We were lucky to catch up with Janan Nimock recently and have shared our conversation below.
Janan, appreciate you joining us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?
I would say my hero would be my mother, who passed away at 95 years old in July of this year (2022). My mom and I had always been close, even when I was a fairly bratty teenager. I am the youngest of seven children and somehow just never quite clipped the apron strings. My dad died when he was 65 and she was only 58 so she lived a great deal of her life without him. I think for that reason I have always kept her close. She was an amazing parent and taught me how to be the best person and as true to myself as I can be. She tried to looked at the bright side of situations, forgave easily and most of all, loved unconditionally. She never talked or complained about aches and pains (ever) and had the biggest laugh in the room (often described as a scream laugh). I can’t imagine my life will ever be the same without her but she passed onto me all the tools I need to navigate this life. She is my hero and I aspire to be more like her. I feel so lucky to have had her as my mother.
Janan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I got into the advertising business when I graduated from college. I started at a small ad agency in St Louis in my early 20s and have worked throughout my career in different facets of the industry. I have worn many “hats” and have enjoyed everything from being an assistant art director to typesetting to print purchasing to project management. I enjoy project management the most. I enjoy being in a creative atmosphere surrounded by talented artists and writers, creating timelines and keeping multiple projects running smoothly. I think project management suits me well as it allows me to use my ability to track a lot of details and pairs well with my love of working with people in a team atmosphere.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I love using the new project management software that is out now. I have used Teamwork as well as ZOHO. We did not have tools like that back in the 90s, all of it had to be sorted out in my own brain (and, in my case, a dry erase board). It’s so much easier now to have these digital organizing tools. I joke all the time that if I did not have it, I might just throw my purse over my shoulder and call it a day! There are many options available for sorting your information and using it to help guide projects through the system.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When the pandemic hit, we all had to work from home. The way in which I had typically project managed was a very “hands on/in person” style. How was I going to do this from home? Well, I think when forced to do something, you figure out a way. Like everyone out there, many, many Zoom calls, emails doubled up and of course nothing in person. I would actually call all our staff a lot just to catch up, like I would walking by their desk. I would sprinkle in 20 % work and 80 % keeping in-touch with that person in a meaningful way. As far as resilience, we all had to figure out how to get what we needed to get done, done. I mean the whole globe had to do it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: jananabananarama_
- Facebook: Janan Nimock https://www.facebook.com/JananNimock