For more than 25 years, Janet Works built a successful career helping businesses tell their stories. As a professional writer and communications consultant, she crafted proposals, marketing programs, feature stories, and advertising copy for clients across a variety of industries. Her greatest satisfaction came from helping people discover the words that best expressed what made their products, services, and organizations unique.
Today, although officially retired, Janet hasn’t stopped writing. Instead, she’s found new ways to use her talents while embracing the community she now proudly calls home.
Janet first arrived in Prescott in 2008 under difficult circumstances. She moved here to care for her brother as he battled cancer, and during those months she was welcomed by the many friends and colleagues who surrounded him with kindness. After his passing nine months later, Janet and her husband held onto his Prescott home as a peaceful getaway from their residence in Southern California.
Life brought more change when her husband later passed away. Looking toward a new chapter, Janet chose Prescott as the place where she would begin again. Arizona had already played an important role in her life—she graduated from Grand Canyon High School and later earned her degree from Arizona State University—and returning felt like coming home.
“I was looking for community,” Janet says, “and I found it.”
That sense of belonging is one of the many things she treasures about Prescott. She appreciates the city’s accessibility, welcoming small-town atmosphere, and genuine friendliness. Whether attending community events, exploring the outdoors, or enjoying local entertainment, Janet finds countless opportunities to stay engaged and connected.
Retirement has given her the freedom to continue doing what she loves while giving back to others. At Touchmark at The Ranch, where she lives, Janet serves as editor of the resident-run newsletter, using her professional writing skills to help tell the stories of her neighbors and community. She also volunteers her talents for Prescott Vette Sette, the local Corvette club, combining her love of writing with another favorite pastime.
Janet’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. Over the past 25 years, she has faced significant health and fitness obstacles, experiences that have shaped both her outlook and her resilience.
“With God’s support and the awareness that our bodies are amazing healing machines—if we just get out of their way—I’m grateful,” she says.
That gratitude shines through in the way she embraces life today. Janet is always eager to discover something new, whether it’s trying a restaurant she’s never visited, attending a local theater production, dancing to one of Prescott’s popular bands, hiking a new trail, or browsing an art show featuring talented local artists.
She also looks forward to many of Prescott’s beloved traditions each year. Acker Night remains one of her favorite holiday celebrations, while the annual Indian Art Market at Sharlot Hall Museum and the downtown all-Corvette Car Show are must-see events on her calendar.
When asked what advice she would offer other women, Janet encourages them to be intentional about creating the life they want.
“Be true to yourself, share your talents and what you’ve learned with others, and don’t just let life happen to you.”
Perhaps Janet’s most personal project is one she’s writing for herself and those she loves. She’s currently working on an untitled memoir—a collection of essays and stories reflecting on the experiences that have shaped her life.
“I hope it will be a fun read my family and friends will appreciate,” she says.
For someone whose career was built on finding the perfect words for others, it seems only fitting that Janet is now writing her own story—one filled with resilience, purpose, community, and the joy of discovering that home is not simply a place, but the people who make you feel you belong.