Lisa Poliak, BA ‘97 (international studies) was recently featured on the podcast small acts of rebellion, hosted by Heather Pridemore. This fascinating podcast is focused on the intersection of professional and personal life and “the things no one tells you about work.” In episode 10, “Lisa Poliak: Adversity to Advocacy,” she discusses the importance of doing work you love, the gift of allowing yourself to be vulnerable and the power of being authentic.

Lisa founded her educational and career consulting company, Inner Genius Prep, in 2009, after receiving her MFA in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College and working in educational publishing. She found her niche coaching clients to reach their educational and career goals, whether being admitted to their top-choice college or grad school or landing the job of their dreams. The through-line in all of Lisa’s work is teaching her clients how to authentically shine to showcase their strengths. She is passionate about helping others and proud that over 90% of her college-essay coaching clients are admitted to their number-one choice for college. 

When Lisa was faced with a serious recurrence of a rare autoimmune illness, she discovered that by being vulnerable with her community of clients – instead of trying to maintain a façade of professional perfection – she was flooded with support beyond her wildest expectations. She attributes this to the strong relationships grounded in mutual trust she built up with her clients over the course of her career. 

Lisa is currently writing a memoir about her health journey and has become a patient advocate, in addition to continuing to coach clients around the country and lead workshops about interviewing, resume writing and getting into college.

Listen to episode 10 of small acts of rebellion here, or on your preferred podcast platform. 

Lisa loves to connect with her fellow Ducks! Connect with Lisa Poliak on LinkedIn or at innergeniusprep.com.