Christina Zegler - Executive Director, Girls on the Run North Alabama
As the Executive Director of Girls on the Run North Alabama, Christina works daily to grow the support of the organization so they can continue to empower young girls to love themselves and uplift each other. Her years in the U.S. Army gave her a solid foundation on which she’s built the rest of her career—including the lessons she’s learned in spaces not traditionally held for women, and the power of helping each other succeed. On top of it all, she’s a mama to three littles who is currently pursuing her executive MBA and constantly pushing herself to new heights.
The Basics:
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama
Current city: Huntsville, Alabama
Alma mater: University of Alabama
Degree: B.A., French Language and Literature; Currently in progress for the EMBA (May 2021)
Very first job: Babysitting at 10-years-old
Hustle: Mom to three littles (4, 2, 8 months); Executive Director, Girls on the Run of North Alabama; Officer, Alabama Army National Guard
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
I have always admired my Nana. She is the epitome of feminine brilliance, grit, humility, and grace. I hope to be half the woman she is when I grow up. She seemed to balance her role as a pastor’s wife, mother of five, and Mobile County Psychometrist with perfection. To this day, I call her for her wisdom for life’s most difficult problems.
What’s your favorite way to start (or end) your weekend?
We have recently started ending our weekend with a classic family movie night. It is a brand new tradition that started with Homeward Bound, and it definitely rids us of the “Sunday scaries”.
What book(s) have you’ve gifted the most and why?
Brave New Mama. I gift one to every girlfriend I have embarking on their journey to motherhood. It is a collection of poems that I frequent on the hard days to remind myself of how remarkable, strong, and beautiful we are as mothers.
Dream concert to attend?
I would have loved to see Whitney Houston live and in-person. My mom raised us on a solid blend of all of the female greats: Whitney, Celine, and Sade.
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
My main hustle is my role as wife to my husband, Don (eight years), and mom to our three children: MJ (four), Bonnie (two), and Scott (eight months). The grind never stops with that gang! I try to always be the first one out of bed, and get my day started with coffee, Jesus, and a clean kitchen. On top of that I am the Executive Director for Girls on the Run of North Alabama, working daily to help recruit volunteers, promote our programming, find funding and grantors, and foster our community connections. The job is truly never done! Finally, two years ago I transitioned from Active Duty Army to the Alabama National Guard. I currently serve as a Rear Detachment Commander, which takes up several hours a week of various tasks and requirements. As you can probably guess: my hustle involves a multitude of paperwork for various organizations, but it also involves getting outside and spreading the good word about GOTR. In my spare time, I am completing an Executive MBA Program with my husband, serve in my church choir, and attempt to be an intentional friend and support my girlfriends near and far.
When did you first get involved with GOTR? What led to you join, and how has your role evolved?
I first got involved when I came on as the Executive Director for North Alabama in April of 2019. I knew of the organization through friends who were coaches across the country, and wanted to start a site while I was in the Army full-time, but unfortunately never got it off the ground there. Their mission of teaching any and all girls how to accept themselves and empower each other is exactly what women, and young girls, need no matter their zip code. My technical role hasn’t changed, but I have grown in the last two years learning from many mistakes and missteps along the way as well as my confidence in the position. I think after two years and a pandemic, I am relaxing into the role and learning the importance of saying “no” and focusing on finding ways to accept help rather than trying to do everything myself. It’s still a work in progress, but it has taught me multiple lessons about my personal leadership strengths and weaknesses.
Similarly, did you always want to join the military? What made you choose the Army and your specialty?
I didn’t always want to join the military. It was an idea I toyed with, but my dad basically recruited me during my high school years and started training me in my junior year. Our runs in the morning were a special bonding time, and I was curious, so I decided to give ROTC a shot (you can try out the program for a year without needing to repay your scholarship). It was the only way I could pay for out-of-state tuition without crippling student loans, and after the first year I knew it was something I wanted to do. I continued on to be an Army Intelligence Officer; originally choosing Intel due to all of the “fun” things I thought I would be able to do, and because my chronic headaches disqualified me from flying Kiowa Helicopters—which was my dream job. Intel at the time was a great option for strong performing females, because you could get pathways to serve on Female Engagement Teams (FET) on deployments and serve with the Special Operations Community, or the really “cool” things (read Ashley’s War for more information on these awesome ladies). Eventually it gave me opportunities to be among the first females supporting Combat Arms and part of a selection for the Army Ranger Battalion.
What do fitness and wellness mean to you?
Beyond the proven scientific effects it has on increased focus, performance, and energy throughout the day, it is a great way for me to calm my thoughts and have time connecting with myself and spending some time with God each day. I use fitness as a prayerful time and an intentional meditation—even if I’m running. In the Army, there is a certain mindset that too much focus is placed on how people perform with their physical fitness. There is some truth to that, as we should not assume someone is a great leader simply due to physical performance. However, the discipline required for sustaining a fitness routine typically transfers into your daily life as well. Physically, it reminds me to focus on what my body is capable of and honoring it with movement. It has helped me understand food as fuel rather than an enemy. As a mom, showing my girls that we are strong, capable, and disciplined is a big motivator for me. I don’t want them to worry about weight or waist size. I want them to grow up knowing they are strong, beautiful and powerful in body and mind just as Christ created them. I also love the tangible way to see progress after putting in the work. There is something special about women cheering each other on. To see us breaking through our own barriers, either physical, spiritual, or social, is empowering beyond belief.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
The Army greatly prepared me by helping me see the special bond we have as women, and how special it can be when we lend a hand to each other. It helped me stop seeing women as competition, and see them instead as another sister to help and support in their own journey. I did have to re-learn my communication style transitioning from the Army to Girls on the Run. I was constantly reformatting emails to be less direct, and I had to switch from commanding soldiers to helping inspire volunteers. That was a very difficult aspect to maneuver. I think academics help in ways that are not always evident. My undergraduate was heavily involved with reading and writing, and that has helped astronomically in various ways. My current Master’s program has been a valuable tool to help me navigate this role. It helped me be actively involved in our accounting and financial planning as well as aiding in re-organizing our current business plan while we look to our post-pandemic future.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
Being a woman impacted my life in the Army the most. I was a minority, and I also had great leaders who saw me for my potential rather than my gender, but I am keenly aware that this was not the norm for most. It allowed me to learn the necessity for female friendships and learn how to really strive to help other women succeed, because when one of us succeeds we all are lifted a little higher. At Girls on the Run, I love that I am now helping cultivate confidence in the next generation and teaching them these tools at an early, but critical, age. I firmly believe we are changing the landscape of the future by empowering these young girls to learn to love themselves while uplifting each other.
In the last year, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your career?
Last year I started reading Brene Brown, and learned the importance of implementing boundaries. Coming into Girls on the Run of North Alabama, and beginning to work from home while balancing new life as a work-from-home mom was a difficult transition. I am a workaholic, and the beginning of any new job is met with me working feverishly to master my new craft. On top of that, I didn’t want to disappoint our Board, our Sponsors, or our families. This led to an incredibly toxic environment for me where I would be responding to emails at 6am while running, at 11pm in bed, or at 3am while nursing my daughter at the time. It was nonstop and after 4 months I had to figure out a different method. Implementing boundaries—established work hours, not bringing the phone to bed or on a run, setting work hours on Google Voice, and forcing myself to plan rest days (or half-days)—all helped me feel more in control and helped to save my sanity as well as made me better in my remaining daily tasks.
What do you wish your past self knew during your professional experiences?
The wonderful necessity of giving yourself grace. I am great at extending it to others, but have not always been successful as extending it to myself.
How do you rest, recharge and find inspiration?
Unplugging and stepping outside to connect with creation. This can be as simple as shutting your laptop, laying your phone down, and just walking away for 5 minutes. It always helps.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Find something that fuels your fire and feed it. This doesn’t necessarily have to be your career, but it’s important to feel like you are doing more in this life than just earning a paycheck. Start a book club, a running group, a Bible Study, volunteer at a local women’s shelter. Do something that has always been a passion, and see where it leads.
Connect with Christina:
Personal Instagram / GOTR Instagram / Email
This interview has been condensed and edited.
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