Today we’d like to introduce you to Patti Saraniero.
Patti, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Undergraduate degree in theatre. Graduate work at the Yale School of Drama. Director of Education at La Jolla Playhouse and The Old Globe. Realized that I had a lot of questions about the work my team and I were doing and decided that I needed to go to grad school to figure out some of the answers. (I have since learned that there might have been other/cheaper/faster ways to do this, but grad school was great for me).
I started the business when I was in graduate school, working on my doctorate at USD. “Starting the business” is a generous description of what I was doing. I took on a couple of evaluation projects for colleagues I knew from my time working at the Playhouse and The Old Globe. Initially, I took on a wide range of consulting projects, but eventually began to develop a focus on program evaluation. I realized pretty quickly that I couldn’t be everything to everybody. Over the years, I have become more focused on projects about formal learning (such as being in a classroom or workshop) and informal learning (such as visiting a museum). Since I started in 2004, I have tried to help others answer their questions, much like I had.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I imagine I have had challenges that other small businesses and sole proprietors face. I have wrestled with whether or not to expand (so far, I vote no on this. I love the work and don’t want to manage others doing it, while I administrate). I juggle all the balls of a small business and definitely prefer some to others. There is always the need to build and maintain a network, which then takes time from the work itself. Building the business from scratch has taken a lot of hard work, perseverance and, frankly, good luck (or maybe it was good timing).
Please tell us about Moxie Research.
I conduct program evaluation for arts, culture and educational organizations. I am very excited that Moxie Research has a diverse client list, representing many art forms as well as areas of the country.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I don’t have a lot of regrets or should-haves. That said, I wish I had more confidence in myself in the early days!
I learned early on to pay for good advice, particularly in those areas where I am not that strong. Finding good collaborators, particularly those with complimentary skill sets, is really essential to keep the project portfolio diverse.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.moxieresearch.com
- Phone: 619-255-2175
- Email: hello@moxieresearch.com
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