Persona - Elizabeth

Meet Elizabeth.  She is a married 33 year old, executive producer at an advertising agency.  She is also my sister.  She currently lives in Austin but grew up in Houston, lived 8 years in NYC, and spent 4 years in San Francisco. 

Elizabeth is family first.  She is loving wife to her husband of a year and their dog.  The couple spends the majority of all free time together.   She is also closely connected with her mother, father, brother, and grandmother.  She acts as the extended family “social planner”.  She is very diligent about visiting her elderly grandmother each week and calling her brother to check in.  She has had a job every day since college.  In college she studied creative writing and military history at a small liberal arts school outside of NYC.  Her academic emphasis in college displays her ability to think both poetically but have an interest in things different from her traditional world.  She is extremely well read.  Her walls are lined with books ranging from the classics, to poetry, to her collection of museum books (the museum books act more for memory and elegance than her love of art).   She works extremely hard in a creative field.  With her first job in the advertising world in NYC, Elizabeth has strategically moved cities and firms to gain what is her newest accolade of executive producer of TV for a major ad firm in Austin.  Her success as a producer can be best described using a word that some people wrongly associate a bit with disdain, spoiled.   She has always been able to get what she wants.  Whether it be the boy, the new knee high boots, or the great apartment, her natural charisma, doting parents, or intellegince has always helped her “get what she wants”.  And in the world of commercial production, getting the scurrying ants in the right place at the right time takes creative convincing.  Something she is a master at.  Her next big accomplishment will be mother hood.  With a booming career, and anticipating a baby on the way Elizabeth must be thinking of the best ways to balance these two acts.  

Elizabeth’s environment is one of nuances.  Her “eye” is exquisite and she never approaches anything that appears classless or cheap.  Her house is spotless and designed with a sophisticated eye for artwork and furniture.  A few well-chosen Design Within Reach pieces fill the living room just adjacent to her two greatest collections: Books and CDs.  Yes CDs.  A 300 disk CD player alphabetized with a directory stands near the fireplace.  What might be most interesting is what is in the CD player.  Jazz, Blues, and Soul.  She is as some might say old school (and not just because Elizabeth’s ipod is reserved solely for Jock Jams.)   If Elizabeth ran for president it would be under the premise to abolish Facebook.  The creation of digital relationships she finds artificial and loathful.  She believes in phone calls, books with pages, and letters as if they are as American as Apple Pie and Coca Cola.  Anything else is just communism.  Because of this Elizabeth has a close group of best friends you can count on two hands.  Most of these girls were the same ones at her first slumber party in middle-school.  Though two or three have been added along the way.  Elizabeth has what I call “fly across the country” friends.  At a moment’ss notice she would be anywhere to help her friends.  

Elizabeth leaves the house as a true fashionista does.  The make it look easy approach.  A shower, hair mouse, and a dash of make up then two potential outfits. 1) lululemon pants, white v-neck shirt, large Louis Vuitton work bag.  2) Jeans, Knee Highs, Brown coat, bag.  The casual, attractive approach fits perfectly to her personality of approachability.  The outfits (including accessories) probably reach price points greater than 95% of the women she sees on a given day, but to the untrained eye would never know.  The untrained eye know she looks “great”, but isn’t over the top, while the trained eye can oogle at her simple elegance.  [She is a classic example of the worlds greatest conundrum to men…”why women dress for other women”.  Sorry for the two cents.]  The approachability Elizabeth brings is her key to success.  She smiles, she jokes, she’s genuine, she’s smart.  She treats people with the utmost respect.  Her restaurant tips are always the highest.  People are people and she cares for them all.  

Elizabeth’s friends (as discussed) are truly genuine best friends.  But she always has a compelling effect on all people.  She is funny, charismatic, and full of interesting things to say.  She is engaging and can demand attention.  In work she has always been successful.  She communicates amazingly and supports all her clients.  She is organized, works long hours, and gets the job done with flying colors.  The clients recognize this and always want her on their projects.  

Elizabeth’s questions in life are transitioning from the “getting married” obstacles to the “creating a family” obstacles.  The life planning process is her greatest/happiest concern right now.  From the “how do we get into/pay for private school” question to “where will we live” question these are Elizabeth’s new quests in life.

Elizabeth must now start to realize the conundrum of the budget.  With added family members (kids) come increased expenses.  Her usual restaurant choices are always the nicest/hippest around, and her “shoes should always be bought at Barneys approach” might have to be rethought as a nuclear family comes into play.  How does she manage her native instinct of high end consumerism with impending future expenses?  Her life thus far has been successful and she has achieved her goals and aspirations of the Sex and the City 2 out of 3 job, marriage, man dilemma.  She currently has all three but now incorporating the family into this adds a curve ball that Carrie never had to worry about.