About Lifestyle to Independence

Lisa’s love and desire for travel directed her to attend Herkimer County Community College and obtain an Associate’s Degree in Travel and Tourism. Her path has taken her on quite a fantastic journey and adventure.

Much of her travel experience was working for and with number “81” of the New York Giants, Mr. Andy Robustelli, of Stamford, CT., whom she knew as AR. With Robustelli Corporate Services, her career was met with excitement, enthusiasm, and curiosity, always bringing on exhilarating new challenges and personal growth. Andy Robustelli was a man of great faith, character, kindness, and love for his family, both immediate and extended. As one of AR’s girls, he wasn’t only a boss to her; she learned many life lessons, and the three that remain with her the most are: first, always giving 100 percent of your effort in being your best; second, anything you ever accomplish starts with love for a dream; third, with his words and actions he taught her to never, ever Give Up!

As a Travel professional, her experiences extended from vacation and corporate travel into sports marketing, special events and a concentration on chartering private yachts worldwide between 1985 – 1991. Lisa increased yacht charter sales by over 200% in 1987. She then created Lisa E’s Yacht Charters and was one of the successful pioneers focusing on the Hudson River private yacht charters from NYC Chelsea Piers to West Point and beyond.

During her career at Robustelli Corporate Services, Lisa got married in 1991 and started a family. Sadly, she thought it was one of the happiest times in her life, being a mother, married, and having a home, but it ended up being anything but that.

Unfortunately, she was a victim of domestic violence, and she suffered many losses. She lost seven homes, four jobs, two cars, and her son, when he was 5 ½ years old, in the second custody battle with her abusive ex-husband.

Her journey taught her many invaluable lessons about overcoming. During those tumultuous years, amidst the confusion and struggle, she somehow realized she had a choice; if she would change her mind, she could change her world. So, with the Grace of God and her walk of faith, Lisa started seeking solutions instead of wallowing in problems.

In 2008, she joined Toastmasters International to be a “voice” for others who suffer from this devastating crime of domestic violence.

Sharing her story and bringing hope and inspiration to others, she intentionally began turning her obstacles into opportunities. She continued to be blessed in so many ways, and in 2009, Lisa reached one of her most significant achievements, the “American Dream”. A two-family income-producing property in New York State. She calls it “A Home of My Own and a Brand-New Start”, a time to heal, time to grow, and time to regain my life.

Tenacity helped Lisa with self-leadership, but to influence others, it called for so much more. She also understands that learning is a lifelong journey, and she jumped at the opportunity to join the John Maxwell online University for Leadership, Public Speaking, and Coaching in 2013. Certified in 2014, she was elated to be one of the first to join the mentorship program worldwide.

Today, the Maxwell Certified Team is 56,200 women and men in 169 countries strong. One of Lisa’s favorite quotes is, “A leader is called to unearth the hidden to encourage the uncertain, develop the untrained, and empower the powerless,” John C. Maxwell.

Desiring something more, she founded Lifestyle to Independence, LLC in 2016. She focuses on creating an affordable housing initiative. She purchased her first home build in Newburgh, NY, a real fixer-upper. That’s when her innovative entrepreneurial skills kicked in. The home was left with hundreds of tiles that would be a large expense to dispose of, so she turned her “trash to cash”. Our one-foot tiles were converted into trays using the heart logo, hence inspiring our “Tiles for Hope™”. In 2018, LTI Company was established for product development, originally utilizing upcycled materials and handmade items as a bottom-up approach to poverty alleviation. Regrettably, in 2020, the pandemic had other ideas, so we were forced to pivot as we continued our mission, as many others did too.

As a Public Speaker, Lisa continued her mission through online international forums and workshops on her financial literacy. She collaborated with women who suffer from the crime of domestic violence, both domestically and internationally, and co-authored a book, Giving Women a Voice. Compiler, Donna Anne Pace, from the United Kingdom, between 2018 and 2019, published in 2020, with courageous stories from abuse survivors. Her story is Chapter One, “The Astonishing Power of Hope”. This summarizes Lisa’s journey to create Lifestyle to Independence, LLC., and LTI Company. Her mission is to help others go from poverty to prosperity by creating a bottom-up approach to poverty alleviation, while she travels with a purpose across America.