Finding Motivation in the CFC Team Unity
When anyone stays at Cape Fox Lodge (CFL), they may not understand and appreciate the work our employees do each day to ensure everyone’s stay is clean, warm, and the best that can be offered. The employees behind the scenes have made our Lodge a premier tourist attraction and such a success. This year’s Shareholder Spotlight highlights one such extraordinary employee, Janet Anderson, Housekeeping Manager for CFL.
Janet is a soft-spoken woman who traditionally shies away from the spotlight but speaks with purpose and insight. She sat down with our Communications team to discuss being our Shareholder Spotlight and expressed her humbleness at such an honor. Janet is an Eagle Wolf out of the Thunderbird House. She was raised in Saxman, AK and feels close to her culture and family. As the eldest granddaughter of one of CFC’s original Board Members, Martin Perez, Sr., and the eldest daughter of Martin T. Perez, Jr., she later moved to Anchorage, AK with her mother Catherine and her step father Tom Harris. Upon graduating from West Anchorage High School, she returned home to begin her career at Community Connections and start building her family. Janet began working at CFL in March 2019 in housekeeping and has since moved through the ranks to become the Manager of Housekeeping. She purposely hid her CFL application from her family because she did not want to win the job working at CFL because of her family connections. She wanted to earn it on her own. Not only has she done well in housekeeping, but she has also stood out for her hard work, diligence, resourcefulness, and motivation.
Janet’s days are full, busy, and can be exciting since “you never know what will happen in the day.” Janet comes in by 7 AM to CFL and does the boards that assign tasks to each person. She determines how many rooms everyone gets to clean based on how many guests and staff are working that day. Janet is not one to sit back, though. Her days are spent doing the duties she needs to do, and then she also tries to help where she can, from helping with laundry to assisting with daytime janitor functions. As Janet commented, “Every day is different and keeps it exciting. I am still learning and now I have more responsibility since I hire staff and work with supply vendors, along with all the training. Every day is busy, but there is always something new to do or learn, which keeps it interesting.”
Janet does not take sole credit for the success of CFL, though. She is thankful for her team. Last year, in 2024, saw quite a few changes implemented or occur at CFL, but Janet and her team believe one thing more than all… together in unity. Janet described the team environment at CFL as“very collaborative and team-oriented.” It is this collaborative team environment that has led to such success for Janet and her team throughout the years. No matter what changes occur, her team works together, talks things out, and strives each day to do their best with what they have. In her role as Manager, Janet has an assistant, which also helps, but she sees her team“learn from each other.” It is this understanding and reliance that allows people to grow together and succeed together.
Janet has seen much change since she started working for CFL in 2019. When asked how her role has evolved since she started with the company, she commented, “I started out doing just housekeeping. When I started, I gave myself two weeks to try, and if I succeeded, I thought CFL could keep me on. I had never done this before. As it turned out, I loved it. I loved the people, and though at times it was a struggle, we all pulled together. Part of the job is just helping out, so if laundry/day-janitor is short-handed, you step up.”
Janet eventually grew in her position to become Manager of Housekeeping. She did not take on the increased responsibility when first asked, but she finally accepted the position and has not only enjoyed it since but also made her mark as efficient and dedicated to her new role. In fact, when asked what her biggest career accomplishment has been, she stated that it was becoming a manager. “It was a surprise but what made it helpful is that my coworkers wanted me to do it. While I struggle with computers, my coworkers can help me out a lot.”
Janet is also someone who takes a situation and tries to continue to learn from it. Janet said that she “learned to be more organized. Learned to make sure you have a proper account for all your items. I made sure to understand the chemicals that are used in housekeeping better. It is amazing how many chemicals are used and out there for housekeeping. I have three departments…janitorial, laundry, and housekeeping, and I create the schedule for everyone, so I learned much more about being organized.” Not everything she learned was related to her job. She is someone who is constantly pushing herself to learn more and she “learned to have a bigger voice. I keep my emotions to myself, listen, and care for other people’s feelings. This has led to more confidence in myself, even in tough situations. One of the greatest lessons for me or anyone is to remember to be sensitive but still in control.”
As the saying goes, nothing comes easily; the best things come with challenges and hard work. Janet has worked hard in her career and was open about the challenges she has also faced. In January 2024, her husband walked into the forest, and the year brought with it much change at CFL. As she recounted the year, she got tears in her eyes, but there was still light there as she said that through all the changes at work and at home, she felt it gave her strength to keep moving forward. She said with determination, “I will survive, and the outlook for the future is still hopeful.” She continued, “I just keep making sure my department succeeds and does well. We all struggle together. It helps to talk to everyone to get input. Keeping communication open. We’re equal, and we all work together. The guests are connected to us, the restaurants, and the shop; we are all connected. If we all work together, we will all succeed.
As we interviewed Janet, that was the message we often heard. Through hard work and challenge is strength, unity, and hope. Often, these times present ways for us to learn within ourselves. Janet also shared her sage advice for others who want to work for Cape Fox Corporation (CFC). “Be patient…don’t take things too seriously, and keep an open mind. If you keep an open mind, you can succeed in life. Read your job descriptions, but be flexible and willing to help.”
Since Janet has been named Housekeeping Manager, CFL has not run out of linens and towels, and her management style is to listen to others and find solutions to make things run more efficiently. When Janet was asked what she would like to do in the future, she smiled and said, “I think I love where I am. I look to the next five years and don’t look further, so if I can stay here, I would be happy to keep working and improving the department. The challenge of everyday work motivates me. Every day is something different. We come in and do not know what scenario will be in front of us, and I like a challenge. I do not want to sit around and do nothing. I want to learn and be an example to the younger generation so they can get up and work.”
Janet’s quiet demeanor and hard work may not always get the notice they deserve, but she is a woman of great strength of character who takes on every challenge and turns it into a positive moment to hope. She is a remarkable example of a shareholder who has excelled by connecting to the CFC community, and she values that community. As Janet said, “I love my team, and we all work hard to make CFL a success for us, our community, and our guests.”