Q:  Barbara, thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed for THE VERITEXT REPORTER!

A:   It’s my pleasure.  Thank you for thinking of me.

Q:  Can you tell your fellow Veritext Reporters when and where you got your start as a court reporter?

A:   I began my career as a freelance court reporter in the year 2000 at Diamond Reporting, which is located in Brooklyn, New York. 

Q:  Which Veritext office are you currently working with, Barbara?

A:  Ever since Diamond became part of Veritext about two years ago I’ve been working with Veritext’s New York office.

Q:  You’re now 21 years into your career.  What do you like most about being a court reporter?

A:   I feel that court reporting allows you to grow as a person because every day there is something that you get to learn on this job.  I enjoy meeting different people and reporting different events.  Every day is different, so you get to expand your horizons.  And that, I would say, is my favorite part of this job.  

Q:  There are a lot of words one could use to describe life in the freelance court reporting business.  “Boring” is not one that comes to mind for me.

A:  I agree!   It’s been a very interesting and rewarding profession.

Q: Can you think of a way or a time when your job as a court reporter has been helpful to you in real-life situations?

A:  Well, in 2009 my mother had a massive stroke, and unfortunately she was paralyzed from the neck down as a result.  After that, she had to live in a nursing home, where thankfully she received great care,  but having a background that included reporting nursing home abuse cases was very helpful and advantageous because I knew what things to look for and also what things I could do to be proactive on her behalf.  Court reporting provides you with a lot of different learning experiences!

Q: Barbara, Jane Sackheim, a Veritext Principal and former firm owner of Diamond Reporting, tells me you are the ultimate team player, which is something that every firm owner and calendar assigner not only respects but insanely adores!  Jane gave me several examples.  Here’s one:  “There are those unfortunate times when the calendar has been completed, the jobs have been assigned, and then along comes a not-so-great add-on that nobody is going to want to take.  Enter Barbara Vazquez.  Even if I had to pull a great job from Barbara that she had already accepted and ask her to cover the last-minute, not-so-great call-in, she always was willing to do so.  She’s the type of team player that everyone loves!”   So Barbara, let me ask you this:  You probably realize you’re “taking one for the team” and saving the day for Veritext by saying yes in the situations that Jane describes above… but I’m betting you’re not necessarily doing the happy dance when these calls come in.   It seems like it takes a certain mental toughness to be able to pivot so gracefully.  Have you always been that way when life has thrown you curveballs?

A:  Jane is way too kind, LOL.  I admire Jane.  She indirectly was a mentor to me.  Well, life continuously throws curveballs, and it’s what you do with those curveballs that will make you or break you.  I have gone through many losses in my life that made me appreciate and not take for granted the beauty in seeing the glass half full instead of half empty.  I think staying positive is a conscious choice and an effort that you can make every morning when you wake up.  Even if it turns into a bad day, things could always be worse.  My father was an example to me to not let anything get you down.  Not once did I ever hear him complain or even have anything negative to say about anyone or anything. 

Q:   What a terrific role model.  He obviously handed that quality down to you.

A:  I think he did, and it’s a blessing, for sure.

Q:  It sounds like you’re also quite the team player, Barbara.  Every team needs them, and you can’t be a great team without them, so thank you for being one!

A:  Well, thanks.  I do try to accept the not-so-great jobs, and I will go places I would really prefer not to have to go, but it’s funny how it always works out in the end and ultimately you end up getting those pages that as a freelance reporter are so important.  They all add up!  And also, in a world where there is so much chaos, why not give a helping hand? 

Q:  Well, no wonder they love you at Diamond/Veritext, Barbara!  I just know from experience how grateful Assigners are to get that “YES” when they desperately need it (even if it comes in the form of “Well… I don’t really WANT to… but I’ll do it if it helps you out.”)  And I LOVE your mantra “Why not give a helping hand?”  Mind if I borrow it as my new 2021 theme song?

A:  Sure, go right ahead, LOL!  

Q: Barbara, I understand you experienced an unfortunate and serious medical event that you’ve bounced back from with extraordinary resilience.   Can you tell us about that? 

A:  In 2015, I suffered a series of mini strokes.  I was lucky enough to get to the hospital in time to receive TPA, which is Tissue Plasminogen Activator, a clot-busting agent.  I was in the Intensive Care Unit for eight days, but thankfully I recovered completely and experienced no lasting effects from the strokes.  I strongly believe that scoping while I was home recovering helped my brain heal faster.  I slowly worked my way back, starting with taking one job a week, then two, until I got back up to full time.  Currently I work about four days a week.  I will say that working from home has made this job less physically taxing.

Q:  Amazing that you were able to return to the rigors of court reporting after experiencing such a serious medical event.

A: Back in 2012 I embraced a lifestyle change.  I started going to the gym regularly and I changed the way I ate.  For example, I eliminated soda, juice, junk food, and fried foods from my diet.  This change in lifestyle resulted in losing weight and feeling great!  And while I did have a stroke in 2015, I can’t imagine what it would have been like if I hadn’t started making my body healthier three years earlier.  (Glass half full!)  I must admit, it’s been a bit of a struggle maintaining a healthy lifestyle during COVID with not being able to get out at all for so long, and then the limited access to gyms and restaurants and grocery stores—all the things that make it easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  But it’s a new year, and I’m absolutely committed to being the healthiest me I can be in 2021!

Q:  You go, girl!   I love it!   And I think 2020 was a tough year in the Staying Fit Department for a lot of us.  They don’t call it “The COVID 15” for nothing!

A:  Exactly!

Q:  Barbara, I have one last question for you.  I hear you have children who are front-line essential workers in the New York area.  What has it been like for your kids working in the throes of the pandemic within one of COVID’s epicenters?

A:  I have three daughters; two are nurses, and the other is a social worker.  We all live in New Jersey and work in NY/NJ.  My daughter Sashelle was working in the public health sector and decided to get her nursing degree.  Ironically, she became a nurse on March 17, 2020 and was immediately thrown into the COVID unit in a New York hospital.  My daughter Shantelle was working in pediatrics at the time and decided to transfer to the hospital where her big sister was so they could work side-by-side.  So Shantelle–the veteran nurse–and Sashelle—the new nurse–have been working hand-in-hand and side-by-side on the front lines, with Little Sister teaching Big Sister the ropes. 

And then my third daughter, the social worker, has been dealing with a crazy caseload that includes a lot of troubled teens struggling with suicide due to the isolation from the pandemic.

Q:  Wow.   Well, there’s a reason we call them essential workers, and the work your girls are doing truly is essential to getting us through this.  Please tell your daughters that they are awesome, and on behalf of all of us at Veritext, please thank them for the incredibly important work they’re doing during this unprecedented time.

A:   I sure will.  I’m very proud of them. 

Q: And you should be! Well, Barbara, I’m going to dub you The Come-Back Kid.  Your story is incredibly inspiring.  There are so many grand life lessons woven throughout it! 

A:  Yes.  And I am very grateful for everything, especially God’s tender blessings.

Q:   Thanks for chatting with me, and I wish you all the best in 2021!

A:   Thank you, Jan!  Same to you and everyone at Veritext!