Alexis Gerst

Alexis Gerst is a detail-oriented leader with 7+ years of experience in Air Force weapons program management, logistics, maintenance, and accountability.

She is a proactive problem solver skilled at maximizing productivity through team collaboration, superior communication, and confident decision making.

Alexis emphasizes a positive, get-it-done attitude that infects everyone around her.

I’m excited for you to connect with Alexis, learn more about her work and new book, and follow along as she continues to teach leaders how to embrace the changes in our work environment, embrace available technology, improve work-from-home productivity, and maintain human connection in a remote work environment.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

My name is Alexis Gerst. I’m a millennial leader with a passion for remote work culture. I am currently an Acquisition Program Manager for the United States Air Force on Active Duty, where I lead technical teams toward the procurement and sustainment of weapon systems critical to our national defense.

On the side, I love to write. I recently released my first book, “Leading Remote Teams: Embrace the Future of Remote Work Culture.” This book champions the future potential of remote work, explores the advantages of a workplace paradigm shift, and delivers tactical tips for remote leaders to enable team success.

How did you get started?

My remote leadership passion project was started after several fellow leaders in the government expressed the challenges they were going through in adapting to telework many months into the pandemic. This passion project started as a training presentation to help program managers and logistics managers adapt to working in a virtual environment and learn to use the tools available to enhance their digital team communication. After an overwhelming amount of positive feedback made it clear that this content is very needed right now, I decided that I had to get the information into a book and share it with a larger audience.

What Inspired the work you’re doing?

At the start of the pandemic, I embraced my digital comfort as a millennial and quickly transitioned all of my team’s activities to suit the virtual environment. We continued to execute our organization’s mission without so much as a slow-down. After a couple months, I became aware that not all team leads were able to successfully transition their activities to accommodate the remote work environment, so I volunteered to start putting together training materials and conducting presentations on how to effectively engage teams and continue to accomplish tasks while working remotely.

When I shared what I was doing with my passion project on LinkedIn, a few people in my network picked up the idea and encouraged me to run with it by asking that I speak at their national symposium. The inspiration from these two people that the topic of remote leadership was a needed discussion gave me the energy I needed to put the training content into a book.

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

My biggest passion is creatively solving problems. I feel most like I’m living my passion and purpose when I can combine my unique experiences in a creative way to find a solution to problems that others weren’t previously able to solve.

One Steve Jobs quote I love and keep in front of me is: “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”

I never thought of myself as a creative person until I read this quote. Now, I understand that creativity is simply making connections and forming ideas based upon different experiences I have had and topics I’ve learned about.

Yes, I feel like I’m finding new ways to creatively solve problems and connect with my passion and purpose every day.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

My joy blueprint involves taking care of myself, contributing to my organization in meaningful ways, and connecting with those I love. First, taking care of my health is accomplished by sleeping well, nourishing my body, exercising, and protecting my mental health is a baseline requirement to enjoy my career, friendships, and family. Without taking care of myself, I am unable to contribute in meaningful ways to my job and my loved ones. I feel most alive when I can help other people solve their problems.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

The best way I live intentionally is to set annual goals for what I want to accomplish in my life each year. I set goals for each area of my life, then break those down into quarterly and monthly incremental goals. I focus my activities each day and week around doing the activities it takes to accomplish those goals, which inevitably leads towards accomplishing the bigger quarterly and annual goals. To stay mindful and grounded, I ensure to include goals that involve enjoying life—not just working harder ;).

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

I think my younger self would be blown away with what I’m doing now with both my career and writing a book at a young age.

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?

My go-to mantra is “Make Things Happen.” For several years, this mantra seems to be what has separated me from my peers. A can-do attitude and a willingness to do whatever it takes to get the mission done and “Make Things Happen” stands out from the norm. I love this mantra so much that I had a 4-ft vinyl made in my favorite color (Teal) to stick on the wall in my home office above the entrance, so I can see it every time I look up from my computer.

What is your biggest dream?

My biggest dream is constantly changing as life evolves. Right now, my biggest dream is to visit every national park in the continental United States with my husband and our two dogs. I would love to take 4-6 months off of work (or work completely remote) and travel around the country in our travel trailer, stopping in each park to hike, run, and take in the beautiful views that nature offers.

To learn more and connect with Alexis on her website www.alexisgerst.com and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-gerst/ Facebook @leadingremoteteams Instagram @leadingremoteteams

Joy Corner is an interview-style blog series brought to you by Seek The Joy Podcast. Our mission continues to be a desire to share your stories, truths, joys and inspiration in your words. We invite you to join our corner, and share your joys, passions, and moments of inspiration as we continue to seek the joy, together. Join this series here

Alexis Gerst - Acquisition Program Manager and Author, Leading Remote Teams: Embrace the Future of Remote Work Culture