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She Lost Everything. Then She Rebuilt Careers for Thousands. · Behind the Founders

• Carmen: Hi everyone, my name is Carmen Durveld and I will be the host for today's episode of Behind the Founders. Today, joining me will be Jan Barlow. Jan, welcome. Can you introduce yourself? Jan: Yes, thank you, Carmen. My name is Jan Barlow, and I'm the founder of Better JobFit, a nonprofit organization based in Dallas, Texas. Carmen: Great. Thank you so much for the lovely introduction. To get us started, could you walk us through what inspired you to start and build better job fit? Jan: Well, was personal. You know, I was ⁓ back in two thousand seven, I was at the height of my career working for a a global pharmaceutical company and I was hired for my strengths, right? I could sell a multi you know, a a a laser, a a million dollar laser and I had a clinical background so I could train the doctors and the staff on how to ⁓ the ⁓ equipment in surgery and I had a a a knack for organic marketing and I could help ⁓ Really the doctor make money in short period of time. So I had those three skill sets and was hired by a global pharmaceutical company and Two months later, boss changed. They acquired another company and they changed my whole job description. So I went from being a high performer to suddenly now with a boss change, they said I wasn't keeping up. My hair fell out. I just kept on pushing myself. My palms started to peel. I started to become and sick, right? ⁓ And that's I just said, I I ⁓ I do this anymore. ⁓ And really through a transition. ⁓ I lost my home, ⁓ my car, my marriage, and my health. And so I sat there and I said, you know, what next? Right? What can I do? And really that Phoenix Rising, I wanted to make sure that nobody else experienced what I went through. And I wanted to make sure that people, especially our veterans and foster care alumni, ⁓ were placed in positions of strength. that's why I started Better Job Fit. I wanted to really make sure that people ⁓ knew what their gifts and talents were and they knew what questions to ask when they went to it to do a discovery call instead of an interview, right? I just wanted to make sure that people had a different work experience than I did. Carmen: Yeah, for sure. Well, first and foremost, ⁓ I really appreciate you for being really open and vulnerable about this experience. And I just want to take a time to acknowledge that, that it's definitely a really tough transition that you had to go through both in your professional and your health and personal life as well. So I can imagine how much of a it has taken on you as well. so ⁓ and it's really recommendable that you transformed all of that to create something more positive so that people would have a more positive experience and they wouldn't go through what you have been through as well. ⁓ So share a little bit context for the ⁓ audience, could tell the listeners out there when they see or come across better job fit, what exactly is that you offer and that you do? Jan: Well wait, thank you for asking Carmen. We started out just working with veterans and foster care alumni. Twenty eighteen we were asked to really start working with the general public. So we created a brand around our coaching and it was it's called Creating Your Next. ⁓ So lot of people talk about ⁓ I gotta find a job, I gotta get a job, and like, no, it's about creating your next, right? It's not about finding. the word find, the one of the first definitions means to happen upon by chance. So when people go and start speaking, I have to find a job. And it feels kind of heavy, doesn't it? Right? That's why we call it creating, because we you it's about bringing it into existence, right? That's very different field. So we have services for people who are creating their next, right? Whether C-suite, whether they want to start their own business. Carmen: Does Jan: We can help them do that. So we we have that brand. We also have a brand that we're really, because we're a nonprofit organization, we're also considered a social entrepreneur organization. So we have for-profit services that we give that we provide to the general public, and then we have services that we just take that revenue, reinvest in the programs that serve those that might be unhoused and needing jobs. We have people, a prison ⁓ that we ⁓ with. So we take the revenue generating services and reinvest it in people that can't afford the services. So it's a beautiful holistic model. And then we work with communities ⁓ and workforce solutions with non nonprofits. So we have a beautiful social entrepreneurial business model that is very holistic. and very untraditional. Carmen: Hmm, yeah. Wow. I just wanted to say, I think it's such a a beautiful initiative. It's also very meaningful what you're doing. I can see that it's very purpose-driven as well. ⁓ because it's like you said, it's not just really about finding jobs, but really how helping people connect to what is their next step or next purpose in their whether it's in their professional aspirations as well. And what really got me, I guess, curious is that you mentioned something about working with ⁓ you said mentioned something about prison program or something like that. ⁓ correct me if I'm wrong. Tell me more about that. Jan: Yeah. So we have a program, we work with other for-profit and nonprofit organizations. We're very collaborative in our holistic model. We with for-profit and nonprofit companies and municipalities, So especially the prison systems, you know, we have everybody, every human being has a limited belief system about what's possible for them, right? What they can do. and we use objective job matching science. that has nothing to do with age, race, socioeconomic condition, has nothing to do with whether you went to college or not. this is science that's been around for thirty years. And so Carmen, is when we're able to sit down with really anybody, but especially somebody that's been in the in the prison system ⁓ or maybe been unhoused, you know, they they have a low vibration and a low self-esteem. And when we can sit down and literally give them a percent match to different jobs what they're already a match to, it's life-changing and life-affirming. So when you can sit down in front of somebody that maybe has a low ⁓ or view of themselves, it's we believe that a person should not be ⁓ on their past. we believe that a person should not be ⁓ judged on their past. Or their present. It's about their potential. That's really key to us. Or their present. It's about their potential. That's really key to us. So when we're able to show them, let's say that someone's a match, an 87% match a director of operations, they're like, what? Like they now see themselves differently. And really that's where the transformation happens. People, we have to see ourselves differently. In order for us to move forward. And so when you can see somebody right before your eyes. shift from their limited belief of what they thought was possible for their lives and for themselves to see that happen so quickly. To me, my friend, that's what I live for. With our Better Job Fit story, story brand, ⁓ the donations for these job matching assessments, being able to go around the country in the US and Canada and to be able to sit down ⁓ be able to share that's what I live for. the gifts with those people who are, you know, going through a rough spot, right? Who are who are being judged for their past or their present to be able to show them the their potential beyond the limited beliefs of themselves. To me, my friend, that's what I want to dedicate my life to. Carmen: Amazing, amazing. I do want to say though, I think it's beautiful what you said that you are really giving people, especially people who have gone through a really rough past. I'm especially people who you know, they were part of the prison, they were part of the system as well. ⁓ oftentimes, unfortunately, even when it's not in the prison system, even people, for example, maybe they had a history with chronic illness or health, unfortunately, a lot of the times, when they apply for a job. Jan: Yes. Carmen: They get overlooked or they get generalized, or there's also unfortunately this bias as well because of the track record. guess what I really would love to know is that when you work with all of these different groups ⁓ then you connect them with these opportunities, I'm thinking out loud here because when you promote them with all those jobs ⁓ from companies, is there, do you Jan: Yes. Yeah. Carmen: ever communicate with those companies in terms of convincing them to overlook their past or their history? Because I can imagine a lot of the times the companies are like, ⁓ this person, they they have a criminal record or they have a disability. We can't consider them because it'll be a risk for our business. ⁓ you also, are you also communicating that or are you like a middle person between that? How would that work? Jan: We so we have a couple of different ways. So when we have our holistic model, we can customize any job. So it's not based on the job description, right? It's not only the job description, right? That's traditional, but we have ⁓ a 57 question survey that we ask the hiring manager, not the recruiter. Okay, so the we get with the recruiter and the hiring manager in the same room and we talk about what does it take to be successful in that job. Right? We we we're basing On a job description, which really has nothing to do with what does it take to be successful in that role, right? Does the job require college-level math? Does the job require, right, ⁓ independent, you know, thinking, right? Those are really granulal questions that a lot of the hiring managers or the person over the position really's never thought about, right? So when we can get a custom job match pattern and we can match Carmen: Mm. Jan: people up to that, and we can provide the company say, look, we have three people that are an 85% match and above to your position, which we help customize for you, right? So now There's a different level that we approach this situation. So now they're looking at, you know, maybe we have somebody that has ⁓ in correctional facility, right? We're going to match person based on ⁓ what they were in for, right? What they were we we're not gonna put any person, individual, or company in harm's way. Remember, that's I want to make sure that we don't do that, right? Because of my own experience, right? So, but at the same time, when you're able to custom match people to that company's position, now there's a different level of, well, they're a 90% match to this position. And maybe they're past, they've been in a correctional facility, maybe, you know, low Carmen: Course. Jan: stakes, low risk stakes, so to speak, then they we just take it now ⁓ case at a time. There's a different level of trust or value when they're a high match, when you've done the extra work to make sure that that person's a custom match to that position. ⁓ Carmen: Course. Jan: there's a higher value to that person, right? So we're the differentiator that works with those people that probably would have been overlooked. And to your point, if there was a chronic illness, now there's a different value assigned, like, ⁓ but they're a match. Like they're a ninety percent match. Like I have information about this person that I cannot get with anybody else. So they're more likely to feel comfortable with accepting That decision based on whatever their background is, because they have more information about this person. What really hinders, you know, and puts doubt in a recruiter or a manager's mind is they don't know about this person, right? And so when you add that they've had a maybe a past prison sentence or chronic illness, that's just more information that they don't know, right? There's more doubt. We We provide that next level of information about how this person is going to work in that job and do that job. So now we kind of get a plus, right? Because that risk is lower because of the information that we can provide to that employer. So does that I explain that correctly? I mean, is that helpful? Carmen: Yeah. Absolutely for sure. No, I think that's a very ⁓ it's a very good system that you come in place. And I think at the end of the day, transparency, more information, it does build a rapport and trust as well between the different stakeholders that you work with as well. And I'd be curious to know, in terms of the different jobs that you ⁓ propose and assign to the different groups, are they where are they based? Are they remote? Are they in person? ⁓ Jan: ⁓ it i i it it's everything. Like we have when we work with a any company, so as long as they're US Canada, right, like they have a ⁓ a a headquarters or or you know, we can do the assessment on and do the job matching for anybody in US and Canada at this time. And so it really doesn't as COVID showed us, you can be in person or virtual, right? so Carmen: Okay. Jan: So we have clients that say, Hey, I want a virtual person for this position. And let's say if somebody is maybe released from prison, right, and they are restricted, they can't leave their county or state, right? Whatever that restriction is, they can still work. Right. We can do we can still match them to virtual positions, right? They're still, they still have viability. They still have the opportunity to live to their potential just because, you know, there's no reason why they can't. Right. We just need to find the right employer or the right fit match to them. Right. That's kind of how we look at it. There's no, there's always a way, my friend. Always a way. We'll figure it out. Carmen: Okay. Yeah, yeah. I think it's very what you're doing because you're really giving them a chance, a do-over, a new a new s clean slate as well. ⁓ and unfortunately, as I mentioned, not many people would have that chance because unfortunately there's they often get overlooked or there's of course some generalization discrimination involved as well. So I think what you're doing is honestly it's it's really meaningful. It's really impactful as well. Jan: Yes right. Carmen: ⁓ so let's turn it over to your team setup. I'd be curious to know at at BetterJobFit, how does your team setup look like? Do you have a couple of set of hands to help you bring this to life as you know you've been around for ⁓ 15, 16 ⁓ what does your team structure look like? Jan: Yeah. Yeah. You know what I really like about it is we I'm an entrepreneur and I always want to support other entrepreneurs, right? So freelance workers, we don't have employees, right? So number one, it's an added expense that we don't need. and it depends on our project. ⁓ I co creating and and this is and working with individuals depending on the project. Like we have a ⁓ We have an independent marketing, right? A ⁓ a a boutique marketing firm. He's a one-man person, but he hires other consultants, right? And 1099, right? and Just love the collaboration that that fosters because now it's not the mental or the mentality of ⁓ I work for you. I want to work with people that are independent, that feel they have the empowerment, right? They they're the driver of their own destiny, and to me that brings a lot more innovation and leadership to any of our projects. we're all about empowerment. people. So that's kind of how our and we're a social entrepreneurial organization. So we love innovation. We love collaborating with large organizations, small organizations, nonprofits. So it's a beautiful messy mix, if you will. Carmen: ⁓ absolutely for sure. And people that you've collaborated within Better Job Fit, what kind of I guess, what kind of backgrounds they come from? Like what kind of skills, specializations? ⁓ Jan: Gosh, I what I love about it, like we have a project now. are working with a nonprofit organization that helps she's building a a tiny so to speak, in Colorado to help the unhoused. So they own their own little home, little you know, 200 square foot portable home. And her background, did She also has insurance and securities business. She also did worked with the FBI, right? So right, so ⁓ she's an anal analytical, she's an analytics junkie, right? Like, and then our other partner with our that we're working with our social impact book, her background's academia, right? But she's a grant writer. Carmen: Okay. Interesting, cool. Jan: And an entrepreneur. So she has a beautiful mix of grant writing, academia, and whole innovative mindset of working with nonprofit and for-profit. So when we come together, it is like we geek out ⁓ on ⁓ on so there's just a richness. Like I wanna I wanna Better Job Fit is about leveraging people's gifts. So I want the whole person, I want to see how can I leverage all of those gifts, right? Because people feel more fulfilled when you're tapping in to most of their gifts, right? That's why I love the analytic, like the the job matching science that we have, because I can go down the list and go, okay, I'm gonna use this, this, and this. How can I use and package Carmen: Mm-hmm. For sure. Yeah. Jan: all those to help what we're doing come together using those gifts because now people feel more fulfilled. Does that make sense? Carmen: Hmm. Absolutely for sure. I think at the end of the day, it's about keeping their cup full as well and ensuring that all the skills, it doesn't go to waste, right? Because I think oftentimes we get so carried away with day to day tasks, you know, or maybe we pick up a degree and then we're like, ⁓ why didn't I put this degree to use? I hear that quite a lot as well. So I think it is really beautiful that it seems like it's very customized as well in terms of like you work with people. Jan: Yes. Yes, he said. Yeah. Carmen: on a project basis and so on and so forth like that as well. out of curiosity, ⁓ in terms of upcoming projects and so on, are you looking to grow and expand and get more support or more hands-on? Jan: We have we started a our f we have a group called Force Multipliers for Good. So we I coach ⁓ that want to grow ⁓ their business and their social impact. So they have business growth goals, but they also have social impact goals that they want to meet. So tangible social impact goals. So we have that group and we also have an a fellowship, Force Multiplier for Good Fellowship, that we bring high school students, college students in, and they actually, you know, we're giving back by ⁓ providing them with the job matching ⁓ assessment and being able to take their gifts and maximizing to help those business owners and their ⁓ their social impact. So we're bringing them in. it's about just getting a job done. We want to make sure that we're raising and influencing the next generation of workers higher than what they're getting in school or any type of academic setting. So we are really have a nice holistic relationship with ⁓ homeschool, with traditional schools, student coaching organizations. So they refer ⁓ students to us and we're bringing them up to train them in taking bigger so it's amazing that that's kind of how we're It's not the recycling, it's we're looking at succession management. Like how can we do our work, get the projects done that we're working on, at the same time, teach the next generation to become part of this. So it's not just about, okay, we we need to hire somebody to get this job done. We want to make sure that we're bringing in that holistic element of we got to train these, the next generation of the workforce. And in order to do Carmen: Yes. Jan: That we got to get them in early because they're they're prepared. I mean, we have a 13-year-old three years ago. We helped him start three businesses by the time he was 15. So my friend, that's that's really where we're getting, we want to make sure it's it's it's multidimensional. It really has to be a force multiplier. That's kind of how how we work with it. Carmen: ⁓ amazing. Okay. Mm. Okay, great. I wanted to circle back to what you brought up earlier because you mentioned that you develop this to basically identify the different strengths and different values that they bring. do I guess I always like to ask all of my guest speakers ⁓ is the of that it plays in the business that you do. So I'm curious to know, do you also involve AI in any of the process, whether it's the questionnaire that you're designing or your systems or your processes and so on? Jan: Yeah, we have right now how we use I mean this again, this tool has been around for thirty years. So it's nothing new, right? that's still, you know, a separate, if you will, you know, because of the proprietary aspects to it. can't integrate it into any AI pro like we can create a link, right? That goes to the assessment. But it's a I wish we could somehow, know, combine the two. ⁓ But now, you know, I gotta be honest, ⁓ I use Zoho One. you know, we especially for our different brands. Girl, I gotta be honest, I I was just getting so we had five different platforms, the passwords and everything. Carmen: Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah. ⁓ Jan: That was just way too much for me, right? way too much. So that's why we ended up ⁓ finding Zoho One and being able to use that. We're mindful of of just like you, you know, with Riverside, we love using Riverside as well. kind of w we use pieces parts of but we always are looking to expand and be able to access, you know, if somebody can come to the table and say, Hey Jan, you know, what about have you thought about this? You know, doing it this way, or hey, we can help you do it this way. I'm always open. I am always open to have a discussion and to see what we might. do better because there's not never one way, my friend. Never one way and nothing stays the same, right? Yes. Carmen: Mm-hmm. Of course. Yeah, yeah. Constantly evolving as well, especially now in this current age of AI as well. Yeah. And do you feel like currently right now at Better Job Fit, do you still feel like there's still elements or parts where it feels manual? Jan: ⁓ most definitely. Most definitely. Because of our size, you know, and our our you know, we're a tight organization. Again, because I'd love to be able to ⁓ ⁓ donations, right? And and to grow that side. it's interesting because I'm always open, I want both sides, ⁓ Because we're a social entrepreneurial organization, our for-profit meaning revenue generating, we want donations, but I am always open to see how can we do that better? I mean seriously, I'm always open for new ideas. that's where it's at. I mean we're all, you know, here together to support one another and and that may be some people say, well, that's pie in the sky or a very ⁓ you know, fluffy thought process or a thought mindset, but that's the way I get to choose how I how I look at it, right? Carmen: Yeah, yeah, of course. Absolutely. Great, Jan. Thanks for sharing. ⁓ as a last and final question, if there is one piece of advice, or if you have multiple, that you would like to share to the listeners out there, whether they are considering to start their own business or they're curious about the world of entrepreneurship, what would it be? Jan: Take the risk. There's always a solution, right? Take the risk. Because when when it's said and done, ⁓ mean, I I gotta be honest, I kept on pushing it aside, that entrepreneurial side of wanting to grow. There's something, there's a part of me that says, I mean, from a very early age, right? And I kept on suppressing it, thinking that, you know, it has to, I have to follow this path. There's no one path, but it is up to us. To to have agency and it's up to us to learn more about ourselves, ask ourselves those tough questions, what's working for you, what's not now, right? I think we get into we have this linear mindset and we live in a multidimensional world. Why do we think there's only one way to do something? Why do we think we have to stay in a job? Why do we think that we have to be the same ⁓ Because every day we're different because based on those experiences. Experiences, right? A book that you read, a conversation that you had with a person the day before changes us. Why would we expect to stay the same, right? Carmen: Wow. Amazing. Amazing. I love what you mentioned about how the fact that we are living in a very multidimensional world, yet we are applying the linear thinking. So obviously ⁓ definitely like not in line as well. So I I just wanted to ⁓ acknowledge that I think it's it's definitely quite an introspective. it's quite intr introspection that we can all and even myself that I can consider as well. Jan: Yes, right. Carmen: So, thank you so much again for coming on to share your story about Better Job Fit. And it's also really inspiring to see how you're really moved and drawn by this purpose as well. so this is Behind the Founders. Be sure to stay tuned for the next episode.