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Meet Our Women Leaders: Carmon Smith

Meet Our Women Leaders: Carmon Smith

I began my career journey as a Senior General Manager at the TMX Finance® Family of Companies in August 2014 in Memphis, TN. In my first six months with the Company, I worked at almost every location in the area, which gave me valuable experience for when I was placed in my permanent store on Austin Peay Highway. With experience at various stores in the area along with consistent initiative and hard work, shortly after joining the Austin Peay Highway team, I became a Certified General Manager Trainer. My leadership saw my growth potential and offered me a stretch assignment opportunity to take on a Temporary District Director of Operations (DDO) role in the North Georgia market. After successfully serving as a temporary DDO and returning to Memphis, the Company gave me the opportunity to officially begin the DDO training and development program to prepare me for a permanent district leadership position. I secured a DDO position in 2017 and for a short time served as a Senior General Manager again to assist my fellow Team Members. But in 2019, I moved back into a DDO position, and in January 2022, moved into another stretch assignment opportunity: Temporary Regional Vice President (RVP). I am now currently the permanent RVP overseeing districts in Tennessee, Missouri, and Kansas.

Throughout my career at the TMX Finance® Family of Companies, I have felt the full support of my store operations leadership team and the Company’s executive leadership team from the moment I accepted the Senior GM position and through each promotion over the past nine years. If I could pinpoint one person that I believe truly went above and beyond to mentor, shape, and guide me, it would be Shawn Jordan. He’s been with the Company himself for more than 20 years and has a wealth of industry and Company knowledge ready to pour into tomorrow’s leaders. My working relationship with Shawn started when he reached out to me and welcomed me to the Company before I came aboard in 2014. This has stuck with me to this day because he really made me feel like I mattered and was not just another hire. I’ve been lucky to work closely with Shawn for more than eight years of my career, and Shawn not only cares for your professional growth but also your personal wellbeing. He supports a healthy work and life balance, and I feel like I’ve been allowed to be human while in my leadership roles with him giving me advice that I will carry with me forever. He truly has made the biggest impact on me throughout my career, but I also have to give credit for my career success to our corporate partners because they help make the overwhelming times much easier.

What many people may not realize about me is that I try to never have a bad day – no matter what’s happening at work or in my personal life – and I choose to lead my teams with this mindset of positivity. People sometimes allow small moments to consume their entire day and miss out on what is left of it. For example, something happens that lasts maybe 15 minutes, but people may say they had a “bad day.” But there is 23 hours and 45 minutes left in that day that could be great! I choose to decide my outcome, and I try to never allow someone, or something, to control my entire 24 hours. I am a huge advocate for mental health and have learned that the way you think and your surroundings can make all the difference.

My positive mindset has enabled me to have many empowering moments at the TMX Finance® Family of Companies, but one that stands out is when I was nominated to become a Program Champion for the Company’s BELIEVE Empower Resource Group last year as well as to be a moderator for the Peer Group Program. BELIEVE: Black Employees Leading Innovation through Elevating Visions & Empowerment is an employee resource group that aims to connect Team Members who have a desire to support and amplify Black voices within the Company. At the time I was asked to be a program champion and moderator, I was newly promoted to my role of RVP and a Black woman in the role. Through both of these opportunities, I was able to demonstrate diversity and inclusion. Through speaking to my peers, corporate partners, and fellow Team Members across the organization about authenticity and unapologetically expressing your individuality assisted in building my confidence in a new role and allowed me to eliminate any sense of fear or uncertainty – I know I belong here.

You can have empowering moments here, too! The advice I would give someone starting their career journey with the TMX Finance® Family of Companies is to embrace change and to not be afraid to ask “why.” The Company is constantly working to improve processes that not only benefit our customers but also our Team Members regularly as well as expand the culture to be inviting, inclusive, and fun! When you are not afraid to embrace change and ask “why,” you will have a better understanding, see progress faster, and can be the voice of the Company to your direct reports, peers, and customers. I love that I work for a Company where I can embrace the change to develop other people. To know that I have contributed to the success of others – professionally with our Team Members and personally in the lives of our customers – makes me feel accomplished. My goal each day is to teach someone something, no matter how big or small, with each visit or one-on-one interaction. My career growth has allowed me to impact more and more people over the years, and I truly believe I’ve made a difference throughout my time.

I look forward to growing even more with the Company! My goal is to be considered for and earn the RVP of the Year award. Earning this honor would show and prove I’ve developed my group of District Directors to execute at a high level and sustain consistent performance across their districts throughout the year. The award would be a direct reflection of my leadership and growth in my role. I associate my personal success with the performance and actions of my direct reports, so it’s always my mission to train, coach, support, and develop my team to perform seamlessly without direction and exceed all Company expectations.

I have 15 years of multi-unit experience and have used each opportunity as a steppingstone for growth. At the TMX Finance® Family of Companies, I learn something new constantly, I’m empowered to raise my hand for assistance, and I’m given the grace to self-reflect regularly on how I can be a better person and a stronger leader for my team. I truly enjoy what I do, and I’m able to make the biggest impact by being a decent human being.

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