An interview with Janie A. Duncan

What advice would you give to aspiring women looking to make an impact?

My advice is simple: don't wait for permission to do something you believe needs to be done.

When I started Duncan Investigations Inc. more than 36 years ago, private investigations was very much a male-dominated industry. I had to prove myself, build credibility, and sometimes work twice as hard to be taken seriously. But I never allowed that to define what I believed I could accomplish.

I've also had setbacks along the way-some significant ones. There were times when things didn't go as planned, times when doors closed, and moments when I questioned whether I was on the right path. But those experiences taught me some of the most valuable lessons of my career. A setback doesn't mean you've failed. Sometimes it's simply part of the journey that makes you stronger, wiser, and more determined. It is important for me to challenge the status quo, take calculated risks by trusting your instincts and being prepared to stand behind your decisions.

And don't worry about what others think of you. It only matters what you think. Be the person who brings knowledge, determination, and a willingness to do things differently. Your reputation and your character will ultimately speak louder than anyone else's doubts. Most importantly, don't lose yourself trying to prove yourself. Your experiences, your struggles, your successes, and even your failures are part of what makes you uniquely qualified to lead.

There will be people who underestimate you. There will be setbacks. There will be days when you wonder if it's worth it. Keep going. Be persistent. Be curious. Be authentic. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, and remove those people in your life that are negative that will attempt to bring you down.

What are some notable achievements, milestones, or client transformations that you are especially proud of?

There have been so many moments throughout my career that I am proud of, but the ones that mean the most to me are not necessarily the awards or recognition. They are the cases where our work made a real difference in someone's life.

Some of the work I am most proud of has involved wrongful-conviction reviews and serious criminal investigations, including work connected to the James Driskell and Frank Ostrowski cases. These matters reinforced for me just how important it is to keep asking questions, examine the evidence carefully, and never assume that the first version of a story is necessarily the complete story.

Some of the achievements I am most proud of are the problems we have been able to help people solve. Over the years, we have worked with families facing incredibly difficult and personal circumstances, helping them find answers, locate people, uncover information, and resolve questions that have sometimes remained unanswered for years.

We have also helped corporations, law firms, insurance companies, and organizations address complex problems involving fraud, workplace matters, due diligence, asset tracing, litigation support, and risk. Every investigation is different, and often our clients come to us because they simply don't know where else to turn.

What I find most rewarding is taking a complicated situation, gathering the facts, connecting the pieces, and giving our clients the information they need to make informed decisions. Sometimes that means helping a family find answers. Sometimes it means protecting a business or helping a corporation identify a risk before it becomes a much larger problem.

I am also incredibly proud of how Duncan Investigations Inc. has evolved. What began as a traditional private investigation firm has grown into a company offering sophisticated investigative services, including OSINT, digital intelligence, corporate due diligence, executive intelligence, international investigations, and strategic intelligence.

After more than 36 years in this industry, what makes me proudest isn't simply how much the company has grown. It is knowing that we have been able to help thousands of people and organizations solve problems, uncover the truth, and move forward.

At the end of the day, that's what investigations are really about: giving people answers when they need them most.