Celebrating Women in Logistics: Industry Insider Top Tips for Success

Ever wonder what it's really like to build a career or business in the logistics industry? This International Women's Day, we're giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the journeys of some incredible women leading their field.

We asked our CartonCloud customers and employees to share their experiences; from their startup stories, favorite workday anthems, and advice they wish they'd known from the start!

Join us as we shine a spotlight on these powerhouse women. 

• Maria Elena De La Torre, Administrator, Alianza Importers
• Deanne Luke, Founder, Lexington Logistics
• Natasha Workum, Owner, Sunshine Coast Cold Stores
• Rebecca Damm, Owner, Valkyrie Freight Solutions
• Gabriela Sales, Engineering Manager, CartonCloud

Now, let’s dive into their stories and top tips to succeed in the industry! 💜

Tell us a bit about yourself! What’s your role, what services does your business offer, and what makes your team stand out? 🙋‍♀️

Deanne: Hi. My name is Deanne, and I run a business called Lexington Logistics. I started the business six years ago, and now we employ nearly 30 people within our organization. One of the best parts about my role is the fact that 80% of our workforce is female. In addition to that, probably about 80% of our client base is female.

We love to work with female owner-operators, and our female staff really understand the product and want to get it right when they pick, pack and deliver. So that's a really important part of what we do.

Natasha: I’m the General Manager and I operate a Cold Storage facility for customers who require frozen and chilled pallet storage.

Rebecca: My name is Rebecca Damm and I am the owner of Valkyrie Freight Solutions, established in 2024 and going strong. 

Maria: I'm in charge of administration and logistics at Alianza Importers. We assist Mexican companies in establishing themselves in the United States. Our services range from business creation and initial paperwork to fulfillment, accounting, financial, and HR services. 

Essentially, we provide comprehensive guidance to ensure their U.S. operations run smoothly without requiring on-site staff. Our bicultural team's exceptional customer service, combining U.S. efficiency with Mexican warmth, truly sets us apart.

Gabriela: Hi, my name is Gabriela, and I am the Engineering Manager for CartonCloud.

How did you get into logistics—was it planned, or did you fall into it? 🚚📦

Deanne: I got into logistics, purely by accident! I have a consulting business and I had a number of clients that were with current 3PLs that were much bigger than what we are. They just felt like they were a number and really forgotten about. We wanted to create something different and unique in our service offering. 

I started the business very quickly, it was within 24-48 hours! I made the decision and we started shipping our first orders out three weeks after I said yes to that client. Six years later, we haven't really looked back. It's been a lot of work, but I think that's why you do what you do because you've got a real purpose and a real love for it.

Natasha: My family has been in the cold storage business for over 30 years. Early on, I helped with marketing the facility before travelling and living interstate. In 2021, we opened a facility in my area, and I took on the role of managing operations at our new facility.

Rebecca: I was born into it. My parents actually started a transport company back in 1984. I was one of those kids playing around in the freight or I was sitting on the back of the forklift as they were loading the truck! After that I left the family business and went off on my own working with different companies. My priority was to learn more — I learned all kinds of different skills; everything from your compliance, your warehousing, allocations, and dealing with truck drivers in general, and from there I was able to start my own business.

Maria: It was planned. I studied International Business, and my 24-year career has always been centered around logistics — from warehouse management to roles in customs agencies and transportation companies.

Gabriela: Oh, it was definitely planned… but I had no idea what I was signing up for! I was studying Economics and applied for an internship at a big company. As part of the recruitment process, we had to pick a department: finance, HR, sales, or logistics. Most people flocked to the other areas, while logistics was the least popular and very male-dominated. I still remember the hiring manager’s surprised face during my interview, almost asking, ‘Are you sure?’ Logistics wasn’t the most glamorous option, and it was the only one that required weekend shifts.

But I’ve always been drawn to the hustle and bustle of operations, so for me, it was an easy choice at the time.

Looking back, I’m so glad I went for it! Logistics throws you in the deep end, and as a young female student, I had to figure things out quickly. It was challenging, but I learned so much, and it shaped the way I work today.

Describe your job in three words! 💼

Natasha: Managing, Product, Movement.

Rebecca: I would say definitely Challenging, Rewarding, and Empowering.

Maria: Versatile, Challenging, and Rewarding.

Gabriela: Juggling, Collaborating, and Delivering. 

If your workday had a theme song, what would it be? 🎶

Natasha: Cold as Ice!

Rebecca: I don't know how you can choose just one, because it really depends if things are going crazy or not! There's always a good old classic of Nine to Five by Dolly Parton, Rise by Katy Perry and I reckon my personal favourite is Dream Catcher by Lainey Wilson. That one for me ties in with the whole Valkyrie theme for me — it gets you in the zone to go into battle.

Fun fact! In talking to Rebecca, she shared that the name for her business — Valkyrie Freight Solutions — was born from Viking mythology which set the tone for her approach towards customer service.

“Valkyries are like the warrior women angels that come in and choose those on the battlefield that deserve to go to Valhalla. So in my mind, it's like I'm coming in, I'm helping and those that deserve it – I can help them go to greater heights.” - Rebecca Damm

Maria: Don’t Stop Believin’!

Gabriela: I Want to Break Free. No — just joking! It would be Eye of the Tiger because every day is a battle of priorities and trying to get things across the line.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? ✨

Natasha: Liaising with our amazing customers.

Rebecca: The most rewarding part of my job is being able to provide for my family, most definitely, and also being able to give exceptional service to my customers, but also knowing that I am helping other family-owned light carriers provide for their families.

Maria: Witnessing my clients' happiness and their businesses thriving as a result of our efforts.

Gabriela: The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the team grow and evolve over time. And of course, there’s nothing better than seeing all the features we’ve worked on actually go live and get used by our customers!

Have you ever had a "wow, I can’t believe we pulled that off" moment at work? 🤯

Natasha: Yes! Around Christmas time is our peak season and every day leading up to Christmas we had that moment!

When speaking with Rebecca, she shared that her business started in what she described as a "baptism by fire." While working for another logistics company, she was suddenly faced with the need to take charge when the owner unexpectedly stepped away, leaving customers still in need of service. Seizing the moment, she took initiative — organizing all the trailers, bringing them back, reloading them, and ensuring they reached their destinations. That pivotal decision marked the beginning of her business.

Rebecca: I think since I started the business, the most satisfying thing for me would have to be at the start when I first accomplished all of those initial deliveries that were on those trailers. I was like, “I can do this and I'm going ahead and I'm just running with it!”.

Maria: Yes! It was when we decided to open our own warehouse. We used to subcontract this service, and I personally oversaw the entire implementation of our current warehouse.

What’s your best time-saving or efficiency hack for a busy workday? ⏳

Natasha: Ensuring our customers have access to CartonCloud and that they enter their own purchase and sales orders… It is a great time-saver! Then we can get on with efficiently picking the orders.

Rebecca: If you ever feel that you're getting overwhelmed, take that time to step away from your desk, meditate; do whatever you need to do, go out in nature, just anything. The work is still all going to be there 10 minutes later. But by taking that time, you'll find that you're so much more productive — the clarity is incredible, and all in all, I think that's just a better way to continue on with your workday.

Maria: Prioritizing tasks by categorizing them into urgent and non-urgent and tackling the urgent ones first.

Gabriela: Currently, my best, time-saving hack is having a go-to focus playlist that I'm always listening to when I need to go into a deep focus mode and also make sure that I block my calendar up for all the specific tasks that I have to do within the day or the week.

Words of wisdom from one business owner to another

If you're launching a logistics business, you need real-world advice. That's why we asked our customers to share their top tips for those who are just starting out, or looking to start their own logistics business — so you can avoid common pitfalls and grow with ease. Here’s what they said!

When you first started your business, how did you decide which customer niche to serve and how to stand out? 🤔

Deanne: The best piece of advice I can probably give anyone is identify your niche — identify what you love, what you're really good at, and try not to go sort of outside of that. We've done that particularly well here — I am very good at saying no to certain clients and then I have to also really look at the commercial viability of other clients as well. 

So know your numbers, know your forecasting on what you can and can't do in the space that you've got, but also know what you actually want to do and how you can work with those clients and be different from everyone else that's out there. There's so many different 3PLs and they all have their own place, but just know what yours is and then you can excel at that — and people will come to you because they actually really want to work with you.

See how Deanne enhances customer service by becoming an extension of her clients' brands, enabling her to deliver a uniquely tailored customer experience.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give someone looking to grow their own logistics business? 🤗

Natasha: Get onboard with CartonCloud and learn as much about it as possible. It is a very efficient system and easy to use for both the logistics company and customers. Make sure you do the annual checkup to find out the new features available on CartonCloud!

Rebecca: Be comfortable in who you are — and have that confidence in yourself that you do actually know what you're talking about. And most definitely, don't be afraid to still be feminine. Don't feel that you have to put forward that masculine sort of exterior that some women feel they need to adopt in this industry. It's just about going the extra mile and just having that empathy towards those that you work with.

See more of our inspiring stories

At CartonCloud, we're all about celebrating our customers' wins and sharing their growth journeys, like Cass Strunk, Founder of Core Logistic Services — who took her passion for supplements and health and turned it into a booming 3PL warehousing business dealing with clients in the wellness space.

Be sure to check out more of our customer stories here. And if you’re ready to start growing your business too, book a free demo call with our friendly team to see how we can help.