Date: January 29, 2023
10:07 pm EST
… So, here it is. I always wanted to be able to share my thoughts, but I’m very much an introvert. An introvert who always has something on her mind.
Being an entrepreneur, especially a female entrepreneur in a male dominated industry, MAKES you strong. If you don’t know by now, I’m a fleet owner in the trucking industry and ALL of my degrees are in education.
I love love love the art of educating- it’s nothing like seeing someone’s light bulb go off when they “Get it”, which is why when I jumped in the trucking industry, I wanted to bring everyone along with me and show them the way.
I officially resigned from the education system in 2021 when I fully dove into trucking. My last 5-6 years in the education system, my role was actually to educate adults. Being in this capacity within the school building allowed me to lead many different adult personalities - and we know how working with adults can be, especially the ones that are “stuck in their ways”. Being one of the youngest leaders within the building, I had to pinpoint how these seasoned teachers would take authority from little ole me. I came up with a goal and once I solidified the goal, I then had to come up with a strategy to accomplish this goal.
GOAL: Change adult mindsets
My strategy for this was simple, I just wanted to inspire them. If I could inspire these adults, I could change their mindsets.
Recipe To Inspire:
Smile
Be Positive EVERYDAY
Put myself in their shoes- Acknowledge the agony & always find the light in all situations
Laugh
Model how it should be done (You won’t even have to say anything, trust me they’re watching!)
I took this same recipe with me to the trucking industry. I’ve used this recipe to build relationships with clients, brokers, and my team. It’s nothing like feeling like a human in the trucking industry.
As a driver, it can get lonely on the road, so to hear a familiar voice just to say “Good Morning” or receive a phone call just to check on you and small tokens of appreciation goes a long way. I’m very transparent with my entire team- I educate my team on what’s occurring in the market and in the industry. As a small carrier, we must make adjustments with the market, so ensuring that my team is aware of the current state of trucking is very important to me.
Using the recipe to inspire has definitely worked with brokers as well. Many brokers are used to arguing with carriers, getting hung up on and rude emails. Meanwhile, we are doing the complete opposite- we’re emailing gift cards, greeting them (even when they don’t greet us) and communicating with them politely and frequently. This soft touch landed us a dedicated lane, contracts and extra runs when available.
I love that I was able to take my passion for education and continue to utilize and develop it in different capacities in my entrepreneurial journey. I hope that you can take this Recipe to Inspire and apply it in your own career or entrepreneurial journey.
Signing Off,
LV
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