With Age, I've Gained A Little Perspective
I remember when I was starting out in my career at the National Swine Registry: 20-something, head-strong, full of passion and more ideas than I could shake a stick at. I wanted to learn, and I wanted to prove that I was worthy of my title.
They were good years, but hard years. I was leading a group of young people who were basically my age. I was trying to establish myself as a leader among men my father’s age and older. My job was not only new to the pork industry, but it was new to my fellow colleagues. I was the first one to work from home part of the time and commuted to the office two hours away part of the time.
I spent a lot of time wondering where I fit in. If you can read between the lines at all, you’ll recognize there were some hard moments of transition and adjustment. But they made me stronger, and they taught me so many important lessons.
Looking back, I know I was running a fast race at the time. I felt like I had no other choice if we wanted the National Junior Swine Association concept to take off. There were so many things to accomplish and figure out.
I’ll always be grateful that Robin Lucas, pedigree department manager, pulled me aside for a pep talk one day. I can’t remember every word she said but I do remember the gentle advice (a little difficult to take at the time) to slow down and remember to think about where my other colleagues were coming from first. I don’t know that she called me a “bull in a China cabinet” when I came to the office, but that’s how I remember it. I learned to appreciate the differences in how people approach tasks.
(L to R): Robin Lucas, Lisa Kennedy and Jennifer Shike celebrate former National Swine Registry CEO Darrell Anderson's induction into the Saddle and Sirloin Club.
Robin was always encouraging but wasn’t afraid to be honest. That advice was so helpful as I prepared to embark on the second chapter of my career at the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
My 30s were marked by more changes in my life – raising three kids, showing livestock and learning how to balance all of that with a demanding career that was constantly evolving and changing. I wanted to be the best wife, mom and employee I could be.
During that time, I led the Illini Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter and found ways to give back to an organization that was so dear to me. I led a rebranding effort for the college and worked to bring a lot of people going in their own directions together into a more unified one. I found myself in more roles than ever managing people, diffusing conflict and building up others.
Again, those days weren’t all sunshine, but I’m grateful for a powerful team of women who encouraged and supported me. One of those women, Marla Todd, worked in the office of advancement while I was down the hall in communications and marketing. She was so generous to help me as I adjusted from a role where I basically could do whatever I dreamed to do (and found fundraising to support) into a more highly orchestrated university system full of lots of parameters and history.
Jennifer and Marla representing the College of ACES at the National Agricultural Alumni and Development Association's annual conference.
I’ll never forget her coming into my office, shutting the door and listening. We still joke a lot about missing those “closed-door” sessions where we were able to express our concerns about not only our jobs, but also the challenge of being the moms we wanted to be to our young children at the same time. She was an amazing encourager and challenger, but most importantly she walked beside me and helped lift some of the heavy burdens I carried at the time. She taught me work is more fun when you do it together.
Now that I’m in a different role in my 40s, I realize I see things quite differently than when I started out 20 years ago. I’m still a bit of a bull in a China cabinet at times, but I’m also more aware of areas I want to grow in. My 40s brought on new confidence at the same time as well as a greater realization of my shortcomings. I found myself in a position at Farm Journal doing what I’ve always dreamed of doing with my degrees in animal science and agricultural journalism.
Celebrating JoAnn Alumbaugh's Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Agricultural Media Summit.
When I started, I couldn’t have been more thankful that JoAnn Alumbaugh, former editor of Farm Journal’s PORK, took me under her wings. She always believed in me even when I wasn’t sure I’d ever measure up. And she showed me how it looks to be genuinely happy – not threatened – by others’ success. She doesn’t have to check in, offer advice and help me out, but she chooses to over and over again.
Still to this day, more than four years later, she sends me specific encouragement and tells me she is proud of me. I don’t care what age you are, we will always need to hear messages like that in our lives. She’s a fierce competitor and an amazingly talented person, but I’ve learned by watching her how to balance that drive with a quiet confidence and freedom to bring out the best in others.
Maybe it’s because I’m raising two daughters – one getting closer to leaving the nest – that it struck me after receiving a kind note from JoAnn, just how critical it is to surround yourself with strong mentors in life. Not only do I want to take after JoAnn when it comes to her talent as a writer and editor, but I also want to emulate the thoughtful leadership role she’s played in my life in the life of someone else. I hope that I can someday be worthy of being that kind of person – a person who doesn’t need to prove her worth by what she does but rather by who she is.
Ahh, the joys of perspective that come with age (and wise counsel along the way).
Read More:
When the Reality of the Hunger Problem Hits Close to Home
Trust, Trash and Faith: A Few Things I Learned from Darrell Anderson
Why You Should Prioritize People
When You're A Little Uncomfortable
