The first woman we would like to introduce you to is Suzanne Lynn, owner of Joiner Micro Laboratories, Inc. When Robin and Richard Joiner were looking to retire, Suzanne saw the opportunity the business presented and took the chance on the purchase. In the three years since taking ownership, Suzanne has added new pick-up and drop-off locations for better ease & convenience for clients, as well as a multitude of tweaks and touches along the way that bring her warmth and personal touches to the business.
Area of expertise?
I am very much a people-person, so I excel at customer service and connecting with clients.
What impact do you want to have?
My ultimate desire is to help make sure everyone has safe drinking water, and that they have the options and resources to figure out any problems they may have with their water. Clear water does not always mean clean water and I want everyone to be safe from health-related water issues.
What did you do prior?
After getting married at the young age of 22 to my high school sweetheart, I worked for a few years in the banking industry and then stayed home for 15 years raising our 3 children. Right after getting married, Mike started his own soil business which has grown over the years from a one man show to a 40 plus employee, multi-company operation. I have worked in all aspects of the business from cold calling customers, driving/riding in a septic pump trucks, accounting, customer service and everything in between. In 2017, we added Advantage Septic to our portfolio & I jumped in with both feet to run it for the first two years after acquisition. Shortly after, the Joiner Micro Lab opportunity presented itself and it seemed like a good fit for our business model. I transitioned to heading the purchase and managing the day to day operations.
Favorite free time activity?
Anything water and sun! I absolutely love the water and being on it in any way. I love the lake, I love boating, I love the ocean and cruises, everything about life near or on the water has always been a happy place for me!
Podcasts to learn from or get inspired by?
Honestly, I find that I focus so much time, energy, and brain space with business details, that when it comes times to listen to something, I go for things that are mindless and don’t require my business brain to be “on.” I especially love War of Roses and Coffee Convos. I also enjoy audiobooks.
How do you maintain a balanced life?
That’s hard! We work 24/7 but I try to leave work at work. A few years ago, my husband and I decided that a vacation every 3 months, something “us” and not work related, was exactly the ticket we needed to maintain some sort of balance. Being married for 35 years is a true blessing, it’s something we don’t take lightly.
Who helped you most to make your career as a woman?
My Mom, Ada Stanley. She was a force before women were a force in the workplace. She ran a large orthopedic practice in Fairfax VA as well as being the personal assistant to one of the main very successful doctors. She and the Doctor opened the first outpatient surgery center in Fairfax, today it’s called the Fairfax Surgery Center. I cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony in the late 70’s. After retiring from the orthopedic practice, she continued to manage the business affairs for Dr Gazale. She handed the last check book over to his daughter just two weeks before she passed from lung cancer in 2015 at the young age of 81. She taught me to be strong, to stand on my own two feet while always being kind.
Mistakes and lessons learned?
I am very level head with a can-do attitude, when faced with adversity. I lean heavily on my faith in God and always seek good sound advice. Because of that, I feel like mistakes that I have made have been turned around quickly and I always take away something from them.
Any patterns noticed over the years about women at work and things they could be doing better to advance their careers?
Seeing women work more and carry big jobs “reserved” for men is a developing new pattern that I am happy to see! Having the mentality of “women can do anything” is a huge perspective shift that will make a significant difference in career success, regardless of area of industry. I named my daughter Makenzie because I wanted a strong name for a strong person, and most everyone will think “Makenzie” is a man. Makenzie runs five utility companies, helps me with Joiner & is a force to be reckoned with in this male-dominated industry. It is particularly important to me since I have daughters that I do not want to see them either held back or holding themselves back because of gender.
Female mentor or inspiration?
My mom, Ada, again. She was just so amazing.
How to support other women in business?
Doing what we do! Find resources, just being available for what they need (cheerleader, sounding board, etc). Connecting with women, finding their needs, and seeing what you/we can do to meet those needs.
Foreshadowing from your childhood that you’d become entrepreneur?
Not really. Honestly, it was my husband who led the charge.
Pros and Cons of being a female entrepreneur?
PROS: Flexibility, which helps with the work/life balance. I get to cultivate a good atmosphere; I want my employees to be happy and I love that I have the ability to create that environment. I am a very self-driven person and I very much like leading; I am not a good follower 😊I think one of the things that makes me a good leader is because I am a good motivator. I am 100% a team player because, in my business, I would do and can do all the things I would ask my employees to do. I feel it’s important to be an example for my team.
CONS: The ebb and flow and down times. Being responsible for everything, especially employees’ livelihoods, can be stressful. The economy, payroll, people, and staffing (especially in this economy) are probably my biggest cons. I carry the heavy burden of caring for my employees, they are like family, I worry about them in all aspects of their lives. We celebrate the good times and support in the difficult. If I couldn’t treat them as family I wouldn’t want to be in business.
Non-Profit and Charity?
My husband is on the board for Youth for Tomorrow, so by way of him I have been a volunteer there for the past eight years. My husband, Mike, organizes all the food vendors for the Youth for Tomorrow Country Fair and I help with whatever loose ends need to be closed until the day of the event. My favorite thing to help with at Youth for Tomorrow is the gathering and wrapping of the Christmas presents for the residents. This is no small feat; we wrap over 800 gifts. I usually spend the whole month of December doing this. It’s truly the best thing I do all year! We are the liaison between our church, Greenwich Presbyterian, and Youth for Tomorrow. Our church is a big supporter of Youth for Tomorrow, me and Mike are the Mission Partners. In this role we make sure that any needs Youth for Tomorrow has are communicated to the congregation. Greenwich is always ready to answer the call. In fact, members of the church are the main volunteers at all the food concessions at the Country Fair. We are very blessed to be a part of such a great organization and members of such a fantastic congregation.
My Gift
My gift is meeting people’s needs, recognizing their needs, seeing when people are in a position of need.
Fun Fact
If I were on death row, my last meal choice would be meatloaf.