During the twenty years I have been a manager, I had the privilege of working with hundreds of people. I invited all of them to a website I created with the purpose of recording their opinions about working with me. I received countless responses, all of them incredibly positive, which made me feel honored to have the opportunities I had. These are a small sampling of the responses, most from part-time retail employees working hard jobs with too little pay.  Retail workers do not get the respect they deserve and as a manager I hoped I could make up for that aspect by honoring their work as often as possible.

“Being an employee of Joanna’s was one of the best work experiences I’ve had. She created an enjoyable environment that made people want to be and do their best work. She would go out of her way to find something in common with every person that worked alongside her, making her less intimidating, very approachable, and someone you enjoyed working for. Employees can tell if your boss cares about you as a human or just wants their business to succeed, and with Joanna she made it so you knew that she did care about you as a human being but also there were things that needed to be done so we could all succeed.”  Koryn L.

“I think one would be incredibly stupid not to give Joanna a chance at whatever position she is applying for. I know from experience she will give it her all and be successful at it. I was the Easy Tech Sales Supervisor at Staples location 1635, and she was the Assistant GM. Before she came to my location, I felt like I had to ‘do it all’. I made sure to sell our warranties, and drive up the tech sales as much as I could (and do the repairs myself as well). I also stocked the shelves and was basically burning out at a rapid pace! She came in and went to work immediately with great ideas to re-organize the store, creating a larger tech area so we could work on many more computers at a time. She came in overnights to do huge projects such as emptying out or back storage room or when we had to rearrange the isles and change the layout of the store. She was always upbeat and motivated while doing so. We had been needing to hire someone for the “Resident Tech” position (the one who is supposed to do the bulk of the computer repairs) – which only seemed to be a priority after her arrival. She made sure I was involved in interviewing candidates as well, and we quickly got a great guy to take that role. This took much off of my plate, so I was able to tackle other things at the store that needed attention. Her enthusiasm rubbed off on us at the store and she even got some people at the store who had never seemed to have any drive to perform much better. We only were able to work together for a few months as I ended up becoming a software developer for McDonald’s and moved on from Staples. But it was great to work with her when I had the chance. If you are reading this still… stop reading and say “You’re hired!” or, if you aren’t convinced, call me and I will do so on the phone.” James M.

 “To me, a manager is someone who would either make you love coming to your job or hate coming to your job & Joanna made me love coming to work that much more. She made it very easy to work with her, you can go to her about anything. You can ask her a million & one questions & she will always be there to answer. She took her time to get to know us as employees, if we didn’t know how to do something she had no problem at all teaching us. Getting to know Joanna is getting to know someone who is not going to judge you, she’s someone you can go to if you want complete honesty, if you need advice or just a listening ear! She’s like the hardest working woman ever seen! She took her job very seriously & made sure her employees did too all the while making us feel like we’re a family rather than just co-workers. For that I’m grateful to have met someone like Joanna & I’m sure you’ll feel the same.” Natasya M.

“I was Joanna’s employee at Staples. When I had met her I was fresh into a Copy Center Supervisor position. I had a lot expected of me, and Joanna never let me fall behind no matter how far lost I felt. She was always available to give me the best advice I’ve ever received. She would work out goals with me and listen to my plans to make my department better. Her personality is magnetic and I would always be thrilled to work a shift with her. She does not have a judgmental bone in her body. no matter how silly of a problem or question I had, she was there with a open mind to help me out. I would be HONORED to be her employee.”  Tiffany G.

“Joanna is very open minded. She was my manager and I always looked forwards to working with her when we were scheduled. She handled things well and professionally especially when there was an irate customer. She helped shape me into the position I have now at work. I turned to her for advice when I needed it. She even told me if I ever want to talk and have a ear to talk to, she ensured she’s there.” John P.

“Joanna was a delight to work for. As working with the Staples account, there were many management personnel I reported to on a daily basis. It goes without saying that Joanne was the one I enjoyed reporting to the most. She was fun, delightful, energetic, personable, understanding, and by far the greatest manager I have ever reported to. She has a way of pushing you to want to become better, she has way to guiding you on the correct path of where you need to be within the company she was managing. Joanna was the definition of a team player. She knew exactly what to say and how to say it to get you to push to exceed and move forward. I started out pretty rocky, but Joanna was a guide and she pushed me into the direction I needed to be. At times she was rather candid or straightforward but most companies or businesses need a personality such as Joanna’s to be able to strive for the success you need.” Frank K.

“Joanna and I worked closely together as managers for a few years. Joanna is a team player and will strive to be the best. Her persistence and knowledge helped us achieve many goals over time.  Joanna is a wonderful friend and would give the shirt off of her back to help in any way she can. She is a great listener and will always lend an ear when needed. Joanna has conquered many struggles in her personal life which have made her stronger. She is a true inspiration. Her opinion means a lot to me personally. I’ve asked her for advice many times. Joanna is truly the sister I never had.” Marlo M. 

“Joanna is an extremely hard worker and a committed and dedicated employee to the company she works for. She really gives her all.” Jennifer F.

“Joanna is a kick ass manager who is able to motivate employees in order to work harder and be more efficient. Not only that but, her humor and attitude make working with her a great pleasure.” Sabrina B.

If you are a recruiter and would like the contact information for these statements, reach out to me.