Stan Jonah is a veteran of the paver stone industry and sales manager at The Legacy Paver Group, a Diamond Certified company since 2013. He can be reached at (415) 886-2903 or by email.
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.”
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.
