Let's Ride w/ Paul Estrada
Who else is trying to figure $hit out?
Welcome to Lets Ride w/ Paul Estrada – the podcast where a dad tackles the big questions of life, career, and everything in between, by talking to interesting people that have the answers!
When I turned 18, I lost sleep at night with questions that Google was not yet sophisticated enough to answer: What career should I pursue? How can I be more than just average? And how do successful people get to where they are (was there a secret handbook I didn't know about)? After 22 years of pondering these existential dilemmas, I’ve finally pieced together some answers – An answer that is sufficient for now, but one always in need of refinement.
Join me each week as my 6 ½ year old son, Adrian, throws out a thought-provoking question or idea, and I invite a guest to help me sufficiently respond to him. From learning about money and investing, to finding a passion in life, and exploring careers that can be meaningful for you, we cover it all with a dose of humor and some soundbites of wisdom.
So, if you’re a parent or a young adult navigating these tricky waters, or if you want confirmation that other people are sometimes just as lost as you, you’ve come to the right place.
Let's Ride w/ Paul Estrada
Logistics Expert: Balancing Professional Ambition & Personal Fulfillment
What happens when you prioritize both career success and family fulfillment? Alyssa Coriel's journey offers a masterclass in modern work-life integration that defies conventional wisdom.
Rising from an entry-level position to Vice President at a multi-billion dollar transportation company before turning 40, Alyssa could have followed the traditional executive path. Instead, she made the radical decision to relocate her family to Steamboat Springs, Colorado – a remote mountain town that offers the lifestyle they craved but creates significant logistical challenges for her high-powered career.
This conversation takes us behind the scenes of what true work-life balance looks like in practice. Alyssa shares candid insights about explaining business trips to young children (complete with stuffed animals that travel with her), creating clear boundaries between work and home, and how she manages coaching her son's soccer team despite a demanding travel schedule.
Her approach contradicts the either/or mentality that plagues many working parents. Rather than viewing career advancement and family engagement as competing priorities, she's developed practical strategies to be fully present in both worlds – working intensely while traveling but completely disconnecting when home.
For anyone feeling torn between professional ambitions and personal fulfillment, this episode offers a refreshingly honest look at what's possible when you refuse to accept traditional limitations. Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder, building a family, or attempting both simultaneously, Alyssa's experiences demonstrate that with intention, support, and creativity, you can craft a life that honors all your priorities.
Check one two. Check one two Is it working or not? I can see green, so I think it's working.
Speaker 2:How do you feel like when, um, dad, when I have to go, like on work trips, and sometimes I have to like stay the night somewhere or I have to fly somewhere, like, how do you feel about that?
Speaker 1:I always get sad.
Speaker 2:Why do you get sad?
Speaker 1:Because I miss you.
Speaker 2:Oh, you do, and I like to to like practice baseball with you.
Speaker 1:Oh, stuff like that.
Speaker 2:Go to the store, cook dinner with you yeah, even if it's just for like one day yeah yeah, I would still miss you yeah, I miss you guys too, do you think?
Speaker 1:at least I get to call you, do I think what?
Speaker 2:yeah, well, you know, what's cool is we get to facetime so I can actually like see you, I know, and when I, when I was up, they didn't have that, so then I just could talk on the phone and I could just hear their voice, but I couldn't see them. And now I get to FaceTime with you, right?
Speaker 1:I know because we have better technology. Tech is just like short.
Speaker 2:It's technology. Oh, tech is short for technology, oh wow.
Speaker 1:Technology. I think it has four syllables.
Speaker 2:Tech-no-la-gy. Yep, you got it Four.
Speaker 1:So is that all you want to say?
Speaker 2:Almost. And then what does it feel like when I come home?
Speaker 1:I feel so happy. I'm like Dad, you're back, I'm just happy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like sometimes I just like open the door to the garage and then you just like run over, huh.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I'm super excited to see you guys too.
Speaker 1:I know, but like I'm filled with joy.
Speaker 2:You're filled with joy. Yeah, oh, me too Like.
Speaker 1:I really love it. Yeah, I really really love it.
Speaker 2:You ever heard of the phrase distance makes the heart grow fonder, Does that?
Speaker 1:make sense to you? No, I've never heard of that.
Speaker 2:So that basically means when somebody is away for a little while, then it's extra special when they come back. Hi, let's Ride. Listeners, it's your friend, paul Estrada. If you've gotten any value out of any of the episodes, I'm here to ask you to pause this episode and take a moment to subscribe to the show wherever you're listening to this podcast. If wherever you're listening to this podcast If you're a real go-getter, please take a moment to leave a review of the podcast. I'd be indebted to you forever. Thank you for supporting and listening to the show and for going on this journey with us. Pause, subscribe and let's ride.
Speaker 2:Our guest today is a successful executive in the logistics and transportation industry. During her career, she climbed the ladder from an entry-level position to vice president of a multi-billion dollar transportation company, all before turning 40. She's an expert at using emotional intelligence to build meaningful relationships, both personally and professionally, while also knowing when to flip the switch and apply assertive leadership. In addition to her professional success, she has mastered the balance of a challenging career while being present for family and prioritizing the creation of what truly matters a fulfilling personal life. I'm excited for our guest an opportunity to catch up with a longtime friend, alyssa Coriel.
Speaker 1:So let's ride. Let's ride on through the rain. Come on and take me anywhere that you want to be, so let's ride.
Speaker 2:But I did think it would be interesting because as I've started this, I realized that I don't really reflect a lot on my own personal history, and so as I talk to different people and I also feel like I don't have a great memory, but as I'm having conversations with people, it seems to trigger thoughts that I haven't had. I'm like, oh, I totally forgot about that. And so as I was preparing and thinking about this conversation, I was like, well, this will be a good one, because this basically goes all the way back to my I'm going to call it my corporate career origin story, because you basically I've known you since day one of working a big boy job in the corporate world, so to speak. So people can kind of catch a glimpse of that version of me.
Speaker 2:I guess, taking it all the way back, you started at the company by looking at your LinkedIn two years before I did. I'm curious. Well, I guess the first part that stood out to me was you went to college on the East Coast and here you are, I'm assuming, like a young 20 something year old and you find yourself in Southern California, I'm sure, far from friends and family. So what got you to journey out West, and what were those first year or two like of starting your corporate journey?
Speaker 3:That's a good deep question to kick it off.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you. I hope you've had your coffee today.
Speaker 3:I'm still consuming. I did fly the coop, so to speak. So I'm the youngest of four family-owned company that I grew up in so very tight-knit family, always at the plant with my dad and my mom, and we're all just tight-knit, that's probably the best way to say it. And I went to college farthest away versus the rest of my siblings. I went to University of Delaware, so I guess not that far from New York I'm from upstate New York, right on Lake Ontario. And my siblings went to a college near Syracuse, a college in Northern Pennsylvania, and then a college in Philadelphia and then I went to Delaware.
Speaker 3:I think I just always had that desire to separate myself, even though I loved my family, but just separate myself. And then the original plan was to actually go back to the family business. That was the plan. After college I went for food and agribusiness management, so my family's company was a food company. I was just going to go back to the family business but I decided that it'd be a great idea to maybe work somewhere for a couple of years, work somewhere different for a couple of years. So I didn't just follow in my dad's and my brother, who also worked there Footsteps do things the same way they always did.
Speaker 3:I always had a drive to do things differently and so I went to a trade show with my dad and my brother in Chicago called the Private Label Manufacturers Association Trade Show, and we were exhibiting in a back corner. My family company was still relatively small and it turns out we're exhibiting across from Mr P and Jalen at Niagara and we trade bottles of water for some chips and salsa that my family had because we did trade waste products, and my dad and Mr P totally hit it off because Mr P had video of one of our production lines in concourse to show it off to potential customer or buyers. We just started talking and I was family business, private label, and they were like we're growing, you should come out, and I was like Southern California, near the beach.
Speaker 2:Sunshine.
Speaker 3:And so that just lit the fire.
Speaker 2:And I think for people, maybe speaking to the younger people out there one thing I haven't touched a lot on and I don't know that this was maybe part of your thought process it certainly wasn't part of mine and that was finishing school and identifying a company that had this huge growth potential and a good culture. Right, I'll start with those two things. I certainly was not looking for either of those things. I just dumb lucked my way into it. Was that something you looked at, or were you the same as me? Where it's just like, oh, it's a job, it's in California, it's near the beach, that's good enough for me.
Speaker 3:I got lucky for sure. That's what I think about with my kids and I will talk about kids later. But how do I give them enough exposure and influence them enough to think about those things culture and growth potential? I would say that when I went out to interview, I was so worried about me making the impression versus, of course, after a handful of companies and a lot of years, you're like well, I'm interviewing you.
Speaker 2:The tables turn.
Speaker 3:But back then. No way, I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I basically feel like it's like winning the career lottery, because, again, it was not deliberate at all, it just so happened to work out and so that literally I think completely could change the trajectory of a person's career. Take out of the variable of just how good you are or the skills that you have. You could be the most skilled person, the hardest working person, but if you're not at the right company then it may not get you the results that you want. And I could argue that I was mediocre or no skill, but I was a hard worker. But I happened to be in the right place at a time that this company was going on a rocket ship and I'm like, hey, I'm going to grab onto this rocket and go for the ride.
Speaker 3:So again, did you feel that way as well? Or how did you feel about that whole thing? I don't think I realized how lucky I was until it was a couple of years in and we really started to explode. But I didn't know I was making a great career decision. But of course, when I talk about it later I'm like best years you could have ever wanted, right.
Speaker 2:Boots on the ground. Yeah, I was super deliberate about this.
Speaker 3:Yeah, checking in drivers, understanding, not deliberate, literally following my heart. Okay, so we are the same.
Speaker 2:All right, I feel so less bad.
Speaker 2:I'm like I had no plan, okay, but I realized I want to set a little bit more context, because this is still a privately held, family-owned company. So I won't get into too much specifics, but just to give people some context back at this time that we're talking about is 2006, 2007, 2008, somewhere in that timeframe. And the company was it was big by most company standards. We're talking a low nine figures company at that point that was basically starting on a trajectory towards coming multi-billion dollars within a 10-year span. So you're talking about literally exponential. You're talking about the type of growth that you would see from a tech company, but coming from a manufacturing company, which is completely unheard of. And I'll never forget this, and it's mostly because the guy referenced the Dodgers was probably why it sticks with me but there was a consultant that came in and we were all sitting in this conference room and he goes. Okay, for those of you that aren't aware of how special of an organization, do you know what I'm talking about, of how special of an organization.
Speaker 2:This is.
Speaker 3:I actually talked to this gentleman a couple of months ago and I distinctly remember that moment and I remember how I felt.
Speaker 2:It's so great. So you and I have never had this conversation, but clearly we're having the same experience. I thought I was like unique and special, but apparently I'm not. We're special, okay, oh, that's what it is. So this guy comes and he says hey, listen, I'm going to put it because I don't think you guys understand, because for so this guy comes and he says hey, listen, I'm going to put it because I don't think you guys understand, because for a lot of us.
Speaker 2:It was like this was our first company out of school, so we have no contact, right, there's nothing. To me, it's like, hey, this is normal, every company is like this, right? It's like no, no, no, no, it's not. And so what he said was he said listen, okay. So for perspective, let's say the? Okay, the Los Angeles Dodgers. What's the seating capacity of Dodgers stadium? 54,000 people, okay. So imagine that, instead of a person occupying each one of the seats in that stadium that's occupied by a company, just a registered company. Okay, got the visual in my head. So Niagara would be like one out of 54,000 in terms of growth, in terms of profitability, in terms of top line revenue, so only one. And you would be number one in that entire stadium. And I was like whoa, okay, yeah, that's crazy. And, by the way, this is, like you said, several years into it. So I'm still a young 20 something not understanding the opportunity that's in front of me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I remember he said this is a once in a lifetime opportunity slash company and I was like whoa, let's do this To your point. It was a few years in, because I don't think he started coming in until was it like 2010?.
Speaker 2:Yeah, probably somewhere around there.
Speaker 3:Around there.
Speaker 2:And you see a lot of. Now that I look the 20-something-year-olds today, they all want they're more deliberate. You and I were just like, oh, a fellow school company, here we go and we lucked into it. But I do think the 20-somethings are a little bit more deliberate about it today. The difference that, I think, is a lot of them and nothing against tech or startups and things like that.
Speaker 2:Those are super risky businesses. They're going. They're like oh, I'm getting some equity stake in this if I stay here for enough years, but this company is not profitable yet and so it could be boom or bust. A lot of times, unfortunately, it's bust. But they're going in, wanting this trajectory and things that you and I are describing, but it's super hard to find. It's easy to get the company that is growing and has that trajectory, but a healthy company that actually is going to be around for the long term is where it gets really challenging. So we had the best of both worlds. Again, looking back on that, it's like I don't know. Well, we know how unusual that is, but it's just crazy, I don't know. It's crazy to think about today.
Speaker 3:I agree. And then also the random chance that I went to that conference with my brother and my dad while I was at college and Niagara was there. It makes me think about the discovery of companies like that. The tech companies are out there, right, they're advertising, they've got this funding to get the hype out there, but companies like we came from usually don't hear about them. So how can folks today, while they're in college or wherever they are before they're deciding on that company to invest their valuable, valuable time in? How do they discover those?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Well, this is another thing that I think the more we talk, the more I'm realizing our careers had a lot of parallels and one is so there are a lot of people and I've been to some conferences where you have the whole point is networking. Yeah, they have the booths and you can look at their cool tech and videos that they have on a TV. That's fine, but a lot of it is there for networking. And one thing, especially from young people, is that they might go and get somebody's business card or like talk to somebody and then not follow up with them, Right. And then like that's what you did, Right. So you talk to this person, you're like, hey, they had an interesting story to tell. And he said reach out to me. And so I did. And so I'm very similar at the same thing. Similar story, except it happened at my college, where he's giving a presentation on the weight or the gram weight of a bottle, right, oh, it went from nine grams to 7.4 grams, right. And again, I'm 21 years old.
Speaker 3:I remember that moment.
Speaker 2:What in the world is this? What is he talking about? Right? But at the end he handed out his business cards and he said hey, give me a call. We're always looking for good people, and I wasn't the only one that got a business card looking for good people. And I wasn't the only one that got a business card. He gave it. It was just like everybody. I'm not special. He's just like here's a business card, here's a business card. I can tell you I'm the only person that actually emailed him and when I did, it was within a couple hours. Email back say come in here tomorrow, let's talk, which then led to 17, 18 years later.
Speaker 2:So I guess, my point being I think people talk about the word networking and getting out there, and people do do that. I think where people tend to slip up or maybe miss the mark is it's not just about having that one conversation, it's about following up and actually developing that relationship, and I think that's something that you are amazing at. So maybe why don't you touch on that? What's your secret behind the networking? And if you can maybe give a story or example of something that's led You've already given one because it led to a career for you but maybe another one of just like what a certain conversation that sparked this huge direction or move that you went into.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think this point cannot be emphasized enough.
Speaker 3:We talked about tech and, yes, tech is very powerful and something we all are thinking about more and more and more, especially with the advent of AI and co-pilot, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 3:The human connection still needs to be valued and is valued even by young people.
Speaker 3:I spend as much time as I can talking to younger people at my organization president of Denver Transportation Club and talking to young people in the industry, trying to get people to understand the expansive opportunities there are in supply chain overall, and I will say, 90% of all the good stuff that's come out of my career and just generally my working life or life in general, is because of connections that I've made. That's how, ultimately, behind all the things and all the cool, flashy stuff there's, there's people there and you really never know who you're going to meet and you know I'll say that again for folks that are. You know, wherever you are in your career, if you are in a space where your people are vying for your time, give them your time. Like. I think that the thing that you know when I was thinking about this, this discussion, the thing that maybe sounds very simple but is the core of how I've approached networking and meeting new people is be nice, first and foremost, and be vulnerable.
Speaker 3:Like just be you, and I think the be nice thing took me a little time to learn as a female in definitely like leaning into trucking industry. I wasn't sure what the balance was there, but it just pays off so much.
Speaker 2:So I do want to touch on that part. But I think, first thing, I want to hit that you just said, which is, I think, so one thing that if I think about you, it's that you're a very personable person. Personable person and genuine, right. I think you come across as somebody that's just like, hey, this is who I am, and I think a lot of people struggle with that.
Speaker 2:I use the phrase people's emotional intelligence, I think, and generally speaking, can be lacking sometimes, and especially if you're thinking about, you know, being a manager and managing people and things like that, just like the lack of emotional intelligence is kind of mind boggling to me. But what makes you stand out as a strong leader is not only do you know, like, the technical aspects of what you need to do, but you know how to get people to talk, to build the right teams, because people want to work with you, because you're a personable person, right. So all these different things, and I just feel like that's a skill that is getting a little bit more overlooked and forget even the corporate environment, but also just as a person in your own life and building those relationships. I don't know Do you feel that as well.
Speaker 3:I just feel like that's is something to think about often and that's your team across the board, whether you're an individual contributor and you're partnering with people on a cross-functional project, or you're moving to a new town and you're meeting a lot of new people and trying to find the right friends, or you are a leader and you're building a team or replacing someone that maybe left, et cetera.
Speaker 3:For example, I have two interviews this week for frontline people on my team. I am still obsessed with who is part of my core group and people that are the hiring managers that have worked with me for a while. They understand that now and they're not. They're not offended that I'm well, hopefully not. It doesn't seem like it that I'm like dabbling in in that space, but more often than not they're overwhelmingly like yes, we want the final character check, we want you to know who this person is, because it can change the, can change the trajectory of how the team operates and how they collaborate. I mean and I agree with that starting to be overlooked, especially because technical ability it feels like it's starting to outweigh that in how you advance in an organization, when it has to be the other way.
Speaker 2:That's a scary thought if that's the direction that we had, but I think and then just using that on the personal side as well as you moved to we were just talking about it before we started where you moved to a town called Steamboat, colorado, right Steamboat's great, which is. I don't know describe it for the people, but you basically transported your family into this brand new area where I'm assuming you knew nobody right.
Speaker 3:Just, we knew one, you knew one person, okay.
Speaker 2:Yes, but same kind of deal, right? So just first of all, so people kind of get a sense like well, for those that aren't skiers, what is Steamboat? Why did you go out there and how have you basically started from scratch to build a community for you and your family?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is Northwest Colorado, almost I would say a 30-minute drive to the border of Wyoming and Colorado, so it's about three and a half hours from Denver. We lived in the Denver area for 12 or 13 years before we moved out here. And the objective of moving out here? It sounds very official, but the objective, what the hell is happening.
Speaker 1:What was your smart goal with moving out here it?
Speaker 2:sounds very official, but like the objective, like what the hell is happening. What was your smart goal with moving out there For?
Speaker 3:me it's like exponential happiness and I am so driven to make my day-to-day life as much of what I desire as humanly possible. And so day-to-day life here is a small town there's about 8,000 people in town, where I don't have traffic when I'm bringing kids to stuff, where I can get outside every single day in the summer, in the winter, et cetera. My kids can get outside every single day in the summer, in the winter, et cetera. My kids can get outside every single day. They have tons of freedom. Because that's what I was noticing in Denver as it got busier and busier, I couldn't take my eyes off them at a playground or whatever. And now, like, my seven-year-old can ski a few laps with his friends and I'll be like meet me at the chairlift at noon, and he meets me at the chairlift at noon and he meets me at the chairlift at noon.
Speaker 3:He takes a walkie talkie. Like we live out a little bit out of town on a handful of acres. He takes a walkie talkie and takes his little go-kart down to a friend's house and radios me when he gets there. Right, like that was, the impetus was giving our kids a, an unbelievable childhood.
Speaker 3:And like we changed gears, driving towards, like driving towards life, happy overall life, happiness versus career. It was a slow shift. It wasn't like cut it off when we moved to Colorado, right Like the Niagara train, rocket flying and man, I'm still close with you all because I just love it. I still care so much about the people and success et cetera. But I had to start thinking about where do I want to live and have my everyday be very fulfilling. And then we moved to Colorado and then I worked for Coors and Golden et cetera, and then this is kind of the culmination of really going for life and making the move to essentially a resort town with a small community.
Speaker 2:And it's starting over. Like you mentioned, vacationing every day is what I just heard.
Speaker 3:I mean, I'm in a co-working space and no one else is here, so I'm still living a regular life, so to speak.
Speaker 2:But yeah, okay, so let's dive a little bit more into this, because I think no, I know most people don't prioritize what you just said. It's like, hey, I got to make as much money as I can. That typically happens in a bigger city. That's where the most opportunity is. And, yeah, to your point, it's like I'm having to maybe pay more on a mortgage than I would like because it's so expensive where I'm at, but it's the option that I have.
Speaker 2:And so people are working more, they're less fulfilled, they're spending less time doing the things that they want to do, and so then they're unhappy. And so, like you mentioned at the very beginning I see it now. Right, it's like, hey, I always like kind of doing my own thing. Well, that's very clear here, because you're doing your own thing. What was the catalyst for that? Was that always like your intention that, hey, I'm going to put in 10, 12 years of focusing on my career, but then I'm still going to do that? But now this other part of the equation is going to start to play a bigger role? Did you have that foresight, or was this like when you started your first job? It was just like, well, it just kind of happened this way and it turned out the way I liked it.
Speaker 3:So sometimes it's funny, you reflect and you're like, damn, I'm lucky. And then you think a little bit harder and you're like, damn, I worked hard and really put in a ton of effort. So I think it's a combination, because some people could look at oh, she lives in Steamboat and still maintains this job. That's super lucky. Yeah. But I also put myself in this position by doing a heck of a lot of stuff, like you said, around networking and building a really strong credibility and track record of performing and being able to be extremely nimble and flexible and add value in any situation. But as far as the catalyst to really drive towards that overall fulfillment is kids, I mean we decided to have kids late.
Speaker 3:Like, honestly, I was on the no kid train for quite some time. I was like I'm just going to mountain bike and ski and trail run and like do all that stuff and like crush at work Cause like doing some work on a Sunday afternoon in the sunshine, just crush, you know, travel and do all the meetings and all the things Right. And then we had George. Um, like something changed in me when I was 32 and my husband was like, uh-huh, um, but can we still ride bikes? I'm like for sure, um, and we had George when I was 33, 33 so late in the game. Um for some, but not for others. But that that really changed everything. Like moving to colorado was was the start right, like, okay, we really want to have this outdoor lifestyle, but I was still, I mean, getting the job at cores. Now, mostly cores was that family was fantastic. I had a really good runway there, which was fantastic. But then, once I had George, everything changed.
Speaker 2:Okay, Well, it sounds like something would just unlock. It was in there all along, but something got unlocked right.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I think that's kind of the whole point of what I'm doing here. Right, it's like, well, five, six, seven years ago, would I be doing a podcast? I might be doing it, but it would be very industry heavy. Most of the people that listen to this would not want to listen to that because they'd get super deep and nerd out on the transportation, logistics and supply chain industries. So I try to spare people from that, because this is a broader topic and the whole point of it is I'm trying to unlock or discover or explore how I could be a better parent is really for those that have been listening for a while understand is I'm just trying to get insights from the best people that I know, or even friends of friends or whatever, and just give me some insights on this journey, because I'm sitting here driving and I have two boys in the back seat that are constantly asking me a million questions about everything under the sun, of which I have answers to some, but not most. But I'm going to go talk to people like Alyssa and they're going to give me some more answers to help fill in the gaps. That is basically my main priority at this point.
Speaker 2:It's I did pretty well for myself, but, as you've heard on this episode alone, a lot of it is by dumb luck. Yeah, there was some hard work that went in once I lucked into that situation. But had I not lucked into that situation, who the heck knows what would have happened or where I would have ended up. So if I could, through this process, give my kids more deliberate insights and like, hey, yeah, when you go look for a job, you're interviewing them, they're not just interviewing you. Or go seek out a company that's financially stable but offers growth Things that I had no clue to think about, it's like okay, I now know these things and I can let you skip a couple steps ahead. So I feel like you're kind of like when you're mentioning that, that's kind of what you're describing to me.
Speaker 3:I love that so much. I'm laughing because I could not agree more. And I love the intros with Adrian. I was actually on a plane when I listened to the one with Craig and I was like laughing and crying because I want to talk to my kids right now. Like I was listening to you talk to Adrian.
Speaker 1:I was laughing and crying because I want to talk to my kids right now.
Speaker 3:I was listening to you talk to Adrian. I was like I want to hear what question they're asking my husband and that makes me a little emotional, because not everything's perfect everyone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, let's talk about that. Thank you, first of all because, yeah, again, that was part of the thing I was doing that other podcast and he would literally sit under the chair that I was recording. And then, after just asking a million questions, I'm like, well, why don't you start your own podcast? And that's basically what. This is right.
Speaker 2:But one of the reasons I want to talk and you've been on my list for a long time to connect with I've known you for almost like 20 years now, which is crazy to think about, but I don't travel much for work anymore and there was a time where I really enjoyed it, especially if it was like, hey, we're going to Nashville.
Speaker 2:It's like, sign me up. Or like, hey, we're going to Bentonville, arkansas no offense, bentonville, arkansas, but I'll pass on that one. But when you're in your 20s and you have no responsibilities or baseball practices or things like that, it's like, yeah, if you're going to a cool city, sign me up. I'm super down for that. And now not so much. Right, it's like do I still have to travel for it? Yes, sometimes, but I can be more deliberate on the trips that I take or make sure that I get the most out of the time right, where maybe previously I would have spread an agenda out over three days. It's like, okay, how do I do this in two right, so I can get home, and that especially as Adrian got older and starts to notice that I'm gone more Right.
Speaker 2:And it's not like crying as I'm walking out the door per se, but definitely like a sadness there that I'm just like oh man, I'm sorry and like, again, I'm trying to plan around baseball practice or so I don't miss games and all that sort of stuff, and for the most part, I'm able to do that. But yeah, they get to an age where they notice you're gone and they notice that this, that and the other, and so one of the reasons why I wanted to talk to you was you've started this beautiful life. It sounds like in Steamboat, which also sounds like it's in the middle of nowhere, which means travel is really hard for you, right? You have to drive three and a half hours to Denver and then you have to take a connecting flight to get to where you're training, and so it ends up being these really long days of travel that you have to do for work.
Speaker 2:And so I was like, well, yeah, Adrian, this still really bothers him. It's something on his mind. I know the perfect person to talk to, and that's you, right. So you talked about prioritizing family but also wanting to still be successful in what you're doing in your career. So, yeah, I said a lot of things right there, but just if you could speak to how you're now balancing that part of the equation.
Speaker 3:It's a deep and wide one, for sure, because, yes, steve wrote is amazing and we're super happy in our day-to-day life, but it's I sacrifice and my family sacrifices, because for me to continue on with with what I'm doing from a career perspective, which we are prioritizing as well, I do need to travel. And one thing to know is I do have an airport in St Louis, which is amazing. However, to your point around trying to do things in a day, like what was it last week or two weeks ago? It's basically a day trip to LA, and that required me to drive because I couldn't get the connection in time. So I similar, you know, trying to really make sure that if I'm gone, I can pack it in. So, instead of doing small trips three weeks in a row, try to do one big trip where I'm gone Monday through Friday, and that takes collaboration with your partner, if you have one like.
Speaker 3:I can't say that like something that I cannot underscore enough is a supportive partner in your life, and I know some people do it without one and amazing. But just from my personal perspective, finding that right person and all the ways it just I know. We all know how important it is. I know you have it with Christina but, holy cow, I would not, we would not be where we are today without that, that teamwork that we have them, and the travel and the work. It's been a very long work in progress. However, there's some things that I've definitely learned along the way that have helped me a lot. One of the things is talk to your kids about your work, kind of like what you were saying with the podcast and then even like you mentioned on the podcast with Craig, showing them the Costco store right, like making it really real. So they think that trucks are cool. And well, of course kids little boys and two little boys think trucks are cool, but you know, Uber.
Speaker 3:Freight. They see the logo and like it's definitely a well-known logo, et cetera, and so they want to understand trucking a lot and so it's really fun to talk to them about it and tell them exactly where I'm going, why I'm going there, who I'm going to meet with. I even FaceTime at the office when I go to our Chicago office and they can see what it looks like. Right, just really involve them. And I was talking to George the other night before I was leaving on a trip. I was like how do you feel?
Speaker 3:Because I hadn't asked him in a while and he'll be eight in May, so like he's got a lot more that he can provide me and he's like. He's like I know you're going to come back and you're not gone for a month or anything, so it's all right, you know like he's also a very even keeled kid. And my younger one always gives me a stuffed animal to take and I, yeah, last time it was like this larger dinosaur. I'm like I don't know if he's going to fit. He's like don't worry, he's squishy.
Speaker 3:I always take a stuffed animal and the first night I sent them a picture of a stuffed animal on the bed so they know that. They kind of know where I am a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that, I think. Sorry go. No, I just want to speak to that part about involving them. I think that's awesome and to your point, maybe it's like that curiosity or unknown, that's like annoying or frustrating or scary to them.
Speaker 2:And so, if you like, let them peek behind the curtain, so to speak. It's like, oh yeah, this is just, it's not a big deal and, like you said, mom's coming home at the end of the week and things like that. So I think that's, yeah, I guess just involving them. I think maybe it's when they're so young. You might just, I don't know, it sounds so obvious when you say it, but maybe it's not so obvious.
Speaker 3:It wasn't super obvious to me until they started playing with this truck that said Uber Freight on the side and I was like we should talk about this more and then talk about the trucks on the road. And then I mean they want to understand why a flatbed was coming in empty and leaving full and I was like let's go. And then my son George asked well, what about fuel? And I was like let's go. And then my son George asked well, what about fuel? And I was like yes, buddy, like what about fuel?
Speaker 3:Yeah so it got and then I drew some things and he was like, and then I went too far. Like that's kind of like what you're talking about the nerd now in the podcast. Like we won't go there audience.
Speaker 1:Right, right right.
Speaker 3:But the other thing I definitely want to mention, when you're talking about baseball practice and stuff like that, is do that stuff. So like I travel a lot and I could easily say, no, I won't coach soccer.
Speaker 1:Right and.
Speaker 3:I did until last year fall season. I said yes, that I would coach George and again supportive partner and your community goes back to networking in your community when I was gone they have practice on Tuesday and games on Friday. So I was like sweet, I can always make games. There will be a handful of practices this soccer season. They're young. This soccer season is only like seven weeks long, if I can make four out of seven practices and I have to ask someone to cover for me three times and then I'm there for every game.
Speaker 3:I'm still George's head coach and he was so happy and he's like's like mom, will you please coach me in the spring again. So I got at this time, I prepared a little bit more and I got another mom who doesn't travel for work and doesn't have a very demanding work schedule, doesn't know much about soccer, but she's like, I'll help you out.
Speaker 3:Right, it's your tribe, choose your team, right right and I am pumped right, I get to coach him again and, yes, I know that there's at least one practice so far that I'm going to miss and I'm sure there's going to be two more or more. But I think people right away are like I can't commit, I'm not going to do it, find a way.
Speaker 2:Find a way, absolutely. I have a guy so I'm coaching T-ball and he's like, hey, I'm going to make some, but not all. I'm like, that's fine, make what you can make. And he comes in to practice one day and his eyes are like bloodshot. I'm like, whoa, what's this guy been up to? I'm like, hey, how's it going So-and-so. And he's like I just took a red eye back from Saudi Arabia. I'm like, so I could be at this practice. I'm like, whoa, dude, that's intense.
Speaker 1:And thank you, that's more than I do, so kudos to that guy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, to your point, we're kind of all in that. Again, I don't think we're uniquely special in this sense, but again, just I think, illustrating for people. Hey, look, we're all kind of dealing with this and even for those that aren't traveling, but it's just like, hey, I have this extra shift I can pick up that I need for the family, and so I've got to make this happen and then just, you know, trying to find the way to balance that. And the last thing I want to mention on this is you know, you said George's, I think you said turning eight.
Speaker 2:Right, he's going to turn eight and it's like, okay, it's kind of a bummer, they're sad a little bit when you leave, but like in three or four years he's probably not even going to note. I don't want to make you sad, but he's probably not going to even notice that you're gone, right, cause they. Cause I was. You know, I grew up, I was a boy and like, yeah, you kind of get to a point where it's like, okay, I don't like need my parents really as much anymore and it's not a big deal if they're gone for a. At the same time, it's nice that you are missing me, because I do know that there will be a time where you're not going to miss me. Does that ever cross your?
Speaker 3:mind, oh, 100%, because and this could be the mom in me because I'm like, oh my gosh, should I put my career on hold for these years that they do miss me? And then hit the gas when you know later on and you can go, you can kill yourself in the coulda, shoulda, woulda situation, um, and like deep thoughts of all of that. But I try not to and think that when I'm home I am very present. I also like, for those that work from home, like I'm in a co-working space, because and this is just me, but I want, not want to shut my computer at the end of the day, put it in my backpack, put that backpack in the office along with my phone and cause, when I'm traveling, I mean I just hammer 24, seven and sometimes my husband's like I'm jealous. You get a lot of work done when you're gone and I'm like I do. And so when I'm home.
Speaker 2:I have to have that separation, because when I'm gone, I'm all the way gone, yeah, so I think, in just touching on the work piece a little bit and I didn't mention this but you're at the VP level of a multi-billion dollar company now, so you're in a massive role, running a very important program for them, and I think I haven't mentioned this, but you're the first woman that I'm having on. So I have to take advantage of this and get your perspective and that is, I think, from a cultural perspective. A lot of the times it's the husband or the dad or the man that is usually on that big career trajectory and that gets prioritized versus you're crushing it. You're actually accelerated well beyond where most people ever get to in their career. What if any challenges come with being a female and being just as badass as you are working? I don't know a way to ask that question.
Speaker 3:No, I did. There's the work aspect and there's the home aspect because there's, I did, like the. There's the work aspect and there's the home aspect because there's like, especially when, not just being the mom but even before that, being in a male dominated industry, and I mean there's dynamics there at home, they have to work through with me, traveling a bunch and conferences and dinners and getting, you know, spoiled on all of those things, Cause you're a big buyer, et cetera. So there's, I mean I can't again like a supportive partner and through all of that is beyond important, not only just to be able to talk about, like what my work life looks like and my interactions and always be surrounded by the opposite sex, but also someone that will push you to keep pushing Like.
Speaker 3:There have been a number of times in my career, even just in the last year, that I've unloaded on Kevin and told him there's a situation that I just don't know how to navigate and he provides me with such great perspective and push, even though I externally am super driven and I totally am, but I still have that Like, like. For example, this is the business you know you mentioned. I had zero experience in the asset space before this and I took that on what two years ago? And I was like, oh no, I'm going to be found out, you know, like I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 2:Fake it till you make it. You're faking it till you make it.
Speaker 3:That's a two way and I don't know what I'm doing. Fake it till you make it. You're faking it till you make it. That's a two-way. And Kevin's like that's not why they want you to do this and had to help reassure me, because there's that saying or I don't know what to say, but either way where men will apply for a job that checks five out of 10 boxes from a qualification standpoint for them and women need it to be 10 out of 10 boxes because we're just like, oh, I can't do that 10th thing, so I guess I'm not going to apply for the job.
Speaker 3:Um, and that is a thing, and I have it too. Um, and having somebody to support through all of it is really important. So, like that, I can't express that enough like transparency, support, etc. At home. Um, and especially as you move into into mom world, I mean, I distinctly remember this meeting I was at at Molson Coors and it was me and all. It was like 10 men and it was shortly after I came back from maternity leave and we were talking about a very strategic decision and I had like 10% of my thoughts there and like 90% like, oh, when do I need to pump? I need to find out if he pooped, like like all of it, like you know, like how did nap go? Oh shoot, our nanny's going to be out of town.
Speaker 3:So I talked to the nanny share mom, like you know, and like, oh, the shop et cetera, and I I like remember that moment and I was like this is going to be really hard, so like those things in the workplace. And then then honestly, really quickly going back to where we started. With dumb luck so lucky where we both worked together. They didn't care that I was a girl. I went out to the plant and led a bunch of men much older than me and our boss did not care. It wasn't like I need to find a strong man, it was like who cares?
Speaker 2:So, alyssa, I'm going to cut you off. I don't think that's it, and so I think there's two different. I could be wrong. I'm going to give you the outsider's perspective, and that is that you are two different people in my opinion.
Speaker 2:There are some people that maybe know the Alyssa that we're getting a feel for today, which is the more personal side of you. But don't get it twisted. On the business side, you could be a pit bull. I've seen times where and maybe this was an over correction on your part because, like you said, you're sitting in a room in this industry that's 85, 90% male dominated, and so maybe you felt the need to assert yourself in a very aggressive way.
Speaker 2:But I'll tell you a quick story that stands out to me, and that was like we're dealing with a supplier that's not performing and it's over the phone, it's through a conference call, but you and I are sitting on one side and the supplier is sitting on the other side just giving us the runaround about this and the other. And this is a company, a guy that's very well known in the industry, a billionaire probably running a multi-billion dollar company, yet you're over here basically ripping his head off because he's not giving an answer that is with any substance to it. And they took that seriously. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:So that's what I'm saying, right?
Speaker 2:It's like yes, you can be nice and bubbly and personable, but when you need to flip a switch and do what you got to do, you do that, and so I think you get a lot of respect in that way. And so that's what I say that there's two different versions of you, and you know when to use which version.
Speaker 3:It's funny you say that, because if my husband's dealing with something that needs a little extra oomph whether he's dealing with maybe a home home vendor or something like that if we're doing something he's like, you don't want to talk to my wife and he'll sometimes say he's like why can't I get work lists of right now?
Speaker 3:yeah, yeah, see, okay, you know and I'm like no, it's true, but I'm like, but I'm, oh, we're happy and not that I'm not happy, but you're absolutely right, and I've throttled those over the years to because I've continued to try to navigate how do I get to the best possible solution like more forceful, more you know, more accommodating, et cetera. Early on it definitely came out that probably helped my cause in our early years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm just thinking, because you're personable, because you're able to read people so well, you can probably default to the nicer version. They're like hey, I can get things done using the path of least resistance and be who I normally am, but also understanding when the occasion calls for something more than that, and I think some people can maybe use that and either it comes off as not authentic or, like you said, maybe forceful or something where it's like it's harder to be taken seriously versus oh, when this version of her comes out like she's she's not messing around Like you, better get your ass together. Whatever we're working on and and so it's striking, it's finding that balance. But I think that comes from a very deep understanding of how to read and interpret people.
Speaker 3:And that goes back to meeting lots of people, like back to the beginning of what we were talking about with networking and and just being just being willing to meet with people, follow up with people from conferences et cetera. It just fills that inventory of what are all these different personality types and how do I work with different people and how do I kind of get to that thing that will both like go go whoa, this is going to be cool, so cool.
Speaker 2:Well, alyssa, I really appreciate the conversation today. It's really great to catch up. We haven't done this in some time, other than just touching base on work-related stuff, but, I hope, just blasting back into the past and remembering where we came from a little bit and where we're going. This journey is nowhere near over. I'm looking at not a lot of gray hairs on either side of the table, so we still got a lot left in the tank. We're going to see how far we can take this, so I'm excited to keep watching your journey and really appreciate your friendship.
Speaker 3:Well, likewise, and one thing I do want to say before we wrap, is when I talked about choose your team wisely, I thought about you a lot. You, right off the bat, were very open and honest, always Like I knew I could always get exactly what you were thinking and feeling and you would form those opinions you very well thought out and you were part of my early team, right Like we. It was the beginning when we were building there, and having that so early on to be able to have those deep conversations whether it's work or personal strategy et cetera helped influence how I continue to see success in doing that, moving forward. So can't express that enough that you helped build how I go about building teams and partnering with other people in a very good way.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that. But I'll throw that back on you and say that was only possible because of creating a environment of trust. And again, that goes back to whatever work environment, personal environment that you're in is. You can only have, in my opinion, that level of success and transparency and openness if there's a trust that like, hey, if I say this, I'm not going to get fired tomorrow or something right. It's like, no, let's be real, I might not like what you have to say this time, but let's work through it. And again, I think I've speaking from.
Speaker 2:I've worked at a place before where there just it. And again I think I've speaking from. I've worked at a place before where there just there wasn't that trust and it felt terrible, felt gross. I wanted to get back to a place where I felt safe and could be trusted. And that's where I'm at today. Right, it's very much a. Even though it's a massive company, there's a huge family, familial component to it, even still to this day, and a lot of that is rooted in this trust that I just can't put a dollar value on. So I appreciate that. But that was because you helped create an environment of trust. So, thank you, love it All right.
Speaker 2:Well, enjoy your beautiful environment of Steamboat and living this vacation lifestyle every day. And maybe one day when we all grow up, we will get to be more like Alyssa. But thank you for your time. Alyssa's had a lot of fun thank you.
Speaker 3:This is great. You will in the mountain morning light, so let's ride.
Speaker 1:Let's ride on through the rain. Come on and take me anywhere that you wanna be. Let's ride and let's ride. Let's follow the skyline and when we make it to the other side, we'll find all the bluest skies.