Consultant Spotlight: Cynthia Maison

Favorite part of being a consultant?

I love that I am always learning new things. I really enjoy meeting new people. I am a results-driven person, so I enjoy working together as a team developing compliant and compelling proposals.

What is the secret to managing a successful proposal?

Keeping a positive attitude and being flexible to changes. Also, engaging with the team and being a good listener and communicator, so you can understand their challenges and you can help develop solutions.

Any tips for writing a winning proposal?

Include quantifiable and qualitative results that demonstrate success. As we know, the Government reads hundreds of proposals, so we need ours to stand out and clearly demonstrate that not only do we understand the work and can do the work, but we provide the Government results.

Biggest proposal pet peeve?

I don’t really have any proposal pet peeves.

Where was your last vacation and what was the highlight of the trip?

Our summer trip last year was to Glacier National Park, Montana and Canada (Banff, Icefields Parkway, and Jasper). There are so many highlights because everything is absolutely beautiful there. We did hiking, kayaking, boat rides and saw glaciers and the most beautiful lakes. I have two highlights – taking the boat to Spirit Island in Jasper, and kayaking at the lake at Many Glacier in Glacier National Park.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I started a project called “Raise A Glass.Raise Awareness”, where I hand-paint glasses and donate 30% of the purchases to a different charity each month. (We are on Facebook – Raise A Glass.Raise Awareness).

If you could meet anyone in the world (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

My Dad’s Mom, Mildred Jewett. She passed away when my Dad was 12 years old and I would love to meet her, hear her voice, listen to stories, and tell her what a wonderful man her son became.