About this program
The Alyce All-Stars program exists to highlight Alyce Customers and Friends who have mastered the art of “personal experience.”
An All-Star prioritizes Building Rapport, Earning Trust, and Generating Loyalty over making someone feel like just another face in the crowd.
All-Stars challenge the status quo and – while they’re not officially Alyce employees – we consider them an extension of our team. They find creative ways to infuse our core values of Give First, Give Consistently, Be Crafty, Seize the Present, and Unwrap the Possibility into their unique way of doing business.
This week’s All-Star is Shauna Leighton, the new Director of Growth Marketing at Building Engines!
Learn More About Shauna Leighton:
Q: Share with us some of your personal interests?
So I love dancing. I’ve been a dancer pretty much my entire life and still teach today. I’m also a true crime addict. Like I have it on all the time. I’m surprised they don’t have nightmares. I also love volunteering, especially in the mental health and addiction spaces.
It’s something that’s really near and dear to my heart. So really being a part of that community important, I work with a few different organizations.I really enjoy reading. I read about a book a week. I’m the type of person who loves actual books, like I can’t do audible. I need to hold the book in my hands and read it.
Q: What was your first AIM screen name or email address and what was the story behind it?
My first aim screen name was Chiquita banana, because I literally just saw the sticker on a banana and thought it would be a really good username. Like there’s no magic behind this. I was just like a really dumb 11 year old and was just like, Oh, Chiquita banana. Like I’m Irish, this doesn’t work.
Q: What song is on repeat right now for you?
That’s like such a toughie for me. I go back and forth between the new song, Good Days by SZA, because it’s just a really good, powerful ballad. And then I always revert back to Tripp and Billy’s by Dave Matthews band because Dave Matthews is like, the group that I grew up on and it’s just always with me in a good mood.
Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I actually wanted to be a journalist, so I was kind of like Harriet the Spy and carried a notebook around with me. I used to like to host my own talk shows with my family members. I thought I was a mix between Oprah and Carrie Bradshaw.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about the place where you live? Why and how do you take advantage of it?
So I lived in Boston for 10 years and moved back to Rhode Island. So that’s where I am right now.
I just love being surrounded by the ocean and beaches. And you can drive the state literally up and down in an hour. But it has just so much to offer and I’ve been trying to get out, sit by the water, and just take drives to see more of Rhode Island.
Q: What would be the title of your Memoir?
Maybe simply just “The Shauna Leighton story”? Or Dancer to Demand Gen because I actually started off as a professional dancer and then moved over to Demand Generation, maybe something like that.
Q: What’s something you consider yourself to be ok at, but not great at?
I think I carry a little tune, but I wish that I, you know, could be like Kelly Clarkson or Mariah Carey or something, because it really would have rounded out that dance resume for me.
Q: What is the best gift you have ever received?
A book from my grandfather, actually. The song I hope you dance by Leann Womack was in a book format.
And he got it for me when I was 12 and it had like the CD and like all the lyrics inside. The thing about my grandfather is he doesn’t buy gifts. Like he lets my grandmother do everything. But he bought this for me by himself and inside wrote:
To, to my Shauna. I thought that this would be a good song to dance with you at your wedding someday.
And since I was a little kid and it’s a book that I have on display wherever I live, it’s something super, super close to my heart. And Just like means the world to me.
Q: Beach, safari, or forest vacation?
It would be a beach, easily.
Q: If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
I don’t want to be cliche, but believe in yourself. Because a lot of BS is gonna come your way and you’re a lot stronger than you think to weather the storm. Like whatever happens, it’s going to be okay. Just believe in the strength that you have in yourself.
I wish that I had just known that when I was a kid just going through certain things and I don’t know if that’s cliche or not, but it’s really like,you’re going to be okay.
Q: Would you rather be an olympic gold medalist or win a nobel prize? And why?
I think I’d rather win a Nobel prize, maybe more like a Pulitzer and have it be awarded after something I’ve written.
Q: Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I’m more of a night owl, I’d say. Those are my most creative hours, at night.
Q: How did you meet your childhood best friend?
I met my childhood best friend on the kindergarten playground and basically I would beat up other kids because he got picked on a lot and that’s how we met. He had a girl defend his honor and I still remind him that because we’re still best friends to this day.
Q: If you could live through any event in history, what event would that be? Why would you want to live through that event?
I would probably say I would’ve loved to live during the JFK period, just because I love learning about him and that family and just everything about that time period.
