Hi, my name is… Brittany Wise.
I’ve lived in Fireside at Norterra for nearly three years and I love it because… Our street is the absolute best. We have impromptu weeknight get-togethers with our neighbors who have turned into a family while our kids play outside. Moving from Ann Arbor, Michigan, we never had such a strong community feeling and it’s been so nice to rely on it the last few years. Since the neighborhood is adjacent to the Sonoran Preserve, it feels like we are away from living in the middle of a large city but thankfully still close enough to everything that we need in Norterra. My parents moved to the West Valley in 2005. If you would’ve told me then that I would be living north of the 101 someday, I wouldn’t have believed you. Now, there’s nowhere else that I want to be.
A typical day in my life includes… Waking up before 5 a.m., I like to enjoy a cup of coffee before getting our little ones to school. Once everyone is at school, I spend the day working on the small online business that I started six years ago. At night, I like to enjoy dinner together as a family—it’s a goal for the four of us to eat together as much as possible!
My family is… My third grader Aubrey, first grader Owen, and my husband Jordan Wise.
One thing I cannot live without is… Coffee. Whether it’s a Salted Cream Cold Foam Cold Brew or a latte, I’m usually enjoying a large cup throughout my early mornings!
My favorite movie I could never get tired of watching and why… “Sweet Home Alabama.” It’s such a fun romantic comedy and I have a sweet spot for Alabama. Our oldest was born in Fairhope, Alabama and we lived there for several years.
When I was younger, I wanted to be… A business owner. My dad started his business more than 30 years ago and it just seemed like the natural thing to do. While my friends were debating between career paths, I always wanted to find a way to start businesses to serve the community. In college, I earned an engineering degree because I’ve always been fascinated with how the world works. Then, before marriage and kids, I earned an MBA in hopes of being better prepared in eventually opening a business.
The one person who motivates me is… Not just one person but my entire family. I work so hard each day in hopes of making them proud and creating a life that we can enjoy. Each step of parenthood and business ownership hasn’t been easy, but they don’t allow me to stay in an area of life too long. They are always motivating me to figure out what we can do next, together.
The last thing that made me laugh out loud was… Owen and Aubrey’s conversations with us. Sometimes I am way too serious about life and those two are guaranteed to make me laugh whether we are ribbing their dad or sharing a story from school. They add levity when I need it the most.
The perfect day… Would start with a piping hot cup of coffee. Then, I would spend the morning working at Elevate Coffee (I enjoy getting out in the community), lunch with my husband somewhere near Norterra, reading a new mystery novel, and then a nice dinner out at Scottsdale Quarter with girlfriends catching up on our busy lives. I feel like my days are so busy taking care of everyone else that the perfect day would have me enjoying time with my favorite people and not cooking or cleaning.
My life is… Very full and occasionally overwhelming, but with my Type A personality, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My dream vacation would be… Spending time in Bora Bora with a lot of quiet, books to read, and a few fun cocktails to try.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received… Dale Carnegie once said, “Happiness doesn’t depend on any external conditions, it is governed by our mental attitude.”
