Her Story
About Janie
My career journey has been quite unexpected. I originally got my degree in fashion illustration and design with dreams of working for Disney as an illustrator or going into the fashion industry. But life took me in a completely different direction when my school loans came in and I needed to get a job. I started at MCI in the bilingual call center, and when a position for junior facilitator came open, I thought, why not? This will be temporary. But it ended up being a very lifelong career. I've been in learning and development for over 30 years now, and I've been with my current company for 3 years. My main focus is training in leadership, getting all our leaders up to par, and writing curriculum. A typical day starts with checking the LMS system to ensure all employees are in compliance, then checking that all my curriculums are up to date, answering emails, and then in the afternoon I actually start writing curriculum. One of my most rewarding achievements was setting up the learning and development departments for both ENT Specialty Partners and U.S. Renal Care. With U.S. Renal Care, we were training staff members in the clinics how to use dialysis equipment and follow procedures - helping save lives, because if you don't get your dialysis, you will pass on. I still use my artistic talent to train and facilitate, creating visual infographics and graphics on the whiteboard when needed, because I learned early on that different types of learners, including those with dyslexia or visual learners, could see the big picture when I drew it out. Later in life, I had a calling to go back and get my master's degree in learning and development, even though I was in my 50s. I pursued it, and now I'm thinking about getting my PhD. Throughout the years, I've gained quite a few certifications in learning and development. It's wonderful - I love it, love it, love it. I don't regret any bit of it.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Janie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I had a very strong mom growing up. She was a wonderful person, great educator. It was her. She never gave up, and watching her and how she ended up getting her degree later in life, and she put all of us children first - it was her pushing us through to get our education. We were 6 children in the family, and we were the first generation out of our family to get a degree. And then I went off and got my master's degree. My mother, her name is Margarita or Margaret Sanchez, kept pushing us and pushing us through. I would not be the person that I am today if it was not for my mom.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I've received wonderful advice from two individuals who are very dear to me and served as mentors. One was Doris Simpson, who gave me the opportunity to go into the learning and development field. She came up to me and said, you never give up, you always keep trying, that is why I'm offering you this position. She told me to keep that up, never let that go, and I haven't. The other individual was Bobby Regloo (spelled B-o-b-b-i), and she said, you're so creative, don't lose the creativity, that's what makes you shine and makes you stand out from everyone. I still reach out to her every year, especially when I'm going through a slump with my career. She always asks, are you still being creative, Janie? And reminds me to keep on being creative, because that's what's gonna get you ahead, that's what's gonna set you apart. Those are the two individuals and mentors in my life, and I always go back and look at their notes to help me with whatever struggles I may be having in my career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Listen to those individuals that are transitioning out, those that are getting ready for retirement. Those individuals have so much knowledge, and it's gold. It's absolutely golden, golden knowledge. Listen to them. Listen to what they have to say. They may not be very savvy in technology that we currently have today, but they have the foundation in which we built learning and development on, and what they have to say is golden. Listen to the advice that those individuals have to offer.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Respect. I would say the first one would be respect. You can't go wrong with that. Even when you disagree with somebody, in fact, the way we see the world today and the way things are going, you always have to treat someone with respect. Being kind - my gosh, it does not cost you anything to be kind, even if you disagree with somebody. You can disagree with somebody and still be mad at them and be kind and respectful. It just doesn't cost anything. One of the things that I teach my son to this day is the courtesy, just opening the doors, the thank yous, the you're welcome - it does not cost anything. We don't see that anymore, it's just getting lost in the shuffle of all those things, of technology bringing in things that are changing as we're going into the year 2027. Somehow some of those values are being lost, and I just don't think it costs anyone anything to be respectful, to be kind, and to show them the common courtesies that our parents showed us.
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