[Podcast] HaystackID® in the EDRM Illumination Zone: Alex Walstad, Marketing Coordinator

He used to pack amps. Now, he packs events. From underground gigs to corporate conferences, Alex Walstad’s journey is one of rhythm, rigor, and reinvention.

Walstad, the marketing coordinator for HaystackID, appeared on the October 2025 episode of the EDRM Illumination Zone podcast, offering a backstage pass to his unique path into eDiscovery and legal tech marketing. Hosted by Mary Mack and Holley Robinson of the EDRM, the episode offered both a tribute to his late mother, industry leader Kaylee Walstad, and a revealing look at how creative professionals are reshaping operational standards in digital forensics, compliance, and cyber events.

Walstad’s origin story is deeply personal and rooted in family. After working a car wash booth job, his mother helped connect him with roles at law firms Merchant & Gould and later Fish & Richardson. These early roles put him in close contact with eDiscovery workflows—scanning, OCR, document prep—before he took a creative leap into marketing with HaystackID.

“I asked my mom how she got into sales and legal, and she immediately said, ‘You need to talk to Rob Robinson,'” Walstad said. That call turned into a career.

Crafting Quality with a Composer’s Eye

Today, Walstad manages QC workflows that merge AI tools with meticulous human review. He leverages Grammarly and ChatGPT but insists on rigorous oversight.

“I read every document forwards, backwards, and—if possible—upside down,” Walstad said. “AI catches a lot, but not everything. We need to ensure brand voice, factual accuracy, and legal alignment.”

This balance between efficiency and defensibility is critical for professionals in eDiscovery, information governance, and cybersecurity. Quality control of legal content, press releases, and marketing assets requires not only speed but trust—a theme echoed throughout the Illumination Zone episode.

AI With Guardrails: From Creativity to Compliance

In marketing content and event planning, Walstad emphasized the importance of “human-in-the-loop” validation, especially when using large language models.

“Sometimes ChatGPT and Grammarly disagree,” he noted. “That middle ground often holds the right tone.” He also ensures confidential data is never entered into public AI models—an essential practice for professionals handling sensitive legal matters.

Events With Precision, Planning, and a Playlist

Walstad’s event preparation is no less orchestrated. Working closely with HaystackID’s Erin Meyer, he builds detailed PowerPoint briefs that include booth locations, shipment logistics, dress codes, dinner reservations, weather forecasts, and even Outlook calendar hygiene.

Two pre-event meetings ensure alignment, while post-event “rollups” assess lessons learned, attendee feedback, and any hiccups to be ironed out before the next performance.

“It’s like prepping for a show. Everyone has a role, and the audience can tell when it’s tight,” he said.

The Power of Peppers and Playlists

Beyond the business, Walstad is known as “Metal Man”—a nickname affectionately coined by Rob Robinson. When he’s not refining eDiscovery content, he’s likely tending to his pepper garden or playing death metal with one of his two bands.

“Gardening and songwriting tap into the same process as content QC,” Walstad reflected. “You’re growing something from a seed, shaping it, watching it come to life.”

Why This Matters

For cybersecurity, information governance, and eDiscovery professionals, Walstad’s story underscores the evolving skillsets shaping the field. Creativity is not at odds with compliance. AI does not replace oversight—it enhances it when managed responsibly. And the people behind the scenes—QC experts, marketers, event planners—are increasingly central to brand integrity and client trust.

The Illumination Zone episode highlights the need for cross-functional fluency, where technical aptitude, emotional intelligence, and operational discipline come together to support defensible, dynamic engagements.

More About Alex Walstad

Alex Walstad serves as a Quality Control Specialist for Newsline and Marketing Coordinator at HaystackID, where he leverages over a decade of legal and corporate experience to ensure exceptional content accuracy and consistency. Proficient in AI-powered tools, Alex integrates cutting-edge technology with traditional editorial rigor to streamline workflows and enhance content precision. His legal background at Fish & Richardson, where he advanced from Transfers Assistant to Transfers Coordinator over 10 years, uniquely positions him to apply the exacting standards required in legal documentation to editorial content. At Newsline, Alex develops comprehensive review protocols that combine human expertise with AI assistance, ensuring every piece of content meets the highest benchmarks for accuracy and editorial consistency. Driven by the belief that exceptional content requires both meticulous attention to detail and innovative thinking, Alex thrives on solving complex editorial challenges while fostering collaborative relationships across marketing and editorial teams.