How Shared Values and Vulnerability Shape Something Bigger at Applied Innovation
Before I even walked through the doors at Applied Innovation, something told me this place was different. The interview process alone was my first clue—three hours of honest, wide-ranging conversation that spanned from my work history to a surprising deep dive into my high school days. But it wasn’t just an interview. It felt like connection. It felt like they weren’t just hiring for a role. They were looking to know me. And I’d come to learn that, at Applied, that’s exactly the point.
While waiting for my interview, I was struck by the bright, modern space—the live plant wall showcasing Applied’s core values, the energy of team members preparing for a community Christmas project, and a book on the coffee table titled Culture Book filled with hundreds of employee photos and stories about how the company’s culture is lived, not just stated.
There was a feeling about Applied… something intangible but unmistakable. I had just come off 16 years in the medical device industry, where my position was eliminated due to a restructure. I was feeling a little bruised, unsure whether I was ready to jump back into a new role. But after that interview, I told my husband and my parents, “If they extend me an offer, I don’t think I can say no.” And lucky for me, I didn’t have to.
When my first day arrived, it felt a little like the first day of school. My outfit was planned, my nerves were fluttering, and I was full of hope mixed with uncertainty. Would I fit in? Would people be kind? I knew our facilities manager’s cat’s name at my previous company. Would anyone tell me their cat’s name at Applied? Would I find my footing again after all the change? Could I learn an entirely new industry?
But before I could spiral into the what-ifs, my fears were put to rest. People I hadn’t met greeted me by name. The welcome wasn’t just warm. It was sincere. Personal. By the end of the day, I felt something I hadn’t expected to feel so quickly: I belonged. I was where I was meant to be.
John Lowery spent hours with me those first few weeks walking me through our Personal System for Success. We talked about the company’s roots, our customer-first mindset, Applied Chemistry and the Elements of Success (what we call our culture and values), and the frameworks we use for personal development and communication. I was encouraged to take my time learning the business, the people, and the culture before perfecting a strategy or team structure. That kind of trust was rare, and it was refreshing.
In those early months, I was given space to find my rhythm, explore ideas, be myself, and enjoy the journey. The culture wasn’t just aspirational. It was operational. And that authenticity fueled me.
As I’ve continued to spend time with John and Casey, I’ve come to appreciate how Applied Chemistry shows up in daily interactions and major decisions alike. In who we hire. In how we serve. In the tone leaders set.
Here’s what I’ve come to believe: Culture isn’t a campaign or a slogan. It’s a set of everyday decisions and actions. It takes root in the way we treat one another and grows stronger through shared purpose. At Applied, it’s what turns routine into intention, and colleagues into a community that cares through a focus on building team unity, family, knowledge, creativity, dreaming, success by selection, hitting the number, humility, fun, service, and integrity.
We show up for each other. We celebrate the good, carry each other through the hard, and believe the best is yet to be. That’s not just good business. That’s good humanity. That’s a place you want to work 8 hours a day 5 days a week.
And after everything I’ve been through—the highs, the heartbreaks, the cancer fight, the career curveballs, the pandemic parenting—I don’t use those words lightly.