Lisa Kolibar

I am a lover of space. Still, quiet, spaciousness.  It’s my way of decompressing, gaining fresh perspective, and finding purpose is this vast universe. We have a small cabin in the mountains where I go as often as I can. If snow is in the forecast, I will race up to beat the storm. There is nothing more peaceful than being in the warmth and stillness of a pine cabin while watching a gentle snow fall all around you. I love skiing, hiking, off-roading and travel. Anything that makes me feel alive and free.

We are any early register Bronco family; meaning my dad, husband, brother and nephew all have one. In 2001, when my husband and I got married, we joined the So Cal Bronco Club. I think we were number 53 as far as members. Today, there are well over 1,000 registered members. Not only do we enjoy our time together, but many of us have chosen to help protect the land we use through volunteer forest-service work. On this Memorial Day, I am reminded of a plaque the group cemented in honor of one of our fallen service members. Every year, a group delegation makes the difficult off-road journey to this undisclosed location in remembrance of our former member and kindred spirit. Some of our best friends and memories have come from this organization, which speaks to the power that one individual can have…but we’ll leave that story for another day.

For personal growth, I believe in the benefits of meditation to train and focus the mind. I currently take a weekly meditation class from a Buddhist practitioner. To me, wisdom is wisdom regardless of where it comes from and I enjoy studying many of the great teachers of our time. People like Meister Eckhart, Eckhart Tolle and Cynthia Bourgeault; who offer deep insights that you can tap into and apply in your daily life. I also love the famous quote by Rumi, ‘There is a field between right-doing and wrong-doing, I will meet you there.’ It’s a constant reminder to find common ground.

Outside of the office, I work with the nonprofit, Called by Love Institute, which was started by the former pastor of Unity of Tustin. The mission for Called by Love is:

“To harness the power of love as a revolutionary and evolutionary force inbuilding dreams, realizing purpose, destiny, and legacy by connecting ordinary and extra-ordinary people to their fullest potential, bringing awareness and light into the world.”

My husband and I developed a marketing plan for the organization which resulted in the building of a new website, new outreach offerings and membership engagement.

I've been working with the Called by Love Institute for a while now, even before I started working at OTA. So, when I first saw OTA’s mission statement, and the list of core values, you can imagine my reaction. I had to find out what OTA was all about. The fact that OTA, and other companies, are starting to embrace love as a core value, is deeply meaningful to me. I feel fortunate to be part of an organization that was an early adopter of this value as it permeates the culture and sets the company apart from most others.

I think there are different things that you learn as you go through life. I grew up with a single mom story, so I've always been hyper-driven to do my best and succeed in whatever I'm doing. I’m now at a place where I feel life beginning to shift. I’m less focused on needing to ‘prove’ myself. That doesn't mean I stop growing or stop challenging myself. It means I'm okay with me. That’s great because now I can recognize that it's time to start working with the next generation. I want to help others. I love that there's a lot of women on my team; it’s an opportunity to become more of a mentor and help them grow.

Marketing is an awesome field to work in and the next generation will take it to a place we may not even be able to imagine. It’s an area that’s evolving and transforming every day. At its underpinnings, marketing is now fueled by technology. You get to keep all the creativity of a marketer and combine that with the power of real-time intelligence. It’s fascinating and the ultimate expression of right brain, left brain working together.

I realize that some years from now, a different person will be sitting here at my desk. Or maybe not even someone, it could be groups. They're going to be able to do all these really amazing things and create what they want to create and lead in the way that they feel is most productive. It’s an exciting thing to think about.

In closing, I leave you with a quote by Meister Eckhart who said, "If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, it will be enough." As to my family, friends, colleagues, career, health, opportunities and more, I say Thank You…and more to come!