Contributed by Taylor Mark, Credit & Collections Manager, 4 years 

Genuine Surprise

I was recently and unexpectedly chosen as the second-ever R.S. Hughes Living Our Values top honoree. I’m on the award committee, so I was puzzled when I stopped receiving committee invites—I thought I might have inadvertently stepped out of line somehow.  

So I was genuinely surprised when they chose me—and relieved to learn the real reason I’d been left off the invites. I was talking to Kurtis Lakhani, R.S. Hughes’ Director of Sales Support and Supply Chain and the first top honoree, and we are of similar minds. We both feel we’re just doing our jobs. If somebody calls and asks for help, we’re not going to say no.  

It’s about being willing to step outside your lane to help somebody out. It’s just doing the work in front of you. And if you’re one of those people who helps out where they’re needed, you’re walking people through how to do something and teaching them to fish rather than just handing them fish, so to speak. 

Integrity Every Day 

When I think about values, integrity is a big thing for me because it speaks to everything else. Integrity is being willing to answer the phone, being approachable, putting a smile on your face when you’re having a bad day and still being helpful.  

It’s exemplified in day-to-day actions and how we interact with coworkers. I look for the folks that are willing to take on the projects in front of them to benefit the organization, even if it isn’t necessarily their job to do so. They’re willing to do the work, and they have the expertise to add real value. 

I reflect on how I can impact not just the organization, but the people around me. It’s one thing to be helpful. It’s another thing to be helpful and right. The people I want to champion are the ones who bring both—knowledgeable, approachable and genuinely willing to engage. 

Tough Conversations and Real Relationships 

Early in my career at R.S. Hughes, I learned that being willing to have tough conversations is key to your success here. When conflict arises—whether with a colleague or a customer—the most important thing is to approach it with a spirit of collaboration and a focus on getting to the root cause. I found that confronting a difficult relationship head-on, rather than avoiding it, is often what creates the opportunity to find common ground and come out stronger on the other side. 

A willingness to have tough conversations gives you permission to have a more authentic relationship. It’s why one of the first things I did when I joined a new location was call operations managers in other locations just to introduce myself and ask for advice. The point wasn’t the advice—it was building rapport. It’s just being willing to talk to people. 

Getting Organized 

I started right out of college as a field sales rep for a facility supplies company. I’ll be honest, I was pretty average at that. I sucked at time management. I spent too much time with the customers I already had good business with and not enough time growing the business. So, I learned a lot about consistency, organization and planning. I’m still not the person who plans every hour of my day, but organization and consistency are what help a sales rep win.  

After about a year and a half in that role, I got laid off, so my wife and I relocated, and I took the first job I could find in fleet and rental management. I was there for nearly four years. The things that I learned in my first job prepared me to soar above my peers. I flew through the management program, and soon I ran my own divisions. That’s when R.S. Hughes came knocking. 

I Said “No” Before I Said “Yes” 

I actually told R.S. Hughes “no” the first time around. They wanted to hire me for a customer service position, and while I loved the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and the culture of the company, I was already a manager making the same money—it just didn’t make sense at the time. I told the recruiter to give me a call if an Operations Manager position ever opened up. 

A year later, R.S. Hughes came knocking again, this time with an Operations Manager role in Tulsa. I spent my first two months in training with Thomas Stockton in Dallas, and those lessons prepared me to hit the ground running. We saw record months, new business growth and consistent operational excellence. When the Dallas Operations Manager role opened up, I immediately called Thomas to put my name in the hat. 

Now, four years in, I’m grateful for the mentors I’ve had at R.S. Hughes—especially Thomas Stockton, CFO Thomas Smith, Kurtis Lakhani and Cole Daniel. Their willingness to guide me has been invaluable. They’re people I can call anytime for honest conversations and answers to any question, professional or personal.