Often in life, we might be engaged in a job and rising the ranks, but our hearts lie elsewhere. Or we might leverage our full-time career and use that wisdom as a launch pad to give wings to that dream we have been fostering for years. In both cases, it is important to reinvent, unlearn, and constantly learn to keep up with the changing times. It takes grit and resilience to take that leap of faith, even when all odds are in your favor. Precious Hopes is one such trailblazing businesswoman who is successfully juggling dual roles (being a licensed vocational nurse and an entrepreneur) and setting a benchmark for others who fear following their dreams.
Nurse to Entrepreneur
As a certified nursing assistant, Precious started working in nursing homes and assisted living facilities when she was just starting her career. A Texan native, she earned her nursing license from Austin Community College and later went on to receive freight broker training from the Leading Ladies of Logistix. Although confused about the career path she wanted to take at that time, she gave her best to the job at hand and ensured that the residents of these healthcare centers were provided with optimum comfort during their final days. She went on to become a nurse and worked in the dialysis department, where she served patients with acute kidney injury or failure.
When the pandemic hit, Precious noticed a supply shortage at her clinic, local hospitals, and rehabilitation centers. This situation made her feel helpless as saving lives without proper equipment, and staff shortage was overwhelming. Then, the idea of starting a freight service came to her to help with the situation at hand in her own way by providing transportation services and solutions to medical and non-medical shippers.
Facilitating Freight Services
Being a nurse took a physical and mental toll on Precious as she worked three 12-hour shifts without the support of adequate staff and essential supplies. But the care she had for her patients was undeterred, and her husband stood as rock-solid support behind her in her endeavor. A businessman himself, he made Precious realize that she could pivot a bit and still do what she is doing with reduced stress. Although getting into entrepreneurship was never in her mind as she was happy being a nurse, she partnered with her parents (who were owner-operators for over 25 years) and some relatives and founded Facilitating Freight Services in 2021 .
Acting as the middleman between the shipper and driver, the company organizes cargo movement and makes adjustments as required to deliver goods to the destinations in perfect condition and on time. With a specialty in Hazmat, hot shot, tankers, doubles, and triples, the freights use electronic funding sources to pay lumper fees for the shippers and fuel advances to the drivers, all the while maintaining an open line of communication between the parties to ensure freight moves expeditiously, cost efficiently, and delivers accordingly. To ensure the security of the goods, an extensive background check, including the safety scores of every driver, is carried out and freight tracked using web-based, industry-leading software.
Keeping Up
Like any other business affected by the pandemic, Facilitating Freight Services faced its fair share of challenges. With the entire supply chain shaken, truck driver shortages, port delays, and transport aircraft shortages, it paused component manufacturing, resulting in extreme uncertainty in delivery times and disruptions. It became necessary to rethink the way business was conducted, and Precious took it up as a learning curve to make her venture thrive. With the revamp of transportation methods, her company overcame coordination issues and provided all services at a reduced cost.
Customer is King
Precious believes that delivering exceptional support and innovative solutions is the way to build customer relationships. Customers' trust is paramount and being available for them will foster that faith and help in retention. As a woman entrepreneur, she realizes that having a thick skin is critical to navigating the barriers that arise in trucking, a largely male-dominated industry.
"As women, we juggle a lot of tasks, and whatever the situation, there is never going to be a right time to start your own venture. You just have to take that leap. Confidence, discipline, consistency, and positivity are key to overcoming the challenges that come along with entrepreneurship. Believe me, if you can imagine it, you can achieve it," said Precious.
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