Page 36 - January 2020

LEANNA LISTENS

Liz & Jeff Spitzer

Date Night with the Spitzers

Leanna Lindquist, DTM

I met Liz and Jeff Sptizer when they visited Tell Me a Story
Toastmasters Club several months ago. They bring humor,
enthusiasm, and energy to our meetings.

Tell us about yourselves you get the point. By day I work in marketing

Liz: I think that in many ways I am similar research, evenings and weekends are spent
with others: like to laugh and play, relish working with my coaching clients on their health

adventure, drawn to actions that are fulfilling goals—usually weight loss.
and satisfying, enjoy loving and being loved, and Liz and I both have kids from a previous
occasionally contemplative . . . More personally, marriage, five between us, so we are a big
I grew up in Lebanon, Oregon, a small town near blended family! Truthfully, they aren’t really

the foothills of the Cascades. As a child I had a kids anymore as they range from age 16 to 29.
constant source of playmates; oldest of seven. Two of our “kids” are out on their own now.
Living in a small town, growing up in a large
family with stretched resources and, majority What brought you to Toastmasters?

of the time, being a free-range country kid Liz: My dear husband. (chuckling) However,
provided me with stories to tell, respect for the no one can drag me into anything for long, so
efforts and will of many folks, and a degree of if I’m still here AND considering ideas for how
compassion. Today, I co-raise some fascinating to improve as a Communicator and Leader—I

people with my husband while trying to figure must be committed to this plan of his!
out where I’m heading in this second round of Jeff: Working from home, I have a tendency
an identity/(mid) life crisis. (Because, you know, to become somewhat of a hermit. Toastmasters
the 20s didn’t seem to settle on anything.) is an excuse to get me out of the house!

Jeff: I’m a husband, father, research In addition to seeing daylight once a week,
professional and health crusader. Actually, I I’d been wanting to improve several aspects of
consider myself something of a super hero. Just interpersonal communication for a while. Things
like Superman, Spiderman and the Incredible like learning to speak more concisely, gain

Hulk (well, maybe not the Hulk), I have a mild- confidence speaking in groups and improve my
mannered, professional persona during the work leadership skills. I’d always known Toastmasters
day . . . then at night, my tie comes off and the could be a huge help, but timing never seemed
cape goes on! Okay, I don’t really wear a tie, but right.

36 ONE COMMUNITY