Her Story
About Lecia
My journey into supply chain has been quite a ride. I started as a science major studying microbiology and chemistry at Mississippi State University, but I didn't enjoy the research end. I was actually really good at the financial and business side of things - understanding how we buy things, why we do what we do. So I went back to graduate school and got my master's in public policy and administration and economics. Then I decided to start over and learn from the bottom up, so I got a buyer job with Sara Lee Corporation. I loved it and moved rapidly through management, learning everything I could. That's where I found my passion - in supply chain. I absolutely loved it and still do. I'm still active. My main focus has been on source-to-pay operations, which includes strategic procurement, strategic sourcing, accounts payable and receivable, and transportation - dealing with sourcing the modes of transportation and the legal side of it. It's everything across supply chain. I've had the opportunity to do some amazing things, like setting up a new company for Sara Lee from top to bottom - hiring people, finding the place, being the project manager for all of it. But honestly, my greatest achievement isn't just one project. It's my growth as an individual and watching others love procurement and supply chain, training them, and watching them succeed. I'm a solution finder, and my greatest achievement is being able to use that to help the companies I work with succeed and achieve goals they never thought they could. I'm a problem solver and a way maker.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lecia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to finding what truly makes me happy and fulfills me. It's been a journey of learning a lot, meeting great people, and developing a well-rounded viewpoint of supply chain, procurement, and transportation. What makes me feel good and successful is that I'm a problem solver and a way maker. I love figuring out solutions and using that ability to help the companies I work with succeed and achieve goals they never thought they could. My greatest accomplishment has been my growth as an individual and watching others love procurement and supply chain, training them, and watching them succeed. I absolutely love the people I've met and have yet to meet, and helping them grow and helping companies. I'm a supportive individual who loves to figure out solutions, and that's what I'm proud of - being able to use my skills to make a real difference.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received came from my father and others. It was to not take yourself too seriously and don't get in your own head. Stay focused on the task. Let the noise be the noise. Don't listen to all the naysayers and stay away from the negative. There's always going to be negativity, but don't be negative. There's always a way - you can always make a way, so I prefer to be positive. My father's words were to focus on what you can do, not what you can't at the moment, but what you can do, and do it well. Keep doing it to the best of your ability. That's what I do. Another piece of advice that was pivotal came from professors in college who told me to let myself wander a little bit and think about what I enjoy doing. Don't just do what's expected. As a female, the expectations around me were to get married, have children, and become just the mom who doesn't work outside the family. But I listened and thought about what really makes me happy, which is a challenge. I explored what makes me happy, and that's where I went.
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