How she shines: Paula strongly believes in a "practice what you preach" style of leadership. Leading a company requires making difficult decisions, and she emphasizes making decisions, based on what is best for the company, employees, and clients. She also believes in providing her team with all of the resources they need to learn and grow in their roles. Continuous learning, both intellectual and emotional, is an integral part of what drives her leadership style.
Years in the industry: 16 years
Job responsibilities: Paula is the Owner and President. She provides strategic leadership and oversight for all aspects of the business. Her responsibilities include driving growth through building a strong Executive Team and Department Leadership, establishing the company's vision and core values, and keeping up on industry trends, leading the company through continuous improvement and change.
Career path: Paula's career journey began in the culinary industry, where she worked as a chef before advancing into a leadership role as a Catering Director in Chicago. There, she successfully transformed a small catering operation into a premier event company that managed some of the city's largest and most prestigious events.
After starting a family, Paula sought a career that would provide a better work-life balance while allowing her to continue developing her leadership skills. She joined Performance Plus as the fourth generation of her family to work in the business, learning alongside her father until his passing in 2020.
Over the years, Paula has played a key role in the company's evolution, helping transform it from a traditionally family-run operation into a full-service janitorial and industrial cleaning company serving Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan. Her commitment to continuous learning, combined with her willingness to embrace change and take calculated risks, has fueled the company's growth and positioned Performance Plus as an industry leader. Through her vision, determination, and dedication to excellence, Paula continues to build on her family's legacy while preparing the company for future generations.
Best advice received: The best advice Paula ever received was from her father. When things got tough, he never got discouraged. His advice was to do the right thing, even when it's difficult, and never be afraid of hard work. This helps her to lead by example and hold herself accountable before all else. It also taught her integrity, fairness, and that the responsibility of earning the trust of her employees and clients is not to be taken lightly.
Fun fact: People might be surprised to learn that Paula can be an introvert. Sometimes, she becomes overwhelmed by too much interaction and needs quiet time. She is outwardly social and loves to meet new people, but when her tank gets low, she needs to be alone to recharge.