Her Story
About Jancy
Writing has been a natural thing for me from the time I was a little girl - I have things that I wrote when I was young. I majored in journalism and have worked in magazines, advertising, and public relations throughout my career. I was with Rosenfeld Jacobs, one of the top 10 advertising agencies in the world. When I moved to Boulder, I thought there was no better way to get to know the area than being in real estate, so I did that for about 25 years. I used to say I'm used to selling businesses, individuals, and professions, and now I'm selling houses. After retiring from real estate about 5 years ago, I was eager to get back to just writing. Currently, I contribute monthly to Mapleton Hill Stroll, a very professional national publication that covers neighborhoods across the country. I'm also working on a nonfiction book called The Quiet Architect about George Grant Elmslie, an architect contemporary with Frank Lloyd Wright who is represented in the Yale Art Center, Princeton Art Center, and the New York Art Museum, and who designed the very first picture window.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jancy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I never really thought about that before, but I just believe that everyone has something that no one else has. From the time I was young, I have things that I wrote, and it was just so natural for me to say I want to major in journalism. At that time, people expected women to be teachers or secretaries, but writing was always my path. I think the key is to follow what you cannot not do - what you do in spite of yourself - and trust in that.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Probably the best career advice is a couple of things. One of them is a quote by Joseph Campbell who said, 'Follow your bliss.' The other was something we used to carry in a little frame in all of our offices at the advertising agency, which said that every day is a challenge. Those two pieces of wisdom have really guided me throughout my career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to the young female, what is it that you do that you cannot not do? What you do in spite of yourself - trust in that. There's another quote I like: The map to where she is going is written on her heart. I think it's about finding that thing inside you that you're naturally drawn to and following it, even when the world expects something different from you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge is honesty and being able to select at the very beginning something that someone wants to read and that's important for them to read. The most important thing is for people to be informed, and to be informed honestly and truthfully. At the University of Colorado, they've actually taken journalism out of the School of Arts and Sciences and created the very first new department in years called the College of Communication, Media, Design, and Information. I think that shows how critical it is that people receive honest, truthful information.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is probably the most important value to me. I'm also working on peace right now - I'm a member of Boulder Rotary and we have a peace committee that's pretty strong. I've always felt that to stay vital your whole life, you need to constantly renew yourself. I call it negative entropy - entropy meaning if you do nothing, things fall apart, but if you keep generating new information, new activities, new things, you stay vital. That constant renewal and growth is essential to me.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Colorado
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.