Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Moliter.
Hi Elizabeth, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I spent my early childhood in Greendale, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. From birth, I loved singing more than anything; my twin sister and I regularly sang and made up stories. When my father was transferred, we moved to the DC area in my tween years. I attended high school in Virginia. I was a diligent student, and I enjoyed singing in the choir and the madrigal group and performing in stage productions. I ended up at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where I earned a BA in Theatre Arts and finally got an opportunity to study voice and play more significant roles on the stage while getting a solid liberal arts education. After college, I worked in clerical and research jobs in insurance and government and kept my hand in as a performer by doing summer stock and local theater in the DC area. I eventually moved to New York City to pursue my acting career. I appeared in productions Off and Off-Off Broadway and regional theater, recorded demos and jingles, participated in creating and showcasing new work, and staged several solo cabaret shows. While this all sounds good, stage acting gigs are generally short-term and don’t pay very well, so to support myself, I took temp jobs with a staffing firm working onsite at various investment banks in the Financial District. I began to (unconsciously) develop business and leadership skills here. I saw some bad business practices and behaviors and admired and stored them for future use.
Though I loved New York fiercely, after struggling for 10 years to “make it,” I decided to leave. I moved to Austin, Texas, which I had visited and where I felt I could be creative but with more personal freedom to explore projects that fed my soul. I began songwriting and eventually formed a part-time folk-rock band with my twin sister (which we still have), recording and performing our original material. Our latest album release, “Just Because,” came out in October 2023 and is available to stream, purchase, or download. https://rarebirdsinflight.hearnow.com/just-because
Meanwhile, I continued to develop as a business professional, working in staffing and real estate. Eventually, I worked for over ten years for a large non-profit staffing firm, landing a leadership role after obtaining an MA in Human Dimensions of Organizations from the University of Texas, an executive leadership graduate program. It was my dream job, leading teams and bringing my newly acquired skills from my Master’s Program to the organization, and I loved it!
However, in 2021 and early 2022, things began to change internally within that organization, and for several reasons, both personal and professional, I chose to leave. After several months of contemplating my next steps, I was led to open my own business consulting and coaching practice, Art of Work Consulting LLC, where I am today. This practice offers coaching and consultative services for individuals and organizations. All services are customized, including seminars and one-on-one or group coaching sessions for professionals, job seekers, teams, and managers or executives. My programs provide mentorship and strategies to achieve aspirational goals, increase productivity, and harmonize relationships while finding balance, purpose, and joy in their lives.
My dual passions are serving others as a business professional and expressing myself creatively as a songwriter and performer. In addition to these, my other favorite activity is travel. I recently returned from a safari trip to Kenya, which was beautiful and awe-inspiring. These travel adventures teach me about the world beyond my narrow context and have helped me to improve my capacity to understand and serve others in my work.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
It has been a challenging road. There have been struggles. As mentioned in the previous question, my theater career in New York was full of challenges, and I was subject to constant rejection. Making ends meet financially while auditioning regularly, taking classes, etc, took work. For example, when I lived there, actors lined up early in the morning for open audition calls, typically sitting on the sidewalk outside the audition location for hours with their fellow actors to get a slot to audition that same day. I would get to these calls at 6:00 or so in the morning, no matter the weather, and wait for the audition venue to open the doors (around 9:00 usually) to allow us to sign up for a time slot for the day. I would then rush to my office job, return for the audition (usually over a lunch break), and then return to work. In the evening, I’d take classes or work on material in my tiny apartment, trying not to disturb my neighbors. All to get a Broadway show, which I never got. I don’t see these struggles as a deterrent to my eventual success, though. I was initially disappointed with how things went, and it took some time to accept this. Still, ultimately, I’ve found that my struggles and failures have only driven me to get better, prepared me for rejection, and also allowed me to have more empathy for others who are struggling in a way that can enable me to help guide them to know their worth and prepare to meet their challenges head-on and with dignity.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us more about your business next.
I’ve described this a bit in the preceding questions, but my current work as an Owner and Principal Consultant is as a business coach and consultant. My one-on-one coaching services are designed for both working professionals and job seekers. In my work with professionals, I listen and ask questions to help them find clarity related to their goals and ultimately find purpose, fulfillment, and joy in their lives and work. We explore their values and qualities and determine together whether these align with their current work or whether changes may need to be made. I also help develop priorities, accountability, and mentorship toward achieving goals. I also work directly with organizational leaders to help with internal concerns, including leadership development for new and experienced leaders, assisting entrepreneurs to get their businesses off the ground, organizing engagement and communication workshops for teams, and helping leaders develop strategies for overall success. Because I have a background in staffing, I also serve as a resource to help organizations with human resources issues and to determine how best to staff their organization to be productive and successful.
I also work directly with job seekers to help in resume creation and interview preparation for a successful job search. I utilize many of the same features here as in my one-on-one work with working professionals: values alignment, successful communication, honing in on their qualities, and defining their goals. The biggest differentiator in my work comes from my background in the arts, which provides a different point of view and reference point to discuss and implement ideas. My Master’s degree is also a differentiator. UT’s Human Dimensions of Organizations program develops and strengthens leaders by exploring the liberal arts: psychology, sociology, literature, history, and the arts. I currently serve on the advisory board for the Human Dimensions of Organizations program at the University of Texas, Austin, which includes a bachelor’s program and certificate program and the Master’s Program from which I graduated.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Empathy is the biggest factor. I have always been an intuitive person, and the ability to notice and care about what is going on with others has helped me build teams that feel respected and respect one another. They know that I always “have their back.” In my consulting and one-on-one coaching, empathy and active listening have been my go-to to dig deeper into a client’s issues and concerns and understand who they are and what they value in a way that can allow me to help them improve outcomes. Some of these skills may be innate, but my work in the theater has also enhanced my ability to listen to others and work together successfully. In this setting, each cast member must be able to react in the moment by listening and sensing another’s emotions and desires (and not just their words) to advance the story and bring out the best work for the production. This approach can translate effectively to building and enhancing teams in any type of organizational environment.
Pricing:
- See website for more info and pricing www.artofworkconsulting.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artofworkconsulting.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-moliter-ma-293195b5/
