Interview Date: August 19, 2024
Interviewer: Jeff Baumgartner
Abstract
Stacey Slaughter, CEO of NCTI, Inc., talks about her career starting out as a staff accountant at Jones International to being owner and CEO of a training company for broadband and wireless professionals. She details how she was personally mentored by Glenn Jones, the culture at Jones, and several businesses under the Jones umbrella, including Mind Extension University, eGlobal Library, Jones International University, and NCTI. Slaughter talks about women in the industry the influence of her mother on her career. She describes what NCTI does now with over 36,000 students in the past year, how NCTI has changed over the years, and how the curriculum changes to reflect changes in the industry.
Interview Transcript
JEFF BAUMGARTNER: Welcome to this edition of the Hauser Oral History Project. I’m Jeff Baumgartner, and I’m pleased to be here and honored to be joined by Stacey Slaughter, a cable veteran, former Jones Associate. I have a big list here. Current CEO of NCTI, and an inductee into the 2023 class of Cable TV Pioneers. So, sorry if I’m missing anything on your list. I think we go back quite a ways, right? Or at least we go back, we have some shared history, going back to Jones, and the late, great Glenn Jones. So, it’s great to have an opportunity to do this with you.
STACEY SLAUGHTER: Thank you.
BAUMGARTNER: Yeah, and get your life’s history on tape. But before we talk about how you got involved in cable, let’s talk about your business background a little bit. You earned your bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Washington.
SLAUGHTER: Go Huskies.
BAUMGARTNER: Yeah. I’m a Ram, so you know, I think you guys will stomp us every time. But later, your MBA from the University of Colorado. So, I guess, go Buffs.
SLAUGHTER: Go Buffs, I guess.
BAUMGARTNER: Yeah. [Laughs] So, how did you prepare for the future? How did that prepare you for the future? And did you always see yourself as at the helm of a company?
SLAUGHTER: I never thought in a million years that I would be running a company. That wasn’t in my expectations when I was in school. I went after my accounting degree just because it came naturally to me. It was something that interested me. Finance, and accounting, and numbers always– It was just a natural fit. And when I got into the business world, just having that type of background allowed me a different opportunity in getting involved in operations. But I always thought I would be more CFO, COO, but never a CEO. That was just not something I expected.
BAUMGARTNER: That wasn’t like the thing out of the chute like, “All right, I’m going to shoot for a CEO spot.”
SLAUGHTER: No.
BAUMGARTNER: And had your whole life planned out at that point?
SLAUGHTER: No. Didn’t think I would be at the helm, didn’t think I would be in the spotlight at all.
BAUMGARTNER: Well, we tend, whenever I’m talking to people about their history in cable, a lot of people just kind of not necessarily stumble into the industry, but everybody’s path is a little bit different. It’s by happenstance, some sort of fortuitous circumstance. But what did cable mean to you before you entered the industry?
SLAUGHTER: It was what I watched on TV. When I got the job at Jones back in early 1996, I knew about Mind Extension University. I remember seeing that channel, you know, with our subscription, our cable subscription that we had. I believe it was TCI at the time. So, I was aware of that, but I just never thought about a career in cable. To be quite honest, when I got the job at Jones, pretty much my first real job out of college, I was temping, not at Jones, somewhere else, and got the call from the staffing agency that there was this job at Jones. I’m like, “Oh yeah. They do that Mind Extension University thing.” And so, I was like, “Sure, I’ll go work there for maybe a year or two, and then move on to something else.” And I never left.
BAUMGARTNER: You probably saw the building off I-25?
SLAUGHTER: Yes.
BAUMGARTNER: Back in those days, especially in those days–
SLAUGHTER: Iconic.
BAUMGARTNER: There wasn’t a whole lot around, and that building just kind of stood out with the big glass atrium.
SLAUGHTER: And the palm trees inside.
BAUMGARTNER: Yeah. So, I used to drive by it too and kind of go, “I wonder what goes on in there.” You know, what is this cable thing? So, I think a lot of us have that same viewpoint. And I’m glad. Thanks for bringing up MEU. I was there for a few years myself.
SLAUGHTER: Of course, of course.
BAUMGARTNER: So you started out as a staff accountant at Jones International. So, Jones International, that was like the umbrella for– Like Glenn was into cable and satellite radio. I mean, all sorts of businesses.
SLAUGHTER: Sure, he had Jones Intercable more on the operator side of things, and then Jones International, which was the parent company. So, those two are sister companies, basically. And Jones International was the private side of the business. And so, he, you know, being the entrepreneur that he was, he was in a plethora of industries. And education was something he was extremely passionate about with Mind Extension University, eventually Jones International University, the first accredited online university.
BAUMGARTNER: I recall that.
SLAUGHTER: Remember those days?
BAUMGARTNER: I do.
SLAUGHTER: But that was all on the private side. So, I worked on that side of the business initially.
BAUMGARTNER: Now, do you ever come across– I’m going to quiz you.
SLAUGHTER: Okay.
BAUMGARTNER: Do you remember Jones FutureX?
SLAUGHTER: Yes.
BAUMGARTNER: You do?
SLAUGHTER: Yes.
BAUMGARTNER: Do you remember what it is?
SLAUGHTER: No, I don’t remember. No, I do not remember what it is.
BAUMGARTNER: I think it was back in those days, fax machines were the way that we communicated and delivered information. And I think it was like a security platform for faxes. Because who knew, you know? Cybersecurity, you know, back even in the fax days. So, that was my trick question. But you remember that it existed.
SLAUGHTER: I did. And I remember Jones Internet Channel when he was, you know, trying to get high speed internet into Alexandria, Virginia. Yep. Lots of different businesses he started up.
BAUMGARTNER: Yeah, that’s weird because when you hear Jones Internet Channel, and people are don’t really talk about it much now. It was weird, because back then, it was like a slice of six megahertz channel. It was just one channel, basically.
SLAUGHTER: Crazy.
BAUMGARTNER: And now with channel bonding and everything, you know, the technology has changed. But yeah, I do remember that one too. And the Banana Network?
SLAUGHTER: Banana Network. Yep. There was a costume that went around the Jones building.
BAUMGARTNER: I missed that. What was it?
SLAUGHTER: A banana costume. [laughs] Yes.
BAUMGARTNER: Okay, let’s talk more about your career though, because you later worked yourself up the ranks. Controller of Jones International, then CFO of Jones International, and then Jones eGlobal Library. Now that one, I remember MEU, and JIC, and Gate, and all these other things, but what was that one about? Was it adjacent to cable? I couldn’t remember that one.
SLAUGHTER: It was not. It actually was born out of Jones International University. So, it was the online library that JIU needed to have as part of its accreditation and servicing for its students. And Glenn, of course, being Glenn spun it off and tried to sell it outside of JIU as well. So, an online library service is what it was.
BAUMGARTNER: Yeah, and he always seemed to be like kind of ahead of certain things. I remember he did essentially what Wikipedia became. There was like a digital version of–
SLAUGHTER: That’s pretty much what eGlobal Library was. It was really an online library service. He would aggregate different services like you would have in law school or such, and he would bring them all together. And so, with a single subscription, you could access them all in one place. And it was basically Google.
BAUMGARTNER: Now, before we dive into NCTI and running that business, I want to talk a little bit about the culture of Jones because we all know that Glenn would refer to his employees as, quote unquote, associates. And I always thought he fostered a close-knit family type of atmosphere over the business. So, you know, if you had to look back, I mean, what do you remember the most about the culture there? And then, what have you done at NCTI over the years to kind of adopt some of those aspects?
SLAUGHTER: He treated it like a family, I think. There was that connection. I think even to this day, when you meet somebody who worked at Jones, whether they worked out in one of the systems across the country or there in Denver, it’s almost this automatic bond, like being in a fraternity or sorority. There’s this automatic connection, it was like a family. I think at NCTI, we’ve tried to replicate that, and we don’t– we’re not associates.
BAUMGARTNER: You don’t call them associates?
SLAUGHTER: No. We call them employees. But we’re all– We try to foster that sense of family and really removing a level of hierarchy as well. He was very connected. He would manage by walking around. You know, he would walk all the floors and stop and say hi to folks. Of course, we’re a very small company, but we try to remove that hierarchy and that there’s a more direct connection, and everybody’s a part of the solution.
BAUMGARTNER: Do you have bagpipes as part of the NCTI experience?
SLAUGHTER: [Laughs]
BAUMGARTNER: No, not yet.
SLAUGHTER: Not yet. Not yet.
BAUMGARTNER: There’s always time.
SLAUGHTER: Yes.
BAUMGARTNER: Now, what led you to become the CEO of NCTI? Was it 2014? Is that the correct time frame?
SLAUGHTER: So, it was in 2013, November of 2013, very late. Unfortunate circumstances, actually. I was CFO at the time, and Glenn was diagnosed with cancer. He was CEO in late 2013. And so, I still, clear as day, remember where I was sitting when I was on a phone call with him. It was the day after Thanksgiving in November 2013 on a conference call with him and one other gentleman, and he was trying to make sure that everything was taken care of and that his employees were taken care of. And he said, “And you’re going to be CEO.” And I thought he was talking to the other gentleman. And so I’m just there. I’m just taking notes. I said, “So, Tim’s going to be CEO.” And he said, “No, you are.”
BAUMGARTNER: And what was your response?
SLAUGHTER: Oh, okay. Write that down. Note to self.
BAUMGARTNER: Get new business card.
SLAUGHTER: Yes. Yes.
BAUMGARTNER: Change business signature and email.
SLAUGHTER: Yes. It came out of what I thought was left field. And as you said, Glenn was always ahead of his time. His brain was going constantly. One of my– As I reflect back, Monday mornings were scary for me because he had had the whole weekend alone with his thoughts. And he would come in with some level of idea of what we were going to do that week because he had had that time. So, I have no doubt in his mind, he had been thinking about it for a while. Fast forward the next year and a half of his life, he devoted so many hours into mentoring me. And when I talk to individuals who’ve worked at Jones, many have very fond memories of the relationship that they had with Glenn. I think I am that times a hundred. I will never ever be able to pay that forward, if you will, the amount of time that he invested in me is just– to reflect back on it. When he did finally pass, I remember driving away from his memorial service and thinking, “Oh, that’s why you did what you did, so that I would be ready for this day right now.” Was I ready to be CEO in 2013? Maybe, maybe not. But by the time he was gone in July of 2015, I was ready to be.
BAUMGARTNER: So, you felt prepared. He didn’t micromanage. He let you spread your wings a little bit and find your own path.
SLAUGHTER: He did. You know, he would have lunch every single day in his library. And that last year and a half of his life, about four out of five days a week, I was eating lunch in his library, often just the two of us. And he would grill me and he would, as many Jones associates know, he was very fond of reading and passing out books to his leadership. I read a lot of books that 18 months.
BAUMGARTNER: Now, were these just typical, like general leadership books or were they– Because he also wrote a bunch too.
SLAUGHTER: He did write a bunch, but not his own books. He would assign other– Some of them were around leadership. Some of them, like Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. That was one of them. Of course, The Art of War. That was one of the big ones he always assigned people to read, but across the spectrum.
BAUMGARTNER: And a quick sidebar for NCTI, right? I think a lot of people who are watching this will know what NCTI is. So, this is a quick recap. I know generally what it is, but what’s your brief description on what the company is focused on?
SLAUGHTER: We’re a training company born and bred in the cable industry. And as that industry has evolved, we have evolved as well, incorporating– We try to train across technologies, not just dedicated to one, but truly across. So, right now, we’re doing a lot of fiber training, understandably. Really focused on the individuals who are responsible with servicing the customer, the end customer. So, that’s the technicians. Of course, decades ago, that was the installation technician going into the home or into the small business. We also work with customer service reps. So, again, anybody who’s really involved in getting that service to the end customer, providing that service through the life cycle of the relationship with the customer. We believe strongly that they carry the brand of our industry, and we want to do what we can to make them feel confident, to give them the resources that they need in order to do their job well.
BAUMGARTNER: And there’s a long history, right? NCTI goes back to ’68?
SLAUGHTER: ’68, yes, yes.
BAUMGARTNER: That’s amazing.
SLAUGHTER: And I believe I’m the fourth owner in that 55 year, 56 year period.
BAUMGARTNER: Yeah, because when did Glenn buy it?
SLAUGHTER: He bought it in 2005.
BAUMGARTNER: Okay. And then you were CEO, and then you actually took ownership of it. So, how did that transaction come together? And, you know, as you know, it’s even more responsibility than a CEO. So, were you excited, apprehensive, scared? I’m sure it was everything, but–
SLAUGHTER: Yeah, scared. During that time right after he had passed, there was unwinding of a lot of his different businesses, and NCTI was an asset. NCTI had had a life before Glenn, had made a gigantic impact in the industry, and there were people who were interested in buying it or buying parts of it. So, those first few months are a bit of a blur, as you can imagine, and as we were going through and we were trying to find a buyer, my mom, about a month into it, my mom said, “Well, what about you?” And I was like, “There’s no way I can buy this company.”
BAUMGARTNER: Your mom planted the seed on it?
SLAUGHTER: Yes. She said, “Well, why don’t you do it?” And so, you know, I hadn’t thought about it. I had been focused on finding a buyer other than myself at that point in time. And so, she planted the seed. Yeah, I can give her credit for that. And then, the ownership, the board of Jones international, they ended up coming to me and they said, “We really would like– We’d prefer you to buy it.”
BAUMGARTNER: And this is after you presented them with the idea or they just proactively– So, it just kind of all synced up.
SLAUGHTER: Yep. Basically, keep it in the family, if you will. And we’d, we’d really like you to consider this. And so, with friends and family fundraising, cobbled it together, made them an offer, and they accepted it.
BAUMGARTNER: And then, if you look back now since that moment, what would have been some of the big challenges you’ve had to kind of overcome over the last decade? I’m sure there’s a lot of different things, but I mean, what comes to mind?
SLAUGHTER: Those first few years going from a company that was part of a larger organization and being essentially spun off on our own and adapting to that was a shift. Anytime, you know, an organization goes through an ownership change, there’s always a level of transition, even if it’s somebody who’s been with the company. So, there was that piece. Those first couple of years, there was a lot of transition, us essentially, right-sizing. You know, Glenn ran his businesses as hobbies. You know, he was an entrepreneur. He would dabble in this, dabble in that. So, we had to shift and–
BAUMGARTNER: You were solely focused on this business.
SLAUGHTER: Run like a business and, and yes, be laser-focused on our objectives because I wasn’t a multimillionaire, you know? I wasn’t going to be able to just to fund the organization. So, getting through that and truly, again, right-sizing our business, becoming laser-focused on what we are to the industry and what we can accomplish. It was a challenge, but we did it, and the team stuck together, and we did it. Here we are.
BAUMGARTNER: Okay. Now, for the company itself, and training, and everything, how has the model for training and education changed over the past few years? I mean, is everything now completely online? Is there still in-person training? You know, how does that come together to cover as many people as you need to provide this?
SLAUGHTER: So, in our space, there’s definitely a hands-on component that’s necessary because there’s skill that has to be practiced. Our model, for us, has always been distance learning, if you will, the old correspondence courses from the sixties and seventies. Now a hundred percent online, all self-paced.
BAUMGARTNER: MEU.
SLAUGHTER: MEU. Yep, exactly. So, it’s been, for us, the way we’ve evolved and changed is to go from that print you used to get in a book in the mail and you used to mail your tests in to now a hundred percent online. All of our courses are accessible anywhere on any kind of tablet, phone, that type of thing. And then, we partner predominantly with the providers in the industry for the hands-on piece. So, they use us for knowledge-based learning, and then they do the practicum, if you will, within their organization. You do need both. You absolutely do need both, but we believe that for scalability, the component that we supply, which is more that industry general information can be done much more cost-effectively through our model.
BAUMGARTNER: And how has the content evolved in the years? You mentioned fiber has become a need because we’re seeing a lot more deployment of fiber in green fields, and edge outs, and all the government subsidy programs that we’re seeing now, but you know, fiber is a focus. What else has changed in your curriculum and what you’re offering to the industry?
SLAUGHTER: We follow the technology of the industry. So, yes, right now, a lot of fiber, right now, a lot of construction, as you can well imagine with the initiatives to close the digital divide and connect all of America, right? A lot of construction going on right now. In addition, and unfortunately because of some very high profile accidents, safety is also a huge topic for us at this point in time. But we really stay in tune with the providers in the industry, and whatever their needs are, we meet those needs by meeting them where they’re at. So, that’s through our conversations with them, our meetings with them, we find out what’s on their roadmap, and then we build towards that as well.
BAUMGARTNER: Okay, and where is wireless and mobile fitting in right now? Because as we’re talking a lot of major cable operators, midsize, small, I mean, they’re all either, not all, but a lot of them are getting into the game, either launched or planning to launch that type of service. And that’s pretty new to this industry, I think, from that type of scale. So, are you getting a lot of demand or interest in developing and training around that?
SLAUGHTER: We are. And we actually partnered with a group out of Europe who has just great breadth of wireless content. So, for us, at this point in time, we launched that partnership about two years ago. And so, we are– If you’d asked me that three or four years ago, I really thought that there would be more of a predominance of wireless than there is right now. But again, like I said, we try to meet the operators where they are with their technology. So, we’re seeing some fixed wireless, there was some that dabbled in fixed wireless and are now getting out of it. So, we just try to meet them where they’re at.
BAUMGARTNER: Yeah. And Wi-Fi has got to be pretty big.
SLAUGHTER: Wi-Fi, troubleshooting for Wi-Fi, in particular, setting up in-home networks. We have curriculum around that as well.
BAUMGARTNER: Yeah, because I think the operators have really kind of taken ownership of that versus just, you know, letting it go to some retail device and the consumer trying to figure it out for themselves.
SLAUGHTER: Well, and consumers expect it.
BAUMGARTNER: And who will they call when somethings wrong?
SLAUGHTER: Right. They think it’s their provider’s fault if something’s not working. So, the providers have really had to step in.
BAUMGARTNER: And again, we talked about the NCTI going back to 1968, right?
SLAUGHTER: It predates me, just for the record.
BAUMGARTNER: I was just coming into the earth at that point, you know. So, NCTI and I were born in the same year. I don’t know if you tracked this number, but how many people have been sent through your courses and certification programs? I don’t know if you can put it together from a recent period or, you know, the entire time NCTI has been here.
SLAUGHTER: Over half a million. We know that. We don’t know the exact number, but over half a million because of the early records. Last year alone in 2023, we trained over 36,000, almost 37,000 students. This year, so far year to date, we’re what, eight months in roughly, and we’ve hit over 15,000 students this year.
BAUMGARTNER: Now is that US focused or is there an international piece to it?
SLAUGHTER: Canada and the Caribbean. We have an oddly large presence in the Caribbean, which I think is because the sales folks like to go down there. [laughs]
BAUMGARTNER: I was going to say, do you get to go down there and, you know, kind of check things out, make sure everything’s running smoothly?
SLAUGHTER: Every once in a while, I do pull that short straw.
BAUMGARTNER: I assume Glenn is probably at the top of this list, but when you look back, I mean, who do you consider to be the biggest influence on you and who do you consider your mentors in the industry? Again, knowing that Glenn’s, you know, right up there.
SLAUGHTER: Definitely from a business perspective in this industry, Glenn absolutely is top of that list. I would not be where I am today without him, and I just wouldn’t have been given the same opportunities if I had worked somewhere else, I don’t think. He’s just an out of the box thinker, saw an accountant in front of him, but didn’t just pigeonhole me into accounting or into finance. So, definitely him. As I mentioned earlier, the amount of hours that he invested in me, I am extremely thankful for. It doesn’t mean I agree with all his decisions. There’s decisions today that I make that I do stop and think Glenn wouldn’t like that, but I go with my gut. And he taught me how to view the whole business at itself and be able to anticipate several steps ahead, what the unintended consequences could be, and for that, I’m extremely, extremely thankful. I think as well, my mom. I mentioned her earlier. She’s definitely been a huge influence in my professional career as well. She taught me that I can do anything from a young age. I’ve never felt that I had different opportunities because I was a woman, and she instilled that in me. One of the little known facts about me is that I actually played tackle football when I was in grade school. I did. Strong safety right here.
BAUMGARTNER: Really?
SLAUGHTER: It just never even crossed my mom’s mind that I wouldn’t be allowed to do that because I was a girl. So, I think just having that perspective, I’m extremely thankful that my mom instilled that in me.
BAUMGARTNER: I’m really interested to know that. So, how did you get into tackle football?
SLAUGHTER: I still, to this day love football. I am so excited that football season is about to start again. I’m so excited. I wanted to play. I did the soccer thing. I did the softball thing when I was younger. I wasn’t any good, but I was pretty good at football.
BAUMGARTNER: So, you were with an organized team with pads and the whole thing?
SLAUGHTER: I was the only girl on the team. Now in sixth grade, I’ve been at the height that I am now since sixth grade, so I was taller than all the boys, which I’m sure played into it, but yes.
BAUMGARTNER: Now today, do you do flag football?
SLAUGHTER: I don’t. I did in high school, but not now.
BAUMGARTNER: Is it like an Olympic sport now?
SLAUGHTER: I think it is, or it’s about to be.
BAUMGARTNER: I thought I saw something about it. Anyway, we’ll fact check that one. I can’t remember the specifics of it. Okay. As you also go through your career, I think some of the things we’ve already talked about probably are on this list, but what are the proudest moments you’ve had in your career?
SLAUGHTER: What gives me the most pride is when I meet a former NCTI student and they say, and we all get this, everybody within NCTI who interacts with our customers will get it at some point, but they say, “I got my start with NCTI.” And now, they’re an AVP, or they’re running a field ops, or whatever the case may be. But that they got their start, whether it’s they were a CSR or a technician, that right out of the gate, NCTI was one of the courses that they took. And now look at where they are today. It’s so much pride. That’s what I’m proud of, is the legacy that NCTI has had, and that I’ve been able for this period of history to be a part of it.
BAUMGARTNER: You’re also a Cable TV Pioneer, right?
SLAUGHTER: I’m too young to be a Pioneer.
[Laughs]
BAUMGARTNER: I know. 25 years? Yeah. Okay, does that mean they’re getting ready to send me away somewhere? But when you learn the news, it’s got to be exciting that you do get some recognition for your time and your impact on the industry.
SLAUGHTER: It’s a huge honor. I’m very grateful and humbled.
BAUMGARTNER: How about your own legacy? What would you like it to be or what do you think it’ll be?
SLAUGHTER: Again, for this period of time, I’m a steward of NCTI. I don’t expect to be the last owner. I expect the NCTI to be around for another 55 years beyond my ownership. So, I want that to be my legacy. The fifth, sixth, seventh owners that they look back and they knew that I took care of the company, and that I took care of our mission in the industry, and that I did it well.
BAUMGARTNER: Since we’ve both been in the industry for quite a while, I think the way the industry is or how it’s defined has evolved and continues to evolve. This is more of a crystal ball question. What do you think quote, unquote cable is going to be 10 years from now? Are we still going to have the collegial industry that it is? There’s a lot happening right now in the industry with initiatives and what cable operators are focused on. There’s less uniformity on what everybody’s doing.
SLAUGHTER: So this is completely Stacey’s opinion, and like I said, I was wrong on wireless a few years ago. I think from a service standpoint, of course, we’ve got record amounts of government funding flooding into our industry right now. And because of that, there’s quite a few new entrants chasing money coming into our industry as well. I think if we fast forward five years or what have you, I think the providers that have been in this industry a while are still going to be, generally speaking, the providers. I think that they’ll gobble up the new entrants because the folks that are getting in, like I said, they don’t necessarily know what they’re doing.
BAUMGARTNER: I think you’re right because I think there’s one thing when you’re building something, and then there’s another thing when you have to operate it.
SLAUGHTER: And maintain it. And so, I think that the folks that have been around, whether it’s called the same thing– We’ll see mergers, acquisitions, consolidation, but the folks that have been in the industry a while are still going to be the folks that are in the industry when we get through this onslaught of new entrants who are in it for the construction and don’t understand the components that come after that. This doesn’t really impact NCTI, but I am watching it and I’m fascinated by what I’m seeing in the bifurcation between the program or content providers and the service providers as well. I’d be curious to see if that all comes back around.
BAUMGARTNER: You’re right.
SLAUGHTER: Or if we see them truly diverge. It’s interesting to me.
BAUMGARTNER: Well, that’s pretty incredible. It’s an interesting point, because the whole video model is completely changing. We’re seeing a lot of that today in how consumers are accessing video and pay TV. So, what about the Slaughter household? How do you get your video now?
SLAUGHTER: Well, I am still a loyal Comcast subscriber. I have been since it was TCI and all the name changes since the ‘90s there. So, I do still subscribe to Xfinity, but I think I’ve got every other service underneath the sun too.
BAUMGARTNER: How many streaming services? Do you lose count?
SLAUGHTER: Yes, I probably have eight, nine.
BAUMGARTNER: So, probably like me. It’s like too many. I don’t have time to watch everything, but it’s like a fear of missing out sort of thing. What if there’s a series– I’m too lazy to unsubscribe and churn in and churn out? That’s me.
SLAUGHTER: Well, the subscription service will have one incredible series and you have to subscribe for that series. That’s how Paramount roped me in, with Yellowstone.
BAUMGARTNER: So, which one’s your favorite one then, or which one do you use the most from a streaming site?
SLAUGHTER: Netflix is probably what I use the most, but the programming on Apple TV is pretty enticing as well.
BAUMGARTNER: Now, one of the last things I want to ask you about is advice you have for other women who are interested in becoming industry leaders, particularly in I think you can arguably say that it’s a pretty male-dominated industry.
SLAUGHTER: Still. Changing, but it is still.
BAUMGARTNER: There’s progress.
SLAUGHTER: There has been progress, but it is still male-dominated. I think going back to what I shared about my mom instilling in me that there was never a thought that I couldn’t do something because I was a woman. I think being able as women in the industry to take the opportunities, put yourself forward for promotions and projects that work. Just don’t think about what society may or may not say what you can or cannot do. Just take the chances that you want to take. They’ll pay off.
BAUMGARTNER: We talked about mentorship, in your mom, Glenn. From my side, I wish I had more opportunities to mentor other people, but it just feels like the opportunities are kind of been fleeting for me. But for you, how important is it to you to mentor others, whether it’s in your own business, or people outside the industry, or adjacent to NCTI?
SLAUGHTER: I do think it’s important. One of the volunteer roles that I have outside of the industry, I work with college women. Being able to coach them, and mentor them, and listen as they’re trying to figure out life and figure out what they want to do with– Being present and really building relationships is key with that generation. So many of them are stuck to their screens in learning how to interact with humans face to face. That’s where I probably spend more of my time. When it comes to mentoring individuals, I wish I had that skill that Glenn had where he would invest in people, and that’s something that I aspire to do. I really do think that I have a responsibility as a female executive in this industry to make sure I’m advocating for women when they’re not in the room. That’s something, again, a responsibility I take very seriously, to speak up for other women, especially when they’re not in the room. I don’t know if that really answers your question.
BAUMGARTNER: I think it does. I think mentorship is important. I think sometimes it’s just difficult to always look for the opportunities versus just putting together a formal mentorship program, but just being able to do it on a day-to-day basis or being opportunistic.
SLAUGHTER: Being present and building relationships. This industry is so much about relationships. You just never know where somebody else is going to end up and building the relationships.
BAUMGARTNER: Maybe this is the last one. I figured I’d just show you another curveball because the whole football thing was news to me.
SLAUGHTER: It’s not on my LinkedIn page.
BAUMGARTNER: Oh, it’s not? I looked but I didn’t see the whole strong safety position. What’s another surprising aspect about you or something a lot of people don’t know about you?
SLAUGHTER: Wow, that’s a good question. If you’ve worked with me for any amount of time and you were with me in 2012, you know that probably one of the more life-changing events that occurred is I broke both of my arms ice skating. If you knew me back then, you knew, but if you didn’t, you didn’t necessarily know that about me. It really taught me how to depend on other people. It’s what that did.
BAUMGARTNER: I would say. Wow, okay, yeah. Just your day-to-day life. You probably appreciated things a little bit differently, I think.
SLAUGHTER: Yes. I appreciate both of my arms. [laughs]
BAUMGARTNER: Functioning arms, yeah.
SLAUGHTER: That’s probably something that– I’m a military brat, so my dad was in the military, moved around a lot when I was younger.
BAUMGARTNER: Really? Where did that take you?
SLAUGHTER: I was in Phoenix, Seattle, Norman, Oklahoma, Reykjavik, Iceland, and then I spent most of my elementary school years in Ramstein, Germany.
BAUMGARTNER: What was your favorite of all those?
SLAUGHTER: Probably Germany.
BAUMGARTNER: Germany, why?
SLAUGHTER: Because I remember it. I was old enough to remember it.
BAUMGARTNER: I was going to say, I wanted to go to Germany when I was younger because the drinking age was–
SLAUGHTER: I was a little younger than that.
BAUMGARTNER: Okay.
SLAUGHTER: We lived off base in Germany, and so I really got to know the neighbors and the culture, and I’d actually love to go back.
BAUMGARTNER: Did you become fluent in German?
SLAUGHTER: I was at the time, but don’t ask me to say anything now other than hello and goodbye.
BAUMGARTNER: Okay. All right, I won’t ask you to answer any questions in German.
SLAUGHTER: Thank you. Appreciate that.
SLAUGHTER: Great. Well, Stacey, I think that’s where we’re going to leave it. I really appreciate getting a chance to know you better, learn a lot more about you and your career, and thanks again for providing insight and sharing a lot of amazing details about yourself.
SLAUGHTER: Thank you, Jeff. It’s been a pleasure.
BAUMGARTNER: Thanks.
