Meet Anita Fisher: CEO & Independent Consultant -Fisher Mental Health Consulting

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anita Fisher and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anita, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Twenty years ago my family’s entire dynamic was changed when my oldest son was diagnosed with mental illness. Four years later, I would leave a 30-year career in Banking to work as the Education Director at a nonprofit designed to help families and individuals living with mental health challenges. After 10 years in that position, I was ready to retire from”working” but not ready to disconnect from the advocacy work, supporting families, and sharing the knowledge I had acquired with anyone who might find it useful. So, I decided to launch my independent consulting business so that I could stay connected in the mental health arena and any arena that might touch mental health.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am of the Boomer generation, I don’t mind sharing my age of 64. While I started out attending a 4-year university after high school, after 2 1/2 years I found myself wanting to enter the workforce full time. I had always intended to return and finish(still do) I am from San Francisco and during high school I worked at various  goverment agencies(GSA, Social Security Payment Center, Post Office). In 1977 I started my banking career working in the Credit Card Division of a regional bank, which was eventually purchased by a major bank. Mastercard and Visa Credit Cards and ATM Card industry were really taking hold in the mid-1970s. I found it an exciting new part of the financial industry which was ever-changing and a major profit center for the banking industry. I started out in the Credit Card Customer Service Call Center, became a lead, then a Supervisor and in my 16th year, my husband’s job relocated us to San Diego. The bank that I worked for in Northern California did not have as many employment opportunities in San Diego, but, I had always been told if you have Supervisory experience you can basically supervise anywhere. My Supervisory experience did turn out to be a plus because when I was ready to return to the workforce after a 1-year break, I was hired as a Supervisor at a local pager messaging company (evolving into what we now know as texting) This was a new emerging technology and I liked learning new things. However, after only a short time working there, I saw a position for a Credit Card Call Center Supervisor and applied just to check it out. I was offered the position and left the pager company returning to Banking Credit Card Services. While this bank was smaller, I was excited that I could learn both sides of the credit card business Issuing(credit cards) and Acquiring(merchant processing) In my 13 years there I held positions such as Supervisor, AVP- Product Manager, and in my last position I finally worked in the retail(branch banking) side of the business as VP- Business Systems Analyst. When I went to work in the non-profit world at NAMI SD, I was worried that I did not have any experience in this arena. Well, ALL of my prior experience had prepared me for my work at NAMI SD. I often told my former work colleagues that I have used every skill I have and gained more. In February 2018 I retired from NAMI San Diego and launched Fisher Mental Health Consulting. So, I am very proud of having consistent 44-year work history which was not always as easy as it sounds cramming it into a few short paragraphs. I am most proud that in the last 12 years I was fortunate to start a new career based on a passion to serve others later in life and launch my own business to continue my passion work.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would start in my very own backyard. I live just over the famous Apple Street Hill on Dictionary Hill where I have lovely views of Mt. San Miguel, would start there with Breakfast. Then we would go for a stroll at my favorite walking spot – Harbor Island, I love to walk near the water. One of the days we would go to Old Town for a stroll and lunch, take a drive to Sunset Cliffs , visit the outlets at Viejas in Alpine, then wrap up with lunch or dinner at Island Prime back at Harbor Island.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Any success born out of what was initially a deeply heartbreaking family situation, is first my Christian faith, my husband holding our family together, and NAMI San Diego (National Alliance on Mental Illness).  NAMI SD is where we first received our education about mental illness through a 12-week course called Family to Family which taught us how to support our son and strengthen our family during challenging times.  My work as the Education Director at NAMI San Diego was cathartic in allowing me to learn, utilize my prior work experience, and help other families and individuals affected by mental health challenges.

Website: www.FisherMHConsulting.com