Steritech Career Stories: Paxton Haynes, TSC

How long have you been with Steritech? (List all roles)

6 years!!!!

• (Hired) September 2016- Specialist I
• September 2019- Burger King Trainer
• March 2020- Popeyes Trainer
• October 2020- Burger King Operations Contact
• May 2022- Technical Standards Consultant

How do you create motivation for yourself and for your team?

Personally speaking, I am motivated by success. Knowing the positive impact that can stem from a successful program, form update, added picklist, and beyond. A successful Food Safety program has many moving parts, which are all crucial to its effectiveness and longevity. Knowing that I played a role, and continue to play a role in the making of that, keeps me motivated to push the boundaries and make it even more efficient and valuable for everyone.

How do you maintain a work-life balance?

A loose routine helps me keep a good balance. When I can't stick to it as initially planned, I try to adjust so my personal time is still accounted for during the day- even if it is just delayed! It also helps to have such a great support system, throughout all verticals, that encourages logging off and recharging!

Is there someone that you professionally admire?

My mother, Karen. She is who I want to be when I grow up! A stellar 30-year career (and counting) at Disney, and countless awards under her belt. Her groundedness and grind inspire me daily to push through any obstacle.

What was the moment you knew you’d made the right decision to work here?

There have been quite a few! The most notable was during my time as a Specialist. After doing assessments at a location that was consistently underperforming, they finally received a “green” rating. The manager began to cry and was very thankful to me. I redirected the accolades to her team and her leadership is the biggest part in the change in culture! She began to cry more and thanked me again. As I walked out, she reiterated that without my guidance and persistence she would not have been able to provide the leadership I was referencing. That moment has stayed with me throughout my career here at Steritech.

What advice do you have to give to someone that wants to explore this career path?

My advice would be to explore, ask questions, and take the lead on your own curiosity! This applies to all career paths. A lot of the intricacies are not apparent and the only way to know if it will be the right fit is to ask and engage someone to help in your exploration! Before taking on the TSC role I thought I had a pretty good grasp of what it all entailed, but boy was I wrong. It is everything I thought I knew x 10!

Did you use a mentor at any stage in your career?

I owe a lot of what I know and many of my accomplishments within Steritech to Jen McKnight. A true legend within this company, and I am sure there are many of my colleagues that would agree- Jen is the G.O.A.T! You can't really beat that Mississippi accent either!

Is there a favorite expression or quote that keeps you going?

“ Let sleeping dogs lie” This was what a former TSC would tell me when I would ask my crazy questions as a new Specialist. It has stuck and been applied to many scenarios throughout my various roles.