Everyday Athena Erin Fisk Founder and principal consulant of Fisk Solutions A series spotlighting members of our community who epitomize the Athena standards and live by its principles. Readers will come to know these women, the companies they are representing and the forward thinking employers who have a commitment to elevating women and fairly compensating those women for their contributions in their workforce.
The Athena principles: LIVING AUTHENTICALLY LEARNING CONSTANTLY ADVOCATING FIERCELY ACTING COURAGEOUSLY FOSTERING COLLABORATION BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS GIVING BACK CELEBRATING
Women’s LifeStyle Magazine: Aligning our authentic-self with our work can be one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors. How does your work align with your authentic self? Erin Fisk: I’ve always known that I was meant to help people. The ways that I’ve chosen to do that has evolved along with my career—and I suppose changing things up is a core part of who I am. I enjoy taking on new challenges and growing, personally and professionally, and seek adventure. So, starting my own business where I have flexibility on how I help others with their mental health has been an awesome experience! WLM: When did you know that starting your own business was more in alignment with your authentic-self than continuing to work for others? EF: I knew that I had more to offer than what my role in a corporate culture could promote. In my former role, I didn’t have the chance to invest in relationships as much as I do now. While I still have parts of my work that aren’t particularly thrilling, most of my time is spent creating connections with other people—which is my authentic jam. I love that the topic of mental health is something everyone can relate to, and I like to learn about what other people are searching for. I also really appreciate that I’m in control of the messaging I share around normalizing mental illness, struggle, treatment, loneliness, and recovery. WLM: What are the challenges of living as your authentic self? EF: Vulnerability. I support that vulnerable places are where we find greatest connection and growth—but sometimes it hurts! When I’m showing up and staying fully present, sharing the best I have to offer, and staying true to my values and it doesn’t go well—that’s a different kind of pain. But I’d rather take on the challenges of authenticity and vulnerability than feel the exhaustion of my old people-pleasing, chameleon ways. I used to cover up in an armor of what I thought other people wanted me to be. It was exhausting and I didn’t always know I was doing it. I used to think that if I could anticipate others’ needs and show up in a way that served them, then they’d validate my worth. Yuck! Hard to admit it but I know I’m not alone in having thought this was the way to succeed. WLM: As a community of professional women, what can we do to create space and honor each other’s authentic selves? EF: Allow each other to be versatile in our authenticity. I believe we have multiple versions of ourselves that can all be authentic. Depending on what’s going on in your life, you may show up differently. That’s ok—it doesn’t mean you’re not being genuine. In fact, giving permission for people to respond to their world and bring whatever’s happening forward without having to pretend that they’ve got it all together is more honorable of their authenticity. WLM: How do you think living authentically impacts our ability to do meaningful work?
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ATHENA PRINCIPLE: LIVING AUTHENTICALLY EF: I think “meaningful” can be defined however it suits you, and when you know who you really are, you can spend time investing in work that brings you the greatest joy. If you’re living for other people—their expectations, style of leadership, approach to conflict resolution, even the way you structure your office or the career you choose—then you may miss the chance to do what really feeds your soul. WLM: What advice do you have for anyone who might be struggling with aligning their authentic self? EF: Take your time in learning who you are. When you feel like something is especially challenging or rewarding—take a few moments to think about the who, what, when, where and why of it. Who were you with when the experience happened? What were you talking about or doing at the time? How did you present your position? What time of day was it? How were you connecting? These moments give us clues into what we’re really living for. For example, I never thought I’d love being in front of large groups as much as I do, and recognizing that I feel so much fulfillment in those experiences has helped me shape my business. If we allow ourselves to fly through these moments and move onto the next thing, struggles for alignment may keep popping up. The journey of alignment is never over. I don’t believe most humans reach that perfect apex where it’s all in balance. The practice of trying to find equilibrium is some of the most important work—not because of the destination, but because of what we learn along the way!
Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020
