As in other traditionally male-dominated fields, women in the trucking industry often face unique challenges. After more than a decade working on and leading account management, customer success, and customer experience teams in start-up environments, Ericka Ramon — Booster’s VP of account management and customer success — tries not to let the “male-dominated” component faze her. Instead, she focuses on cultivating strong relationships, uplifting her team members and always putting the customer first.
We sat down with Ramon to learn more about her professional journey, her thoughts on navigating the complexities and biases of the modern workplace, and what she sees on the horizon for Booster.
What brought you to Booster?
Before Booster I worked at a growing start-up in the trucking & logistics space. While there, I fell in love with building disruptive solutions in supply chain & logistics. Booster offered me the chance to join a new disruptor in fleet fueling logistics and solve some challenging problems by creating differentiated solutions for customers while driving more sustainability in this industry. It was an exciting opportunity to build once again and solve some really complex problems along the way.
What is it like to be a female leader in a male-dominated industry?
I’ve spent quite a few years working in male-dominated industries; I have a lot of stories! Perhaps this is controversial, but I try not to focus on the specific “male-dominated” component too much. The problem is so much deeper than that, and there is a web of underlying biases and behaviors that lead to women avoiding or leaving certain industries. My approach has been to focus on what I can control and influence, which is centered around my personal leadership brand and values and doing what I can to support other women around me. These industries need more women and female leadership; they bring a different and valuable perspective to the business and teams around them and push companies to achieve better results!
Could you tell me about a time when you felt the effects of being a woman in a male-dominated field, and what you did to overcome that?
I think it can be really easy to feel intimidated as a female working in a male-dominated company, especially as you start to advance in your career as a leader and start to see your peer group become more and more male-centric. Imposter Syndrome is real, and I have personally battled this on many occasions. My favorite tactic to overcome this has been building and maintaining a tight network of incredibly talented women I work with at Booster as well as at past companies. Some of them have become my best friends.
These women are some of the first people I bounce career challenges off of, share good news with, and tap on the shoulder when I’m feeling that Imposter Syndrome creeping in. They are my biggest cheerleaders and always available for a quick text exchange, a phone call, or a glass of wine to lift me back up and remind me I’m a rockstar who can keep tackling the challenges ahead. I can be completely vulnerable with this group without any judgment, and they make me a stronger leader as a result. Women supporting other women is one of the most powerful tools, and in my opinion, one of the biggest keys to continuing to close the gap on certain industries and roles being male-dominated in general.
What excites you about working at Booster?
Booster is in exciting times. We experienced strong growth in 2022 despite significant macroeconomic headwinds. We’ve kicked off 2023 with even more focus and exciting goals that continue to advance our vision to “fuel the energy transition” for our customers. Customers face growing challenges and complexity as they continue to diversify their fleets, and the operation of fueling will continue to become more and more critical. It’s exciting to be part of Booster’s mission that is working to solve that problem for the industry in a scalable and sustainable way.
Not only are you a woman in the trucking industry, but you’re also with a company that is working to make the industry more sustainable. How does it feel to be a catalyst of change in multiple ways, and do you deploy these values in other parts of your life as well?
Empowering women to be successful and thrive as leaders is a great passion of mine, and I’m grateful that Booster also carries this same perspective. Not only do I personally commit to building and maintaining my female community around me, but really committing the time and energy to support them in their growth (I’ll drop anything for them!). I enjoy mentoring, and make myself available to informally provide that support to women I work with and also participate in formal mentorship programs outside of work. I love helping people who are growing in their careers to unlock their potential through mentorship, and I learn a ton from them in the process as well. It’s such a fulfilling and inspiring process.
What most excites you about Booster’s 2023 outlook?
Booster has created excellent focus on the key goals that will continue to support scaled growth while building a really sustainable and healthy business. In a time where there is a lot of uncertainty in the economic climate and tech and start-up companies are under immense pressure, Booster is well positioned to create a healthy and growing company that will also create a lot of opportunity for our customers and employees.