Todd:
Welcome to the podcast and we are welcome to have Erin Mettille, who is the public and social impact leader for Slalom Consulting here in Arizona. That's her day job. Also, has a second job, and that is as our chair this year. So welcome, we're happy to have you.
Erin Mettille:
Thank you. I'm super excited. I mean, big shoes to fill. I listen to Mayor Kate Gallego. You had VP public affairs superstar, Mike Huckins here, and you had, oh, ATHENA award, Molly was amazing.
Todd:
And Michael Crow too, he's coming up soon, so that'll be out soon. Very exciting. So you're in good company.
Erin Mettille:
Big shoes to fill. Super excited. Super grateful. And I did hear this as the number one chamber podcast in the [inaudible 00:00:40]-
Todd:
It really is. We don't like to talk about that, but it really is.
Erin Mettille:
Yes. Awesome.
Todd:
Well, thanks for being here. Let's start, I'd love for people to really know a little bit more about your background.
Erin Mettille:
Sure.
Todd:
And then maybe a fact about you that people may not see on your bio.
Erin Mettille:
Sure. Well, born and raised up in Washington, Seattle, went to UDub. So shout out to all the Huskies down here. Moved to-
Todd:
There's quite a lot, aren't there?
Erin Mettille:
There are. Yes. We're actually convening and going to games together, which is great. But, no, moved down here about 13 years ago without friends, family, or job. My husband has some family here, but didn't know much about Arizona, except I was ready to trade in my ski goggles for sunglasses. So made a big change, which is crazy, when your late 20s and you leave a place with a really big ecosystem, working for a consulting firm, doing a lot of work with Microsoft. I felt really plugged in up in Seattle.
So coming down here and not knowing anybody was a big change, and exciting one. And turns out we fell in love with Arizona, and we haven't looked back. And suddenly it's been 13 years. So flash forward, we opened Slalom Consulting here about nine years ago, and we're a little bit unique in the fact that we get to do the big strategic consulting, but have a local model. So we don't ship people on and off airplanes all the time. And then I get to be really involved with the Chamber, which is my super, super passion. It's been over a decade now, which seems crazy. Crazy.
Todd:
We don't like to let people go once they're in the orbit. And we're thrilled. I want you to talk about something on your bio, but it's curious that you talked about coming here, because what I hear a lot is that this is a great place to be new. So the kind of what I hear is like nobody's saying, "Where'd go to school? Who's your family?" If you want to get involved, that seems to be enough.
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
Is that what you experienced?
Erin Mettille:
Eventually, yes. I would say, when I came here I was super open and I tried a lot of different events. There was a lot of women's networking events, but I felt like I was going to places where people were shoving business cards in front of me to sell me something, and it wasn't quite what I was looking for.
Todd:
No.
Erin Mettille:
So when I came to Valley Young Professionals Group, I was so excited. I think once you find like-minded people, no one asked me where I was working, no one asked me where I was from. They asked me, "what are you passionate about?" And I'm like, "These are my people." We were committed to Arizona and to making a difference here. So I found my group, and that was 10 years ago.
And it's funny because you think back, the people I met at that first interaction, Will, Matt Clyde office we're in right now.
Todd:
You know Matt Clyde. Yes, thank you, Matt.
Erin Mettille:
Yeah, Ross and Laura. We had barbecues together. We had babies... We didn't have babies together, we had babies at the same time.
Todd:
At the same time.
Erin Mettille:
So, hopefully, my husband will hear that. But, anyways, no, we've been friends and it's been fun to watch them grow in their careers and their families and their ecosystem and...
Todd:
Well, it's good to have that perspective. And we're going to talk a little bit more about VYP. So something about you that we might not see on the Slalom bio?
Erin Mettille:
Well, I think people know that we're pretty big travelers-
Todd:
Yes.
Erin Mettille:
... but I don't think I've shared all my stories about traveling. We have a lot. But I think one that's fun that I've actually never told before is we were starting a backpacking trip, and we need to get to Mexico cheaply to start. That was our first entry point as we were getting down to Argentina, and we couldn't get a flight, so we jumped on a cruise ship last minute, so it was super cheap. And then we jumped off the ship before it turned around, which, I guess, was really weird. They'd never seen that before.
Todd:
Probably not.
Erin Mettille:
But a really cheap way to do it if you're looking for a-
Todd:
Sure.
Erin Mettille:
... quick easy trip to Mexico. But we didn't have a place to stay, so there was an opening in the fence outside the tourist area. We went through. We didn't cut it open, it was actually a gap in the fence. And we hitched a ride and found a remote beach and set up tent. Didn't have anybody there, and it was a pretty cool experience. Until nightfall came, and then we heard voices. And we're in our tent, we have no cell phone, and we hear people approaching. And we're like, "Oh, there was a jeep that dropped us off. So someone knows we're here."
Anyways, we get out of our tent, we meet these people, they take us to dinner. And they have no electricity. We make this amazing seafood by candlelight, and it was probably one of the best meals of my life, let alone the most amazing people. They didn't have much, but they wanted to share it with us and get to know us. So love to meet new people. A little scary in the beginning, but-
Todd:
The power of travel though, right?
Erin Mettille:
Power of travel, and there's goodness out there. And that people want to connect. So...
Todd:
Well, and also for those of you watching, Erin has a phenomenal story about Greece and a car and a VIN number. When you see her out and about, ask her that story. It's awesome. So you're the chair this year.
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
Leadership is, I think, for our organization it's what makes us run. Leadership is so important. So why is it important, in your mind, leadership either as an organization or individually? Why does it matter or does it?
Erin Mettille:
It does. It matters, because it impacts the culture. And I truly believe that people don't leave companies, people leave leaders. You set the tone for the company. You set the values, the mission. And without those things I don't think companies can exist. And if you bring in the wrong leader, that doesn't have values aligned, doesn't create the culture that people want to be around and work for, there's all sorts of things that can happen.
So I think leadership begins with the right people saying the right things,, and embracing and appreciating their employees. It's the employees that are doing so much hard work day in and day out that don't always get recognized. So I think the right leadership recognizes employees but also knows their employees, knows how to motivate them. What makes them tick? And how to keep organizations going in a way that people are excited to go to work every day? That has to come from leadership.
Todd:
And what about outside the C-suite, just the rest of these folks, is there a leadership role for them?
Erin Mettille:
Absolutely. I think everybody can and should be a leader in their companies.
Todd:
And it matters within a company or I guess if you come outside of the corporate world or business world, I think, certainly, there seems to be a real need for leadership these days.
Erin Mettille:
I understand. My son is in first grade and we talk about leadership on the playground.
Todd:
Yeah, it's true though.
Erin Mettille:
And leadership in the classroom and the importance of it. And with leadership comes great responsibility too. So, anyways, I probably don't use the right words for my first grader, but, yes, I believe in the power of leadership and creating the right tone and culture for [inaudible 00:07:18].
Todd:
Well, in setting that as something that we all should be striving for-
Erin Mettille:
Absolutely.
Todd:
... too. And starting in first grade's a good idea, because we all have a responsibility.
Erin Mettille:
Absolutely.
Todd:
So you mentioned Valley Young Professionals, which for me at the Chamber, this has been one of the things I'm probably most proud of, the way that the program has really grown and evolved. And I think a big part of that is the people who are in that group. Talk to us a little bit about what is VYP? What are they all about? And why is it important?
Erin Mettille:
Yes. Well, I fell in love with a group, like I mentioned, 10-ish years ago, when I first was coming down looking for my people. But their mission is to bring like-minded people together to really make Arizona the most amazing place possible. How do we attract and retain talent here? How do we bring businesses here? And how do we promote the people and companies that are here?
So what I love about the VYP group is that they're collected, and they're taking the organization out. So that they do tours, we got to do behind the scenes Waste Management. Like the 16th Hole, we got to go see. We got to tour Ping, for an example. We got to go to Luke Air Force Base. We got to get behind the scenes and get to know Arizona, because you're more passionate about it, the more you get to know.
And the people are all doing incredible things. These aren't just young people, they're executives in our companies. They just happen to be a different age, right?
Todd:
Right.
Erin Mettille:
I think it's 25 to 40. And I think it's the commitment to what they're trying to achieve to Arizona that makes them so incredible. And, honestly, I see the board today, I don't think I can be on the board. They're incredible.
Todd:
It's amazing.
Erin Mettille:
It's amazing. And I love what they're doing. I love their passion. I love seeing them. I ran into Eric at dinner last night. I love seeing the people come from the Valley Young Professional Board up into the big board, if you will, that we say, with new ideas and things that are working well and things they're doing, and their perspectives as a young professional versus some of the things we're doing today.
Todd:
Well, they add so much. I know we decided a few years ago that the leadership of VYP should also have a representation on the board. And I think some organizations like, "Well, they're there but they don't have a vote or they're just going to be there to listen." And we decided, "No, why wouldn't we give them a voice?" And I think that turned out to be a really good idea.
Erin Mettille:
It was a huge idea. And at our events, they're the ones sitting up front. They're the ones, sometimes, more vocal than some people that have been there for five or six years. And I love that. I love that we encourage every voice to be heard, and they're upfront ready to speak, which is incredible.
Todd:
It is. I didn't expect that, but it was absolutely the best case scenario that we would have that kind of interaction. And the nice thing is what they bring to the table matters, and it has-
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
... driven some of the directions, some of the policy that we now have adopted.
Erin Mettille:
Absolutely. Absolutely.
Todd:
So when you think about the Chambers, we have a reputation, not our Chamber, of course, Chambers for being sort staid and not really where young professionals tend to be. How does this work? How does this young professional's organization work within the Chamber? I mean, it doesn't seem like that's sort of part of the narrative, there are other places.
Erin Mettille:
There are other places, but if you look around, because I did, I went to... I won't call all the organizations I went to, but there's so many different organizations that work in silos. I think what's amazing about VYP is you're not siloed. You're not focused on lawyers or technology or healthcare, but you're bringing the best minds from every one of those industries together to really think holistically about how to make Arizona great.
And I think some people have those groups, where they can go deep in the industry and there's a time and a place for that. But I think people, like the Valley Professionals like the breadth and expertise, and they want to know what's going on in other industries. Because that helps create the best member experience, right? You don't want-
Todd:
It really does.
Erin Mettille:
... one size fits all.
Todd:
Absolutely. Well, so I think if we go back in time, obviously, you were one of the first chairs as we sort of-
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
... relaunched that organization. And I think what's interesting is what happened since then, right?
Erin Mettille:
Yeah.
Todd:
It has evolved into something that is a growing concern within the Chamber. And I've had Chamber leaders around the country, because the dirty little secret is most Chamber leaders don't know how to manage it. And it turns out the secret sauce is you just need the right players in the room and they're going to help be the success. But so now that group now is much different from when you found it.
Erin Mettille:
Yes. But I would say in addition to the secret sauce you mentioned, your team, Todd, they're the ones behind the scenes making it happen, right?
Todd:
They do. They're amazing.
Erin Mettille:
They are. And we can say, "Hey, we have an idea. We want to go to our X, Y, and Z. Does anyone have a contact there?" And they're like, "Oh yeah, of course." The Suns, the Diamondbacks, the Coyotes, everyone in Arizona is a member of the Chamber, so they make it happen. And they're great. They bring a cool factor. So we can bump up ideas, but your Chamber and your team have the relationship to make it all happen.
Todd:
Well, they're certainly passionate-
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
... about the young professionals and I'm glad to hear that. Thank you.
Erin Mettille:
Yes. And I think I forgot the question you actually asked me when I was making my point, but if there was, I was supposed to... What was the follow-up question?
Todd:
Well, I think kind of where are they today? I mean, it seems like they have really grown from sort of that inception, when you sort of kicked it off as the chair at that time.
Erin Mettille:
Yeah, absolutely. It started as maybe 10 of us, and honestly, the first year, we were trying to get applicants to be on the board. And we had people come and apply to the board and we're like, "What was your favorite event?" "I've never been to an event." I'm like, "All right, you can't be on a board if you don't know what we're about."
Todd:
You never done anything, right?
Erin Mettille:
Yeah. I go, "Why are you passionate about this?" And it's great that they're passionate about our mission and vision. But I'm like, "Go to five events, give your feedback. And then we want to voice on the board." So I would say it's grown. Now, we have hundreds of applicants to be on this incredible organization. They have a reputation. I mean, they're making impacts. They're doing the most amazing... They're working initiatives, on propositions, but also behind the scenes charity. There was how many? 80 people that were working on the sewing for the-
Todd:
Correct.
Erin Mettille:
Yes. They're making the cancer care patients. I know we had at least 10 people go. And they said that they left that experience just fulfilled emotionally, and it made such a huge impact. And then we got to support one of our members who won, I think, it was an ATHENA award too. So it's a full circle experience.
Todd:
It's a nice way to do that. And I think I also like the mentoring that's done, too, between the VYP board and the regular board.
Erin Mettille:
Yes. And I will say as somebody who's been on both sides of that, it's an incredible experience.
Todd:
Well, I want to stick to the idea of leadership. And so you then came along to the Chamber board.
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
And obviously I think what makes you somewhat unique is you have a really deep amount of experience in the Chamber. I mean, you almost done it all, right? You joined the board, and then this year we asked you to consider being the chair and you said, yes. That's a big time commitment. Certainly, you do have a day job as we talked about. You have a family. What went into that decision? I'm sure that you didn't take that lightly. I know you had to think about it.
Erin Mettille:
I did. And I, first of all, was honored that you even thought of me. And I was super excited. I was humbled. I thought about it for a while, and I thought when things make me uncomfortable, I have to say, yes, there's an element of this is an opportunity that you can't turn down. That excites you. And I've been told when I leave Chamber meetings, I am just pumped. Like, "What is happening in those meetings that get you so pumped?" I'm like, "It's the people. It's what we're doing. It's the mission."
And I think back to when I first went from the Valley Young Professionals meetings, where they were less formal. We knew each other. We had barbecues together, like I mentioned. And then I walked into my first ever big board meeting, and it was so formal. And I saw people that I'd only heard of. I'd seen them in the news. They were the executives of the most impactful organizations in Arizona, highly intimidating. Yet I was super grateful to be at the table with them.
And I struggled to find my voice a little bit in, those first couple meetings. And I'll never forget, actually I did find my voice. I have this motto, where if I'm in a room, I have to make an impact. And it doesn't mean talk to talk, but it means don't take up space, figure out your voice.
Todd:
Don't just be sitting in a chair.
Erin Mettille:
Yes. So one of my first meeting, I finally raised my hand, and the person, the chairman at the time said, "That is a great question, thank you for asking." I have no idea what the question was. I have no idea what the topic was. This was six years ago. But I was so grateful for how they made me feel. And so, one of the big things with coming to this board is I want everyone to have a voice. And it's not just the board members, it's all 2400 members. That's our job is to make sure we're representing them, not only at the capital, but across the board in these decisions.
Todd:
Well, I think you made that really clear your first meeting. That was one of the big things you talked about, and that we're all here to contribute. And that might be to raise your hand in a meeting, but that also might be somewhere else. Or that might be interacting with us outside of a board meeting.
Erin Mettille:
I come from, and I attribute my company, we're a culture of feedback, and not everyone's willing to give it in real time. And I'm also somebody that likes to think about things, as you know, I probably overanalyze, before I just talk. So I want it to be a forum where everyone has my cell phone. I'll go to coffee with anybody. But give us feedback because if this isn't your best Chamber year, if you're not getting what you want as a member of the board, as a member, what's going to keep you here? And if we don't get that feedback, how do we change?
Todd:
Now, why you know I asked her to be the chair. Well, and I think it's made a difference. And I think this has been a significant year-
Erin Mettille:
Huge.
Todd:
... right away we had the gubernatorial candidates in, we had the AG candidates in-
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
... and I think that was incredibly impactful. I think they need to hear from the business community, but it was a good opportunity for our board members as well.
Erin Mettille:
And also, to your point, it showed their investment in our community by hearing from us. And I think I've never had the opportunity to be face-to-face with all four of the candidates the month before they're getting elected. And it was pretty telling. I loved, my only chance to ask about zombie apocalypse questions.
Todd:
Correct.
Erin Mettille:
How they answer that. And what we tried to do and what I think you did a great job of and the whole team did is let's make these people human. They are humans. And let's give them a voice to the business. Let's invite them to hear what's important to us as business leaders, and what we need out of them to make Arizona amazing.
Todd:
Yeah, I agree. I mean, it's a mistake to just assume.
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
And if you're not engaging in a conversation, then really difficult to complain about that-
Erin Mettille:
Absolutely.
Todd:
... when they have no idea what your needs are.
Erin Mettille:
Absolutely. Absolutely. It was a really cool experience. And I love the fact that I think Mike had them all on the cell phone and just said, "Hey, you want to pop by-
Todd:
It was good.
Erin Mettille:
... different meetings."
Todd:
It was good.
Erin Mettille:
It was fantastic.
Todd:
Well, so thinking about that and with election season, what are some of the big issues you think we're facing as a state and a nation today? And what are some of the things you think we need to be thinking about?
Erin Mettille:
I think top of everyone's mind is water. We're in a desert. Border, immigration, women's healthcare is at the top of all of these, and it's been a lot of conversations leading into elections. And I think coming together after the elections it... Were how many hours past election? We still don't know who the winners are, right?
Todd:
Correct.
Erin Mettille:
We, as an organization, and I think you do a fantastic job of this is, politics aside, we need to come together and solve these issues. I think a great example actually was just last week we had a round table. It was on immigration.
Todd:
Correct.
Erin Mettille:
And I have to say, in my 10 or 12 years here, it was one of the most impactful conversations. And the reason, we had people local to Arizona, you had people fly in, you had people that wanted to close the border, you had people that wanted to open the border. You had a sixth generation farmer there that couldn't afford to pay the wages, because they didn't have workers. You had somebody who crossed, I think, illegally at age six with their family.
Todd:
Correct, a dreamer.
Erin Mettille:
Yep. We had somebody who was getting shot at in their company, but managed to come over legally. And it would've been so easy for that room to point fingers and bring politics into it. And it was a controlled discussion, where the message was, first of all, this is a human issue-
Todd:
Correct.
Erin Mettille:
... and this is a complex issue and if we don't come together to solve it, it's not going to happen. And I took out of that so much, it was an hour and a half out of our days. But it wasn't just a conversation, it was the first step in solving this problem that is so important. And that's just one example, in one week. You do these things every single week, week in and week out.
Todd:
Well, you bring up a good point. It's really hard to solve complex issues like immigration-
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
... on soundbites or tweets. There's a lot more to that. And that kind of leads me to my next question. I mean, there's so much division out there right now in society and it's disconcerting I think for a lot of us. What role does leadership, what role does the business community play in changing that course?
Erin Mettille:
That's a tough one. I think, one, we have to lead by example. I think we have to not point fingers. I think we need to not focus on the past. I think that's happening too much. I think we need to focus on the future. I think we need to be open to all ideas, all voices, all walks of life need to be at the table.
And as leaders we need to make sure we're not just hearing the people that are loudest. What are the people in the back of the room? What are the people who couldn't even show up today? I want to hear from them too. And that's what I think we need to do as leaders is ensure... And then once everyone's heard, come together and solve it together by hearing all the different options.
Todd:
Do you feel like business has a voice in that?
Erin Mettille:
They have to. If they don't, they need to step up and make sure their voice is heard. And that's going to be on the business leaders as well as political leaders to hear them out, right?
Todd:
Absolutely. So as a leader, people like to look for inspiration and direction. Now, what's the biggest piece of advice give to somebody right now who are growing into their career?
Erin Mettille:
I would say, I think I mentioned earlier, but do things that make you uncomfortable. Just say, yes. I remember the first time the Chamber asked me to moderate with Secretary of State, I was so nervous. I was out in my comfort zone. I'm like, "Can I even spell her name right? How do I introduce her?" So I said yes to that. And to this day it was so fun. So fun.
Todd:
You don't regret it.
Erin Mettille:
Don't regret it. And then that led to, you start saying yes, and then more people start asking, and then you start leading other panels, open other discussions. And I got to be on the ATHENA Awards panel, one of the first times. I, honestly, didn't even know a lot about the program. I knew it was an impactful, amazing program. But to be a judge, it's an all day event, but it's honestly something I look forward to every single year, because you get to hear the stories.
Todd:
And they're amazing.
Erin Mettille:
They're amazing.
Todd:
I did not want to be, because I couldn't pick.
Erin Mettille:
No. I leave there thinking, "I am not doing enough." I'm so grateful-
Todd:
Yes.
Erin Mettille:
... these people are in Arizona.
Todd:
They're amazing.
Erin Mettille:
And they're so inspiring. So say yes, I think is number one. Two is get a mentor and get a mentee. It's equally rewarding both ways. And come to it with a learning mindset, because I think that's the way to do it. And I usually go in three, so I'm thinking of a third one as I'm thinking about what makes people tick. But I would say be kind.
Todd:
I have to say I agree with that. It seems to be missing, and I think sort of kindness is overlooked and underrated.
Erin Mettille:
I agree.
Todd:
So one thing that always astounds me about you is you're doing so much, you obviously have, like we mentioned your job, you have this role, you seem to always meeting with somebody, you have family. Let's talk about work/life balance. Is that a thing or is that something that's just talked about? Are you able to do that?
Erin Mettille:
I'm getting better at it. If you asked me this question two years ago, it would've been a wildly different answer. But I am getting better at setting boundaries. I only do-
Todd:
Boundaries?
Erin Mettille:
Boundaries, yes. Family time, we have dinner together, most nights of the week as a family, which is so important to me. I, typically, only do one event after hours a week. I, typically, don't leave my house anymore before 8:00. I used to always take conference calls at 7:00. And I'm like, it was so chaotic. I'm making lunches, making breakfast, on a call. My family's not getting the best Erin. My whatever or whoever I'm talking to is not getting the best me. And so I just blocked my calendar, unless it's important, they know how to get ahold of me. But that's family time. That's some of the best conversations with my three and six-year-old are at the breakfast nook as we're making breakfast and lunches together, and rushing out the door to school.
So I've embraced that. You can either have a chaotic day or you can find joy in it. And I'm like, "This is my joy time, 7:00 to 8:00." And that's really transformed how I set my mornings. But I would say the benefit too is sometimes and often my work, my Chamber life and my family life all intersect. My husband works with me, so we're at the same company. We've both been there almost nine years, which is great in so many ways, so that collides.
The work that I do in public and social impact, I launched that public and social impact based on the work that I was doing with the Chamber and the synergies and the gaps. So I think in a ideal world, there's definitely cohesion. I also set it out and I'm getting better at setting boundaries. And family time is family time without cell phone. And events are great events, but I'm still home when I want to be home.
Todd:
Well, I haven't heard someone say sort of this intentional idea of setting boundaries. And I think that makes it real. Instead of like, "Well, I manage it." Well, that's hard to do, unless you really think about how you set those boundaries in those times. So thank you.
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
Well, thanks for spending so much time with us. We are going to have a quick lighting round, a short lighting round. So, obviously, we all love going to the Diamondbacks games and everyone has their walk up music. So I'm going to ask you-
Erin Mettille:
Your walk up music.
Todd:
... if you're walking up, Derek Hall brings you on the team, you're going up to the plate. What's your walk up music?
Erin Mettille:
I think it's going to have to be go big or go home-
Todd:
Oh, I like that.
Erin Mettille:
... for a theme. Although not about the part where they're in the bar not wanting to go home with their families, but life is short, go big or go home. That's my motto.
Todd:
Okay, good. Well, I'm glad I know that song, because the rule's if I don't know the song, you have to sing it.
Erin Mettille:
Oh, you're really lucky. The listeners are really lucky.
Todd:
Okay, first job.
Erin Mettille:
First job. So actually, I was a berry picker in the fields. I picked strawberries.
Todd:
Nice.
Erin Mettille:
I did that in the summer until I showed my horse at the fair, and I worked all summer for that fair paycheck that came, it was probably 60 to $80. But I think my first corporate job, and this is no one word answer, but I ran a gym, 24 Hour Fitness, and I got the free membership while I was in college. And then when I graduated they gave me my own club to run-
Todd:
Nice.
Erin Mettille:
... as operations manager.
Todd:
So looking at the berry picking job, what'd you learn from that?
Erin Mettille:
I learned how to catch a bus on time, there's no way to walk out in the fields if you miss your business. I learned if you don't pack your lunch, strawberries are not a good lunch after day three. So I always pack a lunch. And there's really great people out there that I would not have probably met in any other way. We didn't go to school together. I didn't necessarily have them in my ecosystem, and they're amazing. And there was four-year-olds picking berries next to me that were faster than me. So age doesn't apply in berry picking.
Todd:
And really no unimportant jobs.
Erin Mettille:
No unimportant jobs.
Todd:
It's very true. I think we've learned that. Okay. And you can't say your current job, what dream job?
Erin Mettille:
Oh, is there one for quality control of massages, where I was forced to get massages [inaudible 00:27:05]? No, all jokes, I do love a good massage. I think I can do more around social impact, and I have a soft spot for kids. And I think, I don't know if I call it dream job or next phase or something, but I want to do more and give back and take care of kids in a way that I'm not-
Todd:
Interesting.
Erin Mettille:
... doing today.
Todd:
Not a hypothetical, so more to come. And then finally, since we do know you're a world traveler. What's her number now? What are we up to? How many countries?
Erin Mettille:
So I was counting, I was over 45, and my last words from my grandma as she was passing, because she was a world traveler, she said, "Don't count, just go." And those were literally her last words to me. So I'm trying not to count.
Todd:
So we're not counting.
Erin Mettille:
And it was COVID, so I don't think I've much past 45 anyways.
Todd:
There you go. Something like that. Okay, so dream trip then. What would be the dream trip? Cost, no option, that's not a problem.
Erin Mettille:
Probably Antarctica and go see penguins. We tried to get out there and the flight conditions weren't good, when we're down at the Falkland Islands. And so I would love to go back, but I feel like I was so close and didn't go. Yeah, I would say penguins.
Todd:
That's a good one. I mean the Mexico one, you can't recreate it. So-
Erin Mettille:
I wouldn't want to.
Todd:
... I think that sounds like a really good option.
Erin Mettille:
What is yours? I don't think I've ever heard yours.
Todd:
That would be a good one. Now, see, I can't do this backwards. I'll have to think about that. But that sounds really good. I know we've talked about doing that trip too. Well, thank you for spending so much time with us.
Erin Mettille:
Thank you for having me.
Todd:
This has been so much fun. And, of course, thank you for the leadership. This year has been, it's been an interesting year.
Erin Mettille:
Yes.
Todd:
And I think it's a high impact year.
Erin Mettille:
And I'm so excited, so excited for the rest of the year, because big things are coming that we haven't even announced yet. But-
Todd:
Here we go.
Erin Mettille:
...I'm really excited. So thank you for having me.
Todd:
You bet. More to come.
Erin Mettille:
More to come.
Todd:
Thank you.