Life at Driven: Jessica Compton – ‘Pushing beyond’ her comfort zone
With focus and drive, Jessica Compton has earned two promotions in two years in the Accounts Payable department at Driven Brands.
After two promotions in two years in the Accounts Payable department at Driven Brands, it’s easy to think that Jessica Compton (known around the office by her maiden name Short) studied accounting or finance in college.
But, her path wasn’t that direct.
She graduated from Queens University of Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and found herself unsure of next steps. She landed a job in audit shortly after graduation, and in that role, her career trajectory shifted.
“I ended up really liking business and enjoyed working with numbers,” Jessica says.
She pursued this spark as an Accounts Payable (AP) Analyst at Hanesbrands Inc.; she also received a Master of Business Administration at Winston-Salem State University in 2020.
Then, life brought her to Charlotte, North Carolina.
She moved to Charlotte to be with her fiancé, now-husband, Ronnie. A recruiter connected her with Driven Brands, and she joined as an AP Specialist in May of 2021.
Immediately, it felt like the right fit. The culture at Driven Brands created an environment where Jessica felt supported to accelerate her career. She found that everyone from her coworkers to managers were always willing to help: “Everyone is so friendly, and they want to see you grow and succeed.”
Since coming on board at Driven, life has moved quickly for Jessica. In the past two years, she got married and earned two promotions – first to AP Lead and most recently to AP Supervisor where she manages a team specializing in vendor maintenance and payments. She oversees day-to-day operations of her team and works alongside other leaders to build a positive culture.
“We’re working to build connections in the workplace and foster an environment where people have a sense of belonging,” she explains.
This involves celebrating the team for their contributions and hard work. When Jessica joined Driven Brands, she felt welcomed with open arms and wants to ensure that her team – both current and future – feel the same.
Jessica’s success at Driven Brands can be attributed to more than her skills and knowledge. Her attitude, commitment to reaching goals, and initiative have all been a factor, too.
“I come in everyday and just try to keep being positive,” Jessica says. “I know that I have this goal of moving forward in my career, and every day I make sure to do what I can to get to where I want to go.”
Part of that involves reaching out to department leaders to ask for projects where she can learn more and develop herself and her team members. This kind of initiative has taught her to use her voice and step out of her comfort zone. As someone who is quiet by nature, that’s been one of the biggest challenges for Jessica.
“I know being stuck in my comfort zone isn’t good because I won’t grow,” she explains. “It’s something I had to work on and what I try to encourage my team to work on as well.”
It’s also what she encourages other young women who are considering going into the accounts payable field to do.
Her advice to women in the industry is: “Be confident. Know that you have the ability to do what you want to do.”