Today, host Lorie Jones sits down with Janet Gipson, a pioneering talent acquisition executive, whose career has spanned engineering to sales and HR with remarkable success. The conversation explores Janet’s insightful journey from mechanical engineering to her passion for transforming talent acquisition.
She shares powerful lessons on embracing authenticity and the courage to stand out boldly in the professional world. With her unique perspective on navigating career twists and ensuring alignment with personal values, Janet provides motivation for women eager to pursue their paths with confidence.
Tune in to hear how a fearless mindset and a touch of audacity can shape extraordinary careers. This episode is a must-listen for any growth-focused woman ready to conquer new heights in her professional journey.
- Discover The Art of Possibility on training your thinking. [03:04]
- Gain a unique view of blending STEM expertise and soft skills. [05:51]
- Explore the nonlinear strategy for a fulfilling career. [13:22]
- Why obtain only career coaching that elevates you to knowing how to fish? [14:35]
- The importance of leaning into fear, a step forward at a time. [20:10]
- Worthy reflections on navigating a profit-driven work culture. [22:20]
- Be empowered to wear the dress and your colors to the office. [28:12]
- Find out how to confidently claim your space in any room. [32:08]
- Have gender and racial biases eased with time for employed women? [35:53]
- Powerful advice for early career phases. [41:05]
To connect with Janet Gipson, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetdardengipson/, or contact her via her website, https://www.absolutelybalanced.com/.
If you enjoyed this episode, please go to Apple Podcasts and leave a review!
For more information about Lorie Jones, go to https://fearlessfinancialadvisors.com/fearless-females.
Read the Full transcript of the episode below
00:01.79
Lorie Jones
Good morning, fearless females.
00:02.11
Janet Darden Gipson
it
00:04.31
Lorie Jones
We are here today with Janet Gibson. She is the talent acquisition executive. And I'm so excited that you joined us today, Janet. I'm really interested in delving into your story and kind of hearing a little bit more about your journey.
00:19.12
Lorie Jones
So thank you so much.
00:20.59
Janet Darden Gipson
Oh, you're welcome. Thank you for having me, Lori.
00:23.68
Lorie Jones
So the very first question I always always ask is one that's my very favorite, which is. I'm a reader. I read anything and everything. Tell me what is your favorite book?
00:33.95
Janet Darden Gipson
You know, typically people ask, what are you reading? So you made me kind of think a bit longer than um I'm used to on this one. ah But my answer is The Art of Possibility. It's written by, and I have to refer to it, Rosamund Stone Zander and her husband Benjamin. The Art of Possibility was a book that was recommended to me probably 10-ish years ago when I was going through my own career um I'll say gray area, but it's really about our mindset when we're navigating this life and this professional career in terms of not closing our minds to things that could be possible, right? A lot of how we navigate life is about what we're thinking, right? And if we're thinking negative, we're thinking pessimistic, that's typically how it happens. And so the art of possibility really
01:30.62
Janet Darden Gipson
flips that on its head, but connects you to theories and philosophies that actually shift your mindset in a way that actually helps you thrive. And I think as a leader, be a better beacon of hope for your teams and help to guide them and navigate the tough challenges both at work and at home.
01:45.74
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
01:52.76
Janet Darden Gipson
So yeah, the art of possibility.
01:53.52
Lorie Jones
So it kind of this. It shifts your mindset sort of then.
01:58.03
Janet Darden Gipson
Exactly, exactly. well you know Does it shift it? What I will say is it it exposes the strength of your mindset as you work and live your life. right Mindset matters. And if we don't pay attention to it, it can it can wreak havoc in ways that we don't even realize.
02:21.40
Lorie Jones
Yeah, that makes sense. Cause I, you know, you do know that if you, if you start thinking negatively or going down those kind of, you know, we never, all of us never have all good days, right?
02:33.40
Janet Darden Gipson
right
02:33.95
Lorie Jones
And so if you're having one of those bad days, it kind of does affect, it affects your energy. And, and I, I have been in charge of teams before and it affects the whole team. It feels like if you're in the phone.
02:45.06
Janet Darden Gipson
That's right. That's right. And I, I, you know, it's a, not a pet peeve of mine, but someone who is raising their hand to be a leader, even of one person, you have got to have this in check because now you're responsible for more than just yourself. And I think it is an important aspect of leadership to be able to inspire and not just lead and get the work done, but to inspire and tackle the big things.
03:13.46
Janet Darden Gipson
so
03:13.64
Lorie Jones
Oh yeah, I love that. I can tell we're going to have a great conversation because I am all on board with that.
03:17.27
Janet Darden Gipson
Yeah.
03:20.44
Lorie Jones
So tell me a little bit about your journey. How did you, how did you start out? How did you get where you are today and kind of what do you do? Just tell us a little bit about you.
03:29.79
Janet Darden Gipson
Sure, sure. Well, I'm a daughter of what I'm going to say scientist, a science teacher, physics teacher, and an engineer. And so it was never really a question of what I would do when I went to college. it I majored in math and engineering and graduated and got a job as an engineer and promptly decided that wasn't quite what I thought it would be or wanted to do. So I'm i'm using more recently the term I meandered um because as I meander, I learned what I like and what I don't like. And after that stint as an engineer, I actually went back to grad school.
04:11.05
Janet Darden Gipson
and decided that they that an MBA would help me kind of evaluate what opportunities were there on maybe the non-technical side of of of work.
04:22.57
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
04:22.94
Janet Darden Gipson
And then went into sales engineering. So it really helped, that role was pivotal. And I'll talk a little bit about, I think about a career coach that I engaged, but it was pivotal because I knew I wanted to preserve the technical rigor.
04:40.55
Janet Darden Gipson
of my work because I had the aptitude, had the interest, just didn't want to apply it in those traditional ways, but also wanted to connect with others, work with people, not sit in front of ah a computer all day and solve problems for people or not. So sales engineering, think of it as kind of enabling technology that you sell to a customer. so The sales folks would sell and then my team would come in and help implement, train, troubleshoot, just to preserve and hopefully grow revenue account.
05:16.99
Janet Darden Gipson
So I did that for quite a while, um, in the telecommunication space and grew that into more business development roles.
05:19.69
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
05:25.96
Janet Darden Gipson
So I then absorbed more business development, more sales, where I had a P and L that profit and loss line that I was responsible for. and did that for many, many years.
05:36.92
Janet Darden Gipson
grew My team loved it until I didn't. um About 15, 16 years and into that space, really realized that you know chasing the bottom line, although I loved my customers, I loved my team, I loved what I did.
05:54.94
Janet Darden Gipson
It just wasn't enough anymore.
05:56.51
Lorie Jones
it
05:57.06
Janet Darden Gipson
And that's when I you know had a Just a big question mark at that time. I've probably got ah married i at the time.
06:08.17
Janet Darden Gipson
I have kids that are you know in middle school. So i'm I'm also a mother and there's all the challenges related to that. and And what I found was it's so important when you're being pulled in those different directions to have your value alignment.
06:18.60
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
06:25.95
Janet Darden Gipson
um not that revenue generation and customer satisfaction weren't important. I just wanted more alignment, more human alignment, more give back. And so that's when I ah applied for a head of talent acquisition position. And and you know you say, well, how in the world did you get from one to the other? there was ah That's where my sales hat came on, because I was able to i was able to demonstrate That a lot of what I did day to day in terms of communication skills influence Selling and also technical acumen is also resident in talent acquisition certainly not directly, but you know in this day and age Coaching my team of talent acquisition partners how to be influential How do you and how do you convert someone to want to apply to your company?
07:08.26
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
07:21.22
Janet Darden Gipson
And what are the key areas of customer? and client interaction that you need to be familiar with. So I was doing it in service of people finding their lifelong careers in some cases. And that's where I've been. So I i have enjoyed it. It is a story. Everyone always says, how in the world did you get where you are? But that's that's my story.
07:44.28
Lorie Jones
I love it. I come from a family of five engineers. So I had, so I am well aware. I, you know, I joke all the time.
07:54.39
Lorie Jones
I have to call myself a financial engineer to even be invited to the family reunions. But um what sort of engineering did you go into? Just because I'm curious.
08:04.54
Janet Darden Gipson
I was mechanical. I did mathematics. I had a dual, double undergrad in mathematics and mechanical engineering.
08:11.62
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
08:12.37
Janet Darden Gipson
ah So I worked for the for Newport News Showmate. I did a lot of internships in the Virginia area. I'm up from Southeast Virginia. But my first, first job was working on nuclear aircraft carrier um groups in the Newport News, Virginia area.
08:30.23
Lorie Jones
that sounds interesting. But I can see, like, having known engineers really well, I can see how that that career maybe wouldn't speak to somebody who wants to talk to humans and help humans. And, you know, because it's a it's a very, it's very technical, and it's very isolated a lot of times.
08:52.65
Janet Darden Gipson
It is, you know, no nothing's ever black and white. And I have often wondered if I had done a little more research or given it, you know, are there areas within the STEM field that I could have blended, you know, without jumping to HR or sales, perhaps, but yeah, no, it, given what I was exposed to, and I actually had, um,
09:18.63
Janet Darden Gipson
two two good jobs, I'd say, as engineers, and neither were giving me the, they were feeding me in that way, so.
09:27.25
Lorie Jones
yeah Well, and it sounds like you also made like a career kind of out of of putting those more technical aspects into the human side of things like the human engineering. I mean, it's it's fascinating how um how you can take the the more engineering, more STEM concepts and make them apply to a lot of different fields.
09:54.37
Janet Darden Gipson
You're absolutely right. i and My husband tells me I'm probably too logical sometimes and everything's not an algebra equation. but But you're right. I actually look at things in that way when I'm you know trying to solve a problem at work or interacting with someone. Because back to the book, The Art of the Possible, there's there's always an answer. It may not be what we like. It may not.
10:21.43
Janet Darden Gipson
be what's jumping out at us initially, but there's definitely the the tenacity that's in me helps drive me toward a solution, whatever that is.
10:35.46
Janet Darden Gipson
so
10:37.71
Lorie Jones
Yeah. and i And I think that's, it's a really good mix too of like your talents, you know, like the, the engineering side wants to go to those processes and that data. And the the human side wants to delve into relationships and problem solving. And it's a ah really nice, I think you've done it really well, like married the two so that you have a career that feeds both sides of you, because because even if you didn't go into an engineering field, it sounds like you still got those, you know, the STEM characteristics in you.
11:09.90
Janet Darden Gipson
Yeah. And, and, you know, you talk about what would you, and I'm not gonna, you've got your questions coming, but if I had to coach, when I'm coaching my teams today, I kind of tell them, don't follow the, you know, the linear path that everyone tells us is supposed to be high school, college, job.
11:30.92
Janet Darden Gipson
job life, you know, whether you get married or not, take agency and craft your own.
11:32.91
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
11:37.57
Janet Darden Gipson
And in fact, you are you and no one else knows you as well as you do. So um you're the best person to do it. and i And I, especially in the talent acquisition space, you find that people just tend to apply to jobs, whether they give them the warm and fuzzies or not.
11:53.87
Janet Darden Gipson
And everyone doesn't have the the benefit of that. But I do contend that um if if people understood that the job search process and finding your dream job is more of an art of exploration of yourself and what's out there that can meet you where you are, um they they'd be a lot happier.
12:15.73
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
12:16.62
Janet Darden Gipson
So, yeah.
12:17.37
Lorie Jones
Yeah, that's a really good way of looking at things too. So, Jenna, tell me, is there an investment that you've made in yourself something that you can look back on and say, Oh my goodness, if I hadn't done that, I just don't think I'd be wearing that today.
12:31.22
Janet Darden Gipson
Yeah. um Ironically, a career coach. i and you know it's not It's not so profound. The MBA was an investment, but the career coach, you know i was um I had just turned 30 years old. I was you know less than five years married.
12:53.76
Janet Darden Gipson
had had the two engineering jobs and was just swirling because i there was so much change. I moved from Virginia to Cheyenne, Wyoming and was really I wanted to be intentional about the job that I took after I finished my MBA.
13:09.79
Janet Darden Gipson
And so I convinced my husband, let's just invest. And at the time, you know, a package, of course, things are so different now, but I think that package was probably three or $4,000 outright, which is quite an investment if you're not quite sure what you're looking for.
13:23.51
Lorie Jones
Mhm. Oh yeah.
13:28.88
Janet Darden Gipson
And so it was life changing. The focus with which I was coached on identifying my dream jobs, right? They go all the way back to what are your values? What are you good at? what um you know What's your skillset? But also what type of company do you want to work for? What are their values? and how do you So all the things you hear about today, are I was taken um through all of that we did interview coaching and video and playback as excruciatingly painful as that was it actually I know it actually helped me understand that it is not just um it's not a crapshoot when you go on screen or go in a room for an interview nor
14:17.29
Janet Darden Gipson
Is it just fanning your resumes out to 50 different people?
14:21.27
Lorie Jones
Uh-huh.
14:21.44
Janet Darden Gipson
There's actually, ah there's tailoring that should go on and that helps to support your chances of getting in the interview and ultimately the job.
14:32.31
Janet Darden Gipson
So, and that, like I said, was, was a long time ago. And it still pays dividends today. I use it in leading my own team now that I'm on the other side of that desk. But I also coach others in terms of helping them understand the importance of slowing down and and finding your golden thread that matches the thread in the position you're applying for and how to how to weave that in a way that delights the person on the other side of the desk so that they'll make you a job offer.
15:05.50
Lorie Jones
Yeah, that's really interesting and something that you don't think about quite as often, especially nowadays when there's like the AI that goes through your resume. It's like it just it's it's like you spam out 600 of those dang things.
15:19.45
Janet Darden Gipson
Yes.
15:20.75
Lorie Jones
And it in it not every one of them feels like crafted for you. You're just hoping something hits. and that's
15:30.16
Janet Darden Gipson
And hoping is not a strategy. It's just not. And it's frustrating. And I, you know, I talk to people all the time and it's, it's, it's not easy and it takes time and thought, but when done well, I've seen it pay dividends.
15:46.36
Janet Darden Gipson
So yeah.
15:46.82
Lorie Jones
Yeah, yeah, I like the idea too of investing in that coaching. Did you continue with um different coaches or with that coach through your career or it was ah kind of a one time thing?
15:58.20
Janet Darden Gipson
It was a one-time done because I wasn't working at the time. We had just moved so I had the time to go because this is this was actually like a firm that I drove to and it was crazy back before COVID when virtual just didn't exist, but no, it was call it a month or two months process where we narrowed it down. They took me all the way to interviews and i that was my my first job, my first real job out West, um the one I stayed at for 16, 17 years. um
16:32.42
Janet Darden Gipson
So yeah, no, I didn't engage with that type of firm. And I've had coaches since then, but not career coaches, if you will.
16:38.97
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
16:44.22
Lorie Jones
And that brings up another question, because there's there are those that will review your resume, pay us $20,000 or whatever they you know charge.
16:53.16
Janet Darden Gipson
Yes.
16:54.08
Lorie Jones
So how do you find a good one, one that just isn't going to give you a resume, tune up, and send you on your way? It sounds like that was an in-depth sort of thing.
17:03.58
Janet Darden Gipson
It was, but yeah because they taught me how to fish.
17:06.95
Lorie Jones
Mm-hmm.
17:07.64
Janet Darden Gipson
These $20,000 people are fishing for you. um So i probably I wouldn't recommend that for the simple reason of it isn't one size fits all.
17:11.53
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
17:21.29
Janet Darden Gipson
And and when once you know and become more familiar with, I think, the a proven process, sure, you can say, hey, pay someone to formulate, you know, you are only applying to five types of jobs. And so give me five resumes that fit that. That makes sense. But you still need to understand what looks good and how to get it to that point, I think. So you need to be an educated consumer in those spaces.
17:54.77
Lorie Jones
I like the idea of they taught me to fish, you know.
17:57.41
Janet Darden Gipson
sir and And that's important. And I think we, I mean, gosh, how many of us make money off of services that people just want us to fish for them?
18:09.36
Janet Darden Gipson
And that's great. But but if you want, don't want to spend that spend that money.
18:13.97
Lorie Jones
you Yeah, yeah, exactly.
18:15.10
Janet Darden Gipson
um Yeah.
18:16.29
Lorie Jones
what um What's the worst advice someone ever gave you? Have you had some really bad advice and did you take it? Did you not take it?
18:24.80
Janet Darden Gipson
Yeah. Someone told me not to apply for a job. They said, they were co-worker and I was just, you know, I told you I was in that gray space and I said, yeah, you know, I'm thinking about applying for this job. And they were like, Nope, don't do it. Um, you know, you'll never make it. They're not looking for someone like you. And, um, you know, at the time I actually was listening, kind of ingesting what they were saying to me and,
18:57.87
Janet Darden Gipson
The coach, the exact coach I had at the time says, and what do they know about you to even be able to make that and sort conjecture kind of jolted me back into saying, you know what, you're right.
19:06.58
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
19:10.80
Janet Darden Gipson
So I didn't listen to him. Um, and I applied anyway, and, and, and I got the job.
19:18.01
Lorie Jones
yeah
19:18.52
Janet Darden Gipson
And the lesson that taught me was, um, you know, always you can talk to people and you should talk to people and get their advice. Cause that's how we grow. That's why, how we expand our own horizons.
19:29.90
Janet Darden Gipson
But at the end of the day, only, you know, you and, um, you know, betting on yourself is never a bad choice to make. So it's
19:39.39
Lorie Jones
Sometimes really, really scary.
19:42.90
Janet Darden Gipson
something most of the time. Most of the time, but i'm i'm the older I get i'm kind of leaning into the fear because typically that's where the breakthrough is Nobody tells you that sir Yeah, yeah, yeah kind of push yourself and it's then you get a little better and a little braver and then the next
19:54.44
Lorie Jones
Yeah, I like that idea. And that's, you know, my podcast is fearless females. And I would say it's not that I don't have the fear. I'm scared to death most of the time, but I try it anyway.
20:15.45
Janet Darden Gipson
Bigger task is waiting for you on the other side. So yeah.
20:18.21
Lorie Jones
you Yeah, I like that. What about something that a situation that you can kind of look back on and you say, oh my goodness, if I knew then what I know now, I just would have totally done that differently.
20:31.70
Lorie Jones
I maybe not regret, but like something that you think home learning experiences.
20:31.97
Janet Darden Gipson
Yeah.
20:36.81
Lorie Jones
I've had plenty.
20:39.21
Janet Darden Gipson
yeah um
20:43.58
Janet Darden Gipson
When I talked about um working in sales and client engagement, I loved the work. I loved the technical aspect. I loved my people, my team, my clients. What I will say is though that the the the organization and quite honestly, some of the people and the ah culture were counter to my values.
21:14.53
Janet Darden Gipson
i you're I'm talking early thirties, right?
21:18.27
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
21:18.73
Janet Darden Gipson
And at that time, and I think every 35-year-old that I know you know, give me more, I want to do more, pay me more, promote me.
21:31.80
Janet Darden Gipson
yeah You're just hungry. You're at a time in your career in life where you're just you're able to conquer the world and you literally want it. And you don't think about the the should use or the long-term impacts of of what you're doing.
21:47.60
Janet Darden Gipson
Not that there was anything illegal or anything, but I probably had to work at a pace and work
21:50.10
Lorie Jones
right
22:03.32
Janet Darden Gipson
in a way that wasn't true to who Janet was and is as a mother, as a wife, as a just a human wanting to be good to other humans.
22:11.94
Lorie Jones
Right. Hmm.
22:16.88
Janet Darden Gipson
um I had to do some pretty cutthroat business deals and or negotiations and somebody has to do it. But I think at the end of the day, what I realized was it that wasn't me.
22:32.28
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
22:32.63
Janet Darden Gipson
Yes, I can and will for what's right and what I value, but it has to be something that's meaningful, not just for the sake of, you know, um getting getting a leg up on someone.
22:49.84
Janet Darden Gipson
And so I, you say regret or you say something I wish I would have done differently. And I i have a hard time putting that time and of my life in that category because I wouldn't have met all the wonderful people on that. I wouldn't have gained all the amazing experience that I did. And I probably wouldn't be quite who I am today, but I do often wonder what if, what if I had kind of resolved that this just isn't me earlier.
23:28.89
Janet Darden Gipson
and done the soul searching sooner and and and took a leap at an earlier point. Where would I be? What would I be doing?
23:39.83
Janet Darden Gipson
So it is a question mark.
23:39.88
Lorie Jones
That's interesting. Yeah, so would you would you have handled the situation differently, maybe made the maybe it made it more congruent or you would have left the situation earlier.
23:55.23
Janet Darden Gipson
That's a great question. i The, if there's a regret, maybe there's a regret that I didn't bring my whole self to these situations in a way that's authentic to me.
24:05.53
Lorie Jones
ah
24:09.01
Janet Darden Gipson
Meaning maybe there's a solution. Again, the art of possibility. Maybe it isn't a zero sum game. Maybe there is a way that we can all win without, um, you know, gouging your customer or not telling the truth or things like that.
24:25.72
Janet Darden Gipson
Um, I probably. would not want it to have walked away at that time, but perhaps having the agency to to bring more collaborative either thinking or processes to the to the forefront is probably what I would have done.
24:35.32
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm. Yeah. I find that i I just find that really interesting because I, you know, too, as you get older, you find a you finally go like, well, this is who I am.
24:54.72
Lorie Jones
You know, like I'm, I'm just going to be who I am.
24:55.44
Janet Darden Gipson
Right.
24:58.09
Lorie Jones
And if you don't like it, then don't work with me. You know what I'm saying? But, but that's really hard to do as a 30, 35 year old. And, and you don't know that you have the ability to.
25:09.61
Janet Darden Gipson
Exactly.
25:10.62
Lorie Jones
Yeah. So, so.
25:12.33
Janet Darden Gipson
And even if someone had told you, someone listening to this podcast tries to do that, I don't know.
25:14.30
Lorie Jones
and
25:20.19
Janet Darden Gipson
I think there's a certain, there are experiences, there's maturity, there's a lot of life that goes into that statement.
25:28.14
Lorie Jones
you
25:28.26
Janet Darden Gipson
and
25:28.65
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
25:28.93
Janet Darden Gipson
that that ah it's it's It's a curious question to say, could you have gotten there sooner?
25:35.96
Lorie Jones
Yeah, that is about something that, that you kind of just have to think about and be like, is that something that you have to live through and learn and everybody just has to live through and learn it to get to the other side? Or is it something that you can figure out a bowl a little bit earlier in life and you can figure out how to be authentic and bring it? or Or is it per person? Like maybe some people can figure it out early and some people just have to live it. So I don't know. It's a really interesting question to ask though.
26:06.60
Janet Darden Gipson
It is, and it is. And especially as you swivel your chair and start raising kids and you get frustrated because they don't listen. Because they say, no, I need to learn it myself.
26:18.33
Janet Darden Gipson
And I've had my son tell me that before.
26:21.60
Lorie Jones
Yeah, you're like, ah yeah, because they don't listen.
26:22.25
Janet Darden Gipson
You can't argue. You know you can't argue with them.
26:30.67
Lorie Jones
But, but, uh, but I sure do wish they would sometimes I'm like, but I've got all this knowledge I could just help you with.
26:31.20
Janet Darden Gipson
Oh.
26:38.06
Janet Darden Gipson
I know, I know.
26:39.06
Lorie Jones
but If you could go back and tell your 20 year old self something Janet, what would it be?
26:40.04
Janet Darden Gipson
Oh.
26:47.64
Janet Darden Gipson
You're going to laugh at my response, but I would tell my 20 year old Janet to wear the dress. Be, be loud, wear the fuchsia, um, twist your hair, be authentic and, and, and don't,
27:05.23
Janet Darden Gipson
feel like in order to be accepted in spaces that you have to you know you have to morph into something that you're not. um you know I grew up in a you know ah household where I was fortunate enough to be able to go to private school early in my education and was one of, you know, um the only student of color if, you know, maybe two and certainly more affluent peers in the classroom, access to different things. And honestly was never um comfortable bridging
27:51.50
Janet Darden Gipson
the two Janets, I mean, or or merging the two Janets, right? you had I had my my home church, home friend Janet, and then who I was at school or on the phone with my friends.
27:56.77
Lorie Jones
Mhm.
28:04.89
Janet Darden Gipson
My mother used to say oh she could tell who I was talking to on the phone, the code switching, right? It's it's unfortunate that people And I'm not going to just, you know, it certainly it's people of color, but I think there is an element of code switching that we all do. It's a survival tactic. It's a, it's a, it's a fear response. It's, um, and it prevents you from getting to the place we're all trying to get, which is find out who are we at our fullest self. So I would tell my 20 year old self, you wear the dang dress and be unapologetic and they'll love you just for who you are.
28:47.53
Lorie Jones
I like that I did too. the The fact is, is that once you, people don't really know who you are unless you bring your authenticity to this relationship.
28:56.99
Janet Darden Gipson
that's
28:57.21
Janet Darden Gipson
right that's right
28:57.23
Lorie Jones
So they don't, you know, I, I've been there too. And I worry, oh, they won't like me. They won't, you know, and, and you have to be just a little bit fearless to, to bring your whole self and say, if they don't like me, I guess that's okay.
29:14.92
Lorie Jones
But I'm still I need to be who I am in all the different phases of my life. It's hard hiding and it's not like you do it on purpose. It's just like you try and fit in or you know
29:27.19
Janet Darden Gipson
That's right. um And you, I think even to build on that, you become in some ways, if not checked, deferential to others before yourself. And even that can cause problems, you know, later in life when, no, you you need to,
29:55.73
Janet Darden Gipson
Practice self-care. You need to make sure that your oxygen mass is on. And I think it's those habits that we build early in life are just, when unchecked, they grow into other bad habits, I find.
30:12.51
Janet Darden Gipson
so
30:13.23
Lorie Jones
And that does seem to be a pretty prevalent um problem among you know women in professions is burnout and and you know not taking care of it saying yes to too much, taking care of everything over and before yourself.
30:27.36
Janet Darden Gipson
Mm-hmm.
30:29.03
Lorie Jones
And so I think that's an interesting um connection to find is that if you're living authentically, Maybe you're not making some of the mistakes that will lead you to that you know to those later burnout phases or something like that. That's that's interesting. what janet What scared you the most when you started your career? Did anything scare you? Did everything scare you? Does it still scare you?
30:57.14
Janet Darden Gipson
Um, but yeah, being good enough. Am I good enough? Um, am I, um, smart enough? Do I belong in this room? Do I belong? I can, gosh, harken back to, um, one of my first, you know, I had been a supervisor and maybe became a manager and was standing in for my boss at the time to go to a meeting, a weekly meeting where she represented our team and she wasn't there. So I went.
31:25.32
Janet Darden Gipson
and It was a long boardroom table with the chairs around the table, but then the chairs at the wall too and I think I sat on the wall because that's what you do um First time in there and I can remember I don't I can't remember exactly who in the room but they looked at me and they said no you come sit at this table you belong here and You know I have examples like that throughout my career of just, um, probably not feeling confident in what I was bringing to the table and what I deserved.
31:57.42
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
32:09.33
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
32:10.07
Janet Darden Gipson
Um, and oftentimes, you know, sometimes that was a projection of what maybe I perceived someone else thought of me that then, you know,
32:22.98
Janet Darden Gipson
I don't know whether it was born out of me or born out of feedback I had gotten, but just not feeling like I was worthy or good enough. um it That voice or that insecurity isn't as strong as it once was. And again, the logic in me or the logical person in me says, well, what is this born out of? And is it true? And if it's not true, you know,
32:51.73
Janet Darden Gipson
stop listening to it, right? I can talk to myself now, whereas I didn't have those tools and skills back then. So yeah.
32:59.16
Lorie Jones
So it's just a matter of kind of learning how to self talk that got you past that um anxiety or that um I'm not sure I'm enough.
33:02.57
Janet Darden Gipson
Mm hmm.
33:09.81
Janet Darden Gipson
Mm hmm. Yeah, yeah. And that first you have to realize you're doing it. You have to realize that You know, that person is sitting on your shoulder whispering things to you, whether you even realize it.
33:23.11
Lorie Jones
yeah
33:25.69
Janet Darden Gipson
And once you realize that, and that it's not always serving you well, and it's the fear talking, and then you kind of, you're able to put it in its place or have a conversation with it at least.
33:29.74
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
33:36.30
Lorie Jones
Hmm.
33:39.76
Lorie Jones
Yeah, tell it to be quiet. Tell it to stop saying mean things, right?
33:42.98
Janet Darden Gipson
Right. Right. Right. Right. Right.
33:45.53
Lorie Jones
ah Yeah.
33:45.78
Janet Darden Gipson
Right. Gosh.
33:47.14
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
33:47.24
Janet Darden Gipson
Yeah.
33:48.12
Lorie Jones
But I think it's probably a lifelong sort of thing because I still have those, I do the same, I'm very logical and analytical coming from a family of engineers, as you can imagine.
33:58.36
Janet Darden Gipson
that
33:58.90
Lorie Jones
And so I i do have those same conversations with myself, you know, you're, you're, you're good, you do good things, you can, I, we probably need to make some sort of a mantra that we just say ourselves every day in the mirror, right?
33:59.74
Janet Darden Gipson
yeah
34:11.80
Janet Darden Gipson
Listen, I have the stickers. You are, you know, you are everything that you think you are. And just um because we need to be reminded of that.
34:21.44
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
34:21.58
Janet Darden Gipson
And I think, you know, the world doesn't intend to do it, but Some things out outside our houses aren't terribly kind and so it's important for us to lift ourselves up Yes,
34:33.59
Lorie Jones
Oh, I like that idea, Jenna. Like, be kind to yourself. Like, tell yourself nice things, right?
34:39.94
Janet Darden Gipson
yes yeah yes, yes, it makes the world a world of difference gosh, yeah oh Of course
34:45.89
Lorie Jones
Did you face any unique challenges because you're a woman?
34:53.94
Janet Darden Gipson
um You know, I would like to think that, you know, I grew, I didn't grow up in the time and space that my mother did and that I was, you know, we, we she fought so that we could have equal footing in the workplace, but that wasn't the case at all.
35:17.19
Janet Darden Gipson
i and my My husband was in the Air Force for 28 years and he was active duty when we got married and when we decided to have kids and he went on deployments where I predominantly worked outside the home but had to make sure my kids were taken care of when he was gone. I can remember When I came back from one of my maternity leaves, I had a boss tell me, yeah, you're just not as sharp as you were before you went out with that, you know, you know, and what are you supposed to say to that? And the answer is back then, probably nothing because it would have, again, I'm the hungry 30 some year old trying to be, you know, everything. So of course I didn't say anything, but you know, the, I can recall having peer
36:10.55
Janet Darden Gipson
leaders and executives in a room just look at me with sadness, remorse, because they knew I was bearing the brunt of things because I was sometimes the only woman and certainly the only black in the room. So yes, um definitely.
36:26.56
Lorie Jones
Yeah, yeah, it's it it is sometimes um sometimes it's it's easy for me to remember that those ahead of us like kind of broke ground, you know, that that we were able to come in and and we had a lot different um experience than they did because sometimes it felt like but my goodness it's so hard still.
36:26.69
Janet Darden Gipson
and more
36:50.87
Janet Darden Gipson
Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, we like to say used to run the shoulders of, I think things were better. The opportunities were probably more abundant for me, um but it was still hard and it still is.
37:06.55
Lorie Jones
Yeah, it is. It is still hard. i'm i i I think that each generation helps the situation along, you know, and and and I'm hoping that this next generation is going to fix all the whole problems.
37:23.69
Janet Darden Gipson
That's what I'm hoping for. That's what you're exactly right. Cause it's a mess. and This was a fun question because typically, you know, as adults, we don't get asked that question, but, um, in thinking through it, I, um, I'm most proud of my.
37:28.58
Lorie Jones
yeah ah Janet, are you most proud of?
37:48.79
Janet Darden Gipson
almost 30-year marriage. Today, we're celebrating thirty our 30th Valentine's Day because we next year, so it's been 29 years that um we've been married. But yeah, I think you know in hindsight, life is hard. We've been talking about my career and some difficult challenges, but there's a partner If you're lucky, there's a partner in that with you that struggles through it. You struggle through theirs. You have your own ups and downs, but when you can get through it on the other side, I think that's something to be proud of. um you know there are There are reasons to celebrate the the journey, and and I think that's that's something to be said and something I'm proud of.
38:40.97
Janet Darden Gipson
and And of course the fruit the the children, the lineage, the experiences, but the fact that we we we took a leap of faith and and it worked out is something that's that I'm pretty excited about.
38:41.05
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
38:59.45
Lorie Jones
Yeah, I have a feeling it didn't just work out. I had a feeling there's a lot of work put into making it work out, right?
39:06.81
Janet Darden Gipson
Yes, yes. The verb being work, it's a workout every day, every day, every day.
39:09.77
Lorie Jones
Yeah.
39:13.27
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah. That is important though. And I do think that these people in our lives, our kids, our husbands, our parents are, you know, there's people in our lives that, that help us along this journey.
39:27.20
Lorie Jones
It's not just us that's doing it. Um, and, and, and it's not just them that's doing it either, you know, like we're, we're part of each other's stories.
39:30.28
Janet Darden Gipson
Right.
39:37.02
Lorie Jones
And I think that's a really important, I think that is an important thing to know that that you've been part of each other's stories and success for like 30 years now.
39:47.40
Janet Darden Gipson
Yeah, a long time.
39:47.50
Lorie Jones
Congratulations. Yeah.
39:49.46
Janet Darden Gipson
Over half my life, yes. Yes, yes.
39:52.25
Lorie Jones
Yeah, it is kind of funny when you realize like I spent less time with my parents than I have and that i have with these people, right?
39:58.70
Janet Darden Gipson
Right, right, right. So yeah, it's, it's, that's something, you know, that's one of many things. Yeah.
40:08.24
Lorie Jones
Yeah. What about um any advice for a young lady who's maybe just starting down this path that you're successful at? Is there something that you would pass on or share with her?
40:21.42
Janet Darden Gipson
um Yes, two, probably two things. One, nothing is going to be a straight line. So get that out of your head. um That education, life, your experiences are about defining who you are and what you're meant to be in this world. And so be open to seeing things and reading cues that may tell you different from what you know your parents told you or your textbook told you. Because at the end of the day, what you have to offer this world, no one knows but you. And it's up to you to unearth it, to feed it, and to help it grow so that you can be the person you were meant to be. And and I guess,
41:21.14
Janet Darden Gipson
As a part of that, the second thing I would say is it's okay to take time to find that out, right? um We, we seem to have embedded an obsession with, you know, get all the degrees, do all the things, get the job, get the husband, have the kids, and then you sit there and you wonder why you're not happy or, and I think women need to realize that, um,
41:51.26
Janet Darden Gipson
Fulfillment means many things to many different people. and with the a you know Social media and all the things that we read and and experience would tell us sometimes differently.
42:04.26
Lorie Jones
Mm hmm.
42:04.55
Janet Darden Gipson
and But again, we've got to be in touch with ourselves to understand what's right for us and so seek that out.
42:10.46
Lorie Jones
Hmm.
42:12.46
Janet Darden Gipson
And hopefully you'll find it. so
42:15.21
Lorie Jones
Yeah, I think that's, I think that's important. There are sometimes lots of twists and turns in your path. And, and I know that, you know, I, I've raised five kids and watching them go through school and having, you know, that it just, it feels like a middle school.
42:33.23
Lorie Jones
They started telling them, this is the way that you do things. you do You do this and you do this.
42:36.48
Janet Darden Gipson
yeah
42:38.07
Lorie Jones
And unless you're in an, and Ivy League school by this point give up hope because you're never going to be successful. And I think it's really, really important to understand that there are lots of different ways to be successful.
42:50.31
Lorie Jones
And and even if you view success as you know the dream job and the the great family and everything gelling, there are lots of different ways to get to that success too.
43:02.08
Janet Darden Gipson
That's right. That's right. and and being okay with that and being okay with defending that. Because you probably spend just as much time talking yourself into it as you do defending to outsiders that don't understand it.
43:19.34
Janet Darden Gipson
And so it can be tough, but yes, that's what I would.
43:19.34
Lorie Jones
Yeah. Yeah. Well, Janet, thank you so much for your time today and for having this conversation with me and sharing your information and and your your journey. I really have appreciated it. is there If I've got a young lady who's listening and they want to get in touch with you and ask you a question, how do they do that?
43:39.84
Janet Darden Gipson
Yes, they should find me on, I have a website called Absolutely Balanced. And absolutely is spelled A-B-S-O-U-L-U-T-E-L-Y, balanced.com. um The soul is in there and on purpose. So you can find me there, Janet Gibson, or just look me up on LinkedIn, Janet Darden Gibson. And hopefully,
44:09.16
Janet Darden Gipson
they've found something inspiring. so Thank you, have a great day.
44:11.25
Lorie Jones
oh Thank you. Thank you so much for your time today. I really do appreciate it.