How My Career at FedEx Shaped My Life: A Tribute to Fred Smith

When I started my career at FedEx, I was stepping into a brand-new chapter of life. I had just gotten married. I had just left my role as Marketing Manager at ServiceMaster. And I was excited to land a job that I been pursuing since graduating from college six years earlier. I was blessed to work for the Memphis Grizzlies and FedExForum starting in the inaugural season then for ServiceMaster Clean and FurnitureMedic in the meantime.

FedEx had been on my heart for a long time. Everyone in the world knows the FedEx brand, and everyone in Memphis knows someone who works for FedEx and who never plans to leave the company. When the opportunity finally came for me, I ran toward it with excitement and gratitude.

I was employee 669838, and I wore my badge proudly. I still have it 13 years after leaving to pursue my dream of empowering others with S.O. What! and the S.O. What! Foundation—because that badge represents a place that shaped me more than I ever imagined. I still remember giving my team members S.O. What! t-shirts on my last day. I was excited, but I was also sad because I was leaving a career and an employer that I loved.

Working in Small Business Marketing and Advertising at FedEx wasn’t just a job. It was a transformative experience. I was blown away by the culture—driven by excellence, innovation, and a deep sense of purpose. I was surrounded by people who challenged and inspired me. I grew as a professional, a leader, and a person.

I got so many incredible experiences including spending two weeks in Stockholm, Sweden filming video for the advertising website I managed. I learned to work with incredible ad agencies both in New York and locally, and I saw first-hand how powerful innovation and learning to navigage (frequent) change could be.

Today, I reflect with deep respect and sadness on the passing of Fred Smith, the visionary founder of FedEx.

Fred Smith didn’t just build a company—he built a legacy. A standard for leadership. A belief in bold ideas. And a culture that empowered everyday people to do extraordinary things.

Whether you were in a boardroom or on the tarmac, you could feel the impact of his vision and values. He created a place where excellence was expected, and greatness was nurtured.

I’m forever thankful for the time I spent at FedEx and the people and principles that shaped me there. I can only hope to carry forward even a fraction of what I learned from that culture—and from the extraordinary man who started it all.

Rest well, Mr. Smith. Your vision changed the world, and your legacy lives on in every single person you inspired.

#Gratitude #FedExForever #FredSmith #LeadershipLegacy #Thankful #VisionaryLeader #restinpower #visionaryleader