MISSION CONTROL: Alyssa Sattler

From Intern to Industry Leader: Alyssa Sattler Reflects on the Power of Opportunity
—-
Every successful career has a starting point. Sometimes it’s a classroom. Sometimes it’s a first job. And sometimes it’s an internship where someone is willing to trust you with real responsibility before you feel completely ready.

As UnoDeuce Multimedia celebrates its 25th anniversary during Season 6 of the Mission Control podcast, we’re taking time to recognize the people who have helped shape our story. Some were mentors. Some were clients. Others were team members who grew alongside the company.

Alyssa Sattler fits all three.

One of UnoDeuce’s earliest interns, Alyssa joined the company while attending Michigan State University. More than a decade later, she’s built an impressive career in digital marketing and now serves as a Lead Media Product Marketing Consultant with Kroger Precision Marketing. Her journey is a reminder that investing in people often becomes the greatest investment an organization can make.

Taking a Chance on Potential

When Alyssa first walked through the doors of UnoDeuce, social media marketing was still finding its footing. Facebook was evolving. Digital strategy was changing almost daily. Businesses were beginning to understand that online storytelling wasn’t just an option—it was becoming essential.

Rather than assigning busy work, UnoDeuce handed Alyssa meaningful projects. She wasn’t treated like an intern. She was treated like a teammate. That trust became one of the defining moments of her professional development.

“I learned so much, and you trusted in me so much as a 21- or 22-year-old,” Alyssa shared during the conversation.

That confidence allowed her to experiment, solve problems, and discover a passion that would ultimately define her career.

Learning by Doing

At UnoDeuce, internships have always been built around real experiences. There aren’t simulations. There aren’t hypothetical case studies. There are actual clients, actual deadlines, and actual stories that matter.

For Alyssa, that meant learning how strategy, creativity, and communication all work together. She developed organizational skills. She learned how to manage projects. She adapted as digital platforms evolved almost overnight.

Perhaps most importantly, she learned that successful marketing isn’t about algorithms or trends. It’s about understanding people. Those lessons became the foundation for everything that followed.

Building a Career One Opportunity at a Time

Following her internship, Alyssa continued expanding her experience through shopper marketing agencies, consumer packaged goods brands, and eventually the growing world of retail media. Today, she helps lead media product launches and marketing initiatives at Kroger Precision Marketing, working at the intersection of technology, retail, and consumer engagement.

While the scale of the work has changed, the mindset hasn’t. Stay curious. Be willing to learn. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Those principles first took shape during her time at UnoDeuce and continue guiding her career today.

The Birth of the Deucey Awards

One of Alyssa’s lasting contributions to UnoDeuce is something many clients now look forward to every year.

The Deucey Awards.

What started as a fun idea inspired by The Office and its fictional “Dundie Awards” quickly became something much more meaningful. Instead of celebrating office antics, the Deuceys celebrate organizations making a difference in their communities. The awards recognize exceptional storytelling while shining a spotlight on nonprofits, schools, healthcare organizations, and businesses using video to inspire action.

More than a decade later, what began as a creative idea has become one of UnoDeuce’s signature traditions. It’s another reminder that great ideas don’t always come from experience. Sometimes they come from someone who’s simply encouraged to share their perspective.

Relationships That Last

One of the recurring themes throughout Mission Control’s 25th anniversary season has been relationships. Clients become friends. Mentors become lifelong influences. Interns become colleagues.

Alyssa’s story reflects all of those. Even years after moving into new roles and new industries, the relationship with UnoDeuce has remained. That’s because the best partnerships aren’t measured by how long someone works for an organization. They’re measured by how long people continue supporting one another afterward.

Those relationships have always been central to UnoDeuce’s mission. Stories matter. People matter more.

Life Beyond the Office

While Alyssa has built an impressive marketing career, she also believes in maintaining balance. Away from work, she enjoys traveling, attending concerts, taking barre classes, and spending time with her miniature Goldendoodle, Cooper. Those experiences fuel creativity and provide perspective beyond the workplace.

Great storytellers—and great marketers—never stop observing the world around them.

Celebrating the Next Generation

Looking back, Alyssa’s journey isn’t just about one successful career. It’s about what becomes possible when someone is trusted early.

UnoDeuce’s internship program was created with that exact goal in mind. Give young professionals meaningful opportunities. Allow them to contribute. Help them discover what they’re capable of.

Twenty-five years later, that philosophy continues shaping the company and the people who pass through its doors.

As Alyssa reflected near the end of the conversation, she expressed gratitude for the partnership that helped launch her career while congratulating UnoDeuce on its milestone anniversary. It’s a fitting reminder that success isn’t measured only by awards or years in business.

Sometimes it’s measured by watching someone you once mentored become a leader in their own industry.