Hayley Johnson: Paving a New Pathway

By James Florence, Senior Writer

SANTA ROSA — Hayley Johnson used to do PR and marketing for a high-tech firm, but after she became a mother, she realized it was time to pave a new professional pathway. “In 2001, I had my first daughter and took some time off of work,” she recounts. “While I was off, I decided to help my dad with his paver business and found that I liked it a lot, from the hands-on creativity to the direct client involvement…not to mention getting to work outside. My marketing career involved long hours and travel, so I knew if I went back, I would have to put my daughter in daycare. Ultimately, I decided to join my father in the paver business. When he retired in 2003, I bought him out and took it over.”
Today, as owner of The Legacy Paver Group, Hayley says her favorite part of her job is the endless creative possibilities. “Every project we do is a blank canvas—we’re not stuck to a single design, so there’s plenty of room for creativity, which makes it a lot of fun. I enjoy working with clients throughout their projects, translating their visions into custom designs and fine-tuning them as we go along.”
A resident of Santa Rosa (where she lives with her husband and business partner, Sean, and their two daughters), Hayley expresses her appreciation for life in the North Bay. “Compared to other regions of the Bay Area, Marin and Sonoma have more scenic, rural beauty, with lots of farmland and vineyards. I’m originally from the United Kingdom, and some parts of this area remind me of being in Wales—except with much better weather!”
Outside of work, Hayley spends her time on a variety of interests and pastimes. “I enjoy photography, reading, playing soccer and working out—basically, anything active or creative,” she says. “I also like hanging out by the pool with my family and hosting barbeques at our house.” Additionally, Hayley and her family like to travel as much as possible. “Besides visiting family in England, we like to see and experience new places. We’ve been to Africa, Cuba and all over Europe, so I would definitely say travel is our favorite activity.”
In her life and career, Hayley espouses the importance of having goals. “I’m a very goal-oriented person,” she explains. “Whether with my business or in my personal life, I find that having a goal to work toward helps me stay motivated, focused and engaged. Having goals also gives you a basis for structure and organization, which leads to more positive outcomes, so I think it’s a big key to success in work and life.”
When asked the first thing she’d do if she were to retire tomorrow, Hayley says she’d take her family on a trip. “Honestly, I don’t think about retirement—I enjoy running my business and could see myself doing it into my 70s and beyond. However, if I did retire, I would definitely do more traveling. Maybe I’d jump on a river cruise down the Danube. That would be a good way to kick things off.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What kinds of books do you like to read?
A: I like everything from biographies and historical novels to chick lit. Basically, if something captures my interest, I’ll read it to death.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: South America. Brazil would be my first stop. I work with a lot of Brazilians and they’re a lot of fun. Plus, it’s a huge country, so I could spend a lot of time there.

Q: Do you consider yourself a dog person or a cat person?
A: I have both, so I don’t really have a preference, but overall I’m probably more of a cat person…just don’t tell my dog.

Q: If someone was making a movie about your life, what actress would you choose to play yourself?
A: No one—I’d have it be a documentary.

Q: What was your favorite toy as a child?
A: My bike.

Stan Jonah: Not the Retiring Kind

By James Florence, Senior Writer

SANTA ROSA — Stan Jonah has retired at least three times over the last 20 years, but in each instance, he simply wasn’t able to make it stick. “I’ve found that I’m not the retiring kind,” he laughs. “The first time I attempted it, I had just sold my marketing company, which I ran for many years. About six months later, I received a call from a former client who owned a concrete paver business. Things weren’t going well for his company, so he asked if I could come in and help him with marketing. I got involved and saw very quickly that marketing pavers was unlike marketing anything else, mainly because most people were unfamiliar with them. So, I devised a new marketing approach for the company, which subsequently turned things around and became very successful.”
His work complete, Stan again attempted retirement, but a growing sense of unrest spurred him back into the workforce, where he rejoined his friend’s paver business. Eventually, after working for a couple more paver companies and at least one more failed attempt at retirement, Stan’s professional path led him to The Legacy Paver Group, where he works today as sales manager.
After two decades spent marketing pavers, Stan says he still enjoys the competitive nature of his job. “Generally speaking, consumers get three bids before choosing a paver company, so I’m always competing. My job is to find out what the customer knows, learn who they’ve talked to and plan a marketing strategy accordingly. It’s sort of like a game—always challenging and fun.”
A resident of Kenwood, Stan expresses a fond nostalgia for the North Bay Area setting. “I was born and raised in San Francisco, and my family used to come up to Sonoma County often in the summers. It has changed a lot since I was a kid, but it’s still beautiful and holds a lot of good memories for me, so I’m very happy to be living here.”
Outside of work, Stan spends his time on a variety of pastimes. “I like to stay active by playing golf and racquetball,” he says. “Other than that, most of my time is spent with my animals. I have about 50 birds, from little finches to giant parrots, as well as a lot of tropical fish. I’ve had pet birds and fish since I was a teenager, so it’s something I’ve enjoyed all my life. A couple of my parrots even talk, which never ceases to fascinate me.”
In his life and career, Stan espouses the importance of keeping a positive attitude. “Avoid negativity at all costs,” he advises. “I’ve always been a positive person, which is really important when you’re in sales because you get rejected all the time. You have to learn how to deal with it, understand it, turn it around and find the positive. For example, rather than getting depressed about being rejected, you can make it a learning experience and see how you could do better in the future.”
When asked whether he’ll reattempt retirement in the future, Stan says it’s unlikely. “I need to be active, to keep my brain working. I’ve been in sales since I was 12 years old, so at this point it’s part of my life. I love it—if I didn’t have it, I’d probably just deteriorate.”
Ask Me Anything!
Q: If you could live in the city or the country, which would you choose?
A: The country.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
A: I don’t usually eat breakfast, but if I had to, I’d have Eggs Benedict.

Q: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
A: I love Chinese food, so a couple of my favorites are Kirin and Great China, both of which are in Santa Rosa.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: I’ve traveled all over, but my favorite place in the world is Yosemite. I go there two or three times a year. There’s something magical about it—it just feeds your soul.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?
A: Play with my birds.