This Brand Consultant Bet On Herself and Started a Premium Dog Treats Company
Barbara Clarke Ruiz has spent the last two decades traveling back and forth from her home in New Jersey to employers and clients as far away as France, Italy, and Germany to help them build their brands. Three years ago, she started a different adventure, as an entrepreneur, when she started making premium dog treats.
She and her husband, Jose Ruiz, co-founded Lick You Silly pet products, all-natural chicken- and beef-based treats made in the USA.
“I grew up with dogs. I love, love dogs. I’ve never not had a dog in my life,” says Clarke Ruiz, who had two Yorkies—Pepper and Chili—before Pepper passed away the January before last.
The dog treats are sold through the company’s website and at about 21 smaller retailers, but the bulk of the business comes from Amazon, where Lick You Silly is an Amazon Choice product.
As with many food products, the coronavirus pandemic has had a positive impact on the business. “We probably increased our business by 300%,” she says.
“The pandemic is horrible, but I’m happy to have been in a position to provide people a product that they can feel confident about giving their dogs and helping their dogs to find a little comfort.”
Lick You Silly gift bag
BLACK ENTERPRISE caught up with Clarke Ruiz to talk about how she turned her passion into a profitable business.
What made you start a dog treats company?
I started Lick You Silly just from a need that I saw in the market. I had started to cook food for my dogs because they were starting to get older, and whenever I gave my dog a treat, they would throw it up. I started doing a lot of research, really educating myself around dog treats and foods and companies, and what potential competition there would be. I wanted to create an all-natural premium dog treat, something that I didn’t have to worry about a whole lot of added ingredients. I wanted a product that didn’t have hormones, synthetics, gluten. We don’t have any kind of chemicals or synthetics, it’s just a great grade of USDA meat that we produce here in the U.S. We’ve also just introduced the peanut butter treat because there’s a lot of people who are now vegetarian and they don’t eat meat, and they don’t give their dogs meat.
In addition to retail, and working with dog groomers, how else are you getting your products out there?
I’m always trying to think about creative ways to increase our business. One of my favorite hotels is a Kimpton. So I called up a Kimpton in the city; they had just announced that they were doing some special amenities for dogs and I followed up with that. It took quite some time for me to be able to get into these hotels. But I created packaging specifically for them. I had to create some unique items that only the hotels would carry so it would be special. I ended up doing a mini comic book about Yum Yum, which is our dog character on the bag, a dog’s perception of what it would be like to go to a hotel for the first time. Venus Williams’ dog wrote the foreword in the book, and my daughter, who was an animation major, animated the whole book. It’s really cute and funny. And we are now the pet amenity for eight Kimpton hotels.
It’s also important to you that the company stands for something more than a premium product.
We wanted to build a different kind of a dog treat company. And just based on my experience with brand building, I knew it had to be a great story and it had to make a difference. So we have various initiatives that we do with people and their pets. I woke up one morning and said. “I’m going to do a commercial.” So I went on my town’s Facebook page, we have a dog Facebook page—that’s how many dogs live in this town—and I said who’s interested in helping me do a commercial; however number of volunteers I get, I will donate a bag of dog treats to the Montclair [New Jersey] shelter. We want to use dogs to get their humans to do some good in the world. We have an initiative that we’re implementing now called Lick Silly With Kindness. I put a card randomly inside a bag of our dog treats and when you get it, you win a free 4-oz. bag of our treats. But we’re asking you in exchange to do a random act of kindness.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, you spent your career building other people’s brands.
For the last 20 years I have been working as an activewear design consultant. I’ve worked with a lot of world class brands. I’m a designer, so I design their product, I figure out how we’re going to position it in the market, I do research, I do fabric development, packaging, working with marketing, social media—I do all of that as a profession. I’ve done that with companies like Adidas and Nike and New Balance and Asics. I was Walmart’s design director for the activewear division. I also had the grand pleasure of working alongside Venus Williams when she started her brand Eleven by Venus Williams. I just love starting new brands. I don’t even think twice when it’s a good idea. I’m probably the opposite of a lot of people: They have an idea but don’t know how to get it out and I’m like, “I do.”
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs sitting on their own ideas for products?
This wasn’t something that I had planned. I just woke up one day and said, “I want to start a dog treat company.” And you just do it. You connect with people who can help you to implement those dreams. Don’t give up on those journeys. Now is a great time to follow through with things that you’ve been thinking about, that have been on the back burner, and that you didn’t have time to do. Now you’ve got the time to do it. So I would encourage anyone out there that has a dream or a passion that they’ve been putting on the back burner to move it to the front burner and figure out how to do it. Reach out to me, I’m happy to help.
Trump Says U.S. Will Not Close Country If Second Coronavirus Outbreak Happens
President Donald Trump, who acknowledged there could be a second wave of the coronavirus epidemic later this year, stated he wouldn’t let a second outbreak stop the economy.
“People say that’s a very distinct possibility,” Trump told reporters in Michigan Thursday. “It’s standard. And, we’re going put out the fires. We’re not going to close the country.”
According to Fox News, the president’s comments came as he toured the Ford Motor Co. plant outside of Detroit that is now making ventilators.
Conservative radio host Buck Sexton said Trump told him the same during a White House interview Wednesday.
“We will not do a lockdown for the second wave that is likely to come in the winter,” Trump said on Sexton’s show.
The president’s visit to Michigan was only the third time he’s left the White House since the pandemic began. The trip also comes at a time where Trump has battled Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer on several fronts.
On Wednesday, Trump said he would withhold federal funds from Michigan because the state sent absentee ballots to its 7.7 million voters. In April, Trump emboldened protesters who stormed the Michigan state capital in an armed, anti-quarantine protest of Whitmer closing the state.
The president also made the visit as a Fox News poll shows him behind Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Trump’s reelection advisors are increasingly worried about how the president is viewed in the state as his attacks on Whitmer have been viewed unfavorably in the state.
Trump planned to use the U.S. economy, which was thriving before the coronavirus pandemic hit U.S. shores in February, as a significant part of his reelection bid. However, with unemployment numbers rising everyday and more than 100,000 dead due to the virus Trump will have to change his strategy.
New Poll Reveals America’s Strong Desire for Michelle Obama to Lead as Vice President
Democrats are not letting go of the idea of nominating former first lady Michelle Obama as the vice president for the 2020 presidential elections. As the elections near, many politicians, pundits, and organizers are having conversations about how women can save America and help Joe Biden win his bid for president. Many people believe that woman is Obama.
In April, Biden enthusiastically shared that he would select Obama as VP, and others agreed that she would be the ultimate pick.
Now, a recent poll conducted by CBS and YouGov found that 64% of Democrats would like to see Michelle Obama as the Democratic Vice President pick. Of those respondents, 70% were black in favor of Obama and 59% were white. Separately, 36% of respondents favored Elizabeth Warren and 19% favored Kamala Harris. In no relation to the study, others are rooting for Stacey Abrams to be nominated as well.
Democrats responding to the poll also showed favorable interest in Biden selecting a woman to be his running mate. Forty-five percent of people said that Biden should select a woman, 6% were in favor of a man, and 49% of people said gender does not matter.
Sharing in the desire to nominate Obama for vice president is The Committee to Draft Michelle Obama. The committee’s mission is to generate public interest for Michelle Obama’s vice-presidential candidacy by driving media attention and building on existing grassroots support. As stated on its website: “She remains one of the most trusted and well-liked American women and we hope that by bringing attention to Mrs. Obama, more Americans will realize the need to have her on the ballot this November to help defeat Donald Trump.”
And they are rallying others to join its mission to pique Obama’s interest in running. As outlined on The Committee to Draft Michelle Obama website, they stand firmly on the belief that Obama is the best moral nominee for the role.
“With a historic battle to reclaim the soul of America looming this November and the peril caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic, it remains in the best interest of the Democratic Party to nominate a vice-presidential candidate who has the trust of the American people, a vision to lead our nation forward and empathy for the challenges faced by all Americans,” the committee wrote.
It is important that whomever Biden chooses to run with can appeal to swing or Trump voters (57%); motivate traditional Democrats to vote in large numbers (71%), and is ready to become President if needed (82%).
Obama has yet to express her interest in joining the 2020 ticket, but, many are hopeful that she will take the call to action into consideration.
Harlem’s Fashion Row Launches Nonprofit to Aid Designers of Color Impacted by COVID
The fashion industry has not been immune to the economic effects triggered by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. In light of the halt in productions and dramatic declines in sales, Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR), a New York-based organization that champions designers of color, is stepping up to empower the fashion community during these unprecedented times.
On May 30, HFR will launch a new nonprofit called ICON 360 to support designers impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit program seeks to provide grants for designers of color who are pivoting their businesses during the pandemic and need funding to scale.
“During this crisis, I thought it was critical to do everything in our power to support designers of color,” said Brandice Daniel, who founded HFR in 2007 as a platform for black and brown designers, in a statement. “I’m incredibly inspired by the resilience of designers who are making bold pivots in their business. As a fashion community we have an incredible opportunity to help scale the businesses of designers who are thriving even in the middle of a pandemic.”
To raise funds, the organization will host a virtual fundraiser on May 30 co-sponsored by Gap, Inc., Ciroc, Nike, and Shea Moisture to offer designers financial relief and encouragement. According to a press release, 100% of the proceeds will be allocated towards the ICON 360 grants, which eligible candidates can apply for beginning June 15.
A number of special fashion industry guests will appear during the digital event, including designers Tracy Reese and Christopher John Rogers, stylist Kesha McLeod, and writer Tamu McPherson. In addition, Teen VOGUE’s Editor in Chief Lindsey Peoples Wagner will host a panel discussion about the Gen Z and Millennial response to the COVID-19 crisis. Guests will also have an opportunity to view a fashion show with past HFR designers along with upcoming emerging designers.
Guests can purchase tickets to the virtual event at www.hfricon360.com. To view the full schedule for the fundraiser, purchase tickets, or apply for the grant, visit the Icon360 website.
Mark Zuckerberg Weighs in on What a Remote Workforce Could Look Like for Facebook
The future of the workforce post-COVID-19 is at the top of mind for leaders and employees alike. With people being forced into a remote workforce during the pandemic, many are curious about what the new normal will look like once the nation reopens. For leaders, key components like efficacy, property costs, work culture, the bottom line, organizational structure, and other important business matters all factor into the ultimate decision to go remote. While some leaders have decided to give their employees the option to work remotely for as long as they’d like, Mark Zuckerberg shared his plans for Facebook and the benefits and challenges a completely remote workforce could have on employees.
In a Facebook post, the CEO shared that half of the company’s 48,000-plus employees could be remote in the foreseeable future.
“Over the next 5-10 years, I think we could have 50% of our people working remotely, but we’re going to get there in a measured way. I think Facebook will be the most forward-leaning company on remote work at our scale, and we’ve been working on a thoughtful and responsible plan to do this. There are still a lot of open questions about how this will work, so we’ll need to keep learning and improving as we go,” he wrote.
Employee Experiences Matter
As a part of that learning, Facebook recently surveyed its community of employees about their remote work experiences to inform their decisions in the future.
“More than half of them say they’re at least as productive as they are in the office. About 40% are interested in full-time remote work, but more than 50% want to get back into the offices as soon as possible. Of the people who want to work remotely, around 75% said they might move to another place — and of those, 38% said they’d move to a big city while the rest said they’d live elsewhere,” Zuckerberg shared.
“It’s not all positive. Having kids home from school has been tough for parents, and people living on their own have struggled too. It can be hard to find the right work life balance without a clear boundary between work and home. I’m also concerned about weaker social bonds between colleagues, especially new hires, and there’s an open question about whether groups of people are less creative when they’re not together. I think most of us would really like to just see one another in person again as soon as possible.”
Zuckerberg also shared that there are a number of questions that will present themselves that will have to be answered over time and through experience. Additionally, he acknowledged the opportunity to create a more diverse workforce through remote recruiting.
“It lets us access talent pools outside of traditional tech hubs in big cities — and that should help spread economic opportunity much more widely around the country and world while also helping us build a more diverse company. It should be better for the environment because of reduced commuting. Since many people feel more productive outside the office, it should help us better serve our community. For us specifically, it should help us advance some of the future technology we’re developing,” he added.
For those who are eager to get back to work, Facebook has begun to make accommodations to work safely and collaborate. Additionally, Facebook will begin to allow people to work remotely who live within four hours of existing offices.
There is still a fair amount for leaders to figure out as they move their businesses forward. And, Zuckerberg stands firmly on making the best long term decision.
“Approaching this thoughtfully and methodically will help us strengthen parts of our culture that are really important. We’ve invested a lot of our time in developing programs that help every individual grow their career and help teams execute together effectively and we’re going to need to bring that same care and commitment to our remote work programs too. Products can get built in months, but culture is built over years, so we’re taking a long term approach.”
Many leaders are looking to successful business leaders for guidance as they seek to implement strategies that will work for them.
Click here to read Zuckerberg’s post in its entirety.
Republicans Spending $20 Million To Help Prevent African Americans From Voting
The Republican Party intends to spend $20 million to recruit a network of up to 50,000 volunteers to monitor poll locations.
According to a New York Times report, the party, President Trump, and others are building an aggressive effort to shape who gets to vote in November and whose ballots are counted.
The Republican effort, which is gaining steam, will recruit up to 50,000 volunteers in 15 states to monitor polling places and challenge ballots and voters deemed suspicious. The program will also use the funds to challenge lawsuits by Democrats and voting-rights advocates seeking to loosen state restrictions on balloting.
The Republican effort has been boosted by a 2018 federal court ruling allowing the national Republican Party to mount campaigns against purported voter fraud without court approval. The court ban on the party was imposed in 1982, then modified twice after courts found instances of Republicans intimidating or working to exclude minority voters in the name of preventing fraud.
The party was found to have violated the ruling again in 2004 when President George W. Bush won a second term over Democratic nominee John Kerry.
Mandi Merritt, a spokeswoman for the RNC, said the ruling merely allows the party to play by the same rules as the Democratic National Party.
“Now the R.N.C. can work more closely with state parties and campaigns to do what we do best—ensure that more people vote through our unmatched field program,” she said in a statement.
Democrats do not plan on standing idly by. The party said it will deploy its own army of poll watchers, seeking both to maximize Democratic turnout and contest Republican practices they believe improperly challenge or deter voters.
Fair Fight, a group dedicated to counter the Republican effort, plans to have its own personnel in the same swing states Republicans have targeted.
Democrats who have been focusing on the Republican effort say their goal is not to limit fraud but to make the threat of election theft the starting point of a coordinated campaign to limit the number of Democratic ballots counted.
“This is a burn-it-down strategy, a strategy to win at all costs,” Lauren Groh-Wargo, the senior adviser at Fair Fight, told the Times. “They see this as central to victory.”
Stacey Abrams and other African American politicians have made a serious push to not only get more African Americans to vote but to raise funds for minority candidates. The growing collective PAC is also making the same effort.
There has been talk of the NBA season restarting in a “bubble city” where all the players and the games would be situated at one location. Las Vegas had been mentioned previously. But Shams Charania of The Athletic reported earlier this week that Orlando’s Walt Disney World Resort has emerged as the “clear frontrunner” to host the 2019-20 NBA season once it resumes.
“The NBA is in serious discussions with Disney about the property, which has gained clear momentum over cities such as Las Vegas,” Charania wrote. “It remains unclear when the games would begin, but multiple sources say the prospect of players fully training in mid-June and playing by mid-July has been the most popular and possible scenario discussed. NBA commissioner Adam Silver told the Board of Governors on May 12 that he aims to decide on the season in two-to-four weeks, and that he wants to wait as long as he can to make final decisions.
“While the league has explored the possibility of holding games in multiple cities, it appears likely that Orlando would be a sole host,” Charania continued. “Sources confirmed that Houston, as first reported by The Ringer on Wednesday, has also received serious consideration as a host city. But Orlando is on track to win its bid so long as final details regarding testing and hotel use are resolved. For the NBA, Orlando/Disney World’s controllability as a playing site—with a private property having the necessary complexes, hotels, and amenities—has been the most appealing of all the possibilities all along.”
One possible playing ground for NBA if finishing season becomes safe for league and players: Walt Disney World Resort property in Orlando, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA@Stadium. League has kept different scenarios in mind.
Joe Biden Apologizes For The “You Ain’t Black’ Quip on The Breakfast Club
Earlier today, The Breakfast Club’s Charlamagne Tha God did a virtual interview with presidential candidate Joe Biden and after the conclusion of discussing several topics, Biden, smiling as he says it, remarks to Charlamange that, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black” according to CBS News.
Biden discussed several topics as he spoke to Charlamagne on The Breakfast Club this morning. Charlamagne asked questions in regards to Biden and the importance of the black support and vote for this year’s upcoming presidential election.
Charlamagne asked him about the statement Sean Combs had said earlier this month about Democrats taking black voters for granted. Biden reminded him that he had a big win in the South Carolina primary, which is known to have an overwhelmingly black voting bloc.
“I kicked everybody’s — excuse me,” Biden said.
“I need you to say that!” Charlamagne replied.
“I won every single county. I won the largest share of the black vote that anybody had, including Barack,” Biden also stated that his home state of Delaware has the eighth largest black population in the country. “They’re the folks that, as they say up my way, brung me to the dance. That’s how I get elected every single time.”
Biden also said that “no one should go to jail” for a drug crime, “particularly marijuana,” and said he favors treatment over imprisonment.
“No one should be going to jail for a drug crime. Period,” Biden said. Charlamagne asked him why he supported decriminalizing marijuana instead of legalizing it outright and Biden said it was due to ongoing studies on the long-term impact of marijuana use on the brain.
“I know a lot of weed smokers,” Biden said.
At the conclusion of the interview, as a Biden aide was reminding Biden that he had to go, Charlamagne interjected by saying, “You can’t do that to black media!”
“I do that to white media and black media,” Biden replied.
Charlamagne then invites him to visit The Breakfast Club when he comes to New York.
After he agrees Biden said, “If you have a problem figuring out if you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black,” smiling after making the statement.
“It don’t have nothing to do with Trump — it has to do with the fact that I want something for my community,” Charlamagne shot back. Biden suggested for Charlamagne to take a look at his voting record to see his longtime support for the black community.
The comments made at the end of the Breakfast Club interview were in jest, but let’s be clear about what the VP was saying: he was making the distinction that he would put his record with the African American community up against Trump’s any day. Period.
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) May 22, 2020
Report: Small Businesses Are Closing Their Doors and Facing An Uncertain Future
A report conducted by the Small Business Roundtable and Facebook shows small and medium-sized business owners are suffering during the coronavirus pandemic.
The report, released this month, surveyed approximately 86,000 people who owned, managed, or worked for a small and medium-sized business. The survey also included approximately 9,000 people who reported that they were “self-employed providing goods or services” or that they “produce goods sold for personal income.”
The biggest takeaway from the survey was 31% of respondents reported their business is not currently operating. Among personal businesses, that number increases to 52%, of which the majority (55%) were led by women.
When asked what are the biggest challenges for the next few months, 28% of respondents said cash flow. Twenty percent said their biggest challenge would be a lack of demand due to customers spending less during the pandemic.
Keith Hall, president and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed, said the coronavirus is a death sentence for many smaller companies across the country.
“It’s no surprise that the small business community has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak,” Hall said. “With a third of businesses indicating they are shutting their doors, it’s devastating in all aspects of small businesses activity throughout the United States who can not only operate but can’t service to their customers and/or clients and support their employees. If there is any good news in our survey, it’s that small businesses are adapting to this new environment and finding ways to conduct some sort of business during these unprecedented times and they are staying optimistic about the future.”
The survey also found some entrepreneurs are still surviving. According to the survey, 51% of respondents reported increasing online interactions with their clients and 36% of personal businesses that use online tools to report that they are conducting all their sales online. Additionally, 35% of respondents said they have changed operations and have expanded the use of digital payment systems.
Despite financial hardships the coronavirus has brought on, many respondents remain confident they can survive and thrive. According to the survey, 57% of respondents report they are optimistic or extremely optimistic about the future of their businesses.
Just 11% of respondents expect to fail in the next three months, should current conditions persist.
Many African American celebrities have made an effort to help small and African American-owned businesses including Magic Johnson and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Ramona Hood’s Lessons For Career Success In Her Journey From Receptionist to First Black FedEx Division CEO
When Ramona Hood achieved her milestone appointment as president and CEO of FedEx’s Custom Critical after a three-decade career with the company, the accomplished executive never fathomed she would lead the division in the throes of a pandemic. Engaged in expedited ground and air transport of goods that includes a temperature-controlled network providing secure delivery of perishable products to hospitals, clinics, wholesalers, and retailers, her unit has proven vital to meeting emergency needs of customers.
“I didn’t anticipate incorporating COVID-19 plans into my first 90 days as CEO of FedEx Custom Critical, but I’m thankful for our team members who have risen to the challenge to keep us operating and serving our customers,” she says. “This situation has certainly altered my plans, but I think that comes with leading a dynamic company.”
As Hood and her team reviewed the unit’s business continuity plan, she says they methodically approached aspects such as social distancing as well as mapping out strategy and decisions on safety and operations based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and other leading health organizations.
“I’ve been pretty adept at breaking down complex challenges into smaller situations, examining the data, and then being able to convey that into actionable items for the team,” she asserts. “If I look at our current situation, each day, sometimes each hour, brings us a new data point—a new environment. As a leader, I think through the complexity and the uncertainty of the situation, then communicate a plan to my team.”
Dextrously managing the expansive, Uniontown, Ohio-based subsidiary while embracing this generation’s greatest public health and economic challenge is true to Hood’s M.O. The 28-year FedEx veteran has never let barriers stand in her way as she made her ascent from a 19-year-old receptionist and single mother to the first African American divisional chief executive of the corporate leviathan that provides millions across the globe with a range of transportation and business services.
The following are edited excerpts of Black Enterprise’s interview with Hood about her remarkable career journey and lessons for career success she developed along the way.
Achieving Career Success By Getting Comfortable With The Uncomfortable
Let’s start with your background and career ascent. How did you land your first job at FedEx and what factors have driven your movement within the company?
It’s an interesting journey. Part of it was planned, part of it was being blessed and a part of it just couldn’t even be imagined. I started with the company as a 19-year-old single mom who took a job as the receptionist. For me, it was just a transition of finding a job that was Monday through Friday with consistent hours. Once I got into the organization, I saw that there was opportunity of promotion from within. There were positions being posted, and there was a strong internal promotion opportunity that happened within the organization. It led me to our Safety department where I spent the next six to seven years. Within that department, I began to shape what the possibilities could be for me as well as for others.
I had an opportunity to learn a lot of different jobs in Safety through raising my hand and showing an interest. Probably the most significant event that happened during that timeframe was connecting with my first work mentor. It was the safety director at that time. We talked about my career aspirations.
Finding that mentor placed you on the path to move up the ranks? What were the next steps you took to realize your aspirations?
My career started to become more purposeful. At that time, one of my goals was to get into leadership. When I looked around the organization, the area that had the most opportunity was the operational area. Then I also received guidance from my mentor on the importance of having P&L responsibility. Depending on how far I wanted to go with my career that would be something that I would need to consider.
You’ve held key positions in Operations, Sourcing, Sales and Marketing. Beyond performance, you also came to understand the value of building a network.
I call it my personal board of directors where I leveraged sponsors, coaches and mentors and understood the difference among the three. They all serve a different purpose. I’ve always used coaches to focus on areas that I wanted to gain more experience or develop specific skill sets. I leveraged mentors more as a generalist to my career. They were individuals who have gone through the same journey and I talk through those things to celebrate or to position myself to be able to manage differently in the future.
Then the last one I think this is the most important, especially when you have career goals of moving up to a C-suite position, and that’s having sponsors. Those are individuals in authority positions. They’re in meetings where decisions are being made about where people may need to take special assignments or appointed to different positions. So when you have a sponsor, you have that person who’s advocating for you in those rooms that you don’t have exposure to yet.
As you pursued new opportunities within the company, what were some of the lessons you learned?
I looked at becoming well rounded as I continued to move up in leadership positions. An opportunity came up where I could actually apply for an officer position within a different FedEx organization. It was great because we had completed an acquisition so it allowed me to get exposure to post-acquisition work. In applying for that position, I was promoted to VP for the business unit [and took] three separate lines of services and blended them within one division. From there, I had an opportunity to come back to Custom Critical as our VP of operations, strategy and planning. During that time frame, I focused on technology and how we were putting strategy together. I was also part of the succession plan and had an opportunity to be appointed to [my current] position at the beginning of this calendar year.
Those experiences taught me that it was important to stretch myself and get comfortable with the uncomfortable. So taking on some job tasks and responsibilities that maybe my past experience doesn’t completely align to it but the opportunity of learning something new would definitely benefit me and the organization because I could bring some of those past learnings to it.
As a business leader in the white male-dominated transportation industry, what advice do you share with other African American female professionals about overcoming adversity and finding success within the sector?
I recognize the fact that I’m one of few African American women who sits in an executive position in transportation so I look at it as part of my obligation to take on responsibilities and roles that allow me to strategically touch individuals—women, African American women. I talk to them about the industry and the importance of ensuring that we have a future generation in it. For me, it was important to get involved at large scale. I have been involved with Women In Trucking, where the entire mission is to focus on getting women to participate in transportation everywhere from being a driver up to a C-suite position. I was appointed to the board of the Transportation Intermediary Association and took the responsibility to chair the technology committee. The board and I recognize that there was no diversity at that level so we wanted to be intentional about it. I think it’s important that we get involved because it provides us a greater network as well.
Serving Customers Through Diversity and Technology
Explain the thrust of Custom Critical. Is a large part of its focus related to medical supplies and other life-enhancing products?
I’ll give you examples that show the diversity within our portfolio. Specifically on the medical side, it could be medical supplies, actual clinical trials or medicine that may be going through a patent. We provide the transportation that brings assurance that there is no tampering with the freight that we’re delivering. We also a support business. When you think about a product launch and the ability to put something in all markets around the same time, we provide the necessary operation procedures to make sure it doesn’t hit one market sooner than it should. We also provide support for small and medium-sized customers who need the capability from a logistic standpoint for appropriate solutions.
What are your plans to expand customers or services?
Specifically, my strategy around our customers and the expansion of our business is really to narrow down on the vertical markets of the industry that we connect and align with them appropriately. The second part of our growth strategy is really to understand from the customer what their needs are and to make sure that we’re bringing value in the services that we’re doing. Some of that is focusing on business agility, our ability to respond very quickly to customer’s needs and being able to understand what that value is. That leads into a second strategy of focusing on our workforce and evolving what it looks like so that we have the appropriate skill sets and capabilities within the organization, and continuing to be intentional with diversity within our organization as we add these additional skills to it.
How do you apply diversity to drive innovation throughout the division?
We value having different thoughts of team members because it brings innovation and allows us to recognize what’s important to our diverse customer base as well. We also realized we need to be pretty purposeful with it and that starts from where we choose to recruit. We want be diverse and look to source potential candidates in a variety of places. We also want to make sure that that slate has diversity when we hire decision makers. We really focus on the onboarding of our team members and to make sure that they have outlets that allow them to connect with individuals that look like them, have similar experiences to them and value the new ideas that they bring into the organization as well.
How does technology impact the services provided by Custom Critical?
It’s very relevant from the standpoint of the way that we think about agility and the methodology we use to move our technology forward. We really are focusing in two areas with technology. One is to ensure that the organization continues to utilize technology to optimize our workforce and gain efficiency. The second part of our technology strategy is understanding the capabilities that customers are looking for. That requires us to get very customer centric to understand their needs and start to anticipate those even quicker than they’re articulating them to us.
Making The Case For More Black CEOs
There remains a paucity of African American CEOs at the enterprise and divisional level. From your vantage point, what can be done to expand the pipeline and advance the careers of more African Americans to CEO positions?
I think in order for us to have success in movements with that, it requires us to be intentional and purposeful. When we talk about diversity, we just have to be intentional with hiring individuals that we feel can do the job but they also show the characteristics of someone with potential to move up in the organization. If you don’t bring a diverse slate of leaders at entry level and mid-level then you’re not going to have tha.t pipeline for a potential CEO position.
