Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Stephanie Senger of Greater Spokane Area

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Stephanie Senger. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
It’s really the simple stuff for me. Spending time with my family, extended family, friends, and my pet children, that’s my happy place. I try to always squeeze in a Caesar salad and a game night when I can, because having all of our girls around the same table makes me so happy. Honestly, having people at the table just makes me happy. There’s something magical about a comfy kitchen table; it’s where laughter happens, stories are shared, and it’s actually where I started Rural Staffing Services (RSS).

Before it got too cold, I camped out in the backyard for two weekends in a row, and it was super happy and peaceful. There’s something about sleeping under the stars, hearing the crickets, and just unplugging for a bit that resets my whole soul on a warm summer night.

I’ve also been to some amazing concerts lately, Zach Bryan, Dermot Kennedy, and Mumford & Sons. Music fills my heart in ways nothing else can. I’m still praying for that Noah Kahan concert though. I just know it’ll be an amazing sing-along. Oh, and have you heard of The Head and The Heart? Their music always makes me feel groovy!

And really, it’s about slowing down and soaking in the moments that make life good. I even have that Merlin Bird ID app because I can’t help stopping to see who’s singing in the trees. It’s in those small, peaceful moments that remind me what matters most.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Stephanie Senger, founder of Rural Staffing Services, or RSS for short. I live in Spokane, Washington, and spend my days helping rural hospitals and healthcare organizations find strong, heart-centered leaders, and staff. Our goal is to make recruitment for rural areas feel more human again. We’re small but mighty, and our work comes from the heart, built on relationships, not transactions.

RSS was born from two of my deepest passions. My gratitude for the healthcare industry runs personal, as they saved my daughter’s life when she was battling high-risk cancer. That experience gave me a lifelong respect for the people who care for others during their hardest moments.

Then there’s my grandpa, who owned The Outdoor Press and helped found the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association (NOWA). He had such a love for rural life and storytelling, and I grew up surrounded by those values of hard work, heart, and connection.

Rural Staffing Services is where those worlds came together. It’s a blend of gratitude and legacy, of compassion and community. What better mission than helping rural hospitals find great people who lead with heart?

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I actually love this question because I remember it so clearly. I went to a church for preschool and pre-K here in Spokane called Tree House. One day, our class hamster, Mr. Lincoln, went missing. Our teacher, Mrs. R, had us all scrambling around for a couple of days trying to find him.

One morning, she sent us down to the church on the first floor. There we were in the chapel, crawling around on our hands and knees between the pews, still looking for Mr. Lincoln. Then I got a wonderful idea to be a complete stinker and said out loud, “I found him!” just to see everyone’s faces light up. I did it for the laugh, but what happened next still gives me chills.

Right as the words left my mouth, Mr. Lincoln crawled out of one of those old heat registers on the wall and walked straight up to me. I couldn’t believe it. Everyone was cheering, and I remember feeling so proud and also a little confused. How did that even happen?

I ended up getting to keep Mr. Lincoln after that because the class wanted me to have him. I must have been five or six years old, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I think I learned at a young age to be watchful of what comes out of my mouth because sometimes what you ask for comes true. So make certain you are speaking with love and good intention, because perhaps that’s where the magic begins.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Pain taught me things I never could have learned any other way. When my daughter was sick, I spent nights wandering the hospital halls, praying to everything I couldn’t see. I remember hiding in the bathroom on my hands and knees, crying and begging for a miracle. I didn’t want the nurses or my children to see me break down.

Through that time, I met other families and watched children I had grown to love lose their battles. It broke something open in me. You don’t walk through that kind of pain and come out the same.

There were other seasons of heartbreak too, losing my grandparents less than a year apart, watching my mom battle illness, and going through years of fear and pain trying to protect my children. Those moments could have wrecked me, but they didn’t. They shaped me. They taught me that the smallest acts of love and kindness are everything.

Now I like slow country roads, my old Jeep, good music, and sunshine on my face. I see life differently. I don’t like to rush, because I know how precious time really is. In my work, I always tell people that time is the greatest gift we have to give, and I don’t ever want to waste anyone’s.

Suffering taught me that love is the only thing that truly heals. It taught me that people need kindness the most when they deserve it the least, and that we should live our lives like our grandparents are watching, because maybe they are.

My daughter once told me something during treatment that I’ll never forget. She said, “Mom, you know why I love the Grinch so much? Because his heart got so big.” That’s it, really. Pain can grow your heart in ways you never expect. Sometimes mine feels so big, I’m not even sure what to do with it. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything, because that’s where the love and music live.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
Two people come to mind right away, and both have had a lasting impact on how I live and think.

Henri Landwirth, the founder of Give Kids the World, is someone I deeply admire. He was a Holocaust survivor who turned pain into purpose and built a place where families of children with life-threatening illnesses could experience joy and love. I actually stayed at Give Kids the World during my daughter’s Make-A-Wish trip, and it was incredible to see what he created. What really moved me was learning that he wouldn’t accept donations if someone expected their name on a plaque or recognition in return. I love that concept of giving without expecting anything back. That’s the kind of heart I want to live with.

The other person I admire is Dr. Wayne Dyer. His calmness and perspective have helped me through so many seasons of life. I even set my alarm clock to wake up to his voice every morning, because there’s just something soothing and grounding about starting the day that way. His movie The Shift might feel a little dated now, but the message is timeless. Whenever I’ve felt off or afraid, I’ve watched it again, and it always helps me shift my thoughts and find hope instead of fear.

Both Henri Landwirth and Dr. Wayne Dyer lived with love, humility, and intention. They remind me that true character isn’t loud or flashy. It’s quiet, steady, and full of grace.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When have you had to bet the company?
I think the moment I truly “bet the company” was before there even was one. I walked away from a company I didn’t believe in, but from work I deeply loved. I had found a passion for rural healthcare recruitment and the incredible people behind it, but the practices I saw just didn’t sit right with me.

When COVID hit, everything changed. Hospitals were mostly focused on hiring nurses, which made things even tougher. I was on a salary draw, which meant that everything they paid me, I had to pay back out of future placements. It took quite a bit to catch up, and it was really hard on me and the girls financially.

What I’ll never understand is why they didn’t lay me off so I could care for my children and receive some extra help. My hospitals weren’t hiring, yet I was expected to keep working and live off that draw with no additional support. I did it, but it left me with debt instead of stability. The financial side didn’t feel right, and neither did the culture. There was no human aspect left in what I was doing, and that broke something in me.

I believed so deeply in rural healthcare, the people, the stories, the communities, that I couldn’t ignore what my heart was saying any longer. Walking away wasn’t easy. I had debt, not savings. I had no guarantees, just faith and a pull I couldn’t shake. I remember sitting at my kitchen table, the same one where my family eats, laughs, and plays games, and deciding that if I was going to do this work, it had to be done with heart. So I started Rural Staffing Services.

My parents, friends, and family were all mad about what my previous employer had done to me and the girls, but they also knew I had it in me. They were my biggest cheerleaders. So yes, I took my faith and jumped. Scary stuff, but looking back, it was the best leap I’ve ever taken. Talk about trusting the universe.

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