Joan began her entertainment career in the production offices of Romper Room School and Dialing for Dollars, and then moved to radio at legendary underground rock stations KSAN SF and KMET LA. She served in the creative and production offices of Foote, Cone & Belding for six years which led her to open the first casting office in San Francisco.

Shortly thereafter, the opportunity to head up the talent division at the world class Grimme Agency presented itself and Joan spent the next six years there, working with San Francisco's infamous modeling agent, Jimmy Grimme. In 1986 Joan was recruited to develop her own talent division at Look Agency and has enjoyed tremendous success and rewards in building Look.

She has taught voice-over acting and business for actors in England at the Drama Studio London and at UCDavis, at San Francisco and Sacramento State Colleges, the American Conservatory Theater, The Voice Factory and VoiceTrax. Joan also serves as President of the Board of Encore Theatre Company.