Former risk management employee takes her own risk to produce videos
"Schwan's People You Need to Know" is an ongoing series of stories that share some of our employees' experiences as we celebrate our 65th anniversary and participate as a founding partner of the Minnesota Super Bowl 52 Host Committee.
 |
| Brunsvold |
“I was always interested in video production and started my own business doing weddings and events,” said Janice, who currently serves as the senior multimedia producer for the company’s PR & Communication team. “So when the opportunity came up to be a digital editor for the company, I took the leap.”
Janice started with a subsidiary of Schwan’s Company about 14 years ago as a temporary employee in the risk management and safety department. After working with the team for a few months, she became a full-time employee doing programming and database work. She then took a digital editor role, where she served for more than a year before moving to her current position as a multimedia producer.
As a multimedia producer, Janice is involved with making a broad range of company videos, whether it’s internal employee communication, leadership communication or videos made for the company’s customers.
“I found my passion so I have continued in this role ever since,” she said.
Janice recently took some time to tell us about her career, her passion for producing video communications and working for Schwan’s.
Q: What are you passionate about in your job?
A: I love making something out of nothing. It’s fun to take an idea and turn it into a video that will help others and make a difference, whether it’s through sharing communication to encourage our blossoming culture, training employees on proper procedures to remain safe and productive, or sharing delicious recipes and food ideas with our consumers.
Q: What’s your typical day like?
A: Day to day it varies, but I’m always juggling various parts of multiple projects whether it’s pre-production planning, shooting photos and video, or post production work.
Q: Tell us why you think your job is one of the most interesting jobs in the company.
A: I get to see and learn about almost every aspect of our company and help people achieve their goals through video production.
Q: What’s your favorite memory in all the years you’ve worked here?
A: There are so many. I love being a part of the production team for the Marvin Schwan Excellence Award (the company’s top employee honor) ceremonies. It never gets old seeing the emotional reaction of the recipients. It speaks volumes for the passion that our employees have for our company and for one another.
Q: How have you grown throughout your career?
A: I have learned a lot over my 14 years here. I feel that having that experience with risk and safety, and then working on a variety of projects with different people and business units companywide, has allowed me to bring that knowledge into our video productions so they can be more effective and relevant to our clients’ needs.
Q: Schwan’s is a founding partner of the Minnesota Super Bowl 52 Host Committee this year. Are you a football fan?
A: Yes.
Q: Which team do you hope will go to the Big Game next year?
A: Minnesota Vikings!
Q: What is your favorite Schwan’s® product to serve at your Super Bowl viewing party?
A: Schwan’s Buffalo-Style Boneless Wyngz.
Q: What’s your favorite Schwan’s product overall?
A: Schwan’s Four-Cheese Penne with Prosciutto.
Q: Do you have any recipes you are a master of that you would like to share?
A: This is not my recipe, but I worked on a video shoot with corporate chef and Schwan’s Chef Collective member Deb Hey when she created Grilled Italian Stuffed French Bread. It was amazing! I’ve made it for my family many times since that video shoot, and it has become a favorite of ours.
Q: Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know about you.
A: I graduated college with a degree in computer science after originally discovering that meteorology jobs were hard to come by.
Q: What are you most proud of throughout your career at Schwan’s?
A: I’m proud of the reputation that our multimedia team has built since it was first started. I think we have always operated in a way that made us trustworthy, dependable and hard-working. We have made lasting partnerships.
Q: What are you most looking forward to for the future of our company?
A: Again, there are so many things, but I’m excited to see how our culture continues to evolve, and we become more and more one Schwan’s team. As we continue to grow and support each other, we will only become stronger and be able to exceed our goals.
Q: At Schwan’s, we talk a lot about working as “one Schwan’s team.” What does that mean to you?
A: We are all part of a team, trying to reach a common goal. We all benefit when we reach our goals, and we can only get there by thinking like a team, supporting each other and being aware of how our decisions can help our team members.
