Peak summer is a busy time for the fishers and processors who are catching and preserving an incredible harvest of salmon, one that will sustain us through the next season of fishing. In my mind, every WAC box pays homage to the work that these folks do to keep us happy and fed. (In case you missed it, take a read of last week’s essay by set netter Melanie Brown. And if you haven’t seen it yet, watch this behind-the-scenes peek at Home Port.)
But this week, I want to share a small toast to everyone on our side of the desk who works in the “Alaskan seafood biz,” the team members who help ensure that your box of WAC seafood is delivered straight to your doorstep every time.
Not everyone spends as much time as we do thinking about how and where and why seafood is sourced the way it is, and how to help you enjoy Alaskan fish to the fullest. So out of curiosity, I asked my WAC teammates what they say when explaining to someone — let’s say at a summer cookout or dinner party — what they do for work, and what they usually get in response.
Many of my colleagues, including Emily B., SVP of Innovation & Brand, embrace our unofficial WAC elevator pitch: I help get wild-caught sustainable seafood from Alaska to your front door. To that, Emily says, people ask, “What kind of fish, like salmon and halibut?” I’ve found this to be the case too, that when people hear Alaska, they typically can reference at least a few types of fish, even if they’ve never been this far north. That point of connection can prompt a role call of lesser known species of Alaskan fish that folks can get excited about. There’s rockfish, and yelloweye rockfish, and lingcod, and Pacific cod, and sablefish…
Victoria P., Lifecycle Marketing Lead, likes to elevate the American rigor behind every portion of WAC seafood. “Me: ‘I sell fish on the internet.’ Them: *doubt* Then I tell them about how WAC seafood is always wild-caught and always processed in the United States.” Cue the very informative speech about regulated supply chains, quality standards, and transparency. Perfect party convo, in my humble opinion.
“People always seem to find ‘digital fishmonger for an Alaskan seafood company’ super interesting,” says Carl M., Sr. Member Experience Specialist. “I also joke to people (who already know what I do) that I'm exhausted from ‘slingin’ fish all day.’”
“So, salmon… is it frozen?” That’s a question that people often ask Drew P., Associate Director of Email and SMS Marketing — and probably one of the first questions many of you considered when you first became a WAC member. If you were ever skeptical about frozen fish, chances are you’ve stuck around after having tasted the difference yourself. That’s something that Kat M., Sr. Editorial Content Producer, knows well, and it’s why she often gifts fillets of fish to anyone who’s bothered to listen to her talk about Alaskan seafood. “It’s not uncommon for me to randomly have a frozen fillet or two in my tote bag to give away to someone I barely know.”
Kelsey Rose W., Sr. Creative Operations Manager, embraces the opportunity to celebrate the quality of WAC seafood, tapping into her knowledge and experience to get people to eat better fish. “I get texts all the time that they can't look at a grocery store seafood counter the same way. (Mission accomplished!).”
I hope this small peek behind the curtain gives you a sense of the passion, the enthusiasm, and experience that my incredible teammates bring to their desks every day, in all of the different skills and personalities that they bring to this company — it’s a huge part of why I am so grateful to work with them as we keep this ship sailing through summer and beyond.
Live Wild,
Monica
Pictured above: A photo from the archives of summers past. This is one of my favorite WAC team photos when we met up in Homer, Alaska (in 2022) for an epic gathering. It was an unforgettable opportunity to bond with my teammates, in real life, through quintessentially Alaskan activities and over conversations about — what else? — Alaskan seafood!
