Friday Real Talk with Lady Flava

The Skills We Carry Forward

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the skills we gain over a lifetime of working.

When I look back over my journey, it’s interesting to see how every job I’ve had built something in me that I still use today.

Many people think a job is just a job.

But if you’re paying attention, every job is actually training you for the next chapter.

Over the years I’ve worn many hats.

I’ve been a small business owner:

• A Touch of Sunshine

• Flava Coffee House

• Lady Flava News

Owning a business teaches you quickly that success depends on discipline, communication, and integrity. There’s no hiding behind anyone else when you’re responsible for everything.

I spent many years working in the floral industry, where attention to detail and customer service mattered. When people come to a florist, they’re often celebrating life—or grieving it. You learn how to treat people with care.

Later I worked in social services as a:

• Domestic violence advocate

• Homeless advocate

• Youth homeless advocate

Those roles teach you compassion, patience, and how to navigate complicated systems while helping people during some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Then came my time at Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital in Las Vegas where I worked as a staffing coordinator.

I scheduled nurses and CNAs and coordinated patient appointments with doctors. That job taught me how important organization and communication are when many moving parts depend on each other.

Today I work at Swedish Neurosurgery as a Patient Service Specialist.

And what I’ve realized is this: every job I’ve had prepared me for the work I do today.

The way I take calls.

The way I document information.

The way I think through problems.

All of those skills came from the experiences I gathered along the way.

But lately I’ve been wondering about something.

It seems like many workplaces no longer spend the time teaching younger staff the craft of the job.

Years ago, when you entered a workplace, there were people who showed you:

How to communicate clearly.

How to respect the responsibilities of the job.

How to carry yourself professionally.

There was mentoring.

People passed their knowledge forward.

Now many new employees are placed into systems quickly, with little time for mentorship. They are expected to figure things out on their own.

And I sometimes wonder…

Are we losing the art of teaching the next generation how to work well?

Not just how to complete tasks.

But how to develop the skills, discipline, and integrity that make a workplace function smoothly.

Maybe it isn’t completely lost.

Maybe it just needs to be remembered.

Because every generation has something valuable to teach the one coming behind it.

And when we share what we’ve learned along the way, we help build workplaces that work better for everyone.

— Lady Flava