Meet Sasha Stair | Senior Executive in Fintech

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sasha Stair and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sasha, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
For me, there is no giving up. Those who know me, have learned to accept my “dog with a bone” mindset. As for me, I’ve had to learn that not everyone has the same philosophy and to not be a bull in a china shop but also to not let go of my tenacity. Never giving up as a way of being has been one of the biggest drivers behind my success.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Talk about a loaded question! Sheesh! I am most proud of a newsletter I release every Monday on LinkedIn called, The Monday Magic. It includes an inspirational quote and a 2-3 minute read with a story, lessons, and practices you can use to become a better version of yourself as a leader and a human. I also wrote a book, The Inside Job: Master the World Within to Lead the Future of Corporate, which includes similar themed topics. I feel like when I wrote the book and when I write my newsletter each week, I am giving a part of myself to the greater good. My hope is that in sharing stories, people feel closer to me and hopefully themselves. That they feel safer, more open-minded, more curious, more compassionate. I also know that even each week if I am only changing one life, that is enough. And I usually hear from at least one person each week which remains my North Star for continuing that work.

Separately, I have been in Corporate for 20 years in various roles and industries. I’ve been in sales, client delivery, operations and tech. I have worked in Non Profit, Medical, Print, and Mortgage. I am currently the Sr. Director of Customer Success at Snapdocs, where I am responsible for ensuring that all customers get the most value out of Snapdocs products and ecosystem. Much of our teams time is spent in the trenches with our clients, understanding their unique business models, and ensuring they have a strategy and execution plan in place to adopt our technology and realize the full value of their investment.

Across all my professional experiences the hardest part I have found is that I never had that one mentor who took me under their wing and helped guide my professional growth and career path. Not everyone gets this so I am not alone, but I’ve always been so jealous of those who had that luxury and gift. However, recently I have come to realize that perhaps my struggles of having to make lateral moves or steps back, pivot into a new industry I knew nothing about, or take risks where I had no one I knew to have my back, have in fact made me a stronger person and a better leader. I know how to not just survive, but thrive in Corporate because I have road rash and didn’t necessarily have a fairly godmother looking out for me. I think being able to share from that place of, “I’ve been there” helps make me relatable to so many who face the same struggles and are looking for any guidance or support as they navigate their own career.

I’ve learned along the way to always be humble and kind, you never know what someone else is going through. I’ve learned to trust myself and my instincts. I’ve learned to take a beat – we can’t be emotional and rational at the same time. And rather than avoid or shove down our emotions, we need to learn to create healthy practices to manage, process and harness them so we can become emotionally intelligent versus void of emotions. I’ve learned that relationships are everything and to build as many as you can with the most genuine intention and authentic experience.

What I want the world to know about. my story is – we all have a story, the difference is how you live it, share it, and use it as fuel to become a better version of yourself every day and make a positive impact in this world. It’s a marathon not a sprint and the finish line is death. So walk the journey with care for yourself and others and if you can remember to greet each person and situation you meet as an opportunity to learn and grow, the rest of your path will reveal itself in due time. And to me, that is a life worth living.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I currently live in Scottsdale. So if my bestie came to visit we would spend some time down in the Valley but also escape north to Sedona. In the Valley itself, there are so many incredible restaurants it would be impossible to name them all but I’ll name a few…Maple & Ash for a fun fine dining experience with a unique personalized menu. A visit to Francine takes you back to Paris, if you’ve ever been, it is romantic, it is trendy, the food is exquisite and the ambience is tres chic! Marisco’s Playa Hermosa will make you never want to leave – from the bright colors on the hand-painted chairs to the authentic cuisine to the seafood-heavy menu of homestyle Mexican cuisine, it is to die for. Feeling some jazzy cocktails and homemade pasta? Americano is where you’ll find us, indulging in every corner of the menu and most certainly not leaving out the freshly shaved truffles. We would also have to head down to the Churchill and start our morning with a sound-bath and reiki healing session with the incredible Sam Harper & Danielle McGhee followed by pizza from Freak Bros where you can sit outside under cover and if pizza isn’t your thing, no worries there is also a taco stand, bar, and a few other treasures. And it wouldn’t be an experience in my town without a stop at my friend’s bar Goodwood Tavern, in the heart of old-town Scottsdale with the most amazing staff, upscale bar food, and every drink you can imagine, plus darts, hoops and a darn good time.

Now that we are stuffed beyond measure, we should probably hike it off. From the superstitious mountains, to Sunrise peak, up to the hundreds of hikes in the red rocks of Sedona, there is plenty to choose from to get out in nature and experience some of the best Arizona has to offer. Speaking of the best, a float down Salt River where you can watch horses grazing in the water as you pass by, is good for the spirit. You might even get lucky and have a dragonfly land on your hand for a brief moment before taking flight again.

We’d definitely take a splash in our pool at home with our Aussie Shepard, Bishop who launches herself off the side of the pool like a lemur into the water and our German Short-Haired Pointer, Gibbs, who swims for DAYS chasing bees, his tail, or just swimming laps because he can. And if you’re already at our home, of course we are making dinner and popping open some bottles from our cellar, whether a nice Syrah from our friends at Donelan Wine, an espresso martini, buttery glass of Rombauer or whatever else your favorite wine or cocktail is, we’ve got it and we’ll serve it in a beautiful glass, I am a Taurus after all 🙂

We can’t forget golf. Perhaps a fun trip to Silverado, where the 18th hole leaves you with a view but also a lot of heart break. Or asking a friend to get us on at a private course near by, there are more golf courses per capita in Scottsdale than anywhere else. And once your feet and body are tired from 18 holes, it naturally only makes sense for us to finish the day at the Spa. Whether the Fairmont, Phoenician, Boulders, Biltmore or one of the other plethora of options, you can’t go wrong.

Now you’re nice and fat, happy and sleepy so you can go home 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate this shoutout to my Mom. She not only recommended me to be considered, but she has always been my rock. I think it is hard to know as a parent what the “right” thing to do is – in fact there really isn’t a right or wrong way in the grand scheme of things. But my Mom always did a few things that allowed me the best opportunity to flourish. She always made sure I had the best of everything she could offer me (something I think she learned from her own mother). She has been the one constant in my life that I could always rely on and lean on when I needed it most. And lastly, she loves me in her own way. I think as we age we look back at how our parents supported us and sometimes we wish would have had something different, but if we are wise, we come to realize that parents do the best they can and in my case my Mom’s best was pretty darn great.

Website: www.sashastair.com

Instagram: /sashastair

Linkedin: /sashastair

Facebook: /sashastair

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Image Credits
Sarah Hoag Photography