Meet Ketzirah Lesser

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ketzirah Lesser. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ketzirah, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

I’ve been the only woman in the room for most of my career, and often the only Jewish person.

In my first career, as a stage manager and prop designer, I was often the only woman on an all male crew. Then I took the tactic of “out manning” them. Showing them I was not only capable, but also tougher than they were. When I moved out of theatre and into marketing and communications in the late 90s, I got my start in that world as a digital strategist, which meant once again — I was often the only woman in the room. And in the early days, I took the same approach as I did in theatre.

But I also quickly realized, I was not only the only woman in the room — but often the youngest person. And I was sick of “manning up” and supporting a cultural norm that I felt was toxic. So I started to learn how to lean into who I was and what I uniquely brought to the situation.

I remember a big client pitch I was working on, once again the only woman on the team, and we were presenting to the clients. And I started watching the clients while some of the men went into “technobabble” mode. I realized that not only did they clearly not know what the men were saying, but they looked annoyed and embarrassed.

After the presentation, we had a social hour with the potential client. I walked over to the women on the client team and quietly asked if they had understood what the guys were talking about. They looked me kind of sheepishly, and said — no. I asked if they’d like me to explain it plain language. They quickly said, yes please. And then several men around them said that they didn’t understand either — and could they join the conversation. We won.

I’ve had to grow my own confidence and process through the fear of being seen as the “overly emotional women” when I speak up. And now, as middle aged woman, I’m often the oldest woman (if not person) in the room. I’ve found that I can leverage my skills as a strategist in the key moments; meaning I a figure out what I want to achieve and wha the right tactic is. I asses who the people are and what THEY care about before deciding on an approach.

But the truth is, I had to come to a point where I knew I had earned my place at the table being who I am. And no amount of “little lady” nonsense was going to change that.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My first career was as a stage manager and prop designer — that’s actually what my degree is in. I caught the end of the first Internet boom in the late 90s –when if you knew what HTML stood for, — you could get a job. I spent a few years coding, then designing, then realized my talent was in translating between the geeks and business folks. Eventually I moved into marketing as a digital strategist and then a holistic integrated strategist. And instead of doing something sensible, like getting an MBA, I spent three years training and studying to be ordained as Kohenet (Jewish Priestess) in the very first cohort.

From 2016-2021, I led the project of the a lifetime: the 2020 Census campaign. I was the lead strategist and part of the senior team on the agency side. It was the most fulfilling and brutal experience of my professional career. And then I knew that I was DONE being a creative strategist, but I didn’t know what was next.. I spent about six months preparing, and then gave notice. My plan was to take some time off and figure out my next chapter. But my boss said, “no — you shouldn’t leave” and asked me to pitch him a new role at VML that could even be part time (with full benefits).

That led me to where I am now – Executive Director and Chief of Staff for BAV Group, the world’s leading authority on data driven branding.™️ BAV Group had been a contributing team to our 2020 Census team, and I knew many of them well and was thrilled when Laura Jones our CEO said she’d love for me to come on board. I didn’t have a title or a job description at the time. We both took a chance on each other and about six months in we agree that I was her Chief of Staff.

Being COS for BAV Group and Laura is like being the perfect mix of a stage manager and prop designer. I think there is only one skill I have that Laura hasn’t put to use yet. Although I figure eventually my skills as a professional tarot card reader will come into play. Yes, I read tarot cards professionally. You can find me about once a month at Atlas Brew Works in DC as part of Your Magick Aunties (but that’s a whole other story).

With BAV Group, my work is varied — but I’m really excited about the podcast we’re launching: The Opinion Party. As always, my role on it is varied — but I’m really proud to say that I’m the creator of the visual aesthetic of the show. As well as acting as a producer, helping to develop the concept, I also have designed the logo, website, and all the visual assets for it. It’s been a really fun challenge and skills stretch. Folks can check that out at www.theopinionparty.com.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, three qualities, skills, areas of knowledge that have been the most impactful in my journey are my
1. foundational training in professional theatre as as stage manager and prop designer
2. my ridiculous curiosity and love of learning new things
3. my willingness to own my weirdness

Not sure those are all applicable to the general population, but what I can say is that everything I’ve learned — I’ve found ways to apply. And in ways I never could have imagined.

I love learning, and I am curious about EVERYTHING. Indulging that has allowed me to become a polymath. I’m not a ‘jack of all trades,” but I have a wide range of knowledge and practical expertise. It’s allowed me to not only have fun, but also pivot into new categories, jump into new clients, and often have just the right nugget at the right moment. I use it for a lot of lateral thinking — applying something I learned from one area to a different area that is surprising to folks.

Owning my weirdness. I am weird, in the best ways. And the well of weird goes DEEP. I learned pretty young that pretending to be what I wasn’t, just didn’t work for me. But I also learned which parts of me worked effectively in which situations, and learned to dial those up or down as needed. And I also learned to first establish my competence, then just let the weird slowly out. Years ago a very senior-level person said of me, “she’s quirky — but it works on her” after I presented at a very long client meeting. This older woman was not sure about me presenting to clients, because I didn’t do it the way she did. They she saw me in action, how I read the room, adapted while still being me — and how effective it was.

These days, at 51, I finally feel like I get paid to be me — to quote Toni Jones.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Anyone who knows me knows what book has played an important role in my development — The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. That book truly changed how I experience the world. That book and the sequel are world altering in the best ways (as well as being terrifyingly prophetic).

G!d is Change and in the end G!d prevails.

Embracing change as CHANGE, means I don’t take change personally. Things happen that work for me and don’t — and it’s not always about me.

The world has, is, and will fall apart around us, but a “sweet, powerful, positive obsession” can help us through. It also reminds me that I’m not defined by how I earn a living — but by who I am and I do in the world. Helping to create and measure brands may not have lasting resonance, but how I engage with the people I work with, the brands I help create, and the clients I work with does matter. I bring myself, my values, and my magick to everything I do.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Art Drauglis (photo of me sewing)

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