Jannett West

I attribute my success to being a go-getter. I learn pretty fast - you don't have to actually train me extensively. You show me what needs to be done, and I go in and help you oversee your business. I'm able to step into manager-level positions because I pick things up quickly and run with them. I've also learned the importance of networking, which was completely new to me but has become invaluable. I attend conferences and lunches, pick up information, meet other people, find out about their businesses, and then use those connections to help the businesses I'm working with. My gratification comes from helping other people, and I believe that's my mark in life - to satisfy that calling by using my time to make a difference for others.

The best career advice I ever received came from a speaker at a conference, and it really stuck with me because it was based on one of my favorite songs by Kenny Rogers. He said, 'Know when to hold them and know when to fold them.' That speaker talked for maybe an hour and a half, and you can only retain so much information, but that was the main ingredient I got from that whole conference. You have to be careful in business - you need to know when to stay in and fight for something, and when to walk away from it. That advice has guided me throughout my career, and I'm still saying it to this day.

Know your odds and use your common sense. Yes, book smarts are important, but you have to take your own knowledge and run with it. There's business smart, street smart, and book smart - and while education matters, you need to combine it with what I call street knowledge, which is really just common sense. Use your common sense to be successful. Don't just follow what everyone else is doing - be a go-getter, not always a follower. I've always been one of the people that raised my hand first to volunteer and take on new challenges. You have to get out there with your foot forward, running, not crawling. When you leave your parents and enter the work field, you can't approach it like a baby learning to crawl - you have to get out and walk, be a go-getter from day one.

The most important value to me is understanding that it's not all about the dollar. Yes, you have bills to pay and making money is important, but success comes from knowing what you value and setting goals. You have to reach for a goal in order to be successful - don't just think about the dollar bill. Think about what this particular project you're working on is going to help you achieve, what you're going to gain from it beyond just the paycheck. A lot of people work and work and make a dollar and think that's how they'll get successful, but it's really about what goals you set and where those goals can take you. That's what makes you truly successful. I also deeply value helping other people - my gratification comes from that. I believe we all have a mark that we have to satisfy in life, and for me, that's using my time to help others. That's what I like to do when I have quality time to spend.