We are excited to introduce our Employee of the Month for August… Marta Peliwo! This month’s spotlight brings a unique twist as Marta, typically the author of our Employee of the Month blog posts, now takes center stage herself. This time it’ll be a bit different because Marta is surprisingly very good at avoiding talking about herself (and eluding the interview phase).

Marta Peliwo (pronounced Puh-LEE-voh) was born in Hartford, CT, and moved to Tennessee with her family when she and her sister were four. She takes pride in being the older sister to her fraternal twin by 2 whole minutes. “Those two minutes matter!” she said indignantly. Marta discovered theater when she was 14 and pursued that passion by first earning her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and then free-lancing as a professional stage manager. She obtained her MFA in Theatre Management from Florida State University because she wanted to get out of NYC. “I studied for the GRE on a tour bus,” she explained, “and moved down to Florida as soon as the tour closed.” With almost two decades of stage management under her belt, Marta’s journey took a new turn when she joined IA Stage in 2013 as a Marketing & Trade Show Coordinator.

In her own words, Marta shares a valuable lesson from her stage management days that resonates with her current role: “You control nothing, and nothing’s personal.” This ethos, she explains, revolves around meticulous planning while acknowledging that unforeseen changes are par for the course. This lesson, she believes, holds true in her role today. “In marketing,  you line up as much as you can knowing that as soon as you put it down on paper, it’s wrong. Then you do the best you can with the variables that life throws at you.”

She went on to talk about how much she enjoys putting the tradeshows together. “It’s my favorite part of my job. You can drop me in at any point in the process, and I know exactly what needs to get done. I think everyone knows that I love making a calendar,” she said laughingly, “It gives me the illusion of control and a sense of closure.”

Those of us who work with Marta know the energy she brings to the table with every project. She confronts challenges and setbacks with an unwavering positive attitude. As one colleague aptly puts it, “Marta is always fun to work with; I am glad she is part of the team. Her enthusiasm and willingness to help inspire others to do better.”

Now, I’m not saying this because Marta is my manager, but she is one of the liveliest humans I have ever met. Her boundless eagerness to extend a helping hand is a testament to her character. Her mantra—”Do it – whatever it is – simply because you can.”—emanates from a profound perspective shaped by navigating some significant health challenges. “I’m still here, so I’m doing it because I still can, and I think that’s a privilege,” she reflects.

When asked to reveal a core aspect of herself, Marta’s response encapsulates her essence. “I wish everybody would treat everyone else with kindness and dignity – including themselves. I try to treat myself with kindness and dignity, and I hope that I pass that on to other people.”