Alum Time: Chris Staudinger
Aug 11, 2026, 8:00 AM
South Sound Business
Originally published on South Sound Business.
In our Alum Time column, our past 40 Under 40 honorees share what they’ve been up to since their win and divulge some of the secrets to their success.
Whether you know him as a member of our 2024 cohort of 40 Under 40 honorees, as the guy who once told you ghost stories on the streets of Tacoma, or as the face on TikTok that’s always dropping historical Pacific Northwest truth bombs, many here in the South Sound are familiar with Chris Staudinger.
What they may not know is that the Tacoma transplant and travel journalist turned tour guide is now an author. The topic? Tacoma, of course.
The owner of Pretty Gritty Tours has taken his vast historical knowledge — collected from his cumulative months in the Tacoma Library’s Northwest Room — and written it all down in the form of his first book, “Secret Tacoma: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.”
Considering his recent accomplishment, we caught up with Staudinger to find out about his keys to success. Here’s what he had to say.
Stay consistent. Consistency will always be my biggest recommendation to anyone. You never know when your big break will come, but if you remain dedicated to doing the work every day, it will eventually take off.
Take risks in your community. I put tons of historic content online, and some people have scoffed at me giving so much away for free, but I think it helps build the relationship. If the community trusts what I do, they are more likely to come take a tour.
Get involved. I have always felt that the best business relationships don’t happen at the networking event, they happen at the after-party. I think that people enjoy working with people that they have a connection to; and if you’re involved in your community and meet people, you grow your chances of opening new doors exponentially.
