JJ Villar, Lauren Birchmeier, and Jasmine Freeman. Who are they and what do they have in common?
JJ Villar is one of the best dancers and choreographers in Las Vegas. JJ is only 1 of 8 of the original performers in the Michael Jackson ONE Cirque show. He has endured several injuries, tough workouts 5 days a week, having to stay perfectly physically fit, and mentally alert. He is in the show 5 days a week and they do 2 shows per night. It is not unusual for JJ to go to the gym at midnight after performing in 2 shows! JJ has endurance and he has endured. There are about 90 performers in the MJ ONE show and only 8 of the originals are left. Think about that statistic for a moment.
Lauren Birchmeier is my daughter. She has worked at a fabulous organization called Czarnowski. She started out at their office in Las Vegas 14 years ago working as an assistant in the project management department. Lauren realized that position wasn’t what she really enjoyed but she loved ‘Czar.’ The General Manager of Czar noticed that Lauren was an excellent employee and so he worked to find her the right spot in the office. Lauren grew over the 14 years and enlarged her skill set. She was patient, efficient, eager to grow and excel. She put in extra time to study at night and on weekends while being a wife and mother of 2 young children. Lauren now works for Czarnowski in their Detroit area and is their Director of Human Resources.
Jasmine Freeman… You all know Jasmine as the Vice President of Office Dynamics and former Chief Executive Assistant to me. Jasmine will be celebrating her 10 year anniversary with us this November. Jasmine started out as an eager Executive Assistant. She picked up her family and moved to this strange new city, 9 ½ years ago. At the time she joined me, I was healing from a surgery and Jasmine had to pretty much learn on her own. As many of you know, I have had some monumental challenges the past 8 ½ years between my husband being sick with pancreatic cancer for 3 years, then he passed away; I had brain surgery almost 2 years ago which wiped me out for months; then last August, I was out for a while for open heart surgery. Jasmine has survived and thrived over all these major events plus her own personal challenges. Jasmine has fortitude. She definitely is patient. Today, Jasmine is Vice President of our successful and growing company!
BRAVO for these 3 people. I could share many more stories with you of people I have seen succeed in the workplace. We live in a day and age where people job-hop constantly. They always are looking for better or more. Especially noticeable is the younger generation who want the title and money right now. If they don’t get it right away, they move on. But that isn’t how life works. You get ahead by enduring, hanging in there when things get tough. You also reap the benefits when you put your heart into your work; you do what needs to be done even if you don’t like it; you let your talents shine; you become the very best you can be at your craft!
Office Dynamics is also an example of endurance. We have been supporting, leading and honoring the administrative profession for 25+ years. We have been providing outstanding training, development, and education for those individuals who call this profession their Career of Choice. It has not been an easy climb. But it certainly has been rewarding. Today, Office Dynamics is a global leader in training and development for assistants and still recognized as the visionary for the profession.
- What are you doing now for the long haul?
- Are you committed to growing and learning?
- Are you dedicated to your employer?
- What talents do you have that you need to bring forth for others to see?
- Do you consistently perform at the top? Or only occasionally?
- Are you a survivor? Can you endure the tough times at work?
- Are you adaptable to change?
- What about flexibility?
- Do you have staying power?
I want to encourage you to grow where you are planted. If you are one who jumps from job to job, you will look back 10 years from now and say, “What happened?” Endurance is admirable and those who endure are rewarded.
Have an awesome week!
Joan Burge
P.S. Attendees at our 23rd Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence will be experiencing the Michael Jackson ONE Cirque du Soleil Show! This is part of their registration. They are in for an amazing treat! We have less than 100 seats left for this event.