{"id":304,"date":"2017-01-26T20:38:14","date_gmt":"2017-01-27T01:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=304"},"modified":"2017-02-23T12:21:00","modified_gmt":"2017-02-23T17:21:00","slug":"inspire-joni-walton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=304","title":{"rendered":"Joni Walton"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Power of Heartfelt Confidence\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Steven J. Pallone<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Joni Walton\u2019s medical supply company, Danlee Medical Products, started in an unorthodox manner, on a whim to save the supply division she\u2019d founded at Diagnostic Medical Instruments. Joni started working in customer service at DMI in her early 20s. Having tried a few different jobs after moving from Gouverneur to Syracuse, Joni found DMI to be a good fit. She quickly proved to be an asset to the company.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m never satisfied just doing a task,\u201d Joni explained. \u201cI have to know why I\u2019m doing it, and what\u2019s affected by doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diagnostic Medical Instruments manufactured a small selection of holter-monitoring equipment \u2014 used to track heart activity \u2014 along with paper and a kit to accompany its machines. After diving into the job, Joni realized customers wanted more on the supply side. Joni would receive calls from clients: \u201cWe don\u2019t want to buy the whole kit. We just want the electrodes,\u201d they\u2019d say.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d have to reply: \u201cWe don\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

During a performance review, she suggested the company offer more on the supply level, including items to fit competitors\u2019 machines. He answered that DMI wanted to focus on equipment, but he didn\u2019t have a problem with Joni exploring other options.<\/p>\n

So she returned to her desk, and began calling vendors.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong story short,\u201d Joni reminisced, \u201cwithin a year, DMI had its own supply division, and there were four people in that division.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then in 1993, a larger company, Burdick, bought DMI. When Joni turned down a job offer with the new company in Chicago \u2014 she\u2019d already started a family here \u2014 they asked if she\u2019d stay on for a year to help with the transition. During the interview, they also mentioned closing the division she\u2019d spearheaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI took it personally, because I felt like I\u2019d started it, and I\u2019d grown it to this certain point,\u201d Joni said. \u201cI felt that it was looked upon as if it wasn\u2019t important. Probably in their grand scheme of things, it wasn\u2019t. But to me, it was very important.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was on the verge of quitting. They asked Joni what would convince her to stay on for the transition. Not skipping a beat, she said: \u201cAllow me to buy the supply division.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you serious?\u201d they asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joni answered. Thinking back, she admits her words were probably guided by pride. She couldn\u2019t say, \u201cNo, I was just kidding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK. If that\u2019s what you want, let\u2019s work it out,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

Joni walked around the building, putting Post-It Notes on items she wanted \u2014 although she was most interested in the company\u2019s 800 number and customer list. Burdick made an offer, and with a meager $500 in her bank account, Joni accepted.<\/p>\n

She spent the next year doing two jobs simultaneously: holding up her end of the bargain with Burdick in facilitating with the transition to\u00a0Chicago, and developing her new company, Danlee Medical Products.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat year was hardest year of my life,\u201d Joni said. \u201cI had to do everything they expected me to do. I had to set my company up. I was married. I had a 3-year-old son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among those few coworkers left at DMI, she faced many naysayers. Older male engineers would offer unsolicited advice and warnings to Joni, telling her she didn\u2019t know what she was doing. One man even suggested she take him on as a business partner. The remarks drove her ambition.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt actually motivated me to think, \u2018I can do this, and I\u2019m going to show you I can do this,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Joni opened the doors at Danlee Medical Products at East Molloy Road in Syracuse in 1993, on her 30th birthday. The company originally offered mostly cardiology-related items, but has since expanded to include most medical equipment, with the exception of drugs. Still in the same building, Danlee has expanded four times since opening, grown its employee count from four to 17, and serves more than 4,000 health-related professionals and patients globally.<\/p>\n

When Joni founded the company, she didn\u2019t really know what to expect, she remembers. But with every obstacle she faced, from dealing with the FDA to audits, she learned something.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re either going to pack it in, or you\u2019re going to keep moving forward,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

When she hastily bought the supplies division years ago, Joni didn\u2019t anticipate that learning how to hire would be one of the most important skills she\u2019d develop.<\/p>\n

It was a lesson a mentor taught her. Joni was having difficulty finding people who were the right fit for the company.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what kind of people do you try to hire?\u201d Joni\u2019s mentor asked her.<\/p>\n

When Joni answered, \u201cSomebody just like me,\u201d her mentor pointed out the key to a good staff is diversity. Joni needed people with abilities different from hers.<\/p>\n

Until that point, she\u2019d imposed pressure on herself to be the best at everything and know everything. A lightbulb went on when her mentor gave her that advice, Joni said; it put everything in perspective, and she started thinking differently.<\/p>\n

Everyone has different strengths, and not always comparing your abilities to others\u2019 is a key to success in business, Joni said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to find that confidence in myself,\u201d Joni said, \u201cto let myself know, \u2018You are smart. You do know what you\u2019re doing. Be confident in yourself and don\u2019t let people make you feel like you\u2019re less than who you are.\u2019\u201d SWM <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

To learn more about Danlee Medical Products, visit danleemedical.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Power of Heartfelt Confidence\u00a0 By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Steven J. Pallone Joni Walton\u2019s medical supply company, Danlee Medical Products, started in an unorthodox manner, on a whim to save the supply division she\u2019d founded at Diagnostic Medical Instruments. Joni started working in customer service at DMI in her early 20s. Having tried…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":402,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[169],"class_list":["post-304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-january-2017"],"gutentor_comment":1,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Inspire_Joni_0217_online.jpg?fit=5200%2C3476&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1656,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1656","url_meta":{"origin":304,"position":0},"title":"Joni Walton","author":"Staff","date":"March 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Company Strength Training\u00a0 Photography by Alexis Emm\u00a0 \"You\u2019re either going to pack it in, or you\u2019re going to keep moving forward.\u201d \u2014 Joni Walton, founder of Danlee Medical Products, SWM February 2017 Joni wasn\u2019t joking about moving forward. Since that interview, she\u2019s kept up momentum with a new addition to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SWM-APRIL-2018-Alexis-Emm-Photo-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SWM-APRIL-2018-Alexis-Emm-Photo-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SWM-APRIL-2018-Alexis-Emm-Photo-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SWM-APRIL-2018-Alexis-Emm-Photo-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SWM-APRIL-2018-Alexis-Emm-Photo-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1677,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1677","url_meta":{"origin":304,"position":1},"title":"Cindy Dowd Greene","author":"Staff","date":"March 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Changing the World with Science\u00a0 By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Alexis Emm\u00a0 \u201cHere in Central New York, we\u2019re going to be really making a huge difference, and we\u2019re going to impact people\u2019s lives across the world,\u201d said Cindy Dowd Greene, president of Quadrant Epigenetics, LLC, and COO of Quadrant\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SWM-APRIL-2018-Alexis-Emm-Photo-4-4.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SWM-APRIL-2018-Alexis-Emm-Photo-4-4.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SWM-APRIL-2018-Alexis-Emm-Photo-4-4.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SWM-APRIL-2018-Alexis-Emm-Photo-4-4.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SWM-APRIL-2018-Alexis-Emm-Photo-4-4.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3041,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3041","url_meta":{"origin":304,"position":2},"title":"On the front lines: Team of five female surgeons stands strong at Upstate","author":"Staff","date":"April 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By Emma Vallelunga \u00a0 They say the sickest of the sick go to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, and in the teaching hospital\u2019s Level One trauma center, exactly half of the surgical team who save lives every day are women. These trauma surgeons take pride in what it means to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Trauma_women_02-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Trauma_women_02-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Trauma_women_02-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Trauma_women_02-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Trauma_women_02-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3569,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3569","url_meta":{"origin":304,"position":3},"title":"Inspire: Kayla Wagner – SU grad launches telehealth solution for diagnosing autism","author":"Alyssa Dearborn","date":"April 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Janelle Davis Wait times for diagnostic evaluations for autism have grown at an alarming rate, according to the National Institutes of Health. The reason is because the number of children who need to be evaluated for autism is much higher than the number of clinicians available, a need that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Inspire"","block_context":{"text":"Inspire","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=1143"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/QUADRANT_1371-Edit-WEB.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/QUADRANT_1371-Edit-WEB.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/QUADRANT_1371-Edit-WEB.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/QUADRANT_1371-Edit-WEB.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1456,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1456","url_meta":{"origin":304,"position":4},"title":"Dr. Wendy Scinta","author":"Staff","date":"January 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A Lifestyle of Health By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Mary Grace Johnson Weight loss can be an intimidating concept. Facing the challenge of navigating fad diets and the potential for lifealtering diseases are just a couple overwhelming factors involved. With a combination of science and compassion, obesity medicine expert\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/SWMWendy-5-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C787&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/SWMWendy-5-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C787&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/SWMWendy-5-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C787&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/SWMWendy-5-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C787&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/SWMWendy-5-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C787&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3354,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3354","url_meta":{"origin":304,"position":5},"title":"Special Feature: Helping break the glass ceiling in healthcare","author":"Alyssa Dearborn","date":"October 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"By Lorna Oppedisano Within the professional world, many women are faced with the challenges of working in a male-dominated field. Groups and individuals are taking steps to facilitate balance and equity, along with the open communication needed to turn those goals into realities. Dr. Kristen Pfau of Fennell Street FamilyCare\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Special Feature"","block_context":{"text":"Special Feature","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/OCT2022_Special-Feature_Breaking-the-Glass-Ceiling.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/OCT2022_Special-Feature_Breaking-the-Glass-Ceiling.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/OCT2022_Special-Feature_Breaking-the-Glass-Ceiling.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/OCT2022_Special-Feature_Breaking-the-Glass-Ceiling.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/OCT2022_Special-Feature_Breaking-the-Glass-Ceiling.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=304"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":575,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304\/revisions\/575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}