Liz Strauss was a Master Teacher
In September 2020, we lost both a friend and significant influencer of the work we do here at 45 Conversations. Liz Strauss was an international business strategist, coach and educational product designer. We were very sad when she passed away after a lengthy journey with Cancer.
For over 35 years Liz built educational products for educators, teachers and ECE to adults; mainstream, ESL, GED — for learners both online and off. Liz worked on and guided products used in every English-speaking country in the world.
Her book Anything You Put Your Mind To, which was published by GeniusShared Press, is an incredibly profound story carefully crafted to take readers on a deeply moving personal growth adventure; with Liz’s wit and wisdom as the guide. Additionally, for more than 10 years Liz also wrote on her blog — Successful-blog.com as well as on her writing blog.
The Dean of the College of Education at Bradley University once described Liz by saying, “In my life, I’ve met five master teachers. She is one.”
Without question, Liz was indeed a master teacher. Those who knew her, worked with her or who attended her skillfully designed SOBCon and GeniusShared events can attest to the many ways that Liz was able to make learning and collaboration truly life changing.
Liz’s writing, thinking, wisdom and learning events contributed to the very fabric of what 45 Conversations has grown into as an education company. In recent years, we were honoured to have Liz serve as our Educational & Professional Development Advisor. Her guidance and mentorship impacted virtually every aspect of our ECE Workshops, ECE Retreats and Child Care and Business Consulting Services.
We have immense gratitude to Liz for all that she did to make our learning experiences both inspiring and meaningful. The legacy of her wisdom and thinking will live on through all that we do in the years to come.
Personal Reflections from Jane Boyd About Liz
Liz Strauss was not only an Advisor to 45 Conversations and my business partner in GeniusShared — but she was my wisest mentor and one of my closest lifelong friends.
Our relationship quickly grew out of conversations that began on Twitter almost 10 years ago. In one of our earliest message exchanges, Liz told me “You will know about me long after I leave the planet.” She said those words a few years before she was diagnosed with Cancer. At the time it struck me as one of the strangest, yet most profound things to say.
In the years that followed, I came to understand that Liz intuitively “saw and knew things” in ways unlike others. Her gift was one of her greatest abilities and it was what made her truly who she was. Her insight into others was both uncanny and brilliant. And it was something that she only ever used for good.
Liz was wickedly smart, absolutely direct and truly caring — in a Liz-like way. She was also one of the firmest teachers I’ve ever had. Her thinking about education and instructional design and about the way people engage in collaborative learning significantly influenced my own thinking.
And Liz’s definition of trust — plus her rigorous application of it — in personal and business relationships as well as in learning environments dramatically changed the way that I think about everything in my own life — both personally and professionally.
Liz and I shared a multitude of incredible moments over our time together. My gratitude to her is both absolute and immense. And I know that her thinking, wisdom and values are with me forever.
I miss Liz so much — but I also know that she was right. I will indeed know her long after she left the planet. She is in me — always.
I will spend the rest of my life striving to be everything that Liz saw in me — as a human being, as a woman, as a teacher and as an entrepreneur.
Goodbye my dear Liz. I love you more than words can say.
Celebrating the Legacy of Liz Strauss
After Liz’s passing, many friends and professional colleagues came together to share stories about the legacy of her work and the contributions that she made. Much of the event was captured on video and is available for viewing below.
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