Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/320547
54 BRAVA MAGAZINE | JUNE 2014 "LVˬRˬDOmSCOMPˬNYWˬSONˬGROWTHSPURT#UTONETHING SHEREˬLIZEDˬSSHECONTINUEDTOˬDDˬGENTSˬNDSTˬFF4HEDIDNmT like being the boss. So despite the success, she decided to make another business-related change; asking for full collaboration from her team. "It was a new goal. Supporting employees to be your partners at work. It wasn't really a core value seen at many businesses," Alvarado says. "So we decided to make it one of ours. I encour- ˬGEDEVERYONETOǠGUREOUTTHEIRPˬSSIONINLIFEBEWILLINGTO reveal it, and stand behind it. It all goes back to having shared values, which means including family, friends and fun. It's im- PORTˬNTTOTREˬTEVERYONEˬSˬNEQUˬLo Ask her team about this particular style of leadership, and there appears to be little doubt it works. "Sara doesn't believe in micro-managing, and is a super optimistic person. She's dif- FERENTTHˬNˬNYOTHERBOSS*mVEHˬDoSˬYS&RIC5URNQUISTTHE Alvarado Group transaction and listing manager. "She also en- courages us not to worry about making changes, and leads by HEROWNEXˬMPLESo5URNQUISTSˬYS ŀISISWHERE4ˬRˬISRIGHTNOW)ERLˬTESTCOMMITMENTTO CHˬNGEISˬWORKINPROGRESS#UTSHEISNmTINTERESTEDINSITTING on the sidelines. n*mMINTHEMIDSTOFǠGURINGOUTMYROLE"ND*DESPERˬTELY WˬNTTOˬCTIVELYHELPǠNDSOLUTIONSTOBRIDGETHERˬCIˬLGˬPSIN that report," Alvarado says. $URRENTLYTHEREPORTISBEINGUSEDTOGUIDECITYOǝCIˬLS %ˬNE$OUNTY&XECUTIVE+OE1ˬRISIINCLUDEDFUNDINGINTHISYEˬRmS budget for new programs aimed at eviction prevention and job training; while Mayor Paul Soglin released an initiative in May to ELIMINˬTERˬCIˬLINEQUITYINCITYPOLICYˬNDOPERˬTIONS It has Alvarado eyeing other business owners to start their own conversations. "How do I get them to look into their hearts when we talk about racial disparity? I don't think we're doing a good job in dealing with this problem," Alvarado says. "I'm putting myself out there with the hope of being part of the solution. *WˬNTPEOPLETOREˬLIZEITIS0,TOBEHONEST*TIS0,TOTRUST THEMSELVESˬNDTOTRUSTOTHERSŀISISPROBˬBLYTHEǠRSTTIME*mM REˬLIZINGONˬPERSONˬLLEVELWHˬTITMEˬNSTOHˬVEˬGREˬTLIFEo Alvarado is no longer just talking about herself. Her two young sons are growing up here, the products of a biracial mar- RIˬGEŀINKINGˬBOUTTHEIRFUTUREWHILEREˬDINGTHEREPORTHIT a little harder. "I am doing my own inner work now too, asking myself if I'm part of the problem? I'm in a wonderful marriage with biracial children, but don't always see it clearly because I'd assume my life and my family's would just be great here. So I've started to ˬSKMYSELFQUESTIONSˬLONGWITHSTˬRTINGTOTˬLKWITHOTHERS about it," she says. ŀOUGH"LVˬRˬDOMˬYCONSIDERITJUSTTˬLKINGSHEmSˬLREˬDY getting some attention. "I'm impressed by her energy, excite- MENTŀEREISˬPLˬCEFOREVERYONETOGETINVOLVEDˬNDSHEIS paving her own way by speaking out about racial bias in Madi- SONoSˬYS:8$"%EVELOPMENTˬND.ˬRKETING"SSOCIˬTE,RISTY "I'M FEELING LIKE THERE'S A REASON FOR THE WAY MY JOURNEY IS PLAYING OUT. SO, I'M GOING TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS TROUBLING MADISON, WHILE PUSHING FOR CHANGE."