Episode 2 – Staci Alonso | A Modern Marketing Servant Leader

If you are lucky, you’ll get the chance to work for a great leader early in your career. This leader will show you what leadership can look like, and you’ll take those lessons everywhere you go. For me, that leader is Staci Alonso.

Almost 6 years ago, my husband and I decided to move our family from Reno, NV to Wyoming. We had both grown up in rural western communities, and we wanted our kids to experience wide open spaces, a small town upbringing, and rural life. When the stars aligned, we made the move. All signs pointed to Wyoming. Then we got here.

What should have been a 12 hour drive took three days due to one of the worst blizzards the state had ever seen. As we unloaded the moving truck, the temperature sat at a balmy -28 degrees. Our rental home was a shanty, and I walked into a workplace that was being run by a tyrant. I was certain we’d made the biggest mistake of our lives. Long story short, this season of life tested me in ways I had never imagined. Work was awful for awhile, but I reflected often on what working for Staci had been like. I started wondering how do we get more leaders like Staci? All of this pondering pointed me towards Gonzaga and Servant Leadership. It’s amazing what suffering can turn into.

I’m thrilled to pay homage to Staci in Episode 2. She has been featured prominently in my Master’s writing, but here is a passage that I think sums her up the best,

“Although I did not recognize it at the time, working for Alonso, set me on a journey to seek out a leadership style that allowed me to combine being a confident woman and still ascribing to the feminist ethic of care. I only worked for Alonso for about a year before she departed the company, but her influence changed my path considerably. Greenleaf (1996) writes of getting hard work done with a light hand. Hesse (2012) reinforces this idea in Siddhartha. He writes (pg. 97), “…because, you know gentleness is stronger than severity, that water is stronger than rock, that love is stronger than force.” While Alonso could be tough and demanded respect, her strength was quiet and never forced. The short amount of time I was lucky enough to work with her influenced me in ways I would not realize until several years later.”

Not only is Staci a seasoned, veteran marketer, she’s also a committed philanthropist. She founded Noah’s Animal House, the first shelter of its kind that cares for and houses the pets of women who are escaping domestic violence and abuse. Her work with Noah’s was recognized last year when she was named one of Anderson Cooper’s Top Ten Heroes of the Year. 

I hope you enjoy this podcast episode and if you feel inspired, you can learn more about Noah’s Animal House here.

Episode 2 Servant Marketing Snacks