Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Joyce Lee Of Alorica Is Helping To Change Our World
An interview with Martita Mestey | Reposted from Authority Magazine
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Joyce Lee, Alorica’s Chief Culture Officer and MLBA’s Founder & Executive Chairperson.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path? So, to give you a little background…
When my husband Andy first started Alorica in 1999, I was an attorney at a law firm. But one day, he came home after visiting Alorica sites and meeting with employees around the world, and he said, “I need you to do something really important. I need you to focus on making our people happy.” He believed it was the single most important thing we could do for our teams and the company, and he was right. That’s how I became the company’s Chief Culture Officer. And that focus to ‘make our people happy’ led to the creation of Making Lives Better with Alorica (MLBA), our nonprofit organization that helps people in need, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year. I’m proud to be MLBA’s Founder & Executive Chairperson, but I’m prouder of our Alorica employees who drive MLBA’s mission every single day worldwide.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
More than being interesting, I think this was the most impactful story that shaped how I ended up structuring MLBA as a very different model from other corporate-nonprofit partnerships. Our very first grant request did not come from an employee, which is initially what MLBA was set up to do — help our people through their crises. It came from an employee’s mother in Washington. Our employee had tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident and his mother was requesting support to help cover the expenses of his funeral, which she could not otherwise afford. It was a pivotal moment that completely changed my point of view on what corporate giving could look like. Instead of philanthropic initiatives being dictated by the company and its executives, it made me think, how much stronger and more meaningful would our impact be if it were defined by our people? The idea that Alorica and MLBA’s combined role is simply to empower our people so they get to decide how we give back to their colleagues, loved ones and communities…it was the best decision, and it really allows us to make a difference in the most authentic way.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
It’s about how MLBA first got started 10 years ago — it’s a funny, but very true story. My husband, who was CEO at the time, would go visit Alorica sites often and get to meet with many of our employees around the world. And after every trip, he would ‘mysteriously’ come back home with no money in his pockets. You know, as a wife, it made me wonder…what’s he doing with his money?! Then he shared with me that when he would talk with our employees, he would hear their stories — unexpected hardships that affected them, their families and even their communities. And he’d feel so heartbroken that he’d give whatever cash he had with him to try to help. So, the funny mistake I made was potentially doubting my husband’s activities. But the valuable lesson I learned from it was that these unforeseeable circumstances could be happening anywhere — not just to a few individuals at one site — and there had to be a better way to help our people.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
Over the past decade, nonprofit MLBA — led by Alorica employees — has raised over $10 million, awarded nearly 15,000 grants, and delivered more than $440,000 in disaster relief around the world, all through a grassroots employee empowerment model. Alorica employees volunteer their time to run local MLBA chapters in the 17 countries in which we operate — where they have 100% of the decision-making power to raise, manage and distribute funds to help those most in need. These chapters plan fundraisers and volunteer activities, plus they review and approve grant applications — which come from colleagues or their loved ones who are going through difficult times and also from other community organizations. Many times, grant recipients are individuals who are unable to pay for unexpected medical expenses like a child’s life-saving heart surgery or funeral costs for the death of a family member. We see requests from single parents who need help with housing after living in a shelter or in a car with their kids. Children who need school supplies. Or even food banks and animal shelters that are running low on essentials. Every dollar raised stays within the local chapters so they’re able to directly and quickly make a difference.
Most recently, several of our sites in the Philippines experienced severe weather events. MLBA was there right away to deliver $25,000 in immediate aid to 850 employees and families, followed by grant awards to help them rebuild. And in Jamaica, MLBA chapters across Latin America, the U.S. and Asia quickly mobilized — assembling 1,000 care packages, sourcing food from local Jamaican vendors, securing 100 donated inflatable mattresses, and raising $9,500 in additional contributions to support families affected by Hurricane Melissa, a catastrophic storm that made landfall as a Category 5.
In addition to crisis support, we help build up the next generation of volunteers through MLBA NextGen, teaching the youth about community service, leadership and giving back. In the past few years, NextGen kids have raised $75,500 and partnered with 22 charities.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
One of the most special things about MLBA is seeing Alorica employees connect with their communities in such a personal way. In Latin America, our chapters dedicate the month of September to supporting individuals and families affected by cancer. Each year, they offer everything from financial support to emotional encouragement, partnering with local organizations or sponsoring cancer warriors. Last September alone, 800+ individuals were supported through these efforts, but one story stuck with me.
Manuelito is a brave 7-year-old boy battling leukemia. When our Guatemala chapter met him, they asked what his greatest wish was. And despite his unimaginable journey, his answer was simple: a Nintendo Switch, a TV, a whole Hawaiian pizza, some new clothes and shoes, and to one day, be a soldier. So, our team welcomed Manuelito and his family to our site, where we prepared the simple things, he asked for from his wish list. But the moment that touched everyone came when a member of the Guatemalan Armed Forces arrived in full uniform to surprise him. As the soldier thoughtfully shared inspiring words, Manuelito believed he was meeting his hero, when in reality, it was Manuelito who was a hero to all of us.
Moments like this capture the heart of MLBA. Our chapters don’t just provide assistance, they create connections and offer hope. And in this case, they gave a young boy, fighting the hardest battle of his life, a day filled with love, dignity and joy.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Yes! I would say it comes down to these three things:
- Ask. Take initiative and reach out. Connect with people and show that you support them by simply asking how they’re doing, what they care about, and how they think we could help.
- Listen. This is probably the hardest part, but once you’ve asked your people what matters to them and how they want to make a difference, you have to hear them out and learn from what they’re sharing. It’s incredible how much more insight we gain and impact we can make when we listen more than we talk. Because the truth is, everyone has something to teach you if we just listen — students, the elderly, babies and even animals!
- Empower. Give your people the tools and support they ask for to do what they know how to do best. They know their communities and where the greatest needs are much more than we do as leaders.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Having a strong vision is necessary, but having a heart to serve is equally important in a great leader. To lead people effectively, you need to know what it is that they want and understand…what motivates and inspires them. From what I’ve seen at Alorica and through MLBA, the best leaders are not always the ones with the highest title or most technical skills. It’s those who are committed, creative and collaborative. They give to their teams and support them, while learning, sharing and working alongside them. Those are the ones that everyone naturally follows. For example, MLBA’s local chapter board members are made up of Alorica employee volunteers from varying levels and roles. These board members could be anyone from a recruiter, administrative assistant, operations manager to a communications specialist, HR business partner or vice president in Finance. Regardless of their position or background, people follow their lead in things like fundraising, volunteering and approving grants because they respect and believe in their servant leadership.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- No need to be an expert. You don’t have to have all the answers, resources or even knowledge, to make an impact. In the past, there had been times where my team was unsure of how to get involved because they didn’t think they had the right training or solutions, but most of the time, people in need aren’t looking for structured support or expertise. Quite often, they just want to feel seen, heard and understood. I remember a few years back, we started our Real Talk series, which simply gave employees a platform to share about social issues and causes that mattered most to them. And our employees loved it! They talked about everything from mental health, gender stereotypes, diversity in parenting, and more.
- Take action first and fast. Sometimes taking action quickly in small ways can make a bigger impact than waiting to develop a comprehensive action plan. We’ve seen this with our Disaster Relief Fund, which specifically supports Alorica employees and their communities during natural disasters, such as hurricanes, typhoons and earthquakes. We know right away which of our colleagues and families are impacted, and they tell us exactly what they need — blankets, clothes, food, diapers, water, etc. Then our employees volunteer transport donated items directly to the hardest hit areas within the first few days of the aftermath. Through our grassroots efforts, we’ve distributed ~$440,000 in relief funds over the years and delivered emergency supplies as first responders in many countries including the Philippines, Jamaica, Honduras, U.S. and more.
- Recognition isn’t always monetary. Yes, things like title, pay and benefits are critical. But we learned that recognizing team members in other ways also holds value. For example, we get so much positive feedback when we celebrate people’s birthdays, work anniversaries, and life milestones together. It’s a constant reminder that culture is more than what we state as our core values; it’s also about making your people feel special and seen.
- Let go of control. Sometimes it’s way more efficient and effective. Once we realized that we didn’t have to centralize every aspect of running MLBA like managing the funding, grant approval process and volunteer activities…it made it easier and better for everyone. We set the guidelines, trained local chapter board members and held them accountable for running their own chapters from beginning to end. And the truth is, they run it better than us in their community!
- Bring a sweater. This is more of a practical tip based on personal experience. If you’re working in an office in the winter, it gets cold. Talk about not being able to control things — I couldn’t even control the temperature in my office most of the times! So, you have to stay prepared for the unanticipated. Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I actually talk about my 3 favorite life lessons all the time. They’re a little unconventional, but I stand by them!
- Drink more water. It’s a good habit to have and the routine of good habits get you through the hard parts in life.
- Poop every day. Just like getting rid of waste in your body is necessary, so is getting rid of waste in your mind.
- Laugh often. It’s good for your soul.
These may not be the deepest life lessons, but I really believe these are some of the best ways to live a joyful and healthy life.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I’ve always cared about making it possible for kids to explore and follow their passions. It’s one thing to provide people in need with the essentials during their most difficult times — food, shelter, clothes, water — but it’s another to support their dreams and their ability to learn and try new things regardless of their current situation. That’s why we started the MLBA Inspiration Fund a few years ago, where we provide financial assistance to middle and high school students so that they could pursue activities they’re interested in learning but cannot afford, such as playing a musical instrument, cooking, going to science camp, taking graphic design courses. Within two years, we were able to award more than 100 grants totaling over $123,000. You never know what may come of these learning experiences! It’s a movement that I hope fills these students with joy, hope, opportunity, and reminds them to dream big.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
The best place is our News & Stories section on the MLBA website: https://livesbetter.org/news-and-stories/ or you can follow us on Instagram @mlbalorica.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!