FXBG Neighbors Podcast
Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
FXBG Neighbors Podcast
EP #118 Choose Joyful Work: Discover Your Working Genius
What if the secret to a stronger team isn’t more effort, but better alignment with the work that gives each person energy? We welcome leadership consultant and longtime nonprofit leader Janel Donohue for a candid, story-rich conversation about turning joy into performance and building cultures that last. From HR beginnings and a painful corporate collapse to 15 years as a United Way CEO, Janel traces the moments that shaped her philosophy: accept it, change it, or move on.
We dig into Patrick Lencioni’s Six Types of Working Genius and how this simple framework helps teams stop forcing fit. Janel shares how discovering her own strengths in discernment and galvanizing changed the way she leads, delegates, and protects her energy. You’ll hear how a two-hour workshop can reset a team’s mindset, giving people a shared language for collaboration, clearer project roles, and fewer turf battles. The result isn’t theory—it’s practical, immediate shifts that help organizations across corporate, nonprofit, and government find momentum without burning people out.
Janel also pushes back on myths about leadership consulting. The work isn’t glamorous; it’s deep preparation, honest facilitation, and constant iteration. Her advice for founders and managers is refreshingly actionable: don’t wait for perfect branding to start making a difference. Take the next step, learn in public, and improve as you go. Along the way, we get personal—travel that restores perspective, pickleball that adds play, and routines that keep leaders grounded. If you’re ready to bring a fresh perspective into your team, unlock hidden strengths, and rebuild morale with intention, this conversation delivers clarity and tools you can use right away.
If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review—your support helps more neighbors find the stories and tools that move our community forward.
Janel Donohue
J Donohue Leadership and Consulting
jdonohue211@outlook.com
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Dori Stewart.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of our favorite local brands. I'm excited for you to meet my guest today. We've got Janel Donahue joining us, and she's with J Donohue Leadership and Consulting. Janel, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Well, I'm excited to get to know you better and learn all about you and your business. So let's start there. Share with us a little bit about J Donohue Leadership and Consulting.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. It's brand new. Um, just launched in 2025. And um really it came after years of loving to inspire others to be the leadership that they absolutely could dare to be. Uh after 25 years of a nonprofit uh career, I stepped out and bravery and wanted to step into my genius and um really helped to inspire and lead others to be the best they could be.
Speaker 2:Amazing. Well, congratulations on your business. That's really exciting.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you. I'm I'm inspired by you after we did uh your ribbon cutting after five years of success. I'm like, okay, if Dori can do it, then I can do it. So I'm following in your footsteps.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you for that. And I'm impressed by your background. So let's dive in a little bit deeper. I'd love to learn your journey and what led you to starting this business.
Speaker 1:You know, um, so I tell people all the time my life motto is accept it, change it, or move on. And that's kind of been the way my my career has led. I went to university, well, I went to Mary Washington College, now University Mary Washington, and I got an internship at Quantico at MWR, taking care of the morale, welfare, and recreation of the Marines. I was in personnel. I wanted to be a corporate trainer, uh, but got into human resources and recruiting, loved it. Um, left there after two years, went to a company in the community called ECS, um, was uh doing recruiting and training. I loved it. They put me in charge of corporate philanthropy, so I got to raise money for the company uh and talked them out of I couldn't then uh discipline or or fire anybody, so it was a great job until the owners of the company um stole all the money, left town, and left 250 employees in Fredericksburg and New York without a job. Oh my goodness. And they kept 80 of us, and I spent uh two months answering the phone, going, No, I don't know where the owners are, no, I haven't been paid. I don't know when you're gonna get paid the four weeks you're owed. Um, that did a number on my heart and my head, and I had run the United Way campaign, and then Barbara Terry called and said, Do you want to be the director of uh fundraising? Yes, please. I ran um in 2020 to United Way and loved my career there. Um, moved up through the uh organization and spent 15 years as a CEO. And then this last December, I'm a woman of faith. God said it's time to to move on and give your your notice. So I gave a six-month notice on July 1st. I started this new career of uh entrepreneurship and leaning into leadership development and training.
Speaker 2:Wow, what an impressive career! And I love that you are now going, you know, branching off on your own. And there are so many people who could really learn from you and learn from your experience. So I love that you are now sharing that with others. So talk to me a little bit about that. Who is your ideal client?
Speaker 1:Who are you for? Um, so it's any organization, whether it be corporate or nonprofit or government, local, state, uh, federal, any organization that has people. Uh, because what I love to do is go in and do trainings. Um, right now, what I'm I'm really in love with is Pat Lincioni's model of the six types of working genius. And I love to go into teams and groups and teach them that they are a genius and how they can use their genius at work. And it's not about what you're good at or what you um may even uh it may not, it's not about what you're smart or good at. It's about what at work brings you joy and energy. And when you find that and lean into it at work, you never work a day in your life. And you really are the best team member that you can be. So I go in and I teach, I can do any teaching, but right now I'm leaning into the six types of working genius.
Speaker 2:What a great asset for a company to have someone like you coming in and training their teams. So I bet that's really cool. If everyone knows their genius and they have learned, you know, the joy that they have in the company, I imagine that gives everyone a good idea of how they can work best together. Is that kind of the benefit there?
Speaker 1:No, absolutely. It's not only about learning about yourself. What I've learned is people have ha-ha moments of like, oh, that's why I love that job. That's what I love this job. But what they really get out of it is, oh, now I understand why Dori is always leaning toward X or doing these type of tasks or jobs because she's leaning into her joy and energy. Oh my gosh, I don't enjoy that at all. But Dori loves it. I'm gonna partner with her more often. Um, it's also for us not to be locked in our job descriptions. We still have to do our job description, but leaning into, and as a CEO, um, my geniuses are not wonder and invention. I love to discern, um, discern a project and then galvanize it and really get everybody on board. But everybody would be like, okay, boss, what are we doing next? And I'd be like, I don't know, what are we doing next? And I it drained me, and I didn't understand why I wasn't I was drained. And so this model restored joy and energy in me. And that's what I want to do is share with everybody of how you can have joy and energy right where you are. Um, and and to let everybody know they're a genius. Dory, you're a genius, and I can prove it.
Speaker 3:How cool! I love that. How I bet you have so much fun. Like I can even tell you're lighting up as you're talking about it.
Speaker 1:Yes, I mean, because that's where my joy and energy is is galvanizing others. That's part of the model, but it's teaching others and being a part. And at United Way, I go in and do fundraising, and I always felt part of that company for the hour or two I was there. And so doing this model, going into companies, I get to be a part of a different team every day. And that's what I really love. And seeing people light up when they have a ha moments or understand that what they thought was a criticism about their passions and joy is actually a benefit to the whole team.
Speaker 2:Interesting. Very cool. What are some myths or misconceptions about leadership consulting that you would like to dispel?
Speaker 1:Um, one, it's easy. Um, two, it's glamorous. Um, you know, it's the iceberg effect. Everybody sees the top of the iceberg. We don't let everybody see all the hard parts underneath. Um, but uh what I've really learned is it's work, it doesn't come easy, but I'm leaning into my joy, and so it's worth it. Um, and the one thing I think I've learned in this very short time that I've been doing it um is don't wait for everything to be perfect. You know, just Mel Robbins has this thing of 54321, just do it. Um, not waiting till I had the perfect logo, the perfect name, the perfect website. I just did what I legally had to do and then said, I'm gonna figure it out. And I've been figuring it out day by day by day. And I may I mess up, but then I can correct it. Nobody cares, nobody knows.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's such great advice for anyone who is starting a new business or really anything new in life. That's really good advice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, you you you can make it all perfect, but you're missing opportunities along the way.
Speaker 2:Right, right. So clearly you are working very hard with a brand new business. So I need to know when you're not working, what are you doing for fun?
Speaker 1:You know, this year I have leaned into traveling. It's really been an opportunity that's come up. I've always enjoyed traveling, but this year um we have crossed the country um three times, uh just since July. So lots of traveling, lots of time with family. But then when it's not as cold as it is in the wintertime, I I've I'm over 50 now, Dori, and I've I've gotten the bug of pickleball. Um and so when when I just want to let off some steam and have some fun and pretend I'm still very athletic, I hit the pickleball courts and this morning I drove by Kenmore Park and it was empty. And I texted my husband and he was like, Let's do it. I was like, Oh no, it's too cold. But uh no, it's um trying to be active, lots of walking, pickleball, and traveling.
Speaker 3:I love that. I need to try pickleball. I hear it's so much fun.
Speaker 1:It is, it is, and um, you know, if you want an easy person to play with, it would be me. I'm competitive in nature, but not with pickleball. I just I just want to have somebody to play with and laugh with.
Speaker 3:I love that. We'll have to play.
Speaker 1:You'll have to teach me. Yes, it's easy.
Speaker 2:So, what is something that you wish the listeners knew about J Donohue leadership and leadership and consulting?
Speaker 1:Well, um I wish that they knew that um you need to step outside of your company sometimes. When you bring in a fresh person, a fresh perspective, um, you change the dynamics of your team. Um, you know, in this day and age, it is hard because we're working, we're working, we're working hard. But when you give my sessions can be any hours, but two hours is really a great session to have. And if you step aside for two hours, you laugh together, uh, you find out things about your teammates together, you inspire each other, and really you're rejuvenated. And I think if you want an opportunity for your team to learn, to grow, and to laugh together, Jay Donahue, leadership and consulting. Um, I can bring the fun, but also the education and something that's not just a model for that two hours that you can really put as part of your culture and and build upon it. Um, it's it's uh it's worth the investment, and that's what it is. It's an investment.
Speaker 2:Yes, what a great value and what a great asset you can be to the existing team. So I love that a company can just bring you in and you're just kind of a temporary part of the team, but then they can carry it on into the future. Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And it's easy and it's and it's simple, it's very simple. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So if the listeners want to connect with you, if they want to learn more from you, where can they find you?
Speaker 1:Um, they can find me out and about all over Fredericksburg. But if you don't find me at a chamber meeting or out and about, uh, you can email me at J Donahue. Now that's with two O's, D-O-N-O-H-U-E uh 211 at uh outlook.com. Um, not being perfect, I'm working on my website for 2026. Um, but emailing me, um, reach out, and let's just talk about what possibilities there are for you.
Speaker 2:Amazing. Janel, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today and sharing your wisdom with us. Thank you so much for inviting me.
Speaker:Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to FXBG Neighbors Podcast.com.