and answering to someone else with very different core values in setting my daily priorities.
I wanted to pursue my passions, fulfill my potential, help others fulfill theirs, have the time and energy to enjoy myself in all areas of my life, and make great money in the process. I "knew" it was possible but didn't quite yet know what my unique passions and talents were, never mind how to turn them into a type of work I would love. That journey started in earnest back in 1999, with many stages of growth and lessons learned since then.
One of the important things I've learned along the way is that's it's NOT about someday having a "perfect" life in which you are never challenged again. Far from it! It's about realizing what's really right and true for you and facing your fears, embracing your imperfections and choosing when necessary to go against what everyone around you may be saying or doing (and what the voice of fear may be saying in your own head) in order to fulfill your vision and be true to your knowing. It is not always comfortable or easy. But that's the pathway, in my experience, to becoming the person you were meant to be and to giving the gift you were meant to contribute, and it's worth every challenge along the way.
Take my most valuable lessons, learn from my mistakes and let me (and the others showcased on this site) save you some time so you can have more fun sooner!! ;D
Here's my background in a nutshell:
> B.Sc. in Basic Medical Sciences (originally thought I wanted to be a brain surgeon (no joke) but decided the path was too narrow and there were too many other things I wanted to learn about to do that)
> M.B.A. in International Business Policy (travel was already a great passion so the international part was key)
> 7+ years in the corporate environment, working in Project Management and Brand Marketing for some of the largest international companies in the world (intending to be transferred and work in Europe), last managing a product portfolio generating sales in excess of $65 million
> 9 years as a staff member at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where global leaders in business, politics, science, technology, the arts, media, communication and entertainment meet annually to develop international priorities and set action agendas to improve the state of the world (cool!)
> Had an epiphany while on a retreat in the rain forest in Costa Rica that it was time to leave my corporate job. Finalized the decision six weeks later during a weekend trip to San Diego. Handed in my resignation Monday morning.
> Took a year off during which I travelled to the Southwest U.S. (Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico), the Canadian Maritimes (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland), New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii
> During my year off, I started dancing five times per week (hip hop), taking hot yoga three times per week, being in nature as much as possible and creating vision boards for the ideal life I envisioned for myself
> Completed master-level certification in Neuro-Linguistic Programming ('NLP') - the study of human excellence and how to replicate it - and began coaching others in aligning with their highest potential
> Did a short stint working at a dot com incubator - just before the whole dot com thing blew up (fascinating times!)
> Received a grant to participate in a year-long training program for individuals transitioning from employment to entrepreneurship
> 6 years as independent consultant, creating and re-designing corporate sales training programs for the Canadian division of the largest food company in the world with a sales force of 400 people. Training covered fundamental sales skills such as effective communication, listening, presentations and negotiation.
> 2+ years as a project manager on the launch team of a new business brokerage. Prepared marketing packages, including written and financial summaries, for use by prospective buyers in evaluating businesses for sale. Conducted preparatory research by interviewing small business owners about the qualitative and quantitative details of their businesses.
> Became attuned as a Reiki Master and studied many other forms of energy healing
> 2+ years building a network marketing business, coaching a wide variety of people and learning from industry leaders about personal development, the power of deliberate creation, small business and online marketing, and fundamental entrepreneurial skills and the mindset and habits of success
> As a voracious reader and life-long learner, I have read scores of books and attended many workshops, retreats and conferences on various subjects including personal and spiritual growth, lifestyle design, consciousness, quantum physics, the universal laws of manifesting, meditation, energy work, coaching, entrepreneurship and marketing in the digital age.
> I have traveled extensively since my year off after leaving the corporate world, in Canada, the U.S., Bahamas, Mexico, Australia (for the second time), Hawaii (five times), the U.K., Western and Eastern Europe, Dubai and Oman (see the photo gallery). This includes extended stays (1-3 months at a time) in a number of these places where I have been able to live my dream of working from wherever I am in the world.
> I am now expanding my individual coaching practice to include group coaching online and in a live setting, and creating new avenues for professional speaking, publishing my writing, and showcasing a global network of movers and shakers who teach people how to create a thriving livelihood doing what you love and making a positive difference in the world.
I believe that with technology connecting everyone on the planet - allowing for the sharing of ideas and collaboration between like-minded people to improve the quality of life worldwide - it has never been a better time to live your passion!
