TQL VP Of Sales Knows
Total Quality Logistics Vice President of Sales Nathan Knipper knows the value of having – and being - a mentor.
That’s one reason he’s appearing in a commercial for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati set to debut during Super Bowl 50 Feb. 7 on Local 12.
The following is part of a story Nathan wrote for BBBS in 2013.
“I met my Big Brother Mike Harding when I was 10 years old. My mom was a single parent and I was an only child, so she thought having a Big Brother would be a great thing for me. She was right, and Mike was a great Big Brother. I only wish I’d known that at the time.
“Now that I’m an adult and can look back, Mike was the important male figure I needed in my life. At first he was just the guy who would pick me up on weekend afternoons and take me to sporting events – most of which I had never experienced before. It was always a new adventure. (Honestly, I don’t know how he came up with the things he did.) Then there started to be structure in my world – a world that had very little of it – even I that structure was only on the Saturday or Sunday we were together.
“January is National Mentoring Month. I’m sharing my experience of having a mentor as an example of why we all need to help kids in our community.
“I am convinced today that without Mike’s guidance – and that structure – I would have made some poor choices in my teens. I didn’t always make the best choices, but they most certainly could have been worse. Mike was a successful salesman at the time and that allowed me to see I could make something of myself if I put my mind to it. He led by example. Other than Mike, the people giving me guidance were friends whose guidance could be problematic, because they didn’t know any better themselves.
“Mike and I stopped getting together when I was about 14. I remember feeling I was too old to have a Big Brother, but know now I just didn’t appreciate what I had. I’ve been fortunate enough to continue down a career path similar to his. I’ve been working at Total Quality Logistics for 14 years and am now the Vice President of Sales.
“Adults in the community must step up to help kids. When kids have a Big Brother or Big Sister they gain a friend, a confidant, a partner to help guide them through some of the toughest times in those important early years.
“If we can set them up for success, show them how to be successful, then they see they can achieve it. We all need help in life and mentoring a child pays dividends beyond measure.”
Want to help change a child’s life for the better? Get involved with BBBS. Learn more about the partnership between TQL and BBBS here.