To recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we’re featuring Scott M., a Branch Manager in North Carolina. You might remember Scott from a video featuring him and his seizure alert service dog. Here Scott shares more details about his personal experience with seizures and what it’s like to bring his four-legged friend to work with him every day.
Can you describe your personal experience with seizures?
I started having black out episodes when I was eight, which progressed into seizures when I was in middle school. When I was in college, I had one every three or four days. It became a bit violent and became threatening to my life.
My parents and I, upon the suggestion of a neurologist, decided to look into getting a seizure alert service dog. Now I have Stanley and he helps me identify seizures before they happen.
Does Enterprise provide any accommodations for your disability?
When I first got the recommendation from my neurologist to get a seizure alert service dog, I was already employed with Enterprise. I reached out to my Regional Vice President, Area Manager and HR, and they all backed me up and supported my decision.
Seizures have on occasion impacted my day-to-day activities, because in North Carolina, if you have a seizure, you can’t drive for six months. I have had two seizures during my time at Enterprise, and each time my teammates supported me.
I was able to do more of the behind the scenes roles, such as phone calls, and running the front counter.
Tell us about your service dog.
Stanley has a bed in the back of our office. During the day, he stays on his bed and stays out of the way.
When I feel like a seizure is coming on, Stanley and I work together. I have my commands for him. For instance, I may give him a command to get in my face. He nudges and barks at me, which helps me get my depth perception back.
If that doesn’t work, he has a harness on his back so he can take me to an empty location with no loud noises or corners. He’ll make me lie down so he can lay on top of me to calm me. He’s definitely one of my best friends.
What keeps you at Enterprise?
I like to be a mentor, and I love seeing how my employees take my feedback and constructive criticism. I’ve had a lot of people who have been promoted during my time at Enterprise, which I love.
How do you motivate yourself throughout the day?
Every day is different. I find I love doing logistics. I love reaching out to people, keeping the entire area pumped up. I try to keep up the competitive environment throughout our area and keep everyone’s morale up. If my employees are happy, our customers are happy, which helps business.
What has surprised you most about working at Enterprise?
When I first started, I thought I’d just be renting cars. There’s a whole lot more behind those doors. You market to customers, you develop employees, you drive your own sales and service and get to run your own business. Luckily, my area manager leaves me a lot of autonomy to do that. I run my business how I see best, and I get great support from upper management.
In your opinion, what sets Enterprise apart from other employers?
With Enterprise, our doors are always open. Employees are able to reach out to upper management with no barriers. If you need motivation, you can ask anyone for advice. You can learn so much from every employee no matter their level.
What career tips would you offer to someone starting out at Enterprise?
Reach out to every single person you can. You can learn a lot through reaching out to other Enterprise employees and building relationships. If you network, you’ll learn more about Enterprise, meet other employees, and learn how to advance in your career.