Starting over can be daunting to some, but for David Jimenez, embracing change has been a source of strength in his life and his career.
It all started when his family moved from Colombia to Colorado and later settled in Las Vegas.
“It was a huge culture shock — and not just with the language, but the weather and everything else,” he recalled.
David’s career journey is a testament to his resilience: from his pivot from customer service to sales and, eventually, founding his own tow-truck company.
“As the company started to get bigger, I realized that to stay successful, I had to be married to my business,” he explained. With a smile, he added: “I was already married to my wife, so I ended up selling it.”
After he sold his business, a friend mentioned a sales opportunity at Cox.
“He told me about the company’s culture — and that really drew my attention,” David said.
On the fast-track to leadership
David joined Cox Communications as a sales representative at one of the company’s retail stores in Las Vegas. Within a year, he was promoted to a senior sales and operations specialist role within the team.
David’s journey at Cox has maintained that momentum. He rose to the position of store manager and has successfully led five different store locations in Las Vegas.
David is grateful his leaders tapped him to take on store manager roles at so many different locations over the years because each store has allowed him to grow and make an impact.
“I’ve dealt with everything in terms of sales, HR, operations — you name it,” he explained.
One of his proudest achievements was stepping in to assist a retail location that was on the brink of closing.
“The store was not making sense financially, but I was able to get the team back on track. We got the store performing again at a high level, and it’s still open,” he said.
Today, he is the manager at the Cox Store on Rancho Drive. This location is special to David because it’s where he first started out at the company and it’s close to home.
“That’s the closest store to me, so I get to be present with my wife and my kids,” he said. “It works better for me for work-life balance.”
Connecting with community, culture and coworkers
Another reason why David feels so at home at the Rancho Drive store is because it allows him to feel close to his Hispanic heritage.
“It’s a very tight Latino community, so it’s been amazing for me culturally,” he said. “We're becoming the melting pot, with people from all over South America, and each one brings a different culture. It has allowed me to connect on a deeper level with my customers.”
Another important connection for David has been his Cox team, including his supervisors, coworkers and mentors in other departments as well as his direct reports. The common thread throughout his career at Cox has been this growing support system.
“Multiple people have been there for me, just like I am for my peers,” he said. “You need a support system. You need mentors. You need good leaders that can help walk you through the things that come up. I’ve had that throughout my time with company, and I know that they support me almost unconditionally.”
David credits his team for helping him grow as a leader.
“I value feedback from my team; I ask for it,” he said. “And I make sure that I connect with them in a personal level not only to find out what motivates them, but also because I can get better from them.”
David emphasized his intention is to cultivate a long-term career at Cox.
“I know that no matter who my leader is or where I go within the company, I’m always going to find that support and that group of people who are so invested in my success,” he said. “I think the future is bright.”
