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

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 :)

Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music <3