Q&A

Becoming the CEO

Just over a year ago Monica Grant was installed as the new CEO at the YMCA of San Luis Obispo County. We caught up with her recently to ask her about how she went from a musican-comic to the chief executive...

You spent eight years at the YMCA in Honolulu.

How does it compare? There are many aspects of living here that remind me of my time in Hawaii. There are a lot of parallels. There’s that experience of people coming in from the mainland and crashing and burning, or wanting to come in and change the place because they think that no one knows what they are doing. So having been there, and Hawaii’s a very complex place, I really had to raise my social IQ to be successful there. You have to come in and be able to assess pretty quickly. Just like any small, tight-knit community where there is a lot of history, you get sized-up before people will jump on board. They want to see that you are going to stick around; they want to see where your heart is; and what your motivations are. They want to see where you’re coming from; what are your ethics? Are you here for yourself, or are you here to really help and be a partner?

Is this the job you always wanted? Actually, I wanted to be an artist. I was a musician-comic. Basically, I was a bad folk singer and probably not much better as a comedian. It was during the eighties when I had sort of a two-track career. I was working at the Y during the day and performing on nights and weekends. I did three albums on my own label and toured pretty extensively. It was such an incredible experience. When I hit 40, I sort of saw the writing on the wall. I decided to hang it up and really focus on my non-profit career. I never thought I would be a CEO—I call myself an “accidental CEO.” One day the CEO at the Honolulu Y said to me, “It would really please me if you ever thought about becoming a CEO.” That really stuck in my brain like, “What are you nuts?” But, then I started a masters program in organizational leadership. And one day I said to myself, “Why aren’t I doing this?” If I really think about what I am passionate about, it’s about helping organizations become better. I love the Y, so why am I not doing it instead of just studying it? Why don’t I actually be a leader myself?

Tell us about your spouse, Colleen. How did you

meet? I was living in Sonoma County at the time, struggling as an artist, struggling to make ends meet working in a non-profit. I had a couple of friends who were property owners; they were very smart about real estate. They kept telling me, “You have to own real estate.” I figured I would be a lifelong renter, but they motivated me and inspired me. I found a realtor—Colleen—and she helped me find a house. After escrow closed I invited her to do some volunteer work with me, and the rest is history. That was 14 years ago now. I like to say that I got the realtor with the house. We had a marriage ceremony a couple of years after we met—we’re not legally married yet, but hope to do that this year— we had all of our family there, about a 100 people, and our moms walked us down the isle. It was very cool. I feel very lucky.

And what about your family? Having parents who were immigrants definitely shaped me. My mom is German, she lived in Germany through the war, and my dad was Czech. I certainly was not alone on Long Island where I grew up. There were many immigrant families like that there. My parents had a real appreciation for what was here in this country. There was a gratefulness. They would get very upset, very offended, if someone spoke negatively about the United States because they knew what we had here. And they had a very strong work ethic. They both had very challenging situations during the war for different reasons. I think they developed a certain fortitude also—you didn’t quit just because things were hard. That sort of perseverance certainly has come in handy for me over the years.

How was your childhood different—are kids too

plugged in today? My take is that kids are kids. Times change, families change. Circumstances change. Many peoples’ circumstances changed dramatically during the recession. Technology or no technology, that’s just the reality. I know that kids are very adaptable. What I have found to be true is that there is something to meeting a kid where they live. Technology is a mechanism and platform for that, but fundamentally it’s still about connecting with each other. We have a program where kids use technology to learn how to make films and do graphic design; it’s awesome. And it’s a form of expression through technology. I believe that kids are not just leaders down the road, they’re leaders today. And we see kids doing incredible things at younger and younger ages that are very socially responsible. There is a real global awareness. Kids today are much more savvy about the fact that we’re a global village. I think that’s the plus side of technology. I feel very optimistic and positive about the upcoming generations.