Marilu Rodriguez, Esq.
Founder of RB Legal Counsel LLC, Wyomissing
What one experience shaped how you approach important work tasks?
I was 16 when I had my first summer job at a doctor’s office assisting their staff with patients’ information paperwork. I was asked to put the files of patients outside the treatment office they were supposed to sit in. I did not pay attention to details and ended up mixing up the patients and the treatment rooms they were supposed to be assigned to. The boss was very upset. After that, I learned to pay attention to details no matter how inconsequential the task at hand seemed to be. It changed my perspective on how to tackle work regardless of where I am or whom I work for.
What's the best professional advice you have received?
Never assume. When you make assumptions, you don´t ask questions. Therefore, if your assumptions are wrong and you made decisions based on those assumptions, you are likely to expose yourself to risks that could have been easily avoided.
What would you say is the recipe for success?
Work hard; connect with your employees, customers and vendors; make sure your work ethic and personal values are in tune with what you demand from your employees, customers and vendors. When these elements are in sync you will be valued as an employer, as a business and as a customer. Everybody wins.
How do you balance work and your free time, and why is it important to you?
I balance work and free time by being disciplined about timelines. Even though I own my business, I have a self-imposed work schedule. It is part of being disciplined about my work and the duty I owe to my clients. I know that if I want to be able to enjoy my free time I need to get the work done in that timeframe. The work gets done on time and I can enjoy my free time. Keeping the balance between work and free time helps me keep stress levels under control and helps me to think more clearly when I am at work. It is important to keep the balance between professional life and family. When work displaces time with family, chaos ensues and the harmony gets lost in all environments: personal, work and family.
What advice would you offer someone looking to be successful in business?
Never assume that you know everything there is to know about the business. This will stop your desire to learn more and to seek advice from others. It may limit your ability to grow your business.
Jon Scott
President and CEO, Greater Reading Economic Partnership
What would you say is the recipe for success?
People need to demonstrate real and tangible accomplishments. At the end of the day, it’s about attaining goals. This is best done by eliciting other people’s cooperation through positive interpersonal and motivational strategies, and then being able to handle a myriad of different things simultaneously and not let any important ball come crashing to the ground. Wrap that up with reason, compassion and common sense.
What was your first job?
In the summer of 1960, I went door-to-door and sold personalized items such as Christmas and holiday cards, stationery, items for events, etc. I also cut lawns and picked watercress (with permission) from a neighbor’s stream – cleaned it and bundled it – and sold it to a local grocer in the small town where I grew up.
What's the best professional advice you have received?
Reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey has the best overall advice for anybody working in almost any business. Many of the tenents are quite applicable for personal and family life as well. Plus, life is what we make it; always has been, always will be.
What one experience shaped how you approach important work tasks?
I had radical back surgery in 1967 and then spent six months in a body cast followed by two years in a brace. I was told I would be lucky to walk again, but I still wanted to participate in sports. Therefore, focus, working very hard and being thankful helps me with the most important work tasks. Attitude is everything, and I try to tackle the most important and difficult things first.
How do you balance work and your free time, and why is it important to you?
It is critical for people to have a reasonable balance of free time not only for their families but also for themselves. It is important to smell the roses from time to time, and sometimes it’s good to simply clear out the cobwebs.
What advice would you offer someone looking to be successful in business?
Try to keep in mind there are three critical constituencies to keep in perspective: a business’ customers, co-workers, and shareholders/investors. On any given day, one of these three elements might be tugging a little harder; however, it always becomes a question of balance.
Joni S. Naugle
Principal at FOCUSED, LLC
What one experience shaped how you approach important work tasks?
I can’t say one experience shaped my approach to work tasks. My thought process has always been very logical – identifying what comes first, then second, etc. My experience has demonstrated time and time again that you don’t need to know all the steps necessary to complete important tasks. Complete the first few steps that you know must be taken, and the subsequent steps will become obvious. As Bill Hogan said in his book, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
What would you say is the recipe for success?
A delicate balance between a focus on results and the ability to work collaboratively with others.
How do you balance work and your free time, and why is it important to you?
I work hard and I play hard. While I can be found doing some element of work almost every day of the week, I also don’t compromise on shutting it off when I need to. From experience, I know that work can expand to take control of the hours in your day. Work/life balance is a constant journey of re-evaluating what is important to you in your personal life at any given time and making sure you stay true to the non-negotiables that bring you joy.
What's the best professional advice you have received?
There are two key pieces of advice I received in the mid-1990s when I went through a one-year Emotional Intelligence program that have been valuable in both my career and life. The first is a strength taken to an extreme becomes a weakness. The second is while people seek out facts and data to justify their decision, in the end there is always an emotional influence. Seek out and be aware of what that emotional influence is for both you and others.
What advice would you offer someone looking to be successful in business?
Your most important asset is your professional reputation. That includes your attitude, integrity and ability to follow through on commitments. Build your reputation and protect it like gold.
Hamid Chaudhry
Owner, Kenhorst Dairy Queen/Mustang Grill/Lukoil; Philanthropist
What one experience shaped how you approach important work tasks?
When I got fired from my $100K+/year job in NYC back in 2001, I was blaming everyone for my failure except myself. It was a humbling experience; I made a promise to myself that when I got another opportunity in life, I would spare no effort. I was unemployed for two years, until the Dairy Queen opportunity came along. Everything starts by taking responsibility for your own actions.
What was your first job?
I know people find this hard to believe, but I'm not a native Berks Countian! As a teenager, I moved to Chicago from Pakistan. My first job was at a hot dog stand in Chicago. Eventually, I earned my degree in finance and got a job in New York City, and I'm proud to say I got fired from that job! My bride brought me to Berks County and the rest is history.
What one important piece of advice would you offer someone looking to be successful in business?
Here is some insight to my strategy: the fast food industry is a transitional employment industry where minimum wage prevails and employee turnover is high. We are proud of our employee retention rates. And we celebrate the accomplishments of our employees. Our philosophy is to pay a livable market wage and respect the schedules and personal goals of our employees. We support and celebrate the goals of our employees and in return our employees are loyal. We support and provide education. We provide a real-world education of how to treat people, our customers. We provide a quality product. We are a team. We have a common bond; we want to make Berks County a better place and together we have fun doing it. We serve our community, we serve our friends, we serve to support many causes and we serve with a smile. We believe fundamentally people are good. We believe in the diamond in the rough. We also believe in second chances. One of our unique strategies for developing loyal employees is to work with Berks County Prison's Work Release program to bridge the transition to becoming a productive member of our community. We reward loyalty with respect and support.
How do you balance work and your free time, and why is it important to you?
Find a job you like and you will never have to work a day in life. After more than 11 years, I still look forward to coming to work.
What would you say is the recipe for success?
Treat everyone fairly. Take care of your workers, take care of your customers, and take care of your community. Work hard. Greet everyone with a smile. Always do the right thing. Exceed expectations. Say, “thank you!”
by Nikki M. Murry | photos by Heidi Reuter
