We recently had the chance to connect with Sandra Veszi Einhorn and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sandra Veszi, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Recently I had the absolute honor and pleasure of giving the State of the State keynote as Chair of the Board of Directors for Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) at the Florida Housing Coalition’s (FHC) Annual Conference- the premier conference in Florida for housing stakeholders. It was a true full circle moment. I first went to the Florida Housing Coalition conference in 2009. I was young, naive, passionate and at the beginning of my nonprofit leadership career.
Serving in this role was a result of being appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis and having my appointment approved by the Florida Senate. Being able to serve in such a role brings me tremendous pride on its own merit, knowing that I’ve accomplished that through hard work, a constant thirst for knowledge and understanding nuance and the ability to position myself as a subject matter expert and leader in the field.
The path of self-awareness and authenticity is messy and risky but so worthwhile. In a room full of mentors, friends and colleagues and over a thousand strangers I spoke not just about housing but about gratitude, partnership and cheering on success. Getting to know and own my strengths and being comfortable with my weaknesses (I can be A LOT) is a lifelong journey. But the hard work I’ve put into owning my personality quirks results in opportunities like this, being on a stage with over a thousand people in the audience, hoping to be inspired by my words.
What struck me in the days before and after was the roller coaster journey that got me to that moment. Embracing my own style of leadership and being comfortable with knowing that it’s not for everyone. I can be loud, annoying, highly opinionated and unafraid to ask questions, lots of them. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea and it’s taken a lot to get to a place where I am more than ok with it. I now thrive in the comfort of not needing to be liked and accepted by everyone I meet.
During my very brief stint as a sorority girl (UCF ZTA 99) I adopted a lifelong motto that was on a shirt from bid day.
“Loved or hated but never ignored”
Somewhere along the way I made a career of being unapologetically me, despite the efforts of some incredible mentors who tried to guide me and soften my rougher edges over the years.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it’s a lot easier being me than trying to be anyone else and was so proud to be able to have a full circle moment like that, knowing that it was a direct result of hard work and me just leaning into being me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Sandra Veszi Einhorn. I have my own consulting firm since 2016. SVE Consulting is a boutique agency specializing in empowering leaders to identify and implement adaptable strategies that amplify success and create meaningful change for themselves and their organizations. With more than 20 years’ experience in advocacy, strategic planning, public speaking and community engagement, I am dedicated to helping corporations, nonprofits, government and faith-based organizations navigate today’s complex landscape in a way that matters most to them. My special focus areas include housing and homelessness, behavioral health, nonprofit management and leadership development.
I started volunteering and taking on leadership positions in high school. When I graduated college, I jumped back into community involvement. I volunteered and served on committees for issues and organizations I was passionate about. I moved up the ranks in one organization where I eventually became Chair of their largest event of the year and asked to serve on the organization’s board of directors. I was the youngest chair they had ever entrusted to serve. Then the economy crashed. Long story short, I was mistreated as a volunteer. The experience stuck with me and inspired me to switch careers into nonprofit management. I got my first job as an Executive Director because I didn’t know the right questions to ask. The organization at that time was really struggling and nobody with experience would have taken the job under the circumstances, certainly not in those economic times. So, I did what any naive, ambitious, eager to learn leader does- I went on a listening tour. I spent months meeting with every stakeholder. I learned so much. Over the course of the next eight years, I learned about generational poverty, how siloed systems of care impact outcomes. But perhaps the most important lesson I learned was about leadership. More specifically, how challenging it can be to be a nonprofit CEO. I turned that passion into SVE Consulting, which has provided me the opportunity to work with leaders and organization to help them think strategically and thrive. I have had the absolute honor to work for incredible organizations with some of the smartest, kindest leaders.
As I have evolved in my career, my brand is most definitely defined by authenticity. It took a long time, a lot of reflection, way too many personality and leadership tests and more mistakes than I care to remember to get to a place where I felt like I could turn my BIG personality into a strength that I can be proud of. Growing up I was told I was too loud and annoying. When I started my nonprofit career, I made it a point to seek out mentorship from leaders that I admired most. From them I learned how to reframe my personality quirks in a way that allowed me to thrive and perhaps someday even inspire. I took my big personality and focused on trying to be a convener, someone who can serve as a resource and asset to others. Someone who is willing to say the things that others might not, because I am free of the guilt and burden of wanting to be liked by everyone. I lead with intention, humor, passion and knowledge. It helps me remember that even those that might not agree with my style or methods can agree that I am coming from a good place with the right intent- to foster a stronger, more resilient community in as many ways as possible.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My relationship with my family has been the biggest influence in how I see myself. While I wear many hats and have many titles, those of daughter, wife and mother are the ones that mean the most to me. My grandparents were Holocaust survivors and my parents both fled communist Hungary to build a better life for their future family in our incredible country. I grew up proud to be an American, proud to be Jewish. My mother moved to this country not knowing the language. She worked to learn English while raising two kids and working. I grew up in a home filled with family friends and extended family to compensate for the small family my parents left behind in Europe.
My husband had a very different upbringing from me and together we worked to create a family dynamic that emphasizes and puts the ultimate value on family. Melding our cultures, his American and my Hungarian, has created a beautiful, multi-generational home that is the nucleus for friends and extended family that come over for Shabbat meals, a place for respite from the negativity of the outside world and where laughter and music fills the home.
Seeing the strong bond and relationship that my parents have with my children is the ultimate blessing and what really fills my bucket. Nothing in the world is more important than family and the ability to laugh, love and share experiences with. Being able to share that value with my children protects them from the cruel world that is increasingly filling with more hate than love.
When we first became parents, my husband and I both agreed to try to raise our children similar to how we were raised. It meant that until COVID, our daughters had no screens and we have no television in our home. This gave them the opportunity to play outside, get creative with whatever was around the house, invent new games to play together and even get comfortable with being bored. When COVID started both girls needed a device, both for school but also as a way to connect to family and friends. While we still have pretty strict parameters on screen access as they have grown into teenagers, it was only a few years ago that we realized we could not continue to raise them the way we grew up in the 80’s and 90’s.
The world looks completely different and so parenting must pivot to the times. We had a good run, though! I’ve got a house full of upcycled Amazon boxes that were used to create dozens of new things and places and memories of active play all over. In retrospect, it reinforced my value of family above all else. While they were young we didn’t get distracted by screens. We were active and engaged and for that, most of the laughter that filled this home was from playing and telling jokes, not from cartoons and youtube videos.
Now, as a sandwich generation mother and daughter, delicately balancing the changing physical and emotional needs of both parents and kids, I find myself even more anchored to the example that my parents set for me. Creating memories and being there for the people you love, that’s what matters most. It’s not the professional accolades and certainly not the instant gratification of a social media response. It’s showing up every day for the people who need you and the people you loved to be needed by. While I admit that it sometimes doesn’t leave much space for self-care, which is critically important, it’s worked for me. It leaves me with a daily sense of gratitude that I try to lead with in every role I play.
Do you remember a time someone truly listened to you?
It’s not a single moment but rather overwhelming gratitude for every time someone gave me positive feedback on something I have written or said. Not the ones who post responses on social media, thought that’s appreciated too, but the ones who go out of their way- next time they see me or via phone call or text, to tell me that something I said or wrote had an impact on them.
Especially when the topic is viewed as controversial, such as my Israel advocacy. Our days are filled with communication overload in more mediums than what we can keep up with. So, when someone makes it a point to pay me a compliment on something I am passionate about, it inspires me. The power of connection brings out the best and worst of us but to give someone the opportunity to be seen or feel heard is tremendous. So often we allow ourselves to seek the cold connection of social media that provides perhaps some level of instant gratification but lacks the fulfillment of being heard or seen.
As a mom I make sure to make space to really listen to my kids. There are times when I am honest with them and tell them I have to multi-task while they are talking to me, whether it’s because I am not done with my work day or I am cooking. I make it a point to tell them that while I can’t give them my undivided attention at the moment, if they could be patient with me to finish my task I would be happy to give them my undivided attention as soon as I can. Most importantly, I make good on that almost every time. The nuance between hearing and listening is critical, personally and professionally.
In some ways, being an effective leader relies on your abiity to have people listen to you. To build consensus within a group, change the ways an organziation operates or working with a leadership to define their themselves all rely on people listening to what I have to say and having buy in on putting those words into action.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
As antisemitism and hate continues to thrive, it reinforces my commitment to combat it. It’s why I created #ThisIsHowIJew. I am, and have been for as long as I can remember, unapologetically proud to identify as Jewish and Zionist. As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and a first generation American, being Jewish has always been central to my identity, even when religion and spirituality was not. I was raised in a proudly secular, Zionist home and my journey to Orthodox Judaism inspired me to create the #ThisIsHowIJew campaign, a movement to address antisemitism by promoting the depth and breadth of Jewish experiences.
Having experienced a variety of different Jewish observances and lifestyles has taught me so much about faith, family, values and the humble blessing and responsibility of being a Jew.
I bring a unique voice to Jewish advocacy and am passionate about sharing Jewish culture with others as well as being a fierce advocate of Israel on social media. I am a fierce defender of Jewish identity in all its forms. Whether I am challenging media narratives, supporting Jewish colleagues, or educating others about antisemitism with my signature blend of sarcasm and insight, I show up unapologetically Jewish in every space I am in, personally and professionally. I don’t just talk about Jewish pride; I live it loudly, using wit, humor and sarcasm to open minds and hearts to the beauty of Judaism.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I am home with my family. Preferably in the kitchen, but peace is the feeling I have when I know I am exactly where I need to be with the people I love most. Cooking for me brings me peace and joy, knowing that I am feeding friends and family. Seeing the look on my loved ones faces when they walk into the house and are greeted with the smells of home is a humble reminder of what’s most important in life.
Observing Shabbat with family is another grounding and peaceful experience I look forward to every week. Between the chaos of teenage schedules and the nonstop notifications coming at me on my phone and computer, powering down for 25 hours a week is the ultimate in peace seeking.
My work life is hectic, a constant overwhelming blessing of working with community leaders, elected officials and other change makers. Since consensus building is a big part of my role it’s sometimes difficult to not get caught up in the pressure of delivering results efficiently and effectively, especially since those I work with are used to that level of response and success. Some days are long and many hours of continuing “peopling”- a word I came up with to define how an introvert survives in an extrovert role. At the end of the day I am ready to put the professional me aside and go home to my peaceful sanctuary. But even then, as I transition into my favorite roles of mother, wife and daughter, there are responsibilities that come along with that too. Homework, doctors appointments, dinner and so many other things. But the gratitude I have for all of those opportunities allows me to seek peace in my home purposely. Peace is a state of mind that can only be achieved when you are willing to give up the ideals of perfectionism and embrace the chaos of life and find joy in the moments that matter most. To me, that’s where peace lives. Sometimes it’s quiet, sometimes it’s loud and oftentimes it’s filled with music and dancing like nobody else (other than who I am dancing with) is watching.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoghollywoodgirl/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraveszi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.einhorn
