Khaliyq Thomas-Sousa

Why management?

I started out with marketing, and I really liked the sales part of it—the advertising and being able to talk with people to grow their business But as I moved towards the management side of things, while working at Zaxby’s as a general manager, I realized that I had a passion for management. Marketing is still one of my favorite things to do, so I can join that with my management experience to really help me propel my career. I really enjoy managing groups of people and watching them grow and develop. They either stay with that company or move on to whatever their next endeavor is, I love seeing them blossom.

What motivates you to be a manager?

I love the chaos that management brings. Every day is new, and you have to you have to be a critical thinker and able to prioritize at a split second sometimes. So, if something breaks, you need to realize that this may be breaking but maybe someone else needs help to facilitate sales and that problem can be fixed later. I really enjoy developing people and just watching them grow and blossom to the point where I can delegate tasks to them, which will free my time up to focus my duties elsewhere.

Tell me about the Small Business of the Year competition.

In 2018, our local Zaxby’s that I managed, was nominated for the Small Business of the Year award. There are over 200 businesses in the Milledgeville area, and we were nominated out of those 200 businesses. The community voted, and we made it to the final four. Unfortunately, we did not win. But it was a huge accomplishment for me, as far as my work career. We were able to say, out of all the small businesses in the area, they chose our company based on how we conducted ourselves, and how we presented ourselves to the community. To stand beside those three other amazing businesses was just awesome.

Tell me about your background, what informed your interest?

I would always talk to my grandmother. And no matter how bad things have gotten, she would always say he's got to keep moving forward, keep your head up, like you're meant for special things. I just wanted to not only make her proud, but also make myself proud. The fact that I'm graduating this year is amazing. Before COVID-19 when I came to Georgia College, I made a goal that I would graduate in 2021. It's just surreal. When you put a goal or a plan in action, and you're actually about to reach that goal in the time that you want it to attain it's, it's really powerful. There was a moment in class, I didn't cry, but I got teary-eyed when I realized I’d be graduating soon. It's been a long journey. I'm 27 now, so I've been through life at this point, but there’s a lot more to go. 

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I’ve enjoyed my experience at Georgia College. I'll never forget the friendships I've made with peers and professors. I’m definitely going to miss this college for sure.