We were lucky to catch up with Alisha Merlo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alisha , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

The best boss someone could ever have is not a boss at all. They are a leader, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way,” John Maxwell. They are focused on WE vs ME, they don’t create followers, they create more leaders.

In my career, I have been blessed to have worked with many good leaders. I have also worked with and for bad ones too. It is the wisdom to know the difference and choose carefully who you work with or for.

The woman I would traditionally call my “boss” is one of our VPs and our CEO are both incredible leaders. They don’t just dictate from a seat of authority but they lead with a servant’s heart. They listen to their teams, our customers, and vendors. They work with each person as an individual to develop strengths and address opportunities for growth. They are honest communicators and encouragers. They know how to share the vision and empower others to execute on that vision. They follow up on commitments and promote solutions and collaboration. They accept they do not know it all and surround themselves with those who have skills beyond their own.

These women have established a culture of trust, perseverance, creativity, and success.

I have learned a great deal from them and value the wisdom they so willingly share.

One of my favorite stories about our CEO took place during my first few days with Colorescience. We were at a special retreat for our top customers. During the lunch hour, we were eating outside on the terrace and we gave our guests sunbrellas. As everyone returned to the meeting room, there were sunbrellas left at some of the seats. Rather than walk in with everyone else and leave the clean-up to others, she gently gathered them from the seats as she made her way back. I was moved by her grace and kindness.

A more recent account of something special about my VP aka boss was how she recognized my 5-year anniversary with the company. Rather than send out a generic email, she remembered a personal dream of mine, to write a book about my life’s adventures. She reached out to my fellow managers and executives about what they would suggest the title of my book be. She then compiled the titles into a video montage that looked like book covers. I was deeply moved that she remembered this conversation from a few years prior and that she took the time to bless me with a gift I treasure.

Both of these women are the first to give credit for excellent outcomes and events and also the first to take responsibility for issues and failures.

I will never be the same after working alongside these two incredible leaders.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Alisha Merlo. A simple Jewish girl, who loves Jesus from Jersey who made her way to the Golden State, more than 30 years ago. After graduating college with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology and early in my professional career, I had the opportunity to work in several types of roles. I sold shoes, aerobic wear, and voicemail. I was missing my healthcare roots and found myself working in an orthopedic group starting at the front desk and moving up to running clinical trials for one of the spine surgeons. I loved this role. I loved being in surgery and I loved the adventure of bringing medical innovations to market. After 5 years, I realized I was maxed out in the medical practice and I started to think about my next “thing.”

One day, I was listening to one of the pharmaceutical reps educate us on his product. He reviewed the science, the safety and how to appropriately prescribe the product. To this day, I remember thinking to myself, “I could so do his job.” Yureka! That was it, I was going to be a pharmaceutical sales professional. Back in those days, the internet was just becoming a resource for information and Monster.com was the only job board available. So in 1999, I started searching and submitting, resume after resume, and 121 applications later, I got 2 interviews. I was beyond excited.

The first company was a prestigious pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey, as most still are to this day. My home state! It was a rigorous interview process for a new cardiology drug. After 5 interviews including a face-to-face back in NJ, I was offered the role. I was ecstatic until they told me I would have to return to New Jersey for 6 weeks for intensive training. My heart sank. I had a 2-year-old child at home. There was no way I could leave my family for that length of time.

The other company was a smaller, privately held dermatology company that sold skincare to doctors. This was intriguing to me as I knew nothing about professional skincare but I was more than willing to learn as much as I could. During one of my final interviews, with slight apprehension, I asked how long their training was. Five days in Kansas City was what they told me. JACKPOT! I said yes.

Fast forward to 2023 and I have had the opportunity to be a part of the aesthetic industry’s most exciting and innovative companies. I have launched new products to market, and worked with everything from skincare to injectables, to devices and health tech. I have held roles in sales, marketing, clinical studies, business development, training, and more.

I started my own consulting firm to help doctors maximize their business and impact their teams and patients positively.

I am a published author, and speaker, and over the past 20+ years have had the chance to work with and for many industry titans, whom I call friends to this day.

Currently, I am in my dream role at a San Diego company called Colorescience.

Colorescience develops wearable multifunctional skincare and sun protection products which deliver immediate confidence and long-term visible transformation. Clinically proven results powered by scientifically proven ingredients mean products that physicians not only recommend but personally use. Colorescience products are available through a network of licensed physicians, on colorescience.com, and through a collection of prestige retailers.

I hold the role of Executive Director of Professional Relations where I contribute to clinical studies, business development, training, and education as well as a thought leader and medical aesthetic society relations. This is a unicorn role! Others with the same “title” don’t often get to work in so many different verticles.

Not only do I get to do what I love every day but I work with a team of rock star leaders, creators, innovators, and downright good humans.

Our company motto is “Do good, have fun and make a difference.” I embrace this and live it out every day at work, in my passion projects, and in my personal relationships.

I am most proud that our team has a global impact on skin health and will never compromise on science and safety. We are out of the box thinkers and are on an important mission to help people protect and rejuvenate their skin.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Professionally and personally, there are two key things that we must nurture and protect. Our relationships and our reputation. I have been blessed to work in the same industry for more than two decades. My long-lasting relationships and stellar reputation are built on a strong work ethic, creating solutions, leading by giving before receiving, honesty and integrity.

All too often we are tempted to take shortcuts, cut corners or cut people out when we rush to achieve “something.” Before even making an ask of someone, whether that is a colleague or a customer, I always want to listen and learn about them and see how I can be of service to them.

Letting others speak first, allows us to use active listening and when we respond we can provide meaningful ideas, insights, or solutions.

With this approach, I have been able to meet the needs of my customers and coworkers while earning the right to ask for support, service, or sales.

Being an encourager of others is also something that I am well known for. I have had some amazing mentors and leaders in my life and I love to pay it forward and help others achieve their personal and professional dreams.

I recently ran into the CEO who hired me at one of the companies I worked at for a decade. When I saw him, he instantly smiled, recalled our time working together, and jokingly replied, “One day I will have you on my team again.”.

I think that is the greatest compliment when someone would choose to have you work with or for them again.

A few years ago, I crafted my personal brand statement and it holds true to this day.

“I am an encourager, a connector, and a solution seeker who inspires others to be better and do better for themselves and those around them.”

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

We all have our signature 2020 stories. No one was untouched by the dramatic global changes in health, the economy, and social unrest.

For me, I will quote from Charles Dickens’s novel, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Yes, the full quote applies to that season.

In early 2020, my husband was diagnosed with cancer, covid shut down the world, I had to stop working and my daughter-in-law, 16-month-old grandson and 6-week-old granddaughter came to live with us because our son’s discharge from the Army was delayed.

We had a reduction in income, a deadly disease, and a very full townhouse. During that time, I was faced with a choice. I could struggle to survive, financially, emotionally, and spiritually, or I could choose to thrive, despite my circumstances. I chose the latter.

My faith is the source of my strength and I learned to depend on God for my needs and he answered many prayers. It doesn’t make sense how we were able to keep our finances above water. But we learned that God’s economy is not the world’s. And during that time we kept a roof over our heads, food on the table and medical bills paid.

Because I was not working, I had precious time to bond with my grandchildren and daughter-in-law. There were lots of love, laughter, and Kids’ Bop dance parties that kept us smiling.

Professionally, I did not want to grow stale and I was also deeply concerned for the others in my industry. Many were furloughed or laid off. Because I had 20+ years in my area of expertise, I knew a lot of people who were hurting, isolated and afraid.

I realized we did not have a community, a place, and a space for us to listen, learn and lift up one another. Where the relationships went beyond the boundaries of companies and competition. So what did I do? I created an online community where we could connect and support one another. I also hosted biweekly Zoom Meet Ups with experts in fields like recruiting, change management, conflict resolution, self-care, motivational speakers, and more. Our group grew and we had hundreds joining us. Through our group, people found jobs, became entrepreneurs, and most importantly felt hope.

I was able to start my passion work in the anti-human trafficking movement which has allowed me to have an impact on survivors and enabled me to educate others about this terrible crime. This is an area that continues to bring me great fulfillment.

Fast forward to the back half of 2020 and I was brought back to my role in my company, my husband completed his intense cancer treatment, praise God and the doctors he remains cancer free, and my son finally made it back from the army to reunite with his family.

I look back on that time now and realize how much God was working in our lives. Despite the circumstances, especially since there were so many unknowns, we found joy, peace, and hope.

Having not only survived that season but thrived in it, I am confident that no matter what happens around me and even to me, I have the response-ability, the ability to respond, and choose how I will be in those times.

I will end with a more modern quote by author Mark Batterson, from his book Win the Day, “Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn’t chase. You will look back longingly on risks not taken, opportunities not seized, and dreams not pursued. Stop running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.coastlinedreamcenter.org/stop-trafficking-outreach.html
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alishamerlo/

Image Credits
Ceciley Michelle Photography