Joshua Williams shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Joshua, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
When I first started in my career, one of my coworkers told me, “When your work ethic becomes your lifestyle, that’s when you’ll be great”. That’s something that has always stuck with me. I want to be great in every aspect. I’ve been focused solely on falling in love with the process of becoming great at whatever I do. I’m figuring out now that you can’t really turn that “switch” off. If you want to be able to maintain it, greatness is in everything you do and not just some things. Whenever I feel like I’m getting off track or losing that linear focus on my goals, that’s when I start to see the complacency set in. Right now, I’m working on maintaining that focus and sticking to a set routine that’ll keep me locked in. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that it’s the little habits that have the greater effect. As long as I continue to focus on the granular details, I feel like nothing can stop what God has planned for me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Joshua Williams. I am Program Manager for Meadows & Ohly, which is a Healthcare Real Estate Development company that has been around for a little over 50 years now. I work in our Program Management department and oversee the design, construction, and activation of hospitals, medical office buildings, etc.
I am currently working on a 150K SF Bed Tower Expansion and OR Renovation project at Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, GA. It will serve as the new East Tower which includes 112 new patient beds meant to serve Henry County and other surrounding areas. The OR Renovation includes 3 new state of the art operating rooms outfitted with new Stryker video integration systems. The OR’s are scheduled to open October 2025 and the new Tower is scheduled to open June 2026.
Working as a program manager in the healthcare industry is one of the most rewarding professions. We have the opportunity to build structures and conditions that can yield to more efficient clinical services and in turn help the doctors and nurses save lives. It’s more than just “bricks and sticks”. We are able to see how the decisions we make can affect the communities we are working to serve. We pride ourselves on being “servant leaders” because at the end of the day, that’s what it is truly all about. It’s not about Joshua Williams. It’s about the patients.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My parents. I’ve seen my mom wake up at 4AM headed to work only to come home after her shift and cook for all of us with no complaints. I’ve seen my dad work 10-hour shifts and come home every single day and wash dishes as soon as he walks through the door. Every. Single. Day. It’s the discipline and consistency that stands out the most to me about my parents. We give ourselves one day to complain, be upset, or whatever we need to do and then we handle our business. Worrying won’t change anything, but the work will.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
This is probably my favorite question. I live by the philosophy of “Blessings and Lessons”. I don’t believe in success or failure anymore because all of it is necessary to get you where you’re ultimately meant to be. It’s either a blessing that you will receive in the moment or a lesson that needs to be learned. When I first got to Auburn University, I was kicked out of our architecture program, and it ruined me. However, during that time I came across Hebrews 10:36 which says, “For you have need of endurance; so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise”. I still felt called to be at Auburn so instead of leaving and coming back home, I worked. I worked four different jobs all while going to school. I sold smoothies, I worked in athletics filming, and any other odd job I could to gain residency in the state of Alabama. My parents would always tell me about the “Arrow Effect”. Sometimes you have to be pulled back in order to be propelled forward. Five years later, I left Auburn University with my Bachelor’s in Environmental Design and my Master’s in Building Science (Construction Management). I had to fail in order to fly and for that I’m forever grateful.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I would like to think it is. I’m not perfect and I don’t try to act as if I am. I try to be as transparent as possible and honest about what I do and what I don’t know. I think that has served me well in life and in my profession. I think when I was younger, I would be who everyone else needed me to be. As I have gotten older and figured out who it is that I want “Joshua Williams” to be, I’m comfortable with what comes with that. Whether you like me or not, I’m real.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
The last time we spoke I was right in the middle of getting everything I wanted in my career and in my life. I was winning projects, traveling the world, and everything was really coming together in my life. However, last year I found myself extremely burnt out and I couldn’t understand what was going on. After I took some time to reflect, I realized that I was placing my happiness and fulfillment on external things. The accolades, the accomplishments, I thought that would fulfill me, but it didn’t. I realized that fulfillment can’t truly be found in anything external. It’s all internal. I’m finding fulfillment in getting to know who God is and staying true to who He created me to be.
