What do interior design, car sharing, urban planning, and parking have in common? For Alyssa Alt, they were all stepping stones toward a career shaping how people move through cities.

In this episode, Brooke sits down with Alyssa, Division Manager of the Parking System Enterprise for the City of Colorado Springs, to explore her unconventional journey into mobility. They discuss how a passion for public service led her from nonprofit transportation initiatives to managing one of Colorado's largest municipal parking systems, why operations often gets overlooked despite being the backbone of every successful city, and how mentorship and industry involvement helped accelerate her leadership journey.

They also dive into the evolution of curb management, why parking professionals should think beyond parking, and why sometimes the best career move is simply saying yes and getting involved.

Whether you're new to mobility or decades into your career, this conversation is a reminder that great leaders aren't born with a roadmap. They're built through curiosity, community, and a willingness to keep learning.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:
Honk – Transforming the parking experience with seamless contactless payments. honk.com
DESIGNA – Leading the way in intelligent, scalable parking systems. us.designa.com
IPS Group – Powering connected parking and mobility solutions worldwide. ipsgroup.com

Intro & Outro Music:
“Run the Ramp” by Queen of AV, under the Curb Culture Media label.

In Part Two of The Making of Julie Dixon, the story shifts from Julie's unlikely entry into parking to the creation of one of the industry's most respected consulting firms.

Julie shares the lessons she learned while helping manage some of the most complex parking programs in the country, including San Francisco's groundbreaking SFpark initiative. She reflects on building a career in technology, operations, and parking innovation long before "smart mobility" became a buzzword, and opens up about the risks, mistakes, and pivotal decisions that ultimately led her to launch Dixon Resources Unlimited.

Along the way, Julie offers candid advice on leadership, mentorship, self-worth, and the challenges women face in male-dominated industries. From negotiating her own salary down early in her career to becoming a trusted advisor to cities across North America, Julie's story is equal parts cautionary tale, masterclass, and inspiration.

The episode closes with reflections on earning a doctorate, delivering a TEDx talk about parking, the importance of celebrating your wins, and the mentors who helped shape her journey. Plus, a rapid-fire round that somehow leads to discussions about Greece, bird watching, Drucker, parking philosophy, and one regret that still stays with her today.

If Part One was about how Julie found parking, Part Two is about how she built a legacy within it.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:
Honk – Transforming the parking experience with seamless contactless payments. honk.com
DESIGNA – Leading the way in intelligent, scalable parking systems. us.designa.com
IPS Group – Powering connected parking and mobility solutions worldwide. ipsgroup.com

Intro & Outro Music:
“Run the Ramp” by Queen of AV, under the Curb Culture Media label.

In Part One of The Making of Julie Dixon, Brooke sits down with Julie Dixon, founder of Dixon Resources Unlimited and one of the most respected voices in parking and mobility, to go far beyond the resume and into the story behind the name.

Julie shares what it was like growing up in Southern California as the youngest child and only girl with three older brothers, how early family dynamics shaped her confidence and sense of humor, and how she first learned to hold her own in male-dominated spaces. From cleaning bathrooms at her father’s Volkswagen repair shop to becoming a student community service officer at UC Santa Barbara, Julie’s path into parking was anything but ordinary.

This episode traces the early chapters of Julie’s career, including her first exposure to law enforcement, campus safety, parking enforcement, automated red-light camera technology, and the operational realities that eventually pulled her deeper into the parking industry. Along the way, Julie reflects on gender roles, risk-taking, leadership, thick skin, and the experiences that helped shape her into the consultant, business owner, and industry leader she is today.

This is the beginning of Julie’s story: the childhood, the chaos, the confidence, the career pivots, and the moments that made Julie Dixon, Julie Dixon. Tune in next week for Part Two.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:
Honk – Transforming the parking experience with seamless contactless payments. honk.com
DESIGNA – Leading the way in intelligent, scalable parking systems. us.designa.com
IPS Group – Powering connected parking and mobility solutions worldwide. ipsgroup.com

Intro & Outro Music:
“Run the Ramp” by Queen of AV, under the Curb Culture Media label.