Temeka Swims

I attribute my success to the mentorship I've gained throughout these 15 years and the trainings I went through - I can give credit to all of that. Having mentors who guided me from the very beginning made a huge difference. When I first got into the transportation world, a manager told me that dealing with drivers is like a grown man's daycare, and you sometimes have to deal with them like they're your children. I'll never forget him telling me that, and throughout all these years, I always think back to it. That advice taught me how to manage people effectively. The company I'm with now has really invested in me, putting me back in school and looking at promotions for me. I've been able to progress and move up in ways I didn't think were possible when I first started. I knew when I got in, I thought this is probably where I'm gonna stay, but where I am now, with the position I have and everything, they have really put into me to try to move me up.

The best career advice I ever received was from a transportation manager when I first got into the transportation world. He told me that dealing with drivers is like a grown man's daycare sometimes you have to deal with them like they're your children. I'm thinking, it can't be that bad, because it was my first time actually having truck drivers to manage. But throughout all these years, I always think back to when he told me that. You just really have to deal with some of them like they're your children. That advice has shaped how I manage people and has stuck with me throughout my entire career in this industry.

I would say to be open-minded, because you're going to be in rooms sometimes where you're going to feel uncomfortable and question whether you should be there. Don't overthink when you walk in a room and feel like you don't deserve to be there, because you do you worked hard to get there. If you don't have the right mindset, you're not going to succeed, because like I said, you're going to be put in some uncomfortable positions. You're going to go into these rooms, look around, and you're not gonna see a lot of people that look like you, and that right there can make you question whether you should be there. So be open-minded and be brave. Don't be afraid to speak up for yourself if you feel like something is not going right. I see a lot of women who are afraid to speak up for themselves, and that's not how you should go. If you don't stand up for yourself, people will continue to push you and try to control you, basically telling you what to do instead of letting you do the job. You have to step up and show them that you can do this. Own your position and do things the way you think they should be done the right way, instead of just going along with whatever they tell you to do.

The biggest challenge for women in this field is that if you're not strong enough to stand up for yourself, you can get pushed around. Some women don't speak up when a male boss says something that makes them uncomfortable, and if you don't stand up, they will continue to push you and try to control you, basically telling you what to do instead of letting you do the job. I've been in situations where I had the job, but somebody else was telling me everything to do, and I had to speak up and say, if you don't trust me to do the job, then why am I here? They just needed me to step up and stand up for myself. On the opportunity side, I think a lot of companies are now under the gun because they weren't putting women in these positions before, or they would bring them in and keep them in one position. But now, once you're in this industry and you have the knowledge, you're going to move very soon. I didn't think I would get to where I am, but the company I'm with has really invested in me, put me back in school, and I'm looking at a promotion now. So I think there's a lot of opportunities for women in this industry - it's easy to move up if you have the knowledge and keep learning.

Loyalty is number one for me loyalty and honesty are at the top. I'm really big into community and giving back. I organized a whole community day in my small hometown of Kilmichael, Mississippi, where maybe 600 people live. I brought all the community together with free food, a little concert, and activities. It really made me feel good to be able to sponsor everything and bring people together - probably half the town showed up, all different races, and there were no issues. It was really, really nice. I also do Angel Tree donations at Christmas time and go work at places where people who are homeless can go and get clothes. My job and I will go together to help separate things out by sizes. I'm really big into the community and helping others. I also believe in taking care of myself - I try to take a vacation at least once every quarter to unplug and reset, because this industry runs 24/7 and it's hard to disconnect. I know when I come back, I'm in full force, so taking time to go out of the country and not deal with work at all helps me recharge.