August 30, 2026 • 27 mins
Have you ever wondered what happens when you drop all your rules and open your mind to new experiences? On this episode of the Amateurs and Experts Podcast, hosts sit down with Marsha Petrie Sue to explore her amazing life journey. Marsha is an author, public speaker, and leader in the outdoor industry. Early in her career, she had to work very hard to overcome stage fright and learn how to speak with confidence. Over time, she became a strong leader by learning to listen to others and respect different communication styles.
Marsha explains that people cannot change others; they can only change themselves. By dropping her strict personal filters, she met her husband, Al, who introduced her to shooting sports and wildlife conservation. Today, Marsha serves as the Chair of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, where she helps protect over 800 animal species. She encourages everyone to visit their local wildlife websites and sign up for volunteer cleanup projects to help nature thrive.
Links
- Timestamp 14:57: Mention of state wildlife agency websites (specifically the Arizona Game and Fish Department Volunteer Portal) for finding local conservation projects.
- Timestamp 26:10: Personal website and contact email for Marsha Petrie Sue at MarshaPetrieSue.com.
- Timestamp 26:15: Marsha Petrie Sue's published books on Audible and Amazon Kindle.
Key Takeaways
- Drop Rigid Filters: Letting go of strict checklists and predefined expectations in relationships and opportunities can lead to life-changing experiences.
- Confidence is a Learned Skill: Public speaking and commanding a room do not always come naturally; they can be developed through training, voice control, and practice.
- Adapt Communication Styles: Using personality frameworks like Myers-Briggs helps individuals tailor their messaging to meet others where they are, improving leadership and teamwork.
- You Can Only Change Yourself: Attempting to force change on other people leads to frustration; true growth comes from self-awareness and self-adjustment.
- Get Involved in Local Conservation: State game and fish departments rely heavily on community volunteers for habitat protection, cleanup, and wildlife preservation.
Key Words Used
- Leadership
- Conservation
- Communication
- Mentorship
- WOMA (Women’s Outdoor Media Association)
- Myers-Briggs
- Arizona Game and Fish
- Public Speaking
- Diaphragm / Voice Control
- Volunteerism
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:14):
Welcome to Amateurs and Experts Podcast.
We're here at NRA, and um I'mhere with my co-host, Maggie
Reese, and we have I I can'teven begin to tell you what an
amazing woman we have here.
Uh Marcia Petrie Sue.
If you don't know her, you aremissing out in life.
She's one of those people thatum honestly I have chills just
(00:38):
being in front of you, Marsha.
Thank you.
Um she has done everything andis still doing everything.
And um she actually sent me anintroduction.
However, I know that there's somany things missing from it, and
um but it was so impressive.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_01 (00:55):
We were reading this last night, and then we kind of
looked around the room and werelike, I think we need to step up
our game.
Like we're a little short rightnow on like what we've
accomplished, like after we werereading this.
SPEAKER_02 (01:06):
Oh, yeah, and I'm twice as old as you girls, too.
But thank you so much for havingme here.
I'm really appreciative and I Iappreciate your time.
SPEAKER_01 (01:15):
You know what's really fun?
Sorry to cut you off, but I wasgonna say what's really fun
sometimes is that people end upknowing you like in one aspect
of your life, like one genre.
And so you're like a really bigdeal in this one aspect, but
then when we were readingthrough your bio last night,
we're like, well, crap, there'sthis, this, and this, and this.
And so for our ladies, you know,they know you as co-founder of
(01:36):
the WOMA, and they kind of knowyou it from that, but you have
this whole other life andcareer, and I mean I've got all
your books at home.
Thank you.
And they've been super helpful,you know.
I mean, how to be a CEO and andhow to be a a leader.
So I think maybe maybe I youcould speak a little bit more on
that.
SPEAKER_02 (01:55):
Absolutely, absolutely.
Well, I've had a very diverselife, I can say that.
And being raised in SouthernCalifornia, uh left there 40
years after I'd been livingthere and was transferred to
Georgia, to Atlanta.
They're different than we werein California, like a little
bit.
And I'm talking to somebody andI'm thinking, okay, you can
(02:16):
speed it up.
You know, that's roll them.
And then I realized it wasn'tthem that needed to change, it
was me.
And it was really a growth andlearning experience for
understanding other cultures,and not everyone was from
Southern California.
And then after four years there,I was transferred to my current
home of Arizona, which Iabsolutely love.
(02:37):
In 1990, I I was there.
And then I decided I wanted toretire.
One of my big goals in life wasto retire when I was 46.
SPEAKER_01 (02:45):
Why 46?
SPEAKER_02 (02:47):
It was just a goal that I had.
Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01 (02:49):
Because I thought I like I I like 45 or 50.
SPEAKER_02 (02:53):
46.
I don't know.
It was just kind of a a numberwhere I thought I've done a lot
in my life, but I really want tohave a life.
Because I had been a corporatebabe for a lot of years and spun
myself into craziness, and Ithought I want it to end.
So that was my goal when I wasuh transferred in 1990.
I thought, okay, by 1992, I'mgonna have a life.
(03:16):
I want to retire and I want toremarry.
I did have a practice husband,and uh and then I I was divorced
for 18 years, and that's when Idecided to find a matchmaker.
This way before e-harmony or anyof that stuff.
So I went to a matchmaker inMesa, Arizona, and that's when I
met Al.
Wow, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (03:38):
Is that matchmaker still around?
I mean no, they went out for thebusiness a million years ago.
SPEAKER_02 (03:42):
A million years ago, you might call them, yeah.
Yeah, right, exactly.
And it it was funny because oneof the things, and this is
something I want to tell everyaudience I ever speak to, we
need to get rid of our lists andour filters and everything that
we have on how it should be andhow I want it to be.
So I put all that aside and Ithought I'm open to anything.
(04:05):
So when I met Al, and you guysknow Al, he's amazing, he's an
outdoor boy, he's a good oldboy, right?
Right, raised Marine Corps, andwhen I met him, I'd never
handled a gun, I'd certainlynever ridden in a truck, I
didn't own a pair of jeans.
Mother called them dungarees,and only farmers wore them,
right?
(04:26):
So, and he is the consummate.
He had on jeans the first time Imet him, drove a truck, and I'm
thinking, okay, you decided toremove your filters and all of
your lists, so you gotta justplay this out.
And we met in January, weengaged in July, and then we got
married in November.
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (04:46):
What a great story.
And and how like you would havemissed out on that if you had
must be six foot tall and can'tbe this, can't do that, you
know, can't drive a truck, youknow, all of that, can't have
anything.
SPEAKER_02 (04:57):
I was a member of PETA when I met him.
SPEAKER_01 (04:59):
Okay, I just want to cut this interview off now.
Good thing you didn't lead withthat.
SPEAKER_02 (05:06):
No, and it was interesting because that was
mother, you know, and I didn'tunderstand.
We still had fur coats, but webelonged to PETA.
SPEAKER_00 (05:14):
But that's a little bit of a juxtaposition right
now.
Just a teeny bit, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (05:18):
So it was very interesting uh when I met him
because we made a decision, youdo my stuff, I'll do your stuff.
So of course you guys know I'mvery involved with the opera and
the ballet and the the concertsand all.
I don't think he'd ever been toa concert that didn't involve a
banjo.
unknown (05:33):
You know?
SPEAKER_02 (05:35):
And I certainly had never shot a gun.
So my wedding gift was an overand under Satori lightweight.
Nice.
Yeah, I and still my favoritebird gun.
Yeah.
And it's sporting clays too.
We shoot us a lot of sportingclays.
But who knew?
You know, who knew?
But that's what happens when youkeep an open mind.
And that's the big thing that Ilike to tell any audience I
(05:56):
speak to, is that just keep anopen mind.
Don't judge.
Don't judge.
And there's so much judgmentgoing on in the world today that
I think that's where a lot ofthe uh stop gaps are.
You know, that's where a lot ofthe issues come from.
It's well, that's not what I'mthinking.
It's not my way.
Okay, what is your way?
And let's ask more questions.
(06:17):
So I think that's a big one.
SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
One of my uh favorite memories of you is I
actually sat in on one of yourspeaking engagements.
This was years, uh years ago.
It didn't it was totally like,you know, again, different hat
you were wearing at the time.
It didn't have anything to dowith hunting or firearms or
anything.
It was it was talking aboutleadership.
Yeah, and we were in this youknow, huge auditorium.
I I I don't remember, but youwere up on stage, and I just
(06:42):
thought like it was soimpressive to me about how you
were leading this group, thisgroup of primarily men.
Yeah, and how you just had suchcommand of the room and getting
everybody's attention.
And so you were talking about alot of things, but what I really
what stuck with me was just yourability to stand up there and
and own the room and be apresence and speak your mind and
(07:06):
have that confidence, and it itjust stayed with me ever since.
And I'm wondering, like, wereyou always that way?
Or did you have to teachyourself?
SPEAKER_02 (07:14):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (07:14):
Okay, great.
For the rest of us who don'tlike standing up in a in a room
full of people, thank you.
But for the rest of us who don'tlike standing up in in front of
a room full of people, like howdid you get to that point where
you were telling the thousandpeople sitting there, this is
what you do?
SPEAKER_02 (07:32):
Well, it's a learned, it's learned, it's
totally learned.
And I remember early on, uh 1972to be exact, you guys weren't
even born.
And uh I was uh it that was myvery first corporate job, and I
was working for GTE DirectoriesCompany, big telephone company,
did a lot of yellow pages, and Iwas asked to be a trainer.
(07:54):
I thought, well, I know what Ido, I was number one in sales,
and I thought, oh, I can dothis.
Well, then I was asked to traina class on how do you do it.
Well, I was so nervous that Ithrew up in the trash can before
I got up to do yeah, oh I was amess.
I was a mess.
So what I did is I thought I'vegot to learn how to not be
(08:14):
nervous and how to be a betterpresenter if this is how I want
to move my life forward.
And I knew I wanted to be intomanagement, leadership, and that
sort of thing.
So I started out uh with sometraining, and uh and I I think
that's an easy, there's a lot ofdifferent things you can do with
that.
And uh so I had to reach out toother people, have them train me
(08:36):
with voice control, uh managingyour anxiety, uh, speech
construction, and all that kindof stuff.
SPEAKER_01 (08:43):
I'm sitting here thinking voice control, like
your voice is perfect.
SPEAKER_02 (08:46):
Well, when I started out, this is a great one, 1972,
again, Bertie Jupiner was my mymentor, and she was fabulous,
fabulous leader, fabulousperson.
And she came up to me and andshe said, Do you want to get
into management and leadership,everything?
Yeah, that would be great.
I had this stupid little dumbvoice, and she says, Well, I
(09:09):
think you need to improve yourvoice.
Do you think so?
You know, so I did a speechcoach.
Really?
I went to a speech coach allthose years ago, and that's
where this voice comes from.
And it's just breathing andhaving your voice come from the
lower part of your diaphragmrather than up here in your
throat.
Uh-huh.
So, and I teach people to dothat now still.
I mentor a lot of women,especially, on this.
SPEAKER_01 (09:32):
I well, and you've mentored us because I I I know
how to properly sit at a tableand hold my etiquette training,
yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:40):
Today, when we were we had we went to the NRA um
women's leadership lunch, knewexactly what to do with every
fork and knife.
Oh my, and they had a fullsetting too, yeah, they sure
did.
And I was just like, this isgreat.
And you know, Marsha, actually,you are the one every time I
have I go to something like thiswith a big banquet and all the
(10:01):
um plates and and so we're Iusually send you a picture of it
and say thank you so much.
Oh well.
Because I had no clue.
SPEAKER_02 (10:08):
Well, that's thanks to my mom.
Before your training.
SPEAKER_00 (10:11):
But you know, honestly, Marsha, even last
night um when we were readingover your bio, I was telling um
Maggie and Katie Healy um thatbasically watching you be the
chair of the Women's OutdoorMedia Association when you were
really taught me so much.
SPEAKER_02 (10:26):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (10:27):
And um being the president, I needed a leader and
I needed somebody to look up toand to really uh you I feel like
you are my mentor.
SPEAKER_02 (10:35):
Thank you, thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (10:36):
And I know we did the Myers Briggs.
SPEAKER_02 (10:38):
Yeah, yeah.
I did it with Arnold as well.
And understanding what yourbasis of communication and
behavior is is criticallyimportant so that you're you're
one of four.
You know, I'm one of four.
Maggie's one of four.
You know, and when youunderstand that, you can start
to adjust your messaging toattract all four, not just you,
because we have a tendency to dowhat's comfortable for us,
(11:00):
especially under anxiety andstress.
You know, I'm bottom line, getit done, see a bye.
And for a lot of people, theywant how's a dog?
How are those?
I personally don't care.
But I know it's important forthem.
My husband is not bottom line,get it done.
He needs data.
You know, you ask him a questionand he'll ask you, Well, which
(11:23):
watch did you want me to buildfor you?
Yes, right.
Too much detail.
So now we have a deal.
I'll ask him a question, I'llsay, I just need a yes or a no,
and you don't have to answer meright now.
Because he needs process time.
Yeah.
You know, I know there's a lotof people that need the energy
behind it.
A lot of people need thatpersonal touch.
My secretary, Jan.
I have to say, How's the dog?
(11:43):
How are those kids doing?
How's that remodeling?
I don't care.
I don't care.
But it's important to them.
SPEAKER_01 (11:50):
But what I'm hearing is you say over and over is that
you meet people where they'reat.
Yeah.
You know, and you were open tomeeting Al where he was at on
that first date.
You're open to meeting, youknow, colleagues where they're
at in life and communicating onso you you have to have that
openness in yourself to be ableto let people in and meet them
where they're at.
SPEAKER_02 (12:09):
Okay, so let me ask you guys a question.
Have you ever tried to changeanother human being?
SPEAKER_00 (12:13):
Yes, too many times.
SPEAKER_02 (12:15):
Makes for great first marriages.
SPEAKER_00 (12:19):
Thank God I didn't marry that.
SPEAKER_02 (12:22):
Exactly, exactly.
So we can change ourselves, butyou can't change another person,
so stop trying.
Yes.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (12:30):
It took me many years to learn that.
SPEAKER_02 (12:32):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And Al is Al, and I'm me.
And I mean, and my gosh, I'mgonna be 80 next month.
He's gonna be 87.
SPEAKER_00 (12:40):
And Marsha, I am, I mean, it just floors me because
I'm not a camper.
It floors me to see that you'reout there still doing
conservation, still pitching atent and sleeping on the ground.
SPEAKER_02 (12:51):
I mean stripping barbed wire, putting smooth wire
up for the pronghorn migration,building water tanks.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (12:58):
Yes, I am just it every time I see that, it just
motivates me to go and dosomething.
Yeah, and I think, wow, how Imean, how do you become the
commissioner of Arizona?
I'm actually the chair ofArizona Game and Fish.
SPEAKER_02 (13:16):
It was funny about six years ago, uh, some friends
of mine came and we'd done a lotof conservation work.
I knew them from hunting andstuff, fishing, and they said,
Have you ever thought aboutbeing the commissioner of
Arizona Game and Fish?
And I said, No, but I watchedthe meetings, you know, because
we stream them.
And they said, We think youwould really be a good
commissioner.
Well, it took me about I wouldsay four or five months to think
(13:38):
about that because it's acommitment.
It's a big and I mean we do get$30 a meeting.
I know.
Hold on to your house.
Oh, biggie biggie.
SPEAKER_03 (13:46):
That's not paying for gas right now.
SPEAKER_02 (13:49):
Well, actually, they give you mileage.
Oh, well, it's good.
And uh I I finally said yes,uh-huh, and so it's a
rotational, there's fivecommissioners, and I'm now the
chair of the Arizona Game andFish.
And the nice thing is we justhad I'm the third female to be
on the commission, and it's it'suh four guys or was four guys
(14:12):
and me, and we just had a newcommissioner come on, and it's a
female, Jessica Manuel.
Yeah, that's so good.
And she is phenomenal.
I'm thrilled to have herbackground, uh, all of her
experience that she has withboth hunting and fishing.
Uh she does so much with gunsafety and hunter ed and all
(14:33):
that sort of thing.
So I'm thrilled.
You know I'm very much into togun safety.
I'm a NRA pistol instructor aswell.
SPEAKER_00 (14:39):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:39):
Which I I just took my physical therapist out last
week.
SPEAKER_01 (14:43):
That's so cool.
SPEAKER_02 (14:44):
Yeah, and taught her how to uh shoot.
And she called me back last weekand she says, Can we go out
again?
That is so cool.
SPEAKER_01 (14:52):
Well, how do people get involved if they want to get
more involved in conservation?
What's a starting point?
SPEAKER_02 (14:57):
Go on to your game and fish website, and I would
say 95% of them have a volunteerlink.
I know Arizona Game and Fishdoes, and I would say most of
them do.
And we have so much and so manyopportunities, and with ours, it
gives you the length of timeit's gonna take, where it is, uh
(15:18):
how hard it is.
Because some of the stuff you'reclimbing mountains and doing all
this, but some of them arecity-based.
For an example, I'm going out toLake Pleasant, uh, it's right by
our office up there in onCarefree Highway, and we're
picking up fishing line fromseven to nine in a couple weeks
uh to clean up the area.
(15:39):
Oh and so also so our birds andour other animals, we have a lot
of deer up there that don't comeand consume that and it makes
them sick and it gets them alltied up and all kinds of
problems.
So there's all kinds of thingsthat people can do.
And whether it's fishing,hunting, whether it's your your
grounds, your grasses, thewaterways, uh whatever you're
(16:00):
interested in, it's there.
You just have to take the time.
And the other thing is when yousign up for any of these
projects, the federal governmentuh gives us money back for the
hours spent in conservation.
Wow.
Yeah, because Arizona Game andFish Department takes no state
tax revenue.
Okay.
We're 100% self-funded.
SPEAKER_00 (16:22):
Wow.
SPEAKER_02 (16:22):
Yeah, so it's Pittman Robertson, it's Dingle
Johnson.
See, the sad thing is I know allthis stuff.
It's uh donations, it's all thatsort of thing.
Grants, we do a lot of grants,we have a whole department that
does grant writing.
But we have over 820 uh speciesthat we conserve and protect in
Arizona.
That's it.
And we have over 675 employees.
(16:45):
Wow.
Yeah, our budget is 158 milliondollars now, and it's 100%
self-funded.
Wow.
SPEAKER_03 (16:50):
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (16:51):
And I love that it's accessible for anybody to get
involved.
SPEAKER_02 (16:55):
I have to tell you a story, and uh, how are we doing
on time?
Are we good?
SPEAKER_00 (16:59):
We're good.
Okay, great, excellent.
Well, good.
Um there's a group we alwayshave time for a martial.
Oh, thank you.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (17:06):
We have a group, it's a Western group, and it's
called Waffwa.
I love Waffwa, the WesternAssociation of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies.
And I'm going up to that in acouple weeks in Boise.
And it's the Western states, andas we know, some of them are uh
very conservative, some of themare not, and they all work
(17:26):
differently.
Most of them take state taxrevenue, and they are under the
thumb of the government.
We are not.
Okay.
So when we go to these and wehave a a third of our employees,
about a third, are biologistsand scientists.
So every decision we make isbased on data and information.
(17:48):
It's not, oh well, I feel that.
No, we don't do that.
We don't do that.
Many states do, but we don't.
Wow.
And so we'll be talking aboutwhatever topic it is, and a lot
of the states will say, I wouldsay probably about 95% of the
time, they'll say, you know,we're gonna wait and see what
Arizona does.
SPEAKER_00 (18:07):
It's gonna be a leader.
Love that.
SPEAKER_02 (18:10):
I love that.
It's just wonderful.
SPEAKER_00 (18:12):
And it's great that you have, I mean, I'm sure that
they really embrace yourleadership skills, but the fact
that you are able to lead thestate and thank you, kind of the
nation really, yeah, in um fishand game.
SPEAKER_02 (18:27):
Um, I mean, you're throughout the states, you're
right.
Uh we are well respected, notonly just in Wafa, but also in
Afwa, which is the umbrella ofof all those uh other states in
in our our United States.
So it's really wonderful.
It's fabulous.
But our goal is to make surethat our numbers of tags that we
(18:50):
because people put in for a lotof our tags, you know, we're big
in elk and deer, and uh we wantto make sure that the number of
tags that people put in for thatthey are drawn for are the
appropriate number for what'sgoing on.
We're in drought right now.
You know, so our birth rates aredown.
And so what does that mean?
That means we don't have as manydeer, elk, or anything else.
(19:13):
You know, our waters are down,so that means there's a fish
issue.
Can be.
So we have to be very sensitiveto those numbers, and we are,
but that's because of thesefabulous people.
You know, it's it's funny, uh,because I worked in companies
all over the world when I waswith uh Westinghouse, and um I
have worked with a lot of greatcompanies, a lot of not so great
(19:35):
companies, small, large,everything in between.
I have never worked for a groupwith a group that has better
leadership, better motivation,uh, better direction, better
priorities, communications, allof it, than Arizona Game and
Fish Department.
Really?
Yeah, and I mean it's agovernment agency.
SPEAKER_00 (19:57):
Yeah, and that's why it's so amazing.
Yes, yeah, well, because I meanwhen I stepped in, I thought, oh
boy, here we go.
SPEAKER_02 (20:03):
You know, I gotta see what's gonna happen here.
SPEAKER_01 (20:06):
So do you think it's because everybody's so
passionate about it?
Yeah, or yeah, they just cometogether and say, we we really
have a purpose.
SPEAKER_02 (20:12):
I'm glad you said that because this last Tuesday
we had our EEC, the employmentengagement um uh conference.
Uh-huh.
And we had about 550 peoplethere.
We have uh, as I said, uh oversix hundred and forty-five
employees throughout the state.
A lot of people still have tostay on the ground.
I mean, our customer service wasstill open, so we had a lot of
people that couldn't attend.
(20:33):
And uh it was very interestingto hear, because we give out the
awards of five years, ten years,twenty-five years, some people
30, 35 years.
They've been with thedepartment.
SPEAKER_00 (20:44):
Oh, and that speaks volumes.
SPEAKER_02 (20:46):
Yes, yes, yes, and so many people within our
department come from othergovernment agencies that see how
well we're doing.
Yes, and so they have theexperience of all the stuff we
have to go through as agovernment agency, uh-huh.
You know, all of the softwareand all the programs and
everything that they do, butthey want to work for us.
SPEAKER_00 (21:08):
But you know, Marcia, when you um said that
you were gonna become thecommissioner for Arizona Game of
Fish, I thought, you know, youdon't you don't lend yourself to
something that's you know small.
I've never known you to lendyourself to something small.
And you always strive to dobetter and be greater as an
(21:30):
individual and make um whateveryou're whatever you're into, you
leave it better than when youcame.
And so I'm sure Arizona Game andFish is thriving just like Woma.
I mean, thank you.
You know, you really helpedbuild Woma into what it is
today.
SPEAKER_02 (21:49):
I remember the first couple, we funded them
ourselves.
Uh huh.
You know, and then and then wewe said, you know, as the money
was coming in after our thirdone, we said, well, maybe we
should have a little Pot on theside so we didn't have to fund
it every year.
So that's when we started to dothat.
So that worked out really well.
SPEAKER_00 (22:07):
Yeah.
So I mean the WOMA, uh, youknow, being able to step into
um, you know, the president andknow that WOMA is solid.
Um, but it was really you andDeb that did the hard footwork
and you know the bottom from theground up, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (22:24):
Well, I don't think either of us uh understand the
word no.
SPEAKER_01 (22:28):
Yeah, yeah.
Neither one of you like to sitstill.
That's the other thing.
SPEAKER_02 (22:33):
I think she may be a little crazier than I am.
She'll probably here, so we'llsee.
I know.
Well, she's probably she'dprobably say the same thing
about me, right?
Marsha's the crazy one.
Yeah, that's great.
That's wonderful.
SPEAKER_01 (22:46):
You both love to stay busy and you both love to
constantly give back.
And I think that that's that'sreally it.
You're not doing it for yourselfeither.
SPEAKER_02 (22:53):
Maggie, I am so glad you said that because my mission
in life is to give back morethan I've received and connect
my head and my heart with mymouth.
You both have heard me say thatagain and again.
So everything I do or volunteerfor or whatever, I want to make
sure that that's hitting thatgoal and that mission of mine in
life.
Because I know I was put herefor a very specific reason.
(23:15):
And it's my job to figure outwhat that reason is and to
continue to give back.
So, you know, some of the stuffI've done, I thought, uh not a
good fit, but then you just moveon.
You absolutely learn to say no.
SPEAKER_00 (23:29):
I I don't know how to say that yet.
No, I know.
But um, I love your heart ofservice.
Thank you.
You know, you you all the timegive back extra.
And um, we've seen it time andtime again, like I say at Woma,
um, whether it's a charity,whether it's I mean, even our
family, um, you know, givingback as far as you know, leading
(23:52):
us to uh me and my husband,giving us the Myers Briggs and
all that stuff.
And yeah, and helping us.
And I mean, I still don't reallyknow what I want to do when I
grow up.
Yeah, but it did give me um, youknow, I did use that in some of
some of the things that I thatI'm doing.
Even now I think about it like,okay, I'm this type, I have to
(24:13):
think about, you know, othersand and their types too.
SPEAKER_02 (24:15):
And yeah, it gives us another point of awareness.
It does.
You know, and I think just thatexpanding that kind of
knowledge, some some peopledon't know what they don't know.
Right.
You know, and I think that whenwe start to know some of those
things, it helps us have uh nota different direction, but a
better direction and a moredefinitive uh direction.
SPEAKER_00 (24:35):
And sometimes I needed the different direction
though.
SPEAKER_02 (24:38):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (24:39):
And it kind of helped in the Yeah, like really
opened my eyes to different todifferent ways of thinking and
um and so it w it was really uha great experience for me.
And um it's actually helped mein um jobs and and things like
that too.
SPEAKER_02 (24:57):
So I think even your writing, you know, when you're
writing like a newsletter orputting together in anything,
you think, okay, who am Iwriting to?
Right.
You know, is this a bottom lineget it done person or do they
want the diatribe?
You know, and uh I've learnedthat I'll tell you if people
send me like a two-page email, Idon't read it.
SPEAKER_01 (25:14):
Yeah, I know I know.
SPEAKER_02 (25:16):
I don't read it.
You know, and they'll say, Well,did you see that email?
Yeah, I saw it.
SPEAKER_00 (25:20):
Didn't read it, but I saw it.
I used to tell my supervisor itwas too wordy for me.
I just need headlines.
Yeah, I need bullet points.
SPEAKER_02 (25:28):
No, that's it.
I need bullet points andheadlines, right?
Yeah.
Well, that's because you guysare busy.
SPEAKER_01 (25:33):
I tell that to Erica all the time.
Yeah, I saw the email.
Oh yeah, uh-huh.
Yeah.
Didn't read it.
I saw every single email.
But yeah.
Didn't read it.
I'm learning I have to actuallyclick on them sometimes.
Bummer mania.
That's great.
Life lessons though.
Right, exactly, exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (25:49):
Marsha, if anybody wants to get a hold of you, um,
find out about your books, um,what you're up to, I mean,
follow Marsha.
SPEAKER_02 (25:58):
She has Well I'm on Facebook, as you guys know, and
that's uh that's the only socialmedia I do because I'm too old
to be able to learn how to doanything else.
Uh but it's Marsha atMarshaPetriesue.com, and then I
also have a website,Marshapetriesue.com.
SPEAKER_00 (26:13):
And where can they find your books?
SPEAKER_02 (26:15):
Uh I think well I have a publisher, so I think
they're on Audible and Kindle.
Oh nice.
Yeah, because I haven'tpublished in a long time.
SPEAKER_00 (26:23):
I have I think three of your books.
Yeah, yeah.
And you have five out there.
SPEAKER_02 (26:27):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:28):
And um, they've been amazing.
Good, so I definitely Iencourage everybody to go get
Marcia's books.
SPEAKER_02 (26:35):
Well, my goal is if I can have one person a month
have more joy in their life, I'mliving my life's mission.
That's all one a month's 12 ayear.
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (26:44):
That's great.
I love it.
Well, it's attainable.
I love I like, you know,sometimes we gotta set goals
that are attainable, and I knowthat you definitely impact more
than one person a month, so thatyou're already hitting your
goal.
Yes.
I love it.
SPEAKER_02 (26:55):
Well, thank you guys for including me in this.
It's truly my honor to be herewith you guys.
Thank you, Marcia.
I love you.
SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
I love you.
SPEAKER_02 (27:01):
Keep doing what you keep doing because you're doing
a great job.
Thank you.
Welcome to Amateurs and Experts Podcast.
We're here at NRA, and um I'mhere with my co-host, Maggie
Reese, and we have I I can'teven begin to tell you what an
amazing woman we have here.
Uh Marcia Petrie Sue.
If you don't know her, you aremissing out in life.
She's one of those people thatum honestly I have chills just
(00:38):
being in front of you, Marsha.
Thank you.
Um she has done everything andis still doing everything.
And um she actually sent me anintroduction.
However, I know that there's somany things missing from it, and
um but it was so impressive.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_01 (00:55):
We were reading this last night, and then we kind of
looked around the room and werelike, I think we need to step up
our game.
Like we're a little short rightnow on like what we've
accomplished, like after we werereading this.
SPEAKER_02 (01:06):
Oh, yeah, and I'm twice as old as you girls, too.
But thank you so much for havingme here.
I'm really appreciative and I Iappreciate your time.
SPEAKER_01 (01:15):
You know what's really fun?
Sorry to cut you off, but I wasgonna say what's really fun
sometimes is that people end upknowing you like in one aspect
of your life, like one genre.
And so you're like a really bigdeal in this one aspect, but
then when we were readingthrough your bio last night,
we're like, well, crap, there'sthis, this, and this, and this.
And so for our ladies, you know,they know you as co-founder of
(01:36):
the WOMA, and they kind of knowyou it from that, but you have
this whole other life andcareer, and I mean I've got all
your books at home.
Thank you.
And they've been super helpful,you know.
I mean, how to be a CEO and andhow to be a a leader.
So I think maybe maybe I youcould speak a little bit more on
that.
SPEAKER_02 (01:55):
Absolutely, absolutely.
Well, I've had a very diverselife, I can say that.
And being raised in SouthernCalifornia, uh left there 40
years after I'd been livingthere and was transferred to
Georgia, to Atlanta.
They're different than we werein California, like a little
bit.
And I'm talking to somebody andI'm thinking, okay, you can
(02:16):
speed it up.
You know, that's roll them.
And then I realized it wasn'tthem that needed to change, it
was me.
And it was really a growth andlearning experience for
understanding other cultures,and not everyone was from
Southern California.
And then after four years there,I was transferred to my current
home of Arizona, which Iabsolutely love.
(02:37):
In 1990, I I was there.
And then I decided I wanted toretire.
One of my big goals in life wasto retire when I was 46.
SPEAKER_01 (02:45):
Why 46?
SPEAKER_02 (02:47):
It was just a goal that I had.
Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01 (02:49):
Because I thought I like I I like 45 or 50.
SPEAKER_02 (02:53):
46.
I don't know.
It was just kind of a a numberwhere I thought I've done a lot
in my life, but I really want tohave a life.
Because I had been a corporatebabe for a lot of years and spun
myself into craziness, and Ithought I want it to end.
So that was my goal when I wasuh transferred in 1990.
I thought, okay, by 1992, I'mgonna have a life.
(03:16):
I want to retire and I want toremarry.
I did have a practice husband,and uh and then I I was divorced
for 18 years, and that's when Idecided to find a matchmaker.
This way before e-harmony or anyof that stuff.
So I went to a matchmaker inMesa, Arizona, and that's when I
met Al.
Wow, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (03:38):
Is that matchmaker still around?
I mean no, they went out for thebusiness a million years ago.
SPEAKER_02 (03:42):
A million years ago, you might call them, yeah.
Yeah, right, exactly.
And it it was funny because oneof the things, and this is
something I want to tell everyaudience I ever speak to, we
need to get rid of our lists andour filters and everything that
we have on how it should be andhow I want it to be.
So I put all that aside and Ithought I'm open to anything.
(04:05):
So when I met Al, and you guysknow Al, he's amazing, he's an
outdoor boy, he's a good oldboy, right?
Right, raised Marine Corps, andwhen I met him, I'd never
handled a gun, I'd certainlynever ridden in a truck, I
didn't own a pair of jeans.
Mother called them dungarees,and only farmers wore them,
right?
(04:26):
So, and he is the consummate.
He had on jeans the first time Imet him, drove a truck, and I'm
thinking, okay, you decided toremove your filters and all of
your lists, so you gotta justplay this out.
And we met in January, weengaged in July, and then we got
married in November.
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (04:46):
What a great story.
And and how like you would havemissed out on that if you had
must be six foot tall and can'tbe this, can't do that, you
know, can't drive a truck, youknow, all of that, can't have
anything.
SPEAKER_02 (04:57):
I was a member of PETA when I met him.
SPEAKER_01 (04:59):
Okay, I just want to cut this interview off now.
Good thing you didn't lead withthat.
SPEAKER_02 (05:06):
No, and it was interesting because that was
mother, you know, and I didn'tunderstand.
We still had fur coats, but webelonged to PETA.
SPEAKER_00 (05:14):
But that's a little bit of a juxtaposition right
now.
Just a teeny bit, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (05:18):
So it was very interesting uh when I met him
because we made a decision, youdo my stuff, I'll do your stuff.
So of course you guys know I'mvery involved with the opera and
the ballet and the the concertsand all.
I don't think he'd ever been toa concert that didn't involve a
banjo.
unknown (05:33):
You know?
SPEAKER_02 (05:35):
And I certainly had never shot a gun.
So my wedding gift was an overand under Satori lightweight.
Nice.
Yeah, I and still my favoritebird gun.
Yeah.
And it's sporting clays too.
We shoot us a lot of sportingclays.
But who knew?
You know, who knew?
But that's what happens when youkeep an open mind.
And that's the big thing that Ilike to tell any audience I
(05:56):
speak to, is that just keep anopen mind.
Don't judge.
Don't judge.
And there's so much judgmentgoing on in the world today that
I think that's where a lot ofthe uh stop gaps are.
You know, that's where a lot ofthe issues come from.
It's well, that's not what I'mthinking.
It's not my way.
Okay, what is your way?
And let's ask more questions.
(06:17):
So I think that's a big one.
SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
One of my uh favorite memories of you is I
actually sat in on one of yourspeaking engagements.
This was years, uh years ago.
It didn't it was totally like,you know, again, different hat
you were wearing at the time.
It didn't have anything to dowith hunting or firearms or
anything.
It was it was talking aboutleadership.
Yeah, and we were in this youknow, huge auditorium.
I I I don't remember, but youwere up on stage, and I just
(06:42):
thought like it was soimpressive to me about how you
were leading this group, thisgroup of primarily men.
Yeah, and how you just had suchcommand of the room and getting
everybody's attention.
And so you were talking about alot of things, but what I really
what stuck with me was just yourability to stand up there and
and own the room and be apresence and speak your mind and
(07:06):
have that confidence, and it itjust stayed with me ever since.
And I'm wondering, like, wereyou always that way?
Or did you have to teachyourself?
SPEAKER_02 (07:14):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (07:14):
Okay, great.
For the rest of us who don'tlike standing up in a in a room
full of people, thank you.
But for the rest of us who don'tlike standing up in in front of
a room full of people, like howdid you get to that point where
you were telling the thousandpeople sitting there, this is
what you do?
SPEAKER_02 (07:32):
Well, it's a learned, it's learned, it's
totally learned.
And I remember early on, uh 1972to be exact, you guys weren't
even born.
And uh I was uh it that was myvery first corporate job, and I
was working for GTE DirectoriesCompany, big telephone company,
did a lot of yellow pages, and Iwas asked to be a trainer.
(07:54):
I thought, well, I know what Ido, I was number one in sales,
and I thought, oh, I can dothis.
Well, then I was asked to traina class on how do you do it.
Well, I was so nervous that Ithrew up in the trash can before
I got up to do yeah, oh I was amess.
I was a mess.
So what I did is I thought I'vegot to learn how to not be
(08:14):
nervous and how to be a betterpresenter if this is how I want
to move my life forward.
And I knew I wanted to be intomanagement, leadership, and that
sort of thing.
So I started out uh with sometraining, and uh and I I think
that's an easy, there's a lot ofdifferent things you can do with
that.
And uh so I had to reach out toother people, have them train me
(08:36):
with voice control, uh managingyour anxiety, uh, speech
construction, and all that kindof stuff.
SPEAKER_01 (08:43):
I'm sitting here thinking voice control, like
your voice is perfect.
SPEAKER_02 (08:46):
Well, when I started out, this is a great one, 1972,
again, Bertie Jupiner was my mymentor, and she was fabulous,
fabulous leader, fabulousperson.
And she came up to me and andshe said, Do you want to get
into management and leadership,everything?
Yeah, that would be great.
I had this stupid little dumbvoice, and she says, Well, I
(09:09):
think you need to improve yourvoice.
Do you think so?
You know, so I did a speechcoach.
Really?
I went to a speech coach allthose years ago, and that's
where this voice comes from.
And it's just breathing andhaving your voice come from the
lower part of your diaphragmrather than up here in your
throat.
Uh-huh.
So, and I teach people to dothat now still.
I mentor a lot of women,especially, on this.
SPEAKER_01 (09:32):
I well, and you've mentored us because I I I know
how to properly sit at a tableand hold my etiquette training,
yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:40):
Today, when we were we had we went to the NRA um
women's leadership lunch, knewexactly what to do with every
fork and knife.
Oh my, and they had a fullsetting too, yeah, they sure
did.
And I was just like, this isgreat.
And you know, Marsha, actually,you are the one every time I
have I go to something like thiswith a big banquet and all the
(10:01):
um plates and and so we're Iusually send you a picture of it
and say thank you so much.
Oh well.
Because I had no clue.
SPEAKER_02 (10:08):
Well, that's thanks to my mom.
Before your training.
SPEAKER_00 (10:11):
But you know, honestly, Marsha, even last
night um when we were readingover your bio, I was telling um
Maggie and Katie Healy um thatbasically watching you be the
chair of the Women's OutdoorMedia Association when you were
really taught me so much.
SPEAKER_02 (10:26):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (10:27):
And um being the president, I needed a leader and
I needed somebody to look up toand to really uh you I feel like
you are my mentor.
SPEAKER_02 (10:35):
Thank you, thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (10:36):
And I know we did the Myers Briggs.
SPEAKER_02 (10:38):
Yeah, yeah.
I did it with Arnold as well.
And understanding what yourbasis of communication and
behavior is is criticallyimportant so that you're you're
one of four.
You know, I'm one of four.
Maggie's one of four.
You know, and when youunderstand that, you can start
to adjust your messaging toattract all four, not just you,
because we have a tendency to dowhat's comfortable for us,
(11:00):
especially under anxiety andstress.
You know, I'm bottom line, getit done, see a bye.
And for a lot of people, theywant how's a dog?
How are those?
I personally don't care.
But I know it's important forthem.
My husband is not bottom line,get it done.
He needs data.
You know, you ask him a questionand he'll ask you, Well, which
(11:23):
watch did you want me to buildfor you?
Yes, right.
Too much detail.
So now we have a deal.
I'll ask him a question, I'llsay, I just need a yes or a no,
and you don't have to answer meright now.
Because he needs process time.
Yeah.
You know, I know there's a lotof people that need the energy
behind it.
A lot of people need thatpersonal touch.
My secretary, Jan.
I have to say, How's the dog?
(11:43):
How are those kids doing?
How's that remodeling?
I don't care.
I don't care.
But it's important to them.
SPEAKER_01 (11:50):
But what I'm hearing is you say over and over is that
you meet people where they'reat.
Yeah.
You know, and you were open tomeeting Al where he was at on
that first date.
You're open to meeting, youknow, colleagues where they're
at in life and communicating onso you you have to have that
openness in yourself to be ableto let people in and meet them
where they're at.
SPEAKER_02 (12:09):
Okay, so let me ask you guys a question.
Have you ever tried to changeanother human being?
SPEAKER_00 (12:13):
Yes, too many times.
SPEAKER_02 (12:15):
Makes for great first marriages.
SPEAKER_00 (12:19):
Thank God I didn't marry that.
SPEAKER_02 (12:22):
Exactly, exactly.
So we can change ourselves, butyou can't change another person,
so stop trying.
Yes.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (12:30):
It took me many years to learn that.
SPEAKER_02 (12:32):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And Al is Al, and I'm me.
And I mean, and my gosh, I'mgonna be 80 next month.
He's gonna be 87.
SPEAKER_00 (12:40):
And Marsha, I am, I mean, it just floors me because
I'm not a camper.
It floors me to see that you'reout there still doing
conservation, still pitching atent and sleeping on the ground.
SPEAKER_02 (12:51):
I mean stripping barbed wire, putting smooth wire
up for the pronghorn migration,building water tanks.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (12:58):
Yes, I am just it every time I see that, it just
motivates me to go and dosomething.
Yeah, and I think, wow, how Imean, how do you become the
commissioner of Arizona?
I'm actually the chair ofArizona Game and Fish.
SPEAKER_02 (13:16):
It was funny about six years ago, uh, some friends
of mine came and we'd done a lotof conservation work.
I knew them from hunting andstuff, fishing, and they said,
Have you ever thought aboutbeing the commissioner of
Arizona Game and Fish?
And I said, No, but I watchedthe meetings, you know, because
we stream them.
And they said, We think youwould really be a good
commissioner.
Well, it took me about I wouldsay four or five months to think
(13:38):
about that because it's acommitment.
It's a big and I mean we do get$30 a meeting.
I know.
Hold on to your house.
Oh, biggie biggie.
SPEAKER_03 (13:46):
That's not paying for gas right now.
SPEAKER_02 (13:49):
Well, actually, they give you mileage.
Oh, well, it's good.
And uh I I finally said yes,uh-huh, and so it's a
rotational, there's fivecommissioners, and I'm now the
chair of the Arizona Game andFish.
And the nice thing is we justhad I'm the third female to be
on the commission, and it's it'suh four guys or was four guys
(14:12):
and me, and we just had a newcommissioner come on, and it's a
female, Jessica Manuel.
Yeah, that's so good.
And she is phenomenal.
I'm thrilled to have herbackground, uh, all of her
experience that she has withboth hunting and fishing.
Uh she does so much with gunsafety and hunter ed and all
(14:33):
that sort of thing.
So I'm thrilled.
You know I'm very much into togun safety.
I'm a NRA pistol instructor aswell.
SPEAKER_00 (14:39):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:39):
Which I I just took my physical therapist out last
week.
SPEAKER_01 (14:43):
That's so cool.
SPEAKER_02 (14:44):
Yeah, and taught her how to uh shoot.
And she called me back last weekand she says, Can we go out
again?
That is so cool.
SPEAKER_01 (14:52):
Well, how do people get involved if they want to get
more involved in conservation?
What's a starting point?
SPEAKER_02 (14:57):
Go on to your game and fish website, and I would
say 95% of them have a volunteerlink.
I know Arizona Game and Fishdoes, and I would say most of
them do.
And we have so much and so manyopportunities, and with ours, it
gives you the length of timeit's gonna take, where it is, uh
(15:18):
how hard it is.
Because some of the stuff you'reclimbing mountains and doing all
this, but some of them arecity-based.
For an example, I'm going out toLake Pleasant, uh, it's right by
our office up there in onCarefree Highway, and we're
picking up fishing line fromseven to nine in a couple weeks
uh to clean up the area.
(15:39):
Oh and so also so our birds andour other animals, we have a lot
of deer up there that don't comeand consume that and it makes
them sick and it gets them alltied up and all kinds of
problems.
So there's all kinds of thingsthat people can do.
And whether it's fishing,hunting, whether it's your your
grounds, your grasses, thewaterways, uh whatever you're
(16:00):
interested in, it's there.
You just have to take the time.
And the other thing is when yousign up for any of these
projects, the federal governmentuh gives us money back for the
hours spent in conservation.
Wow.
Yeah, because Arizona Game andFish Department takes no state
tax revenue.
Okay.
We're 100% self-funded.
SPEAKER_00 (16:22):
Wow.
SPEAKER_02 (16:22):
Yeah, so it's Pittman Robertson, it's Dingle
Johnson.
See, the sad thing is I know allthis stuff.
It's uh donations, it's all thatsort of thing.
Grants, we do a lot of grants,we have a whole department that
does grant writing.
But we have over 820 uh speciesthat we conserve and protect in
Arizona.
That's it.
And we have over 675 employees.
(16:45):
Wow.
Yeah, our budget is 158 milliondollars now, and it's 100%
self-funded.
Wow.
SPEAKER_03 (16:50):
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (16:51):
And I love that it's accessible for anybody to get
involved.
SPEAKER_02 (16:55):
I have to tell you a story, and uh, how are we doing
on time?
Are we good?
SPEAKER_00 (16:59):
We're good.
Okay, great, excellent.
Well, good.
Um there's a group we alwayshave time for a martial.
Oh, thank you.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (17:06):
We have a group, it's a Western group, and it's
called Waffwa.
I love Waffwa, the WesternAssociation of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies.
And I'm going up to that in acouple weeks in Boise.
And it's the Western states, andas we know, some of them are uh
very conservative, some of themare not, and they all work
(17:26):
differently.
Most of them take state taxrevenue, and they are under the
thumb of the government.
We are not.
Okay.
So when we go to these and wehave a a third of our employees,
about a third, are biologistsand scientists.
So every decision we make isbased on data and information.
(17:48):
It's not, oh well, I feel that.
No, we don't do that.
We don't do that.
Many states do, but we don't.
Wow.
And so we'll be talking aboutwhatever topic it is, and a lot
of the states will say, I wouldsay probably about 95% of the
time, they'll say, you know,we're gonna wait and see what
Arizona does.
SPEAKER_00 (18:07):
It's gonna be a leader.
Love that.
SPEAKER_02 (18:10):
I love that.
It's just wonderful.
SPEAKER_00 (18:12):
And it's great that you have, I mean, I'm sure that
they really embrace yourleadership skills, but the fact
that you are able to lead thestate and thank you, kind of the
nation really, yeah, in um fishand game.
SPEAKER_02 (18:27):
Um, I mean, you're throughout the states, you're
right.
Uh we are well respected, notonly just in Wafa, but also in
Afwa, which is the umbrella ofof all those uh other states in
in our our United States.
So it's really wonderful.
It's fabulous.
But our goal is to make surethat our numbers of tags that we
(18:50):
because people put in for a lotof our tags, you know, we're big
in elk and deer, and uh we wantto make sure that the number of
tags that people put in for thatthey are drawn for are the
appropriate number for what'sgoing on.
We're in drought right now.
You know, so our birth rates aredown.
And so what does that mean?
That means we don't have as manydeer, elk, or anything else.
(19:13):
You know, our waters are down,so that means there's a fish
issue.
Can be.
So we have to be very sensitiveto those numbers, and we are,
but that's because of thesefabulous people.
You know, it's it's funny, uh,because I worked in companies
all over the world when I waswith uh Westinghouse, and um I
have worked with a lot of greatcompanies, a lot of not so great
(19:35):
companies, small, large,everything in between.
I have never worked for a groupwith a group that has better
leadership, better motivation,uh, better direction, better
priorities, communications, allof it, than Arizona Game and
Fish Department.
Really?
Yeah, and I mean it's agovernment agency.
SPEAKER_00 (19:57):
Yeah, and that's why it's so amazing.
Yes, yeah, well, because I meanwhen I stepped in, I thought, oh
boy, here we go.
SPEAKER_02 (20:03):
You know, I gotta see what's gonna happen here.
SPEAKER_01 (20:06):
So do you think it's because everybody's so
passionate about it?
Yeah, or yeah, they just cometogether and say, we we really
have a purpose.
SPEAKER_02 (20:12):
I'm glad you said that because this last Tuesday
we had our EEC, the employmentengagement um uh conference.
Uh-huh.
And we had about 550 peoplethere.
We have uh, as I said, uh oversix hundred and forty-five
employees throughout the state.
A lot of people still have tostay on the ground.
I mean, our customer service wasstill open, so we had a lot of
people that couldn't attend.
(20:33):
And uh it was very interestingto hear, because we give out the
awards of five years, ten years,twenty-five years, some people
30, 35 years.
They've been with thedepartment.
SPEAKER_00 (20:44):
Oh, and that speaks volumes.
SPEAKER_02 (20:46):
Yes, yes, yes, and so many people within our
department come from othergovernment agencies that see how
well we're doing.
Yes, and so they have theexperience of all the stuff we
have to go through as agovernment agency, uh-huh.
You know, all of the softwareand all the programs and
everything that they do, butthey want to work for us.
SPEAKER_00 (21:08):
But you know, Marcia, when you um said that
you were gonna become thecommissioner for Arizona Game of
Fish, I thought, you know, youdon't you don't lend yourself to
something that's you know small.
I've never known you to lendyourself to something small.
And you always strive to dobetter and be greater as an
(21:30):
individual and make um whateveryou're whatever you're into, you
leave it better than when youcame.
And so I'm sure Arizona Game andFish is thriving just like Woma.
I mean, thank you.
You know, you really helpedbuild Woma into what it is
today.
SPEAKER_02 (21:49):
I remember the first couple, we funded them
ourselves.
Uh huh.
You know, and then and then wewe said, you know, as the money
was coming in after our thirdone, we said, well, maybe we
should have a little Pot on theside so we didn't have to fund
it every year.
So that's when we started to dothat.
So that worked out really well.
SPEAKER_00 (22:07):
Yeah.
So I mean the WOMA, uh, youknow, being able to step into
um, you know, the president andknow that WOMA is solid.
Um, but it was really you andDeb that did the hard footwork
and you know the bottom from theground up, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (22:24):
Well, I don't think either of us uh understand the
word no.
SPEAKER_01 (22:28):
Yeah, yeah.
Neither one of you like to sitstill.
That's the other thing.
SPEAKER_02 (22:33):
I think she may be a little crazier than I am.
She'll probably here, so we'llsee.
I know.
Well, she's probably she'dprobably say the same thing
about me, right?
Marsha's the crazy one.
Yeah, that's great.
That's wonderful.
SPEAKER_01 (22:46):
You both love to stay busy and you both love to
constantly give back.
And I think that that's that'sreally it.
You're not doing it for yourselfeither.
SPEAKER_02 (22:53):
Maggie, I am so glad you said that because my mission
in life is to give back morethan I've received and connect
my head and my heart with mymouth.
You both have heard me say thatagain and again.
So everything I do or volunteerfor or whatever, I want to make
sure that that's hitting thatgoal and that mission of mine in
life.
Because I know I was put herefor a very specific reason.
(23:15):
And it's my job to figure outwhat that reason is and to
continue to give back.
So, you know, some of the stuffI've done, I thought, uh not a
good fit, but then you just moveon.
You absolutely learn to say no.
SPEAKER_00 (23:29):
I I don't know how to say that yet.
No, I know.
But um, I love your heart ofservice.
Thank you.
You know, you you all the timegive back extra.
And um, we've seen it time andtime again, like I say at Woma,
um, whether it's a charity,whether it's I mean, even our
family, um, you know, givingback as far as you know, leading
(23:52):
us to uh me and my husband,giving us the Myers Briggs and
all that stuff.
And yeah, and helping us.
And I mean, I still don't reallyknow what I want to do when I
grow up.
Yeah, but it did give me um, youknow, I did use that in some of
some of the things that I thatI'm doing.
Even now I think about it like,okay, I'm this type, I have to
(24:13):
think about, you know, othersand and their types too.
SPEAKER_02 (24:15):
And yeah, it gives us another point of awareness.
It does.
You know, and I think just thatexpanding that kind of
knowledge, some some peopledon't know what they don't know.
Right.
You know, and I think that whenwe start to know some of those
things, it helps us have uh nota different direction, but a
better direction and a moredefinitive uh direction.
SPEAKER_00 (24:35):
And sometimes I needed the different direction
though.
SPEAKER_02 (24:38):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (24:39):
And it kind of helped in the Yeah, like really
opened my eyes to different todifferent ways of thinking and
um and so it w it was really uha great experience for me.
And um it's actually helped mein um jobs and and things like
that too.
SPEAKER_02 (24:57):
So I think even your writing, you know, when you're
writing like a newsletter orputting together in anything,
you think, okay, who am Iwriting to?
Right.
You know, is this a bottom lineget it done person or do they
want the diatribe?
You know, and uh I've learnedthat I'll tell you if people
send me like a two-page email, Idon't read it.
SPEAKER_01 (25:14):
Yeah, I know I know.
SPEAKER_02 (25:16):
I don't read it.
You know, and they'll say, Well,did you see that email?
Yeah, I saw it.
SPEAKER_00 (25:20):
Didn't read it, but I saw it.
I used to tell my supervisor itwas too wordy for me.
I just need headlines.
Yeah, I need bullet points.
SPEAKER_02 (25:28):
No, that's it.
I need bullet points andheadlines, right?
Yeah.
Well, that's because you guysare busy.
SPEAKER_01 (25:33):
I tell that to Erica all the time.
Yeah, I saw the email.
Oh yeah, uh-huh.
Yeah.
Didn't read it.
I saw every single email.
But yeah.
Didn't read it.
I'm learning I have to actuallyclick on them sometimes.
Bummer mania.
That's great.
Life lessons though.
Right, exactly, exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (25:49):
Marsha, if anybody wants to get a hold of you, um,
find out about your books, um,what you're up to, I mean,
follow Marsha.
SPEAKER_02 (25:58):
She has Well I'm on Facebook, as you guys know, and
that's uh that's the only socialmedia I do because I'm too old
to be able to learn how to doanything else.
Uh but it's Marsha atMarshaPetriesue.com, and then I
also have a website,Marshapetriesue.com.
SPEAKER_00 (26:13):
And where can they find your books?
SPEAKER_02 (26:15):
Uh I think well I have a publisher, so I think
they're on Audible and Kindle.
Oh nice.
Yeah, because I haven'tpublished in a long time.
SPEAKER_00 (26:23):
I have I think three of your books.
Yeah, yeah.
And you have five out there.
SPEAKER_02 (26:27):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:28):
And um, they've been amazing.
Good, so I definitely Iencourage everybody to go get
Marcia's books.
SPEAKER_02 (26:35):
Well, my goal is if I can have one person a month
have more joy in their life, I'mliving my life's mission.
That's all one a month's 12 ayear.
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (26:44):
That's great.
I love it.
Well, it's attainable.
I love I like, you know,sometimes we gotta set goals
that are attainable, and I knowthat you definitely impact more
than one person a month, so thatyou're already hitting your
goal.
Yes.
I love it.
SPEAKER_02 (26:55):
Well, thank you guys for including me in this.
It's truly my honor to be herewith you guys.
Thank you, Marcia.
I love you.
SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
I love you.
SPEAKER_02 (27:01):
Keep doing what you keep doing because you're doing
a great job.
Thank you.
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