Yvette's Story

I first learned about Enterprise at a career fair in San Diego in 1995. I had just returned to the U.S. after working for several years in France, and was actually at the fair to meet with a woman about a position with another company. But after talking with the Enterprise recruiter and hearing about the opportunities Enterprise had to offer, I knew this was where I wanted to build my career.

From my first day at Enterprise, I pursued my goal to become a Regional Vice President. I feel lucky to have had tremendous mentors throughout my career who have provided me with the tools to succeed and have never doubted my abilities. In fact, one of my mentors began his role as an RVP in my region on my first day of work as a management trainee. Whenever I reached out to him, he would direct me to take actions that would help me build my business and deal with any issues that came up.

Now, I try to provide that same level of support and guidance to my employees. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is to hire new management trainees and then see them succeed in their careers with Enterprise. A former intern, now one of the top recruiters in our area, called me for advice regarding challenges she faced as a minority female in a large company, and I encouraged her to remain focused on her goals. I am extremely proud of her success and humbled to think that I helped her along the way.

One of Enterprise's Founding Values is "We strengthen our communities, one neighborhood at a time," and that is certainly true in my region of the country. Our region spans a four-hour commute by car, and encompasses a wide range of communities. Our employees embrace these diverse groups through events like decorating and riding in a car in the gay/lesbian pride parade, sponsoring the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and bringing Barbara Sinatra (wife of the late singing great Frank Sinatra) to meet and greet customers and raise awareness for a home for abused children. We also offer customers a free upgrade during the holidays if they bring in a toy to donate to a local cancer center for children. All of these efforts bring us into personal contact with our customers and the organizations that are important to them, and that makes our involvement even more meaningful.

It is very important to me to spend quality time with my family when I'm not working. My husband and I take our son on a yearly summer vacation so that he can learn about new cultures and places. Especially now that we are expecting our second child, balancing my work and personal life requires effective communication between me and my husband so that we can enjoy family time together while honoring each of our work commitments. I also try to include my family in as many work events as possible, so that I don't have to spend extra time away from my son — and he has gotten to know some of our business partners and see what I do at work.

On my most recent birthday in September, I was promoted to Regional Vice President. It was a tremendous birthday gift to achieve what I set out to accomplish, and to know that I have the opportunity to lead my fellow employees to success in their own careers.