I want to start this article with a thank you to my company, TravelCenters of America. I have had opportunities to grow both professionally and personally. These opportunities helped me to build a better life for myself and my family.
I started my career with TA as an assistant restaurant manager. At the time, becoming an executive wasn’t even a thought, let alone a goal to work toward. I came into this role with a GED—no higher education—and kids to support. I had found myself in a very dire economic state. However, I wanted to give my kids more than what I had. So, I put in the hard work, and in time, I was offered a position to be a store manager. While I still wasn’t sure what my career goals were, this was a great accomplishment for me.
We all know that the fastest way to get from point A to point B is a straight line. Well, as it turns out, there have been no straight lines in my career path. Every role that I progressed to came with new challenges to overcome. I constantly had to adapt and stay open to change. Over time, I proved to myself that I was capable of learning anything, and therefore, I started presenting myself with more confidence. In doing so, my network of peers and leaders grew which led to opportunities I might have overlooked for I lacked the confidence to be seen.
It’s worth mentioning that my professional growth did not come without a personal cost. Being in an industry of service that is 24/7, I didn’t make every dance recital or football game, but the sacrifice was so that my children would be better off.
My journey hasn’t been easy or cookie cutter. As a woman, it was not lost on me that when I started working in the c-store industry 25 years ago, there were no female executives in our company to look up to, but today…our CEO is a woman! There have been times that I felt I was ready to advance, and the opportunity to do so seemed to take longer than I thought it should. In those times, I remind myself to view every rejection as a learning experience and an opportunity to grow. I am in a position today that I would have never dared to dream for myself, and while I am grateful, I know that I am here because I worked hard for it. I hope that others who might find themselves in similar situations will read this and know that they too can do it!
My advice to other women in the c-store space: Find what your driving force is that won’t let you fail. For me, it was my children. When you feel like giving up, dig deep and know your worth!
Advocate and become a self-promoter. Once I found my voice and started to speak-up, the opportunities followed. There is no shame in sharing the value that you bring to the table. Every person has unique experiences and perspectives, and through collaboration, it makes for a better team.
Lastly, I would say that when you have the chance to build up others, TAKE IT! We have a duty and privilege to pay it forward, and that is what excites me so much about the opportunity that the CSW conference brings. Representation matters, and I can’t wait to see what our represented emerging executive, Kayla Parker, will do in her career as she has already accomplished so much!