In December of 2021, Sharel Crews joined Sweetie Boy’s team of AutoPilots, and throughout her time has become a part of the Richmond office team as a recruiter. Marketing Coordinator, Sidney Shealey, got the chance to touch base with Sharel and talk about her experience working at Sweetie Boy so far.
“What is your current position and what was your position before this?”
“Well my current position is kind of both, I am kind of in recruiting and AP (AutoPilot), so I continue to do both of those and I was an AP before working in the office”
“Okay, so you do both recruiting and you do driving? When do you drive?”
“Actually, I drive to and from work. So I go ahead and pick up a unit in Virginia Beach and drive it here and then they have a unit back so it is a pretty good gig!”
“Alright, so what do you like best about your current position?”
“Well, I like that I have the best of both worlds. I love talking with people, I think that is what I am good at. I have never met a stranger. So I think the position here is perfect for me, and then with that said I can also tell you exactly about the job because I do it! That is probably part of another question but still it is such a perfect combo”
“I actually really like to hear that you get the best of both worlds. How has being an AP helped you in doing what you do now?”
“Well obviously I know EVERYTHING about it. I know what can go wrong. And if it has been done, I have done it! So I am a little more relaxed when somebody says, ‘Oh, I left my plate’. But ya, I have done it. If it has been done I have done it. So I can actually tell them everything not to do as well as what to do so it is a perfect combination! I mean being out on the road, you can tell them things like, ‘Look, you are going to be stuck in DC traffic,’ or, ‘You are going to get stuck at CarMax’ I have been there, I know exactly what they are going to be facing”
“What advice would you give to somebody who wants to become an Auto Pilot?”
“Well, I absolutely love the job. You have to love driving. You have to be patient. Just those sorts of things. If you don’t love driving it is definitely not going to be the job for you. Just relax, drive, and take your time”
“Oh absolutely, I think about it every time I get in the car for a long drive for something. Last summer I drove from Richmond (Virginia) to New Jersey and I was thinking to myself, ‘Could I be an AP?’ And by hour two of my drive I was like, ‘Ugh! Driving is so boring!’”
“Right. Exactly. And they can play music or you can use a radio or stuff like that… but make sure that they know that you can’t use your phone or things like that. It is so relaxing to me though! Just take your time, relax when you get in the car! Don’t worry about your apps, don’t worry about anything else, just drive! Be safe and drive! So that would be the advice I would give them”
“Now this one is not directly related to work, but what motivates you?”
“Just getting up in the morning. You know, getting up in the morning. Being able to get up in the morning. My husband, my grandchildren, they motivate me to do better. My job motivates me! Honestly, I want to do a good job at whatever I do. So that motivates me to do better and better. Coming into this job I never dreamed I could do what I do right now. So that motivates me to try and do even more!”
“I love that! I love knowing what makes people get up in the morning. So what is your favorite part about working with Sweetie Boy?”
“I think it’s the best job that I have ever had. Seriously, I love it. I love this job. I love Tyler and Katie, I cannot wait to see what they can do with this job. You know, when you look for… let’s use a church. If you look for a church, it’s not a building, you are looking for a leader, and I would follow them just about anywhere. I love that part. I love that I know who owns the company. You know, you go to one of these other big places, ‘Well, who does this? Who pulls the strings? Where are these people?’ They are right here, and they are personable, you know?”
“Oh absolutely, that was one thing that I love about coming to work here. When I had my first interview, one of the first people who greeted me was Tyler, and I got to know who started this company, what he wanted to do, and where he wanted to go. It is so inspiring knowing what they want to get done and that they are able to get it done. And what are you most excited about in Sweetie Boy’s future?”
“That is what I am excited about, the future! Just what you were talking about, seeing where they can go, seeing where they are going to go, because I think Tyler has such a good head on his shoulders, and I don’t want to use ‘young’ because for anybody, that age, but to look at his age, and see where he wants to go, it is very inspiring to me. Yeah, I can’t wait to see how far he can go. If I am a part of this or not, I just want to see how far they go”
“Oh absolutely. I remember when they first opened up the Newburgh Hub location last year and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, brand new location, we are growing so much!’ Just hearing about what plans they have always gets me really excited”
“Me too! Me too! When we come off the interstate down here you know you see the hub and it’s got all these arches now and I am like, ‘Oh wait! That’s ours!’”
“So, what do you think about our new location? The new Richmond headquarters?”
“That is a good question because it is not about the location for me, it is about the people that are inside. It is not about the building; it is about where we can take the building. It doesn’t really matter what street it is on, for me. It is about who is there and who is progressing in there, who is making it go forward. I think it is going to be great!”
“Your husband Johnathan is a CDL driver, correct?”
“Mhmm!”
“And how long has he been driving with Sweetie Boy?”
“One or two months before me, so a little over a year. Well… it will be two years in November for him, and then two years in December for me”
“Do you have any final thoughts, comments, anything that you wanted to share about your time in Sweetie Boy that you would want to include?”
“I think for my last year, I couldn’t imagine working for any other company. You know.. Going through that (cancer diagnosis) they’ve been so supportive with anything that I’ve needed. Off for surgery and then chemo and things like that, they’ve been really supportive… Let me work when I can. So I don’t think any other company would have been as gracious, I am grateful…I was diagnosed back in April of last year. This past May I had my one-year scan and it was clear!”
Thank you to Sharel Crews for taking the time to speak more about her experience working at Sweetie Boy. Staff like Sharel and her husband are people that make Sweetie Boy thrive.
