All in a Day’s Work: Beth Hautala
Behind the Scenes (literally) with Beth Hautala
When it comes to coworkers at Strateligent, Beth Hautala may often be out of sight, but she is never out of mind. As cofounder of the company, her roles are sometimes unseen, but in many ways, she always impacts our day-to-day operations.
Many years ago, in her role as visionary, Beth had a discussion with Aaron. She suggested that the wise choice for the couple—who was beginning their advertising/marketing business in their red house—was to purchase a computer, instead of a woodstove, for the front room. And the rest, as they say, is history. In the beginning, the couple also wrote their vision for the company on a napkin.
“We wrote that we wanted to do something good, something that would leave a mark,” said Beth. “We wanted whatever we ultimately decided to do, creatively, to become a passion. It had to be more than a job that pushed us forward from one day to the next.”
In addition to being Strateligent’s cofounder, Beth also serves as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). She covers the details related to health insurance, payroll, billing and receivables, assembling materials at tax time, among other tasks that are equally as important in keeping the company organized and on task.
When Aaron is working on a client project, Beth is also involved in the give and take of its creation—discussing the particulars and wrangling the ebb and flow of words that help transform myriad details into a workable plan.
Through it all, what does she especially enjoy about Strateligent?
“It’s a gift for me to know I’m part of something that brings good into the lives of those who are passionate about what they do,” said Beth. “Being asked to help a business or an organization formulate their own dreams, or putting tools into their hands to bring it to reality is very rewarding. Even if the nitty-gritty of daily, working life doesn’t appear to be.”
Beth said that people sometimes refer to her as an invisible force, an introverted heart, and she agrees with the description.
“I’m not necessarily the face of anything. I’m never going to be the hurricane force that Aaron is and I’m good with that,” said Beth. “I am a different kind of force—committed to people and relationships and connection. I’m as equally devoted to our company and to our clients as Aaron is. My devotion is earnest and we both work to see each and every project through to completion.”
“The concert of how Beth and I work together is really what makes Strateligent—Strateligent,” said Aaron. “I’m in the work every day, and having the ability to communicate with Beth from her different, but similar, perspective has consistently allowed our business to make the right decisions, well ahead of the curve.”
Beth said she once envisioned spending her days in the office, working face to face with clients, but she shifted course to what works, while still continuing to fulfill her dreams.
“My dream accommodated what it needed to so that the many layers of our life fit together in ways that made sense for everyone—I work from home, I care for our clients and their projects in ways many will never realize, I parent and educate four active kids, and I tell stories.”
About Beth’s storytelling—we would be remiss in not mentioning her creative side. Beth is modest about her literary accomplishments, but she works with an agent and has published award-winning, middle-grade fiction at one of the largest publishing houses in the world. (One award was accepted on the 54th floor of a New York City skyscraper.) She has published two novels with Penguin Random House/Philomel—Waiting for Unicorns, 2015, and The Ostrich and Other Lost Things, 2018. Her third book, Miracle Season, was released in August 2022 with Penguin Random House/Viking.
Telling stories is an ongoing fulfillment of her dream and because it is a priority, she gets up before the sun, coffee in hand, to write. We have no doubt that the characters in her next book are already beginning to come to life.
