Zoey Fleisher on Creativity, Innovation, and Making Change
Zoey Fleisher is curious, creative, and attentive, three qualities that have led to a life of working in outside-the-box settings. In their various roles at Tiny Windows Consulting, they bring a multiplicity of tools to the table; they can be found doing everything from writing curricula to or facilitating group discussions to curating playlists and developing new programs. With a bachelor’s degree in Music Education (alongside a minor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and a Webster LEADS Leadership Certificate), Zoey is well-suited for the myriad projects they take on at TWC.
What drew you to Tiny Windows Consulting?
When I first got my degree in Music Education, I found myself at a crossroads. Should I try to join a school system, or use my talents elsewhere? Looking around, I could see the echoes of the pandemic still affecting the ways in which schools operate. I also didn’t feel up to dealing with the bureaucracy of an education institution as a queer educator. With that in mind, I decided to see what else was possible. That search led me to a leadership program called Jewish Changemakers, led by Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). The program was designed to encourage civic engagement among young college-aged Jewish people. As it turned out, Changemakers had been developed, in part, by Miriam Brosseau, founder of Tiny Windows Consulting (TWC). We hit it off right away, and when the program ended it was just natural for me to begin working with TWC. Now I’ve been here for almost two years! I can hardly believe it.
Can you share about how your role has evolved over time?
Over time, my role has broadened. The scope has grown, through a process of experimentation, of trying different projects to see what feels right. My official title is Program Designer and Strategist, which includes a lot of different stuff. On any day, I might be doing events’ support, or designing curricula, or working on programming strategy, or something completely else. It's been really cool to explore the many ways I can apply what I've learned, to discover what makes sense and what doesn't. For example, for a while I was writing Facebook posts for the Jewish Grandparents Network (JGN), but I knew pretty quickly that I wasn’t excited about the work, that someone else was better suited for it. On the other hand, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’m enjoying event support for JGN. That isn't something I would have necessarily jumped on, but it’s given me a chance to use my background in facilitation in interesting ways. Having worked in DEI facilitation really helps me clarify certain questions during events. Sometimes, I'm able to help pick out similar questions and give responses that make people feel heard, even if we're not able to fully provide answers. I also get to curate the music for various events, or curate playlists for various organizations. My role is pretty fluid, depending on the clients’ needs and my capacity.
Sounds like TWC gives you a lot of room for self-expression.
Totally. I love the creativity, the space for innovation, the way TWC encourages us to think about things from different perspectives. I love that I’m able to do a lot of different things. Part of the reason why I didn't want to work in a school setting, at least right away, is because music education has historically been pretty narrowly defined. Being able to work on different projects as a consultant is really conducive to the way that I like to work. One thing I really appreciate is how collaborative the team is here. When I encounter a challenge, I can really lean on the community. It’s a matter of just asking the people who know more than me in this area for help.
Looking forward, what are you excited about?
I would love to keep doing more of what I'm doing. I'm having a blast. I’ll be expanding the amount of hours I'm working soon, and that's really exciting. As a whole, I think Tiny Windows is headed in a great direction. Growing clientele, solidifying a team of dedicated creatives, working with wonderful organizations. You know, a lot of what I do has to do with having hope for the future, and what makes me most hopeful about the future is that we don't have to wait for it to happen. It can be the present. We can make it our present. I look at the younger generations and I think, they can't be the next generation if we don't let them practice now. We just need to keep putting marginalized folks at the center, really listening to people and what they need, being aware about how we affect other people based on our identities. How do we support people? How do we make sure we're setting people up for success? Those are the questions I’m always asking.