Meet Monica
Monica Barrett has worked in the social service profession for 8 years helping individuals improve their quality of life. Monica’s career started in undergraduate school when she interned at a domestic violence shelter. After receiving her master’s degree from Columbus State University, she pursued her career in the social service profession. Her background has been in the homeless and mental illness population, aiding with securing and maintaining permanent housing.
In 2014, Monica’s father became legally blind which encouraged her to help others with their transportation needs. Her father relies heavily on transportation services to get to and from appointments. This experience was the beginning of Monica’s journey and desire to become an entrepreneur and assisting others with accessing necessary medical care.
While helping others has always been Monica’s passion, her purpose now lies in helping others access medical care through her business MJ Reliable Transportation.
Meet Jasmine
Jasmine Archie has always been a true staple within her community. Her passion, dedication, and commitment for helping others has led her to advocate for those who feel their voices are no longer heard. With over 15 years working for a well-known prestigious hospital, Jasmine’s leadership skills have allowed her to excel far beyond her administrative duties. Her specialties include strategic thinking and planning, community and people focus, innovative thinking, complex facilitations, mentoring, and much more.
Known for her leadership skills, assertiveness, and determination; Jasmine has earned a reputation as a go getter. Jasmine has successfully secured several contracts with major hospitals, dialysis facilities, and residential care facilities.
She is now a proud business owner of MJ Reliable Transportation, a thriving non-medical transportation company.
We had the opportunity to catch up with these two powerhouses and ask a few questions:
The two of you are powerhouses and your back stories are amazing. MJ Reliable Transportation Company came out of a need more so than making money. Tell our readers why the need was so great?
According to AARP study, a large percentage of people 65 and over miss their appointments due to lack of transportation. Transportation has been recognized as the key element to healthcare access. With transportation service, seniors are able to get to and from routine appointments, procedures, and critical care services. MJ Reliable Transportation was formed to make lives better. Being of service has always been our top priority. We are certain that our work has enhanced and enriched the lives of others and that brings us much fulfillment.
Each of you bring a different skillset and expertise to the company. How does your specific skillset and expertise attribute MJ Reliable Transportation?
Jasmine and I both have over 20 years of social service experience. We make a great partnership because I have a plethora of knowledge in accessing community resources that many of our clients need and Jasmine is very good at creating partnerships that are beneficial to not only the growth of our organization but to our seniors.
How has MJ Reliable Transportation impacted the community in which you serve?
Our goal at MJ Reliable Transportation is to help improve the lives of individuals we serve. One of our most recent projects that recently launched is free transportation to COVID-19 Vaccination and testing sites for seniors and people with disabilities. This project is one that we really felt connected to. With the senior community being hit hard by COVID-19 and even the passing of clients that we once served, we knew it was our duty to make sure they had safe, clean, and reliable transportation to these sites. We are proud to say that we played a part in making sure 225 seniors received vaccines.
How does running a transportation company differ from running any other business in your opinion?
We believe that operating a transportation company is no different from any other business. As business owners we all face our own set of obstacles. We are faced with the high cost of insurance, hiring employees that share the company mission, and most importantly ensuring that our patients receive exceptional transportation services while being transported in vehicles. As women in the transportation business, we’ve faced and conquered several challenges that we otherwise would not have faced if we were men or in a different business, but we continue to push forward and inspire women all across the world who may want to get into the transportation industry or any other male dominated industry to be firm, believe in yourself and to not be intimidated by the challenges you will face, but rather embrace them.
How did the pandemic affect your business with all the COVID protocols in place?
This transition was simple. We have always had cleaning and disinfecting protocols in place. However, during COVID-19 these protocols were enhanced to add an extra layer of preventive measures. We are proud to say that as of today we have had 0 positive cases within our organization.
Where do you see MJ Reliable Transportation in 5 years?
MJ Reliable Transportation is already becoming a household name. We plan to continue providing safe and reliable transportation that our community can count on. In 5 years, we plan to extend our footprint into other markets by partnering with other organizations to extend our services. While looking ahead is great, right now we are enjoying this moment.
What do you hope to accomplish in the next year?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination efforts continue to be critically important. Within this next year we plan to continue our efforts in making sure our seniors have been fully vaccinated. Together we can beat the spread!
Connect with Monica and Jasmine by visiting MJ Reliable Transportation online via their website
