Giovanna Catenacci – Female Employee Spotlight of January
Employee name: Giovanna Catenacci
Role at company: Supervisor, Vaughan Franchise
Direct quote from the employee: "Don't give up because the day was tough, show the day how tough you are."
The love and passion I have for my work is what keeps me motivated. I work with a phenomenal group of people and letting them down is never an option.
What do you do at our company?
Currently I am in a new role, as a Supervisor, since November 2021. In this role, I work alongside the staff and oversee the work that needs to be completed, to ensure our customer needs and the standard of work are being met.
What has been your favourite project so far?
Planting soft material in the spring is by far one of my favourite projects to complete each year. It is a project that provides satisfaction throughout the summer season as you get to see the annuals bloom and fill in the gardens.
What's something most people don't know about you?
One thing most people don't know about me is that my background is not only just Italian, but German as well.
How do you balance your career and your family/personal life?
When I come home, my full attention is on my family and friends. I make the spare time I have to see my friends and catch up with their lives. It's a divide, my work life gets my full attention when I am there, and my personal life gets my full attention when I am away from work.
What advice would you give to other women in the industry?
It will be tough to start in an industry that is male dominated, but you can't look at it as male vs. female. You are capable of doing everything that you want to do, as long as you have the mindset and the drive to work hard, you will prosper in an industry. You're not going to be able to make a difference overnight, so work hard and do your best every day. Work for people who will help build you up.
What does a typical day of work look like for you?
As it is winter, I will talk about a typical winter shift. It starts after the snow starts to fall. Getting to the yard is where it starts, warming up trucks, getting them loaded for the staff and organizing which crews will be going and which sites. Once the crews are out, it's patrolling the territory, lending a hand to crews where needed and making sure that before the end of the shift, every walk is clean and meets the standard.
What are three words you would use to describe Clintar?
Positive, Welcoming, and Teamwork
What do you find most rewarding/challenging about your role?
The most rewarding part of this job is being able to leave a site at the end of the day, knowing that it looks 100% better than when you got there that morning.
If given the chance, who would you be for a day?
There is a book by Dr.Seuss called 'I want to be Somebody New', and at the end of the story, the character realizes that there is no better thing than just being yourself. I am happy with who I am, and I wouldn't give that up, not even for one day.
If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
I would love to have been able to interview Marilyn Monroe. She is someone who preserved through her life, even through all the hard times she had. I feel like she would have been a phenomenal role model for all women today.
What would you like to be famous for?
I don't want to be famous. I just want the people in my life that I have chosen to be around to remember me for everything that I have done, and for how hard I worked to get where I wanted to be in my life.
What inspires/motivates you?
My operations manager, Mike, is a great motivator for me. He has coached me in many ways and has always helped me through many of the challenges I have faced. The amazing team I get the opportunity to work with everyday motivates me to be the best person and worker that I can be. Outside of work, my family inspires and motivates me every day.