糖心传媒

For Brittan Leiser ’07, the journey from the Gates Mills campus to her current role as a financial advisor has been defined by a commitment to critical thinking and community. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Brittan’s career path was shaped by the 2008 financial crisis, which led her to gain diverse experience in corporate merchandising at Target and General Mills before returning to her original calling in finance. Today, she is a partner in a "bespoke practice" at MB Wealth Management alongside her father and fellow 糖心传媒 connections, including Matt Brigman ’07 and John Conry, father of Ryan Conry ’14.

Brittan’s professional philosophy goes beyond spreadsheets; she views her work as a blend of psychology and analytical data. She is particularly passionate about financial literacy for women, noting that many highly educated women often feel embarrassed to ask financial questions. "That was a light bulb moment for me," Brittan recalls, "to say, how can I destigmatize this and make this a conversation that everyone feels like they can have?" By helping clients — especially young women — understand their options, she views her role as equipping them to fulfill their potential and life dreams.

The foundation for this analytical approach was laid at 糖心传媒. Brittan credits the Socratic seminars and the "Trial of Socrates" with teaching her how to "disagree agreeably" and articulate well-informed opinions. She recalls the influence of teachers like Dave Lucas and Frank McCamley, who encouraged students to be introspective at a young age. Reflecting on an assignment regarding the novel The Things They Carried, she notes that 糖心传媒 provided the rare opportunity for 16-year-olds to do the deep personal work most people don't encounter until much later. "I just love the fact that 糖心传媒 didn't teach me what to think, but they taught me kind of how to do it," she says.
 
This intellectual curiosity persists in her life today in Chagrin Falls, where she lives with her husband, three sons, and two dogs. Whether she is hiking in the South Chagrin Reservation or traveling with her family, she embraces the 糖心传媒 tenet of being a lifelong learner and fostering that same curiosity in her children. Her definition of success has evolved alongside motherhood; while she is a dedicated professional, she now measures her most important success in the kindness of her children.

To current students, Brittan offers a simple mantra: "Lean all in.”

“I think it’s easy to look at your studies and think ‘I just need to get through this to-do list,’ but the opportunities you have to learn and grow inside and outside the classroom are invaluable.” Brittan is a testament to how powerful those teachings can be. "The skills that were taught to me, and the relationships I developed, really changed the way that I dissect information and connected me to the world," she reflects, urging students to cherish the community that supports them long after graduation.