Influential Woman · Logistics

Stephanie Johnson

Supervisor, Amazon

Chattanooga, TN

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree MBA with concentration in Supply Chain Management Member Atlanta Supply Chain logistics organization

Her Story

About Stephanie

After completing my military service, I moved to Atlanta and began working in the warehouse industry. The work was prevalent in Atlanta and flexible, which I needed because I had kids. I started with temp services and worked at different warehouses before landing a job at PetSmart Distribution in 2019, where I stayed for 6 and a half years. While working full-time at PetSmart, I went back to school and earned my MBA with a concentration in supply chain management. I completed that degree in May with a 3-year-old and my other 4 kids while working full-time, which was a pretty big challenge. That achievement put me in a position to accept a supervisor role at Amazon this past January. My typical day starts at 5 AM, and I'm at work by 6. I spend hours checking in, making sure my people are where they need to be and have the support they need, and supporting the rest of my team. My job is in Tennessee, but my kids are still back in Atlanta, so sometimes I take a 2-hour drive to see them and help them out, then get back to Tennessee before 6 the next morning. Amazon's 4-day work week allows me to actually have time off to spend with my family, which is really important to me. I'm a member of the Atlanta Supply Chain logistics organization. Coming into Amazon has been like meeting my best friend - all of their 16 principles and values fall right in line with who I am and what I stand for.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Stephanie

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to my dad. He is my biggest supporter and is just always there to encourage me. If I need something, he is a phone call away. Even if it's just somebody to talk to, somebody to hear me, he will listen for as long as I need him to. He's just really supportive, and we always need that.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Surprisingly, there are still a lot of isms out there, but that doesn't mean you should give up. If we all stopped, we would be pushed back to the 1950s, and that wouldn't be any good. So just don't give up. The more representation that we have, the better it's going to be for people who are trying to come into the industry. It is hard, it is difficult, there's a lot of no's, there's a lot of doors shut, there's a lot of 'I can't believe this is still happening,' but if you're not out there, if you're not in the industry, then nothing's gonna change.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

Being a person of color in this industry is challenging. Just having to show up every day looking different from everybody is pretty interesting, not having the support that everybody else clearly does. I happened to end up in one place, in one area where the demographic is very different from what I'm accustomed to, and it has had its challenges. Amazon as a whole is a great company, which is why I'm still there. It's a huge company, and just like with any other company, there will always be people who just personally don't necessarily fit what the company overall stands for. I have access to a lot of amazing people there and I don't plan on going anywhere, but right now, coming in, the particular place I'm in now has had its challenges. Having to relocate is also a challenge, but as my tenure grows, there will be a lot of flexibility there.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

Definitely family. At Amazon, we have a 4-day work week, and even though the hours are long, being able to actually have that time off to spend with my family during my time off is really important. Amazon's values as a whole are also incredibly important to me. I thought I embodied my last company's values at PetSmart, but Amazon is different. I have always been a little different from most of the people around me, and coming into Amazon, all of the 16 principles, all of the values, everything that they stand for - it's like meeting my best friend. Every day being day one there, being able to come in and start over or start fresh with whatever you have available right then and there, it's an amazing concept. I have not run into one principle that I don't agree with. It just falls right in line with who I am and what I stand for.

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