What's important to you informs who you may become in life.
“Values inform the way we live. They may help prioritize your relationships and responsibilities, making life meaningful."
My values have informed my sense of purpose, and my work in food and nutrition with careers and jobs in academia, business and health care.
Consider your values
From humble beginnings, I grew up on a farm in Iowa. Today, I lead a function at a major global company. In between, I worked in a lot of different sectors of the food industry, from food server in a hospital and many restaurants to a public health provider in a developing country to academician and clinician in diabetes care to now the lead of nutrition for a well-known brand. I learned resilience, diligence and follow through are not just choices—they’ve been my core values for decades.
If I want people to trust me, I must be diligent, focusing with the work at hand for the benefit of others.
I must also be resilient—confident enough to take on tough situations served up by others.
I must remain committed to a level of follow through that builds belief and ultimately trust.
I can’t have spaces between what I say and what I mean and between what I promise and what I deliver.
To have met and to continue to meet the challenges of a food career, it takes, for me, diligence...resilience...and follow- through…and those are my guiding values.
In my experience, staying steadfast to these core values – especially in the face of challenges and conflict, has helped me stay the course and make a meaningful impact on issues bigger than myself. My values have also helped me add and create value in small and large organizations, both in the private and public sectors.
In most of the places where I worked, it was bumpy and challenging to understand how to develop my leadership skills, to develop emotional intelligence, professional maturity, gain a promotion and secure more pay. Over the course of my career, gratitude, resilience, opportunities and wisdom served me well. I’m a firm believer in the idea “to share when you’ve earned it by collaborating with others”.
With my values in hand, I have felt drawn to do something much bigger than myself. Throughout my life, when either the context or the situation changed, my values enabled and compelled me to overcome challenges. I’m here to share ideas and thoughts on these topics in hopes to help you smooth your food career path.
GROW with your Values!
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