Name and how long you have been in the industry
Jayme Johnson-McKelvey
I have worked in the media sales industry for over two decades, but 2024 will mark my 12th year focused on the medical equipment industry.
Short background bio – How did you get into the industry? Anything that drew you in?
For the past two decades I have helped businesses better communicate their brand message and personality through traditional print or broadcast advertising. Prior to MD Publishing, I worked for Jacobs Broadcasting, the LocalJobNetwork.com, and ARG.
My first step into the medical equipment industry came in March 2012. This is when I began working with MD Publishing as an account executive for MedWrench. This position was the best introduction to the medical equipment industry. MedWrench is an online resource with over 13,000 product pages organized into easy to navigate categories. Each product page includes spec sheets, manuals, live Q&A forums, product descriptions and more. Learning to navigate and update MedWrench gave me the opportunity to better understand medical equipment, OEMs and service companies.
After my first year with MedWrench, I had the opportunity to make a lateral move to the sales team for TechNation, OR Today, and Medical Dealer magazines. Working as an account executive for MD Publishing’s publications has given me the opportunity to grow in my understanding of the medical equipment industry, my abilities as a sales professional, and as a leader. While I do not work in a hospital or health care facility, I do have the honor of serving those that do. I think of the resources provided by MD Publishing as a tool that every medical equipment professional needs.
What milestones or contributing factors helped elevate you to where you are today?
There is an old TED Talk by Sheryl Sandberg that touches on the lack of women leaders. During her presentation she provides a few pieces of advice, the first being the directive to “sit at the table”. To drive this idea home, she shares a story where a couple of females choose to sit in the background while the men sat at the table for a meeting. She uses this to illustrate that we will not achieve our goals and potential by sitting on the sidelines. That really resonated with me. Maybe it’s my Gen X mindset, but I hold on to the thought that “No one puts Baby in the corner”. So, when an opportunity presented itself or a new idea needed someone to run with it, I always made sure I raised my hand. This has given me the opportunity to broaden my skills and has helped our company diversify what we offer clients.
One example of this would be our Webinar Wednesday series. It began in 2014 with the idea we could answer an industry need for ongoing, easily accessible educational opportunities. Our team had long discussed ways to continue the popularity of MD Expo’s accredited classes, and we felt a monthly webinar series would be the best vehicle. The only catch was in 2014 no one really knew what a webinar was, or how we could use it to bring the industry together, but I was determined to figure it out. Luckily, we had a couple of clients and industry legends, like Manny Roman and Frank Magnarelli, willing to brave this new path with us. That first year we successfully hosted 12 webinars. Now, ten years later, we host approximately 66 live webinars annually, have an on-demand library of webinars, and we have added new options like the Tools of the Trade live demo and TechNation Podcast series. Seeing the success and longevity of our webinar series makes me proud. Not just because I got the ball rolling but because we are able to conveniently bring CEUs to the industry at absolutely no cost to our audience.
What roadblocks did you have to overcome?
I think I struggle with something most women struggle with, and that is figuring out what a healthy work-life balance looks like. Sometimes this is the hardest challenge I face. As a mom of two boys, ages 12 and 11, I want to be as present as possible for everything they do. However, there are times that my professional responsibilities make that nearly impossible. Thankfully, my husband’s schedule is flexible. If Mom needs to be in another state for an extended amount of time, then Dad picks up the slack with school and extracurricular responsibilities. My boys understand I love them more than the air I breathe, and my absence is a sacrifice that leads to our family’s betterment. But, with that said, I always try to be mindful if I see any inkling that the balance between my personal and professional is off kilter.
What do you feel makes a great leader in this industry?
No matter the industry, I think great leaders must possess grit, tenacity, empathy, authenticity, and humor. Grit and tenacity speak to the courage, determination and persistency needed to lead the way and see task through to the end. Leaders must be open to the opinions and emotions of others. I find it easier to relate to others if I can get a better understanding of the way they perceive a situation. If I’m being honest, I would say authenticity is the leadership quality I value most. To me being authentic means you are transparent in conversation, you work to hold a high level of emotional intelligence, you create deep, meaningful connections with others, and you are confident in your self-identity. I also see great importance in humor. Professional demands can be daunting and feel suffocating at times. Finding creative, positive ways to use humor can help ease tension and motivate others.
What advice to you have for the other women in HTM?
“If I could be more like _____, then I could _____.”
Look at the sentence above. Read it again, filling in the blanks by relating it to your personal experience. “If I could be more like Jane, then I could close more deals.” “If I could be more like Sarah, then I could get a promotion.”
The thing is, you can fill the blanks in with any name and outcome you choose, but the result will always be the same. You will become more like someone else and less like yourself. I wasted a lot of time trying to be something that didn’t feel genuine. I thought if I could emulate the qualities, I saw in people I deemed successful, then I would see the same level of success. But the more I tried, the more I failed. I’ll be honest, I was miserable! Thankfully, someone finally said exactly what I needed to hear. “Just be you.” It’s kind of funny, but that simple advice was what I needed. I just had to be myself. I had to figure out what unique qualities and characteristics I brought to the team, and then use them to set myself a part. My personality can be a lot for some people, and that’s ok, because I’m ok with who I am. And that feels like success to me.