Five years ago, Lisa Van Wormer joined our Pepper family, and now we get to celebrate this momentous Pepperversary!

Lisa is incredibly creative and is always bringing new ideas to the table. When she wants to do something, she will find a way. As a veteran, she brings a unique and valuable perspective to the work that we do, and her insights are relevant to our customers. She always has something going on and her endless energy keeps things fun.

Learn more about Lisa in our special interview and infographic below!

1. Best part of working at Eleven Peppers Studios?
I always feel like the leadership at 11P actually cares about me as a person. They support my life goals and help me creatively manage my work/life balance.

2. If you were a pepper, what type would you be and why?
I am a Dr. Pepper (Whovian and my drink of choice)

3. What is your favorite 11p event?
There are so many to choose from… I think my favorite was our murder mystery holiday party.

4. What is your favorite present ever received from 11p?
A cruise to the Bahamas!

5. What is your favorite 11p memory?
I have such fun memories of my first contract, sitting in a private work office with two other peppers working, talking about life, and really enjoying each other’s company. Especially throughout the craziness and unsettle of COVID. It was a comforting place to go and work in that strange and scary time.

6. Name a Pepper you can always lean on for support or advice:
Valencia is always my go-to!

7. Name a Pepper whose work ethic inspires you:
Definitely Kristen Parks herself! Managing and scaling a company while having little children is a feat for sure, and her unwavering commitment to the family-style 11P culture is an inspiration to and should be a model for other business owners.

8. My spice meter :

1. What’s it like being a published author? Tell us about your most recent project(s).
To me, writing is a way to add my narrative to the collective story. Whether I am writing about my time in the military, motherhood, or as a woman leader in business; I love having the opportunity to be a part of the conversation. Plus, I love the smell of a new book, especially with my name on the cover!

I recently wrote a chapter for We Lead: Building Connection, Community, and Collaboration for Women in Business. It is a collection of personal stories about women who are leaders in business and their individual paths that got them where they are today.

2. What do you like about being a talent manager mom?
The dedicated time I get with Ivy to hear about her day enroute to and from practice and auditions.

I love being there for my daughter, to help her reach, and stretch, and try new things. When I saw her light up the first time on stage, I was hooked. And I can’t help but roll up my sleeves and be a part of the action with her. I am her scheduler and chauffeur, but I also get to be her safety net and sounding board to help her navigate a path that is all about judgment.

3. What is your favorite thing your daughter has acted in?
Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie of all time. Watching Ivy perform as Dorothy in her first professional theater job was so special to me. Hearing her sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow is a core memory I will forever cherish.

4. How many books do you read a month?
I think on average I read about 5 books a month through a combination of physical books (my family loves going to the library together), audiobooks (for all the driving), and secret books (ebooks on our phones).

We have a family goal we set each year of a total of books per year, this year it was 36. Having a goal motivates me to read more and the excitement of sharing with my husband and daughter when we have finished a book is so fun.

5. What is your all-time favorite book?
I will always say the Harry Potter series is my favorite of all time. I love books about people feeling out of place and discovering that there is another world/truth/path and in this new space the main character not only matters, but they are its changemaker.

But to me, a favorite book is also about who you were when you read it and how you connected to the story then. I started reading HP in college to escape from life and school, I read HP when I joined the Army, I read HP through a deployment to Iraq, I made friends at midnight showings of the movies, I watched my husband and daughter grow and love HP as much as I do, I rewatch the movies over the holidays every year, and I’ve planned vacations to Hogwarts at Universal Studios and to Warner Brothers studios in London.

6. Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?
I read to relax and escape, so I usually choose fiction. I am always up for a good recommendation, though!

7. What made you decide to have a second home in Alaska?
I was born in AK (moved when I was 5) and my husband is from AK (he is a sourdough – born and raised 20+ years). It is such a strong part of our personal and family identities that when we had no parents left to “go home” to, we decided to get a place of our own so we could still call Alaska our home.

8. Why do you love Alaska?
It is calm, quiet, and beautiful. No one is in a rush, and everyone is experiencing the weather and wildlife together as a collective community.

9. What is the coldest it’s gotten when you’ve been in Alaska?
I am not sure, once it gets below 0, not sure if it matters how far it goes! It is a weird feeling to go outside and have all the wetness in your eyes, mouth, and nose instantly freeze.

10. What do you love to write about most?
I am not sure, I just love being in a writing flow. I think I most love trying to tell an authentic story that resonates to others, that is always my goal when writing pieces.

11. What do you love most about your dog?
I love when I come home and she wiggles her whole body in half wagging her tail to greet me. She is polite and greets everyone who comes in with me, but I am always the first and last one she greets.