SWA Community
LUISA MCCARTHY
N
ow in its 47th year of
service, Southwest
Airlines continues
to differentiate itself
from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service and
Transfarency ® , with a passion of treating Customers honestly
and fairly, and with low fares that stay low. With a bold new look
first unveiled in 2014, Southwest is progressing through a multi-
year refresh that is innovative and competitive as our company
continues to grow. As we look forward, we want to introduce
you to Luisa McCarthy, an exceptional business woman who
has built a career and business around
her passion to help others and treating
her customers honestly and fairly. She
has faced and overcome challenges
through believing in herself and turned her
business into something she is proud of. We
invite you to learn more about Luisa and her
passionate personal journey.
Lidia S. Martinez
Manager, Community Affairs &
Grassroots Southwest Airlines
I
t was 5 a.m. It was dark and cold and I had to find something to
wear. That was easy because I always wore a uniform. In about an
hour, I would be hearing the clanking of prison doors opening and
closing and my day would begin. And each one of those days was
a challenge. I was the youngest prison guard, definitely the smallest;
one of the few Hispanic women. I was tough. I loved the challenge, at least, in
the beginning. But there was always my burning desire to be an entrepreneur
and create something that was mine. So, I left a job with a good salary and
benefits to start off on my own.
Failure was not an option as I had two young children to support.
I used my meager savings to open up a little hole-in-the wall shipping
center. My special niche was to ship random items to South America and
Mexico. I specialized in the most remote villages and for a fraction of the price
compared to the big-name shipping companies. I was inexperienced and
was relying on my customer service skills learned from working in sales at the
National City Swap Meet.
Running my own business meant shouldering all the responsibility and
handling all the day-to-day operations: I had very little money and I had to
do everything myself. There was no advertising budget, so I would introduce
myself to anyone who would listen and participated in every community event
from the crack of dawn to late at night. I was motivated by the idea of making
a difference on my own terms. My days started early dropping off my daughter
at school and often bringing my son to work with me.
Two years into my business, I met Micaela Polanco who had recently
purchased the La Vista Memorial Park Cemetery. Despite my lack of
50 GBSAN.COM | APRIL 2018