What is a typical day at your office like?
We are a start-up business so every day is an adventure and I know that each day we’re probably going to try something we’ve never tried before. It’s also very rewarding to work with the great team that we have with the KCSourceLink network and at UMKC. And, I like knowing that each day I’ll have the opportunity to help someone grow whether it’s a staff member or an entrepreneur.

What is the most challenging part of your job?
We are a start-up business and so the challenge is to try to find the right niche and create value for those we serve. In our case, we’re also striving to document what works so others can adopt it. We are constantly creating---new ideas, new policies, new events and collaborations---this is fun and it’s challenging.

What has been your greatest accomplishment?
Watching what we’ve developed in just twenty months and receiving positive feedback on that has been very exciting and rewarding. To see the team develop and the tremendous collaboration happening within our resource partner network has been very gratifying to me.

What is the most indispensable item in your office?
My computer; sometimes I feel that my life is in my computer.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I was going to be an astronaut or a photographer for National Geographic. I’ve always loved science and have a degree in astrophysics. My father is now a retired surgeon and my mom was unusual for her time in that she had an undergraduate degree in zoology and a master’s degree in physiology. She had to quit her job when she started “showing” with her first pregnancy. But, she passed down her interest in science to her eight children by teaching us through experimentation. We always had scientific experiments going in the kitchen---growing things in Petri dishes and hatching chicks; all kinds of things.

As far as photography, I used to carry a camera with me all the time and worked on the high school newspaper and yearbook.

Who is your mentor, and what did you learn from that person?
I don’t have one particular mentor. I find qualities in others that I’d like to appropriate. For example, Rosa (Archibald-Shockey) uses affirmations that make people feel good. And, I have learned a lot from my kids. I have a son who was in a bad car accident. He never asked “Why me?” he just focused on getting better.

What would you say are the three reasons for your success?
The first would be that I have the right team because I have the vision and they make it happen. Also, I have a great deal of determination to meet my goals. Lastly, I love to learn. I like to learn from other people, from research and just from absorbing information from my environment.

What is your best professional achievement?
I think that it’s having built a high performance team.

What do you do to relax?
I like to spend quiet evenings at home with my husband. Without his support and the support of my family, I could not accomplish the things that I do.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I am actually a night owl, but I’m trying to learn to be an early bird.

WhatÕs the last book you read?
I read more magazines than books. Science News, a weekly, is my favorite and I love it because it summarizes journal articles on the scientific discoveries of the previous week and outlines each in a short form. I also read Discover, Popular Science and Good Housekeeping. My problem with reading books is that when I start one I won’t put it down until it’s finished. So, if I start reading at night I might not get to sleep until 3 a.m.which won’t work with my schedule. I do listen to books on tapes anytime I’m in the car for more than half an hour.

What is your favorite movie?
I don’t see many movies, but I like anything starring Meg Ryan. “Chick flicks” are my favorite.

Are you more likely to dine out, order in or cook?
We eat out for the most part, but I did recently discover a cookbook called Quick Gourmet. The recipes are simple and most importantly can be prepared in less than thirty minutes.

What is your favorite vacation destination?
I love the Outer Banks in North Carolina because it’s a complete vacation. My cell phone doesn’t work there and I don’t take my laptop. We’ve been going there for many years.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
I don’t understand why anyone should lose their life in a war.

What is your personal philosophy?
Life is an adventure. Pick your place on a map and if you get there, fine. If not, enjoy the detours!

What is the most critical issue facing our region?
I think that it’s aligning agendas which can be a challenge considering our state-line issues. Anything that we can do to establish regional collaborations will be important. There is a revolution coming in lifesciences. Collaborative community support with alignment, leadership and cooperation will be needed to best maximize successful business growth.

What advice do you have for those just starting their careers?
Don’t get a job, get a life. My mother used to say that if you love what you do, you’ll never have a job you will have a life. And, I think that’s important. Explore your potential by taking a variety of classes in college and find out what makes you happy. When you’re passionate about what you do, you’ll be more productive. The company you work with will then be more successful which returns a positive impact to our economy.

Article Source: http://www.flourishmagazine.com