What important lessons or skills learned in your first job have been instrumental in your success?

I learned about the importance of reliability and dependability. My customers had expectations about when and where their papers would be delivered. And since I was delivering in my own neighborhood, I heard about it if I wasn’t meeting expectations -- either directly or through my parents!

Which of those lessons, and how, carried into subsequent jobs after your first? How do you use those skills in your position today?

To this day, I try never to be late. Punctuality shows respect.

Did someone give you advice that you carried and/or later passed on to someone else?

My grandfather William Schnirring owned an electrical supply business in Springfield and he was a great example to all of us. As the business grew, he never lost sight of the importance of each individual customer and employee. He would always take the time to meet with customers and walk through the warehouse to chat with employees. Later when I was in high school, I worked at the family business and I saw the value of this type of personal interaction. Employees and customers felt an attachment and loyalty to Bill Schnirring. Looking back, I would sum this up by saying that I learned the importance of having a genuine interest in the people around you.

What people or outside factors affected your work ethic or motivated you the most to succeed?

In addition to my family in Springfield, I had the good fortune to have a great “first boss” after I graduated from college. His name was Jack Frazee, and he encouraged me to take risks. He would say, “You can’t make a decision that is going to sink the company – so don’t be afraid to act and take some chances.” This was a tremendous way to build a manager’s skills and self-confidence. I try to put that into practice with our staff today.

What advice would you give to someone starting his or her first job?

Treat it like it will be your only job. Work hard and show interest – even if your goal is to grow and someday take on new challenges. Think about ways to improve your performance and bring value to your tasks. Perhaps this will lead to promotion in your first job – but more importantly, you will develop a mindset of being an active contributor and I believe this will serve you well over the long run.

What do you find most rewarding, and/or what do you like best about your job now?

That’s easy – the people I work with. C-SPAN is very much a team environment and over the years I’ve learned the value of a team approach. Especially in today’s rapidly changing media landscape, I believe that teams with diverse viewpoints are best suited to make key decisions. Plus, it’s more fun that way.