Janet Noonan

She crashes into life with unmatched energy. She is one who digs in and grapples with business and its daily challenges. "It's important to focus on solving the problem, not on the personalities involved. We should always consider people's positive points. We have to remember mistakes are part of life. We learn from them, fix what we can, and move forward,"
emphasized Janet Noonan, CLP, and Business Developer for The Greenery since 2008. As we chatted, Janet's passion for life and her belief in developing win/win situations were evident. A proactive businesswoman with a MBA in banking and finance, Janet was on the fast track as Project Manager for Chemical Bank in her home state of New York. "I was married with three children, and the day arrived for a decision to either stay at home with them or continue in the fast-paced lane. Walter [her husband] and I wanted more time with our children, and since we both grew up near the ocean, our extensive search revealed Hilton Head was a natural fit. Our kids were nine-months, four, and six-years-old when we moved down in December, 1994. Walt started a re-modeling service, and as the kids grew up, I jumped into volunteer work at Hilton Head Prep School Festival of Trees, Parent's Association and many projects that kept me busy until 2003, when I felt it was time to re-enter the work force."

Always a goal-oriented individual, Janet decided to join Second Nature, a landscaping firm where she excelled in financial and business operations. "I like operation... enjoy looking at a process and streamlining it!"

By 2008 a position with The Greenery opened, offering "my true love-business development. It's a great incentive that this company is employee-owned, where the profits are distributed among those who make it work. There is a special vested interest to provide excellent customer service by following up, showing up on time, and doing exactly what we promise-valuable commodities in today's work force. It's also a great example of effective teamwork!"

As a business leader, Janet is currently enjoying the Leadership Hilton Head Program, which highlights community awareness and enrichment activities. She is excited about all she has discovered about her hometown, and about herself as a result of the personality profile given to Leadership applicants. "It placed me in a two percent category of 'challenger'", she smiled easily. "It showed I am goal oriented, ready to lead the charge and motivate others to get on board and take that hill! The program is a good education on how things work in our community, and influences us to gain more knowledge."

An adamant reader, she jumped from the chair channeling her "inner teenager" in response to my question. "I LOVE the Harry Potter series! Read them all! Lots of Tom Clancy books, too. Now I'm reading Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and among other things, it breaks activities into quadrants: important and urgent; unimportant and not urgent."
Describing herself as an "over-achiever," Janet makes daily lists and aspires to be the best she can be. She hopes, "This article will positively impact someone's journey in life. Perhaps inspire or motivate a person to improve his/her life and encourage someone to pass it forward."

Up Close:

At home:  Soccer mom, crossword puzzles, TV's "Bones", sporting events
Most Important traits to pass on to our kids:  Character and integrity-learning how we react to negative situations and events reveals the most about an individual. Find a balance in life.
Philosophy: Extend/expand one's comfort zone to increase personal growth. Strive first to understand, then to be understood.