With a background in law, healthcare, and journalism, Luzanne Otte graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She subsequently earned a master’s degree in biomedical ethics from Harvard University, following which she spent two years as a surgical circulator at St. John Health Center, a Catholic hospital in Santa Monica, California. Luzanne Otte’s responsibilities in this position included sterilizing instruments and post-surgery cleaning of the operating room.
Later, after earning a juris doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School, Ms. Otte joined the Office of General Counsel of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. She spent 10 years there, managing its C3 Pilot Program and implementing infrastructure builds, adult GED programs, and professional development at underserved parishes and schools. Most recently, Luzanne Otte managed contracts for Barrister Executive Suites as chief legal officer.
As a writer, she has published lifestyle articles in magazines such as ELLE Decor and Town and Country. Beyond her professional endeavors, Ms. Otte is a member of the board of directors of the Corpus Christi Rebuild Committee and enjoys hobbies like reading, hiking, and beach volleyball.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical day begins at 6:00 am with caffè doppio and berries with cream, followed by a 1-mile walk with dogs and a 5-mile run with my neighbors. The remainder of the day is spent working. After work and dinner, I prioritize my top five goals of the next day and use time blocking to maximize productivity in executing preset goals.
How do you bring ideas to life?
First, we begin shaping an idea by explicit clarification and validation of initial precepts with a team of experts or stakeholders. Second, we create a prioritized list of small actionable steps. Next, we research and test our basic assumptions about an idea, then consolidate, iterate, and refine based on findings and feedback. Finally, we do all of this with a reasonable speed, so it gathers momentum and isn’t overthought.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Hyper-specific microtrends that disappear before I can Google them.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Time blocking.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Start earlier. You won’t, but it felt worth saying.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
A well-aged pencil has more integrity than most productivity advice.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Send the shorter version.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Take a walk and call it strategy.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Constantly asking the same question: “what problem are we actually solving?” Responding to less, deciding faster, and explaining only when necessary. Treating “urgent” as a subjective opinion rather than a command.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
I delayed a decision, hoping for more clarity, which never arrived. I finally chose a direction and learned I could adjust down the road. Lesson: indecision is just a slower form of risk.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Electronic device touchpad that detects changes in body chemistry from alcohol or drugs through our fingertips and immediately disables the phone.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
My calendar app. I use it to create a highly structured illusion that I am in control of time, and then I aggressively protect blocks of it as if they are real commitments to a better version of myself.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I gave $100 to a couple of ACS guards who have been working overtime to keep my hometown safe in the wake of the Palisades Fire.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I do have a favorite book that I reread every year by a well-decorated American female author from the late 19th, early 20th centuries. For professional inspiration, I listen to the “Founders” by a host who studies history’s greatest entrepreneurs and distills core lessons into the podcast. For personal inspiration, “Wiser Than Me” by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. For dry humor and snark, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” and “SmartLess.”
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
“The Bear.” It’s comforting to watch other people experience high-intensity stress in a professionally validated environment while I do it in sweatpants.
Key learnings
- Create a collaborative environment where the best idea always wins.
- Cultivate a team ethos that supports rising to the next level, which requires appreciation and parity, as they’re the best route to take your visions to the next level.
- Progress often depends less on insight and more on how long ambiguity can be tolerated without everyone giving up.
- Present with confidence and authority, even when in doubt.