COVER STORY | Lisle Mom & Beauty Executive, Lisa Motzko Hamilton Shares Her Summer 2025 Bucket List

Lisa Motzko Hamilton of Lisle & Her Kids Share their 6 Sunny Day Must-Dos Around Town

LISLE–After stints in Chicago, NYC, and her native Wisconsin, Lisa has called Lisle home for the past seven years.  She’s a proud single mom to two awesome kids—Aodhan (8) and Sloane (7)—plus two rescue cats with big personalities: Busta Boo (a foster fail from Chicago Animal Control) and Salem (adopted via Lulu’s Locker, where Lisa once fostered and volunteered).

After years of leading powerhouse teams in the beauty world—including a top exec role at Ulta Beauty—Lisa co-founded Breakthru Beauty with fellow beauty industry trailblazer Allison Slater Ray. Their goal? To boost brand success in specialty beauty retail, focusing on giants like Ulta and Sephora. With Lisa’s makeup leadership background and Allison’s Sephora marketing experience, they’re a dynamic duo helping brands shine—while juggling motherhood, workouts, and never missing a soccer game or college tour (even if it means late-night calls to Korea).

Lisa is passionate about confidence-boosting beauty and believes in the magic of the perfect lipstick; and her daughter Sloane shares that love.  Life for Lisa is a joyful mix of chaos and magic, filled with barre classes, rooftop swims, pickleball, and always putting on her own oxygen mask first.

Can you share a quote by someone you admire, famous or not that inspires you daily?

Be where your feet are - unknown.   I have been focused on living in the present.  I have learned that life can be short & we must enjoy every moment.  I lost my dad over 10 years ago and my younger brother over 5 & they have taught me this.

If your life had a soundtrack or song title right now, what would be the title of the track/song playing during your morning routine with the kids?

The kids love music from my generation, my son asked me if I knew who Eminem was.....although we don't listen to him at home we LOVE dancing in the car (although Sloane gets super embarrassed).  Lately we have been listening to Daft Punk a lot, especially Around the World. My best friend and her daughter come over and we have dance parties in the living room. The girls like to make dance videos.  Last week we were doing the Cupid shuffle! 

Lisa Shared Her Summer 2025

Top 6 Sunny Days Must Do Bucket List

1. Walk our neighborhood-forest preserve in our backyard, we have water right behind us with fish, many types of birds, turtles etc.  Enjoying all the baby geese & ducks (waiting for the fuzzy swan babies)

2. Lifetime Oakbrook gym; rooftop pool, pickleball,  barre & strength training classes,

3. Kids activities; summer camps, tennis lessons, soccer games, golf lessons, piano lessons, gymnastics tech camp, camp compassion

4. Road trips to Lake Geneva for a weekend with friends; road trip to a lake house in WI to kayak and boat ride with the kids; road trip to a farm in WI to learn about all that goes into farming, caring for animals, and appreciate where good food comes from

5. Weekend getaway to NYC, which would be the first time for the kids

6. My own work travel to Korea, the Vegas beauty show, and to NYC/LA for clients

-Kristen Kucharski

Photos by Mike Catuara