Meet one of our Account Executives: Interview with Harmony Healthcare’s John Voigts
1. What’s on your wish list in the next 5 years?
For my profession, I would like to be a leader in my business where I help our clients find optimal solutions. I’d also like to help our younger employees fight the everyday challenges our job brings and hopefully be a guide to their success.
Outside of work, I know of 2 things my wife and I would love to see in the next 5 years:
- We hope to get our son into a stem cell study at Duke University. Logan is 9 years old and has autism. He is non-verbal and uses a communication device to help us better understand his needs. We are hopeful that he will be accepted into the study and for a positive outcome that will show improvements in speech and socialization.
- My second wish is to have our older daughter graduate college. For the longest time, she has had that goal. She has always been an exceptional student and graduated high school with an honor roll status. Her graduation will be one of our happiest moments as parents, so we are very excited to see her accomplish her goal.
2. What are 3 lessons you’ve learned so far in 2020?
The coronavirus has definitely put things into perspective for me on what is important in life:
- Do not take life/health for granted.
- Do not take family for granted.
- Do not take your employment for granted.
3. Describe what helps you thrive in a workplace.
What helps me thrive in a workplace is simple: being on a competitive team that pushes each other – in a positive way – to be the best you can be. Essentially, to me that means being on a team that can grow each other and accomplish and exceed leadership’s goals while having fun doing so.
I have been on numerous teams growing up within sports and businesses, and it is always the same to me: a championship is won by coming together as a team to push each other to strive to be the best you can be while holding each other accountable.
4. Tell us about your favorite memory from this year so far.
I always look for the positive in any negative situation. When the coronavirus became a global pandemic and everything was shut down, like many others I had to work from home. I was grateful for the opportunity to be with my family more and spend the extra hours working on bringing us closer together.
I enjoyed working with my autistic son on his gross and fine motor skills through therapy techniques and outside playing. I got to help teach my youngest daughter about the weather since she wants to become a meteorologist when she grows up. Additionally, I have been able to spend more time with my wife while doing more projects around the house. That’s something that makes her happy.
5. Who is your favorite artist and why?
Wow! I don’t know if I have a specific artist who is my favorite. I love all genres of music so that is a tough question.
That said, I did play the guitar when I was younger and played in a garage band. I can honestly say that I wasn’t really good, but one of my idols growing up was Jimmy Hendrix for his ability to play the guitar. I always envisioned myself being on stage playing like Jimmy did. That didn’t turn out exactly the way I dreamed about, but I still like to listen to Jimmy.
6. What is your favorite movie quote and why?
Another tough question! There are so many to choose from that once again I don’t know if I have just one.
The other day I was flipping through the channels and came across Predator, an old classic (well, at least for me). There is a quote from the movie that I have always thought of about how life is with its unexpected crazy turns and challenges that we all endure. The quote is, “I ain’t got time to bleed.” It’s exactly how I look at life and its never-ending challenges and obstacles. You can let life beat you up or you can stand up and not have time to bleed.
7. How do you stay motivated at work?
Let me first say that I have always been motivated to work hard and do a good job at whatever I’m doing. This motivation was instilled in me 100% by my parents. They were such hard workers, and I’m always trying to find ways to match their ability. This will always be a motivation for me; in a sense, it’s a measuring stick on whether I can match that unique ability they had to work harder and longer than all others.
Outside of that principle they instilled in me, I’d say my current motivation is helping my daughter through college financially and helping our son overcome the obvious obstacles and challenges of his autism. These are significant expenditures, but worth every penny to obtain these motivational goals and inspirations.
