- All right, everybody, we are back.
And over the past three seasons we've been able
to highlight extraordinary women
shattering the glass ceiling in many fields.
Construction, aviation, sports, just to name a few.
Our next guest isn't just breaking ground
in the world of trucking,
she's helping other women do the same.
Just check out her wildly popular
and awesome TikTok channel.
- I just got one question.
I can get a lot of women say,
"Clarissa, you have motivated me
"to become this beautiful, sexy, phenomenal,
"gorgeous woman of a truck driver.
"But I just can't get started."
What are you waiting for?
Look, you don't even have to have no money.
A lot of these jobs will pay you,
pay you to come get your CDL.
(applause)
(Kelly laughing)
- I love her.
She's a perfect guest to help us celebrate the start
of Women's History Month.
Please welcome Clarissa, y'all.
(applause)
Oh my gosh.
Your vibe, your energy, your positivity,
it's so necessary, it's so needed right now..
- Thank you. - And it's so inspiring,
but you... (applause)
Yes, but the great part is you didn't even actually plan
on going into the trucking industry, right?
- No girl.
- [Kelly] So how did that happen?
- First, I went to school to get my bachelor's
in criminal justice.
'Cause I wanted to be like, a helper for, keep people
from re-offending.
- [Kelly] Yeah. - I was gonna be like,
the superhero like that. - [Kelly] Yeah.
- But then my husband got his CDL
and he came out, he found a job and everything.
I had a degree and I couldn't find a job nowhere.
So I told him, I said, I'm going
to go to school and be your broker.
A broker is who book the loads for the driver, girl.
- [Kelly] Yeah.
- So I said, I'm gonna be your broker
and we're gonna do this,
we're gonna start our trucking business.
We're gonna do this together.
- [Kelly] Yeah. - Girl got in school,
and I didn't understand none of the lingo.
I didn't understand none of it.
So then I decided to go get my CDL.
And when I walked inside, girl, listen,
it wasn't nobody in there like me.
It wasn't nobody, girly nails, hair, makeup galore.
It was nobody like me. (Kelly laughing)
So I'm like, this is not gonna work.
I need some flavor-- - [Kelly] It's good
to stand out! Yeah.
- Yes. And I was just like, it needs some flavor in here.
So-- - [Kelly] Yes!
- I started recording immediately and here I am.
- [Kelly] Oh my God. (applause)
I love, I was telling her
I feel like you need your own show.
Like, literally like a real full on show.
I would watch it.
So wait, once you got your license,
was it easy to find work or was it hard?
Cause it's kind of a man's world, like dominated by men.
- Girl, girl.
No, it was so hard because I got interviewed six times
by six different men.
All of 'em turned me down.
My last interview was by a woman
and I went in there with my girly self,
'cause I wasn't gonna change who I am just to get a job.
- [Kelly] Amen, yeah. - So I was like, I went,
girl, if you get me this job, I know how to do this.
I was top of my class,
I can really drive the truck 'cause she was like,
"I don't care that you're a woman.
"I just care if you could drive this truck
back and forth to wherever we gotta go."
- [Kelly] Yeah. - And she was like--
- Which is what everybody should just care about.
- Thank you! Thank you! - Yeah.
- Thank you! Thank you! - Yeah. Yeah.
- Thank you! Thank you!
- That's weird, yeah. - Thank you.
So she said, "You're hired."
and I've been driving now for over almost five years.
- [Kelly] Oh my gosh. (applause)
And she gave me my opportunity.
- [Kelly] Oh, I love that. - Girl, look at me girl!
- But I love that it wasn't a woman that hired you
just because you're a woman.
Like she hired you 'cause you were the perfect person
for the job. That's the point.
- Highest qualified.
- [Kelly] Yeah.
- That she interviewed that day.
- [Kelly] Wow. - 'Cause within that month's
time of me not getting accepted
by all them men, I went and got my hazmat,
my triple and double endorsements
and all of that. - [Kelly] Yeah.
- All within that month's time, so.
- [Kelly] You're a go getter. I love that.
So why do you think it's important
to you to encourage other women to get into the field?
Is it 'cause you enjoy it
so much? - Yeah.
- Cause you can make good money.
- Girl, yeah.
- [Kelly] Yeah.
- Don't get a twisted, honey.
Yeah Kelly, I don't wanna quit my job now, Kelly.
But yes you can make six figures.
I came out my first year making 50,000 now make six figures.
- [Kelly] Wow.
My platform is giving an opportunity to show women
you can not be a nurse,
you can not be a--
- [Kelly] Teacher. Everybody has started teaching now.
- Yeah. A teacher, or assistant. You could be a trucker--
- [Kelly] Other opportunities.
- Yes. It's different opportunities that you
wouldn't think about. - [Kelly] Yeah.
- Like maintenance on a truck,
you can do car hauling, truck hauling,
all different kind of things
that people wouldn't every day think about.
So I showed them as a woman, girl, we gets it done, okay.
(applause)