Director of Operations and Client Experience, Frisch Capital Partners
Name: Elizabeth Frisch Brantley
Summers as a Camper: 0
Years as a Staff Member/Positions held: 6 years
2003 – Assisting Senior Counselor
2004 – Assistant Head
2005 – Camper Services
2006 – Camper Services
2007 – Head Counselor
2008 - Head Counselor
Years as a Professional Staff Member/Positions held:
2016 - Assistant Director
Current Profession: Director of Operations and Client Experience, Frisch Capital Partners
Can you provide a brief overview of your job responsibilities?
Frisch Capital Partners is an investment bank that raises money for Independent Sponsor clients and their deals (between $25mm and $500mm per transaction). I’m the Director of Operations and Client Experience – so that entails creating systems for deal launches, accounting, marketing and evaluating the experience of our clients. But my secret role is using my coaching skills to help manage our team and our success.
Do you have any career advice for members of our Camp community?
First, I’d like to say that I will ALWAYS hire a successful camp counselor over other people. I would suggest every one of you REALLY own and learn how to market the incredible skills that working at Camp has given you. If you can communicate that well to an employer, then I can’t see why they wouldn’t want to hire you.
Secondly, relax! But also get clear.
Relax – because the chances of you changing not just jobs but careers, MULTIPLE times, is near 100%. So, treat it all like an exploration and discovery practice about who you are and what special thing you have to offer this world.
By get clear – I mean get clear about what you LOVE. How do you like to work? What environments do you like to work in? What are things that truly excite you. Chase down these leads and I believe you find the perfect positions at the right time. It’s counter-intuitive, but follow these passions and standards and keep your industries open (unless you’ve specialized in college). It opens up a wide world – and will fill you with energy.
What do you believe have been some of your greatest personal and professional accomplishments? Is there a goal toward which you are currently working?
I’ve been really focused on finding a flow state every day. I’m sure everyone who loves Camp is familiar with this – but it’s when you lose track of time, answers and work seem to come from “somewhere else” and its just a lot of fun!
Accomplishments – both personally and professionally I think it’s that I’m really happy. Not every moment, but overall, its just fun to live life – even then things are crazy. It’s easy to get caught up in the heaviness of important things. But overall, I’ve learned to lean in and have the hard conversations as soon as possible in all important relationships (marriage, clients, kids, self). The resolution and freedom that comes from not being burdened by miscommunication has allowed all areas of my life to increasingly get better every year.
How do the values or skills you learned at Camp show up in your everyday work and/or personal life?
It’s hard to find places it doesn’t show up. But I think the most notable is really capitalizing on every moment to be directed towards my values and goals, just like we did at Camp. In adult life, that looks like a daily tea time with my daughter and songs at the dinner table. Definitely taking a “long night” with my husband every week – and being remarkably intentional about every “input” from music to stories to games.
Camp taught me the value and power of rhythms in daily life – and the depth that can be accomplished when days and minds are organized towards powerful growth and fun. I work to bring this into both my work and personal life. Honestly, I work at both Frisch Capital and at home to make everything as meaningful and fun as Camp.
Is there a person or a situation that had a huge influence on you while you were at Camp? How and why did they/it impact you?
It’s hard to narrow that down, but I think part of the magic was that every summer I would go in and not know WHO that new best friend would be. Gets me excited just thinking of it.
And EVERY SUMMER, the campers would blow me away with who they were and who they were becoming. It’s still inspiring!
One of the most powerful situations was my first summer back - someone I wasn’t that close with ran up to me and was so excited to see me. They treated me like I was their new best friend. And guess what – that summer we became best friends.
I now always veer on the side of over excitement to see people – because it changes lives. Who doesn’t want to be greeted that way!? To make people feel welcome and like they are the most important person “in the room” is a true super power. That friend taught me that – and I still aspire to be like that.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Everyone always says this – but it’s really true. It’s all going to work out. Don’t worry! Enjoy the ride.
Favorite Camp meal: Scrambled eggs and hot sauce
All-time favorite skit memory: Bubble boy dance skit
Devotion you best remember from Camp: Happy book
If you had to have an intro song every time you walked into a room, what would it be? Storms in Africa, Enya or Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Winter 1
What profession other than your own would you like to try? DJ
What would you eat if you could only have one food for the rest of your life? Sushi
