In this interview series, we speak with employees who were nominated by their teams as having a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepreneurship is a key indicator to success for employees starting their careers in the Enterprise Management Training (MT) Program.

Latisha joined the Enterprise Intern program in May 2017, and is now a Management Assistant. Keep reading to find out more about how Latisha’s drive and entrepreneurial spirit have led to her taking on an important role as a leader in the short time that she has been with the company.

What made you decide to join Enterprise?

I got started at Enterprise last year while I was completing my degree at Texas Southern University, majoring in business management. I became a full-time intern last summer at a downtown Houston branch. Once I graduated, I became a Management Trainee.

What did your career dreams/goals look like before you started at Enterprise and how have they changed since?

I knew I wanted to manage a business but I wasn’t sure what type of business. Once I started at Enterprise, I knew I would be able to build my career quickly.

My goal now is to be promoted to assistant manager at my current branch. I’m looking forward to teaching others, recruiting more employees and creating teams that will go on to develop and grow the business.

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Enterprise?

Don’t be too hard on yourself – make sure you stop to celebrate your wins. Wins I’m currently celebrating include having been invited to our team’s outing for top performers every month, forming a relationship with a local body shop, and selling six cars.

What has surprised you the most about your career so far?

How fast it’s progressing. I didn’t realize how quickly the internship would lead to a Management Trainee position. I appreciate the fact that doing well when I started meant I could move up quickly.

What is your favorite part about working at Enterprise?

This is the first company where I got to see first-hand that the company really does promote from within. Everyone I worked with at the branch where I started ended up getting promoted from that branch.

Describe what an entrepreneurial spirit means to you and how you’ve used and nurtured that quality with Enterprise.

To me, having an entrepreneurial spirit means pursuing several different avenues to achieve success. The sales aspect of the role was easy for me, but I hadn’t worked with body shops, dealerships and insurance agents so I had to grow in those areas. I wanted to open other avenues to reach success, so I worked to develop those skills quickly.

What advice would you give to someone with an entrepreneurial spirit looking to build a successful career?

Start out at Enterprise – you’ll learn so much. I assumed I would learn about sales, but I’ve learned so much more. What you learn will help you at Enterprise and in other aspects of your life.