WHO IS LISBETH?

A Life Built on Grit, Creativity & the Relentless Pursuit of Possibility

People often wonder how much childhood shapes who we become. After a lifetime studying psychology, I’m still exploring that question—but I know this: the foundation matters. Mine was built on resilience, ingenuity, and a work ethic forged by immigrant parents who survived both the Great Depression and World War II. Scarcity was real, but so was generosity. Whatever we had, we shared.

A Childhood Rooted in Ingenuity

My father, Tony, grew up in the Bronx and left it to escape poverty. A natural risk-taker and master craftsman, he could fix or create just about anything. My mother came from a long line of Italian artists and musicians—her mother was even an opera singer. Our home was a blend of grit and imagination.

I grew up in a remote lakeside community of just ten people. With no children nearby, the lake became my playground and inspiration. My imagination kept me company—and sometimes caused a little mischief.

Dad encouraged every idea I dreamed up. He taught himself carpentry from library books, and I sat beside him as he sounded out each word. At six, he helped me earn money for my first bike; at nine, he convinced my grandfather to let me run a roadside fruit stand. I followed him to job sites, watched him transform summer camps into year-round homes, and learned what it meant to create customers for life.

My mother used to say, “Once you’re one of Tony’s customers, you’re a customer for life.” That idea shaped my entire career.

Education, Fashion & the Spark of Business

Entrepreneurship wasn’t readily accessible to young women then, so I pursued the path available to me: education. I earned a degree in psychology, studied social  psychology at the graduate level, and received a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship in Education. But I craved something more dynamic. That pull brought me to Washington, D.C., where I became an assistant clothing buyer and learned the psychology of sales, style, and customer experience.

Then opportunity arrived—via my younger sister, fresh from FIT and brimming with ideas.

Building Businesses From the Ground Up

Together with a few partners, we launched one of the first women-owned furniture and carpet store chains in upstate New York. To prepare, I spent three months interning at a major New York City retailer before returning home to build something of our own. For the next twenty years I:

  • Managed operations
  • Recruited and trained staff
  • Served as chief furniture buyer
  • Built relationships with business and political leaders
  • Helped grow a regional retail powerhouse

Later, my sister and I launched a high-end area rug business—beautiful, but too narrow a market. A reminder of Dad’s wisdom: “Never start a business unless you know you have a customer.”

Our next venture changed the industry. We created Fabulous Floors Magazine, the first consumer publication dedicated to flooring. It
became an influential resource and was ultimately sold after my sister’s passing.

National Training Consultant & Keynote Speaker

I went on to design customer service and sales training programs for major companies,
including:

  • The Home Depot
  • Lowe’s Companies
  • Mohawk
  • Shaw
  • And other industry leaders

My keynote speeches became known for humor, memorable stories, and practical insights—delivered with energy and authenticity.

A New Era of Workforce Development

When my colleague Mark Farnsworth received federal funding to build a national flooring installation program, he asked me to join him. I helped create the curriculum, recruit partner colleges, and build career pathways for:

  • Justice-involved individuals
  • Returning citizens
  • High school students

Together, we help people earn certifications that lead to stability, dignity, and meaningful work.

Leadership, Community & Influence

Today, I continue to invest in community development through board service with:

  • Underground Education Center
  • Hudson Park Neighborhood Association

I also teach flooring courses for Realtors across New York State and New York City and was honored as a Top Influencer in the Flooring Industry. I’m currently expanding my work into artificial intelligence—helping businesses understand how AI can transform sales, marketing, and customer engagement. Most days, you’ll find me out walking—accompanied by my majestic Maine Coon cats. I’m also a two-time cancer survivor, and I dedicate part of my work to supporting others through the fear, pain, and uncertainty of the disease.

A Lifetime of Lessons

Across every start-up, reinvention, and challenge, I’ve gathered guiding principles:

  1. Try everything—failure is a great teacher.
  2. Limit risk. Use SEM: Somebody Else’s Money.
  3. Follow your own drummer.
  4. Choose partners wisely.
  5. Create customers for life.
  6. Innovate boldly—color outside the lines.
  7. Know your customer.
  8. Understand when to hold on—and when to let go.
  9. Seek guidance—collaboration fuels breakthroughs.
  10.  Aim for the high-end market.
  11. Business is easy; people are difficult. Master people skills.

Honoring the Ones Who Taught Me Everything

My book, Red Hot Customer Service (now in its second edition), is dedicated to my parents. Their philosophy still guides me:

  • “Do whatever it takes to keep your customers—and keep your employees happy.”
  • “Never start a business unless you know you have a customer.”
  • “Make your store the place where customers feel welcome and have fun.”

On Sunday evenings, our dinner table was often filled with “special customers”—proof that my parents didn’t just teach customer service… They lived it.

What Sets Lisbeth Apart / Her Unique Value

Lisbeth combines deep expertise in human behavior with decades of hands-on business experience and a proven track record in training and workforce development. She doesn’t just teach theory—she delivers actionable strategies grounded in real-world success, from building businesses and running national publications to training teams for Fortune 500 companies. Her programs are highly engaging, practical, and memorable, blending storytelling, humor, and cutting-edge insights to improve customer experience, sales performance, and team effectiveness immediately. She is uniquely skilled at connecting with a wide range of audiences—whether executives, frontline staff, entrepreneurs, or emerging workforce participants—and helping them create customers for life. In short, Lisbeth’s value lies in her ability to turn knowledge into action, people into high-
performing teams, and businesses into customer-focused organizations.