readySC Beats the House

We’re kicking off our readySC 60th anniversary employee spotlight feature by highlighting training manager Amy Romero -- and boy, did we hit the jackpot! “If I ever took a leadership position elsewhere, she’d be the first person I’d steal,” says one colleague. But we doubt her other peers would allow that, especially when they appreciate her value enough to nominate her for the Associate of the Year Award. Sounds like a showdown to us! 

For nine years, Amy has helped companies determine their training needs, designed training materials that meet those needs and coached instructors through new training. Join us for a game of four-card poker as we take a sneak peek at what makes Amy a winning hand for readySC.

CARD REVEAL 1: ACE OF DIAMONDS  

Ah, diamonds! Perhaps you think of earth science. Geology. A little chemistry, thrown in for good measure. Amy can appreciate all of that. 

But her first love was biology. In fact, she was a STEM-lover before it was cool. When high school counselors asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she wasn’t sure if she should confess the truth for fear of sounding delightfully nerdy: she wanted to write science textbooks. She loved learning about biology through cell diagrams, DNA sequences, microbiology labs. And she wanted to help other people love it too. 

Without the stomach to be a doctor but armed with a degree in secondary science education, she went on to work in quality labs and the training department of a pharmaceutical manufacturing company in North Carolina. As she continued to grow professionally, she longed to take on a role that focused more on design and development. 

Enter readySC.

CARD REVEAL 2: ACE OF HEARTS

With readySC, Amy was able to re-visit her earlier love: making complex things comprehensible to others. But that doesn’t come without growing pains. When Keurig Dr. Pepper (KDP) requested training for its high-performing teams, Amy was up to the task. But the client company was less enthusiastic. With doubts about how readySC could bring value to its training program and lots of ideas that involved internal resources or outside vendors, could Amy live up to KDP’s expectations? 

As Amy proved herself again and again, ultimately developing a 14-hour training program that was delivered to new hires during the initial weeks of employment, the relationship grew in mutual respect. When Amy learned that trainees didn’t just enjoy the classes but also applied the skills in their day-to-day work, that was the biggest compliment she could receive. 

And that’s how a seemingly overwhelming task became a passion project. 

“Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes playing a poor hand well.”
-- Jack London 

CARD REVEAL 3: ACE OF CLUBS

Another ace, this one of a three-leaf clover. It makes sense that it’s not a four-leaf because Amy hasn’t gotten to where she is because of luck. She’s gotten there because of hard work. 

Ask her what animal should be her mascot, and she’ll say... well, first, she’ll have to think about it. Then she’ll find an online quiz that will produce a perfect match. The beaver! She’s detail-oriented, resourceful and thrives on rules and preparation. And while she enjoys being among her co-workers, she also likes working remotely -- sitting on her comfy couch with her cat nestled in her lap (or meowing to be let out, as it were). In fact, this is where the creative juices flow best and where she wrote one of her most engaging training scenarios. 

But try to convince her to dress up in a beaver costume for her employee spotlight photo? That was going a little too far!

“Poker is a skill game pretending to be a chance game.”
-- James Altucher

CARD REVEAL 4: ACE OF SPADES

Amy’s success is coming in spades -- or at least it would be if not for COVID. When readySC’s division-wide Train the Trainer curriculum needed an update, Amy spent a year building a new design and another year developing it. She is jazzed about its implementation, but because of social distancing guidelines and other COVID-related concerns, the 12-hour interactive training will have to wait. 

Still, Amy looks forward to the instructors delivering the content. In fact, she compares herself to a screenwriter and the instructor to an actor. When they work in tandem, it’s like watching the climactic moment in a blockbuster film. 

And what would Amy say for her Oscars acceptance speech? With characteristic humility, “It’s nice to be able to do something you really love!” 

That’s a wrap for this game of four-card poker! With employees like Amy, the cards are definitely stacked in readySC’s favor, and we can’t wait to see where the division will go next.