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Chrissy Vasquez moved to Indianapolis in 2002 for her first job out of college and is now celebrating her 20th year in the Circle City. Chrissy got her MBA from Indiana University and went on to make her career in the nonprofit realm, working for the Indiana State Museum, Back on My Feet, and Indy Reads. After nearly 18 years in nonprofit work, Chrissy decided it was time to make a transition, and she is now an Account Manager for Avant Healthcare.
Chrissy is still very involved in nonprofit work, and she volunteers with Alpha Kappa Psi as the host of the Business Edge podcast. She is also a member of IMPACT 100 and is involved with Overdose Lifeline helping to change the stigma of substance use disorder. Chrissy has two rescue dogs, Boyd and Maizey, and a rescue cat named Miss Kitty. She has completed seven half (70.3) and one full (140.6) Ironman distance triathlons, and she looks forward to getting back to racing after breaking her collarbone in a crash. Let’s hear from you now, Chrissy!
My Maven Superpower is … Singing every word to every Dave Matthews Band song (if you want something inspirational, being caring and loyal).
A fun fact about me is … My mom and I got tattoos together before I left for college; she got a rose, I got a scorpion.
The skill I most want to learn is … How to sew so it looks professional and not like a 3rd grader made it.
The best book I’ve read lately is … “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi.
My first job was … At Hallmark Showcase — it was a flagship Hallmark store in Kansas City.
My favorite spot in Indy is … Monument Circle. I am obsessed with the Monument and take a picture of it every time I am downtown. I must have had a connection to it in a former life; it’s just one of those things that I just can’t get enough of.
My favorite nonprofit to support is … Overdose Lifeline.
Self-care habit I swear by is … Daily practice — I spend every morning doing a few 12-step prayers, talking to my higher power which I identify as God, and listening to my heart and the universe.
I feel most confident when … I remember I’m worthy and when I feel good in my outfit.
The best career advice I can offer is … Live with integrity; your reputation is all you have.
Favorite purchase lately is … A Dyson Airwrap. I seriously have done my hair more in a year than I have my entire life; it makes it so easy!
My favorite local restaurant dish is … Mango Curry at Thai Garden.
The thing I’ve been binging lately is … “The Bear” on Hulu.
A Maven you should know is … Deseri Garcia.
The thing I’ve achieved lately that I’d like to celebrate with the Maven community is … Transitioning career fields. I completely underestimated what a journey it would be to completely change industries!
The thing I learned after leaving the nonprofit field was … That my job was my identity and how hard it was to transition away from that. For years Back on My Feet (BoMF) was synonymous with my name, and I still get calls for BoMF four years later. I loved helping people, but I realized how much I built my entire life around it, and it wasn’t healthy. Helping nonprofits thrive is a nonstop hustle and that was a phase of my life. It’s now time to build the next phase of my life that includes a career with better work-life balance and embracing that my work doesn’t define me.
What’s next for me is … Continuing to grow my career with Avant, getting back into Ironman, and getting more involved to make Indy a better place!
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Stephanie Groves is the Executive Editor of Indy Maven.
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