She Never Gives Up – On Herself Or Those She Supports

AP: Your nomination form describes you as not only competent and experienced, but also “energetic,” “positive,” and “gregarious.” It also says, “She quite simply never gives up.” What are your tips for staying motivated and maintaining a positive outlook in business?

Janine: Working with amazing people, sharing my knowledge with people wanting to learn, leading by example, and most of all, having fun! You have to enjoy what you do. Never take your foot off the advancements that are continually evolving. I absolutely love what I do, who I work with on a daily basis, and my clients. When I receive calls and emails, or I get to see the look of “Wow!” on clients’ faces when they see the end result of a project that started out as a concept – what better motivation is there than that?

Outside of work I surround myself with positive people, practice gratitude, and focus on the present moment. Work-life balance is so very important for everyone to practice. It is often hard to shut down work, but it is also necessary at times so you can be the best you can possibly be when you walk through that door!

“Janine has worked for my company for almost twenty years and has grown her expertise and knowledge across multiple platforms and market segments. From out of home advertising, retail advertising and industrial solutions and applications, she is one of the most energetic and competent ambassadors for my company and the industry at large.” — Carla Johanns, President of Simpson Print

AP: It also states that you are active in mental health awareness. Why is this such an important cause for you, specifically in the workplace? How has it affected your leadership?

Janine: Mental health awareness is extremely important to me in the workplace as well in my personal life. I had someone very dear to me pass away from suicide 12 years ago. Mental health was just starting to get talked about more openly, but it was nowhere close to where it is now and I believe that could have made a difference. [Awareness makes a difference] not only for the ones suffering, but those close to them in regard to triggers to watch for in our friends and family. Spreading positivity, kindness, and understanding, and learning to listen to people – it truly is a mindset of listening without interrupting and reacting, and of allowing someone to know they are safe in speaking to you with no judgment.

We all know what it’s like to be consumed with workloads and short timelines, pushing things through to keep our clients happy, which is so very important. But what is equally important is watching the teams and knowing when they are close to their limit and needing some breathing time. We make time for off-site team building events, company BBQs, meetings after work for some social time — all things that make people feel appreciated. After all, it takes a team to work the magic we ship out day after day!

AP: What does being a woman in the wide-format digital print industry mean to you?

Janine: That is a great question, one that I doubt would have been asked 20 years ago when I first entered the world of wide-format printing.  I walked into an all-male sales team. There were women in the prepress and finishing departments, but not in any leadership position. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to break into that team, but the challenge was all I needed. I had to prove myself to a lot of male naysayers who at the time did not think a woman with small-format and flexo experience could ever succeed.

I first dove into learning as much as I could about screen printing. The ability to achieve 150 line resolution was unheard of at the time, but we did it every day! We have the most skilled print technicians in the industry, and when we are able to combine the two processes wide-format digital is the icing on the cake, so to speak. The opportunities are endless and the company has never taken its foot off the gas pedal, continually adding to our fire power.

My passion for the industry always pushed me to strive for more in my career. To this day, there is no end to the unique work we can offer our clients. Whether it is wall coverings to change the world for people with Alzheimers’ or retail solutions, it lights a fire under me to do more! A lot has changed from the “boys club,” the biggest one being that we have an amazing woman president leading the company to huge success and bringing more women into careers where they can flourish and succeed.

I am so very proud not only to be successful in business, but also to be recognized for this award with such an influential group of professional women!