Janine Evanish
J
anine Evanish is the owner of Heaven and Earth Gift Shop in Scranton. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in management from Rutgers University and her Master’s in business administration from West Virginia University. Janine is a co-founder of Horizon Dental Care. She lives in Moscow with her husband, Dr. John Evanish III and has three children. What inspired you to open Heaven and Earth Gift Shop? Our vision is to provide holy and wholesome gifts and books and to provide refreshment in our cafe. It’s a haven for shopping and rejuvenating your spirit. Catholic items are our specialty. Each of my grandfathers owned a small business. One had a vacuum cleaner shop, the other a jewelry store. It was exciting to see how they served others and were part of the community. With my love of
business and faith, it seemed like a natural fit. How has your varied work experience been applicable to this? It’s been a gift to have various skills and knowledge in business. Many aspects of business are transferable from one realm to another. I pretty much do what I did for Horizon Dental Care, except instead of helping to save teeth, we have a more eternal focus - helping to save souls. How has this position been challenging and pushed you beyond your comfort zone? Making decisions on a higher level is harder than sharing my opinion with my superior. Cash flow management in retail is very different from any other industry I’ve worked in, especially during a pandemic! Tell us about the role religion plays in your life. It’s the foundation of my life. Daily mass, daily rosary, confession, fasting and reading the Bible are like food and water. I crave them. Practicing my faith helps me with day-to-day challenges and brings freedom, joy and adventure to my life. How do you approach challenges? Challenges are an opportunity to grow, get creative and meet new people. Focusing on the goal and viewing the big picture is helpful when challenges arise. I tend to be optimistic and think something good will come out of every situation, even though I may not realize it at the time. It’s encouraging to look
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back and remember past challenges and how I overcame them with God’s help. He always comes through. As a business owner, wife and mother, how do you achieve balance? When I honor the order of priorities I learned years ago - God, wife, mother, business - it gives me more peace. It is easy to be pulled in multiple directions and I can feel guilty about doing one thing over another. I’ve found when I mix up the order or ignore one area, confusion and chaos follow! Provide advice for women and girls wanting to start their own business. Do something you’ll be passionate about. It’s great to wake up and look forward to the day. Learn from others! There are so many great examples. Ask for help. Do something you are afraid and excited to do - it makes life an adventure. Who inspires you? Immaculée Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide. She exemplifies a life of trust in God, forgiveness and living life to the fullest. What is something readers would be surprised to know about you? I played lacrosse in high school. Anything else you would like readers to know about you or Heaven and Earth Gift Shop? We have a conference room available for rent that seats 5-20 people. Our cafe can provide coffee, sweets and lunch for your meeting. Customers can enjoy our patio while sipping a handcrafted latte. H
March 2021