At this point, there is no doubt that Joanna is part of our architecture community despite not being an architect.

I even dare to say that Joanna has done more for the next generation of architects than some seasoned architects in my life?

So I was so honored when she agreed to do this interview with me!

Joanna has had a very interesting and long journey in both her career and life.

Compared to my super linear path of becoming an architect, I’m sure she has much more stories to tell at dinner parties than I do!

But most importantly, I’m so impressed by her resiliency and ability to adapt to change.

I love how far she has come to now leading the life she truly loves.

And as if our life isn’t confusing enough, here’s an interview with Joann interviewing Joanna:

Her whole career journey
Working at Young Architect
How She Became a Jack of All Trades
Her Secret to Balance Life and Work as a Business Manager and a Mother
The Unique Lifestyle of Hunting, Fishing and Foraging
Being a Sponge and Finding Mentors
Joanna’s Advice for Young Mothers
What’s Next for Joanna?

From Innkeeper to Personal Chef to Business Manager

Joann: From being an Office Manager at the age of 16, to Innkeeper, to Director of Operations of a travel company, to self-employed as a personal chef, and now the Business Manager at Young Architect.

Take us through the journey of how you got here.

Joanna:

Some people’s paths in life are like a gentle hike in a meadow of flowers, mine has been a bit more like hiking Mt Everest.

My first job at 14 was actually at a landfill. Glamorous huh?

I ran the scale house on the weekend, which essentially meant I waved trucks onto the scales to weigh them for hours on end in the stinkiest and toughest of work environments.

I got thick skin and a dirty trucker vocabulary real quick. My mother worked for the same waste company in the office and got me this as my first job. I never was her favorite child!

It was quickly noted by others around me though that I was willing to work hard, get my hands dirty, literally and figuratively, and push myself to learn more than my job title required.

It is just my nature, I am a lover of learning new things. Anything, even garbage.

From the scale house of the garbage company, I moved into the office for a few hours here and there after school.

Answering phones, data entry, basic stuff.

But again, I wasn’t satisfied with just knowing the little bubble they gave me so I pushed to learn more and more.

Eventually, due to a rather challenging home environment, I knew I needed to move out way sooner than anyone should ever have to. I was 16.

The company I was working for had just acquired a septic company (even more glamorous!!) and needed someone to help part-time to manage it.

Despite my age, and honestly, lack of ability, I asked to do it. For some strange reason, they let me.

So, I negotiated with my high school to let me attend a reduced schedule because I was an excellent student and had doubled up on classes during my first two years of school.

Not sure this was even legal or would ever happen these days, but whatever. They let me. I was good at negotiating!

I would work in the office first thing in the morning, set the voicemail on the office phone, drive to high school, attend a few classes, go back to work until the evening, where I would venture back to my tiny one-room apartment and do a mix of homework plus office work until I passed out from exhaustion.

I graduated from high school at 17 with a rather impressive little resume!

I continued to work in offices until I was 22. I didn’t go to college.

My family wasn’t supportive of college ever in my history of recollection, it wasn’t on their radar. Plus at 22, I was making a pretty darn good salary.

I often joke that because I started working so early, I also had my mid-life crisis early.

When I turned 23 I started to hate the daily grind of the office hours, being chained to a metal desk, and the office politics that seemed to permeate through the ceiling tiles.

In my heart, I wanted to cook. To create.

So I quit my job, enrolled in culinary school, with plans of studying in France and Italy to become a Butcher (again, with the super glamorous jobs right?).

I was about two weeks away from starting when I had a complete panic attack freaking out.

I was filled with self-doubt, self-loathing, fear.

I had given up the stability (the only stability I had coming from a wildly dysfunctional family) I had created to go do something I knew nothing about, on top of that for some reason my uterus starting talking to me about “what happens when you want to have babies and you are a butcher /chef? You cannot do both successfully?”.

Freak out won, I backed out and went back to the office.

The call to cook never really left, however, so after I had my son, I started cooking for people I knew. Helping them plan special dinners, small events, and gatherings.

This evolved into cooking for an even bigger circle of people enough so I didn’t have to go back to the office and could stay home with my kids when they were little.

I loved the freedom in this but got to a pivot point where I either needed to go big or stop.

This was also, unfortunately, the time my marriage collapsed. Not the time to rent out a large commercial kitchen!

So back to the office I went. Ping, pong.

This time, travel.

I knew nothing about travel at ALL, but a combination of quick wit, those childhood negotiating skills, and my nerdy obsession with geography saved the day.

I landed as the Director of Operations at a travel company. A cat with nine lives I am!

As I was freshly divorced, they were the best company at the time giving me huge amounts of freedom and flexibility with my schedule.

The corporation was run by a husband and wife team and I could see the writing on the wall when their eldest boy flunked out of adulthood and came home to live.

They wanted him to grow up, be responsible, and eventually take over the business. So while they treated me like family, there were no actual blood ties and I knew my days would end up being limited.

The weight of my divorce at this point was a two-ton brick around my ankles and I once again decided to leap and hope I landed on my feet.

I had been contacted about an Innkeepers job in Maine and due to both my culinary and operational backgrounds, it seemed like I could combine my two worlds under one roof, plus as a bonus, it came with onsite housing quarters so every day could be “bring your kids to work day”. As a single Mom, this was a HUGE bonus.

Never have I considered myself that much of risk-taker, but as I detail out my career journey, I am starting to see things differently.

The Inn ended up being a disaster on so many levels I could write a whole book about it. I’ll spare you the details.

Knowing I needed to leave the Inn and having an intense calling to find myself again in all of the twists and turns in my life, I started looking for 100% remote work.

This would enable me to live anywhere I wanted and be home for my kids. And that long story is how I ended up at Young Architect.

In this whole twisted journey, I started therapy.

I needed to find out why I went from toxic relationships to toxic relationships.

From my family to my husband to my job at the Inn. There must be a common thread.

Therapy helped me gain clarity around it all and find my voice hidden amongst the rubble.

Grit, grace, and determination I would say have been my best friends on my journey to where I am.

Working at Young Architect

Joann: What do you do at Young Architect? How has the experience been so far working with architects?

Joanna:

My official title at Young Architect is Business Manager, but it often jokes that I am more like “Mom”.

Generally, I help run to the day to day operational side of Young Architect and help the business grow. We have doubled in profitability in the time I have been on board!

In my role at YA, I tend to work mostly with those who are seeking licensure, so those on their path to becoming architects.

Let me say this, what a determined group of people!

I never had a grasp of just how challenging and time consuming it was to become an architect.

Dare I say before working in this industry, I just thought you made beautiful, weird-looking houses.

I had no idea the level of responsibility that goes into that title.

I think because of my own life’s journey, I find working with architects rewarding.

Again, this isn’t a job that comes easy, it is something you have to be so passionate about that you are willing to commit to the long rocky road to get there.

That to me is something I admire in others.

Jack of All Trade

Joann: You sure have an interesting work history doing many different types of jobs. Which one is your favorite (or least favorite) and why?

Joanna:

It is interesting when you lay it out there isn’t it! I think it is hard to pick a favorite job because there are pieces in each one that I love.

Each one, while different industries and job titles, all come back to Customer Service and Operations.

I love to help people and I love to help make things run. It is all like solving a complex puzzle or being a circus performing.

How can I juggle these running chainsaws while smiling at the fans who paid big bucks for their tickets in the stand?

Operations are the same. Satisfy the customer’s needs delivering a great product while maintaining business directives.

To highlight a few of the best though, being a personal chef gave me amazing creative freedom, which I loved to both artistically create and produce the food I wanted to while creating a financially stable business.

Right brain and left brain working in harmony.

Oh, and when I worked for the travel company, they sent me and my kids to Greece for 14 days - all expenses paid! That was a dream trip come true!

For least favorite jobs, I would have to say the Inn.

Not because I didn’t like the work, but rather I had a very unsupportive owner (who cut corners on things you just cannot).

Some of the guests who stayed there almost made me hate people entirely, and I worked on average 18 hours a day during peak season.

It was, however, a wonderful jumping point for me in my life, so for that, I am thankful.

I tend to look at all things like a chapter in my book.

Some chapters are great, some you are happy to pass by, but they all make up my story.

How to Balance Life and Work as a Business Manager and a Mother

Joann: Not only are you working as a Business Manager, but you’re also writing wild games and recipes for local publications and being a mom at the same time!

Lots of women struggle with balancing between work and family - how do you prioritize and manage your time?

BTW, your food photos always look so delicious!

Joanna:

For my time, I set firm boundaries. Something I struggle a lot with when I was younger but have found my way now that I am older.

I set work hours that are just that, work hours. I set writing time, creative time, kid time, alone time, couple time…and I try hard to keep these separate.

As in, when I am spending quality time with my kids, my cell phone isn’t even in my pocket. No outside distractions. I give them my full 100% attention.

I think that way it is more about the quality of the time vs the quantity.

Mom is busy, so I do not have 8 hours a day to just play, but if I give them dedicated quality time, that works for us all.

For priorities, I finally figured out why they say on airplanes in the case of loss of cabin pressure put your mask on first. I used to think this was terrible and selfish.

Then again, as I have aged I finally got it.

If I do not take care of myself first, how can I ever take care of others?

Setting myself as a priority means I listen to what I need first.

Not selfishly, but if I have a big project at work, I know I will not be able to focus on my boyfriend, kids, side projects until that is complete. Work first.

Then other times, I am a little less excited about work and I know I need playtime.

Pack up the kids, shut off the phone and head to camp for some much needed unplugged time.

I am open and honest with my kids, my co-workers, my boss, my boyfriend, business relationships.

Here is the realistic goal I can achieve and I will do my best to achieve it and communicate along the way.

The Unique Lifestyle of Hunting, Fishing, and Foraging

Joann: As an avid outdoor woman (so interesting!), share with us how did you get into this lifestyle? And why do you love it so much?

Joanna:

I surprisingly didn’t grow up in a hunting/ fishing/outdoor family at all. It was something I was strangely drawn to. Maybe I was just always a bit wild!

I think it heightened when I was pregnant with my son almost 15 years ago.

I became mildly obsessed with my exposure to anything unnatural.

I wanted to know where my food came from, I wanted to know what was in my cleaning products.

The more I researched, the less I wanted to rely on anyone else.

After an incredibly difficult divorce, I dove in headfirst.

Not only did I want to know where my food came from, but I also wanted to know I could provide for my little family by myself.

Not just in the sense of making enough money to buy groceries at the store, but actually to be able to survive in any situation.

So as a divorce gift to myself, I bought myself a bow and taught myself to shoot. This was so therapeutic on many levels.

My marriage was toxic and left me feeling like a victim. I had to find a way to reclaim myself, my independence, and my childhood “fight”.

I sat down one night with a bottle of wine, a bunch of magazines, and a foam core board.

Without overthinking (maybe over-drinking a bit), I started to cut out words, pictures, things that spoke to me.

That made me happy without outside influence. Once they were all glued down and my wine buzz had subsided, it was pretty neat to see.

It was 100% the life I lead now, this outside, wild style, adventure life.

Teaching myself these skills, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, finally living the life I wanted, has led me to where I am today and I can say I am the happiest I have ever been.

I am so proud that I can show my kids how I had a goal and worked to achieve that goal, giving them, I think the best gift ever, a happy and confident mom.

Being a Sponge & Finding Mentors

Joann: Did you have any mentors or communities along the way? Do you have any advice for women on cultivating a mentorship?

Joanna:

I am very fortunate to have met some amazing people along the way.

I think I have always lived my life with an open heart being willing to truly listen and pick up whatever tidbits of life advice I can get along the way.

I am like a sponge, always listening, watching, and trying to learn whatever it is that is going on around me.

Sometimes mentors come and stick around for a while, others times they are more like micro mentors stopping in for just a moment of help.

Because I have never really sought out mentors, they have just sort of showed up.

My advice would be know that you do not know everything.

Be willing to listen to others, while always gut checking yourself.
Be appreciative of the words of wisdom you get, even if you do not take them.

Advice for Young Mothers

Joann: As a woman working from home and a mother of 2, what’s your #1 advice for young mothers who are doing the same?

Joanna:

Three things.

#1. Seek satisfaction, not perfection.

As a working Mom, you are crazy busy 24/7.

Learn to accept satisfaction at the end of the day and be proud of yourself for whatever you were able to accomplish.

#2. Also, the kids will be okay.

Do not get caught up in trying “Pinterest Mom” your parenting.

#3. Do not forget to put your oxygen mask on first.

What's Next for Joanna?

Joann: I love watching your involvement with the Young Architect.

And thank you for being part of the Women Architects Collective.

Where would you go next? What’s your goal in the future?

Joanna:

Thank you! Young Architect has been a great experience for me. I have met some amazing people, get to work on fun projects, and my boss is good to me (super flexible with my busy life).

Where do I go next? Who knows?

If I have learned anything in life is that…