Episode 99: Sonja Mathews (Nonprofit Exec, formerly VP roles at USAA, PepsiCo)


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Apr 24 2024 51 mins   5

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Sonja talk about:




  • The fact that this podcast is not sponsored by USAA

  • A journey that started with childhood on a "poser farm" in North Carolina

  • Driving the tractor as a path to an enjoyment of adventure and power

  • Discovering that being a defense lawyer meant you would represent a lot of guilty people

  • How Kendall ruins everything

  • Being the data pusher and getting hooked on her own supply

  • The Stephen Covey 7 Habits seminar, aka a sausagefest

  • Early interpretations of leadership as a command and control process, feedback from other managers, being curious, being willing to apologize and grow

  • Kendall gets his due, FINALLY

  • Learning more from mistakes than successes

  • That there's a difference between listening and "waiting to speak"

  • The fun of building and running her own "retail lab" aka fake grocery store theater for research

  • Advocating for the strategic pre-meeting when decisions are being made

  • Reasons to switch to the nonprofit world, including a cancer diagnosis

  • What strong 501c3 nonprofit board leadership looks like

  • That all workers deserve joy in their work

  • The tragedy of over-volunteering, trying to extricate herself

  • Recommendations for exploring the Olympic Peninsula

  • Friends: you should make some and spend time with them :)



You can find Sonja at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonja-mathews-63a6a02/



Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music <3