To honor Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we interviewed Louisa Williams, DB SCHENKER U.S. Land Transport Director of Orientation and Training, to learn more about her and her experiences as a woman in the logistics industry.
What is your hometown?
Beaufort, South Carolina.
What is a fun fact about you?
Less about me, but I wouldn’t be me without those who got me here. My grandmother Bubba (yes, Bubba) is about to turn 101 – and still does water aerobics every week!
What three words best describe you?
Intentional, creative, dedicated.
What do you like to do outside of work?
My Kindle goes with me everywhere; I love to read – especially book recommendations from friends. Idle hands aren’t my favorite, so I enjoy putting on some music and painting murals in my house. And I would love to beat my sister at the New York Times Crossword at some point, but that’s still a work in progress.
Favorite quote or mantra?
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else” – Booker T Washington
What woman has most influenced you in your life and/or career?
What advice would you give to women pursuing a career in logistics?
My advice would be to dive in. Learn as much as you can and don’t be afraid of new opportunities in different arenas when they present themselves. Transportation is such a fun space to be in because it’s always evolving, there are so many different specialties, and there is plenty of room at the table. It moves quickly – just take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.
What advice would you give to the next generation of women?
Your gender doesn’t have ownership rights over your future successes or failures. Your talent, your hard work, and your tenacity do. No other person on the planet can do what you do the way you do it. Be proud of that.
What advice or support was most valuable for you as you’ve grown in your career?
You get where you’re going because of who you are, not in spite of it. Keep showing up authentically.
If you could give your teenage or childhood self a piece of advice, what would it be?
There’s so much I’d say to a younger me. If I’ve only got one shot, I think I’d tell her ‘Don’t worry too much about who isn’t around. There is so much to gain from who is beside you every day. Those are the people that will be beside you at every stage of your life.’
What challenges have you faced in your career, and how have you overcome them?
Self-doubt has reared its head more than a few times in my career. I’ve always been grateful for the opportunities I’ve seized, but I can’t say that I was always 100% certain I wouldn’t fail. Learning that failure is going to happen and it’s what you do with it next that matters, has been an important step in overcoming that challenge.
What challenge(s) remain for women today? How can understanding history help us to overcome them?
Whether in the workplace or in our personal lives, there are still countless challenges in this world for so many people. Speaking to only a few could be harmful in minimizing those that I leave out. Understanding our history is imperative for all of them though. It helps to ensure that we don’t repeat what has harmed us before.
How do you think companies can strive to be more inclusive of women in the workplace?
Ask women – as we are here and now. Ask and be interested in what we hear in return. We’ve all heard sayings about assumptions, and I feel that they ring true. If we stop making assumptions about what may make women feel more included and instead ask them, we’ll likely get a manageable guide of what steps to take. Check our bias regularly and interrogate our truth about those biases. Having biases isn’t the worst thing but denying that we have them might just be.
What do Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day mean to you, and how do you plan to observe them?
I distinctly remember being on the playground in lower school and opting to play flag football for the first time instead of resigning to my fate of getting beamed in the head at wall ball. Afterward, when Miles Willis told me I wasn’t bad for a girl, I felt like I had been hit in the head. I wasn’t good for a girl; I was just good! So much growing happens on the schoolyard, and from then on I had a serious focus on just being good. While it was a solid lesson to learn, it also had a negative impact. Not taking time to be grateful for previous generations of women who have faced the challenges and shown up. For fighting so I could go be good at flag football and not get turned away.
Women’s history is made every day, and I love that. These days, far removed from the playground football circuit, I really love to show gratitude for the women who have been a part of my journey through intentional conversation. A call to Bubba, a Facetime with my mom and my sister, a chat with my incredible colleagues and friends, learning in the Ignite Summit. It’s all an opportunity to keep the conversation going.
What would you say to someone on the fence about joining the Ignite Women’s Network at DB SCHENKER?
On the fence sounds like an incredibly uncomfortable place to sit! DB SCHENKER’s International Network of Women and Allies are igniting and celebrating women’s ambition through connecting with one another, professional development resources, career opportunities, and inspiring leaders. With quarterly events and Circles, there really is something for everyone. Reach out to a member, ask for more information, or pop in for a session. Welcome to a safe space.
