An Inspired Workplace & Permission to Be Myself             October 2010

One of the things I love most about my job is that it's the kind of environment where I'm allowed to be silly and 100% myself. I think laughter is one of the greatest things about being alive, and I'm also a crier and a hugger. I somehow always thought that going "corporate" meant having to act serious, smart, and conservative to be acceptable.
And in most places, I dare say it's exactly like that, along with power trips and egos to dance around. But what I've found at Animas is that for the first time in my life, it feels like
who I really am is actually celebrated and encouraged. And it's not just like that for me, it's like that for everyone!

I am an emotional creature. I care. And I love with my whole heart. At every sales meeting, when I get up to do my marketing presentation, I always share some kind of story (to keep things "human" instead of all "business") and the team will take bets on how long it will take for me to cry (in a good way). I am simply so proud and so moved by the honesty, love, and kindness of the people I work with, and that we have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people who live with the same illness I struggle with every day. And what's awesome is that I'm not the only person who gets choked up! We are all only human, after all. Besides our individual quirks and idiosyncrasies, there is a deeply held set of core values - and that makes all the difference.

I love being in a place where we are allowed to show what we feel, say what we think, and can disagree and debate without fear of judgment or reprisal. I have never seen anything like it. We all know it's rare to be in a place like this, and none of us takes it for granted. For that, we have an extraordinary leader to thank. Naturally, there are rules we must follow and we may not like all of the policies and procedures that are par for the course in a highly regulated industry like ours, but we also know that there are things we can change and things we can't change - and sometimes you just have to say "it is what it is" and suck it up. But we're all in it together.

Our hiring & interviewing practices are rigorous, to say the least. Our personalities and passion are strong. And we work beyond what is expected all the time. But what we have in common is a shared sense of purpose, and an incredible sense of "team" because we know that each person is equally as committed to going the extra mile because we know that we are part of something truly special. An insulin pump can change a person's life and a family's life in such a dramatic way - and it's important that we never let ourselves forget the "why" behind what we do.

I wish more organizations could understand the power of "WHY," as I think we would see far more inspired workplaces and happier employees all-around.

Wouldn't it be awesome if "a job" wasn't "just a job", and instead a place where you
could go to use your skills and harness your inspiration to create something you could be proud of?

It exists. I have that. And I'm grateful.

Cheers and Much Love,