Shonique Watts

I attribute my success to wanting financial security and creating generational wealth. Honestly, I just got tired of working corporate America and putting the bucks in their pocket. I wanted to literally utilize those same skills from my 25 years in sales and work for myself. The transition from sales has helped me tremendously because I'm definitely a people person, I'm a negotiator, and I generate business. There are so many different pieces of what I used to do that I utilize right now, like business development, managing accounts, and talent acquisition, because I have to hire drivers for the contracts that I secure. Being able to juggle all of those at the same time as a one-woman show is what's driving my success.

The best career advice I ever received came from a teacher when I used to do speech and debating. She would tell me, every time that you're about to say something challenging, look in the mirror. So even though I hear the no, I'm still smiling. When I'm talking to that client, I'm smiling. They can hear the smile in my tone. I actually have a mirror on my desk now because of that advice. I think that sets you apart from what people normally expect, you know? And a no doesn't always mean no, it just means maybe not right now. The door opens so you can follow up with them again.

I would tell young women entering this industry that it's still a male-dominant field, but with a lot of these clients, it's really, can you do the job? They don't care if you're male or female. I do a lot of subcontracting and work with mostly 99% males, and I've yet to find a female driver, so that tells me a lot. But you're going to hear a lot of no's in this industry. Every time you get knocked down, you just have to get back up and keep going. Keep motivating yourself every day to just keep going, keep pushing. Be relentless and unstoppable. Even when you hear the no, keep smiling, because they can hear the smile in your tone, and that sets you apart.

The biggest challenge I face right now is acquiring new accounts. I'm fairly new to the industry, and a lot of times you hear a lot of no's. Every time you get knocked down, you just have to get back up and keep going and keep motivating yourself every day. I wouldn't say it's because I'm female, because I'm learning more and more that there are more females doing what I'm doing, but it's still a male-dominant industry. With a lot of these clients though, it's really about can you do the job - they don't care if you're male or female. I work with mostly 99% males in subcontracting, and I've yet to find a female driver, so that tells me a lot. But you have to be relentless and unstoppable, keep smiling even when you hear no, because they can hear the smile in your tone and that sets you apart from what people normally expect.

Creating generational wealth and working for myself is incredibly important to me. I want to be relentless and unstoppable. In my work, I definitely want to be reliable, dependable, and compliant, because in the healthcare industry I had to get several certifications to manage these accounts. Being compliant is crucial. I promote being dependable, reliable, and compliant - that's the basis of this business. We provide reliable delivery support that allows organizations to operate efficiently without the burden of handling all of that in-house. What's really important to me is that I'm still helping people. I'm not the medical person giving them the help, but I'm the company delivering the medication or equipment they need to stay healthy, so I'm still contributing and helping. That's where the joy comes from for me - I'm really positively affecting someone's life. When it comes to my family, I want to build something I can leave as a legacy. When I was ready for college, my parents weren't ready, and I had to get scholarships and apply for financial aid. When it's my granddaughter's turn, I want it to be different. I want her college education to be secured if that's the route she wants to take. I want to have things more established than when it was my turn. This whole entrepreneur move is important to me because I want this to work for my family.