Jayme Waters, 30

Jayme Waters, 30

Jayme Waters has been busy. In just the last two years, she and her sales team at Integrity Employee Leasing have brought in around 180 new clients and helped launch a new office in Tennessee.

But she’s not sitting back and enjoying her success. Waters is already training someone to take her position down the road, so she can expand her responsibilities at the Punta Gorda-based professional employer organization (PEO) that offers payroll, human resources and other administrative services for client companies. She plans to start focusing more on finding and developing new sales talent, and letting her successor manage the existing sales team.

And the long-term goal? “One day down the road, I’m taking the CEO job,” she says.

That kind of drive was instilled in her at a young age. “My dad was my mentor, and I’ve always been raised to be driven and to be the best at work,” she says. “There’s no such thing as second place in my family.”

Waters now hopes to inspire her team in the same kind of way. “It’s about leading from the front, making sure my team gets praise and credit along the way if things are going well,” she says. “And if things aren’t going well, making sure I’m taking that hit for the team.”

Waters served as an area director for Dunkin’ Donuts prior to joining Integrity, where she started as a sales representative. That experience in the retail and restaurant space helps her relate to many of the company’s clients. “I think I understand things a little better from the client perspective, what they’re dealing with on a daily basis, what they don’t necessarily have time for,” she says.

An ability to build relationships is vital for success in the PEO industry. “Once someone’s a client, I’m here with them every step of the way,” says Waters. “I’m not going anywhere, and that’s not just me. That’s the entire company. And that’s a big part of why I enjoy working with Integrity.”

Waters also believes it’s important to be transparent with clients from the get-go. “I don’t want to bring them on board if we’re not a good fit for them, or vice versa,” she says.

The pandemic definitely threw some roadblocks at Waters and her team, forcing them to rethink a sales process based on face-to-face meetings. But now things are back on track, and she’s focused on growing and developing her sales team.

Outside of the office, you’ll likely find Waters with her husband of 13 years and her nine-year-old daughter, who plays basketball. “So I do that on the weekends and after school,” she says. “They’re my life.”

—Beth Luberecki

City of Residence: North Port

Birthplace: Port Charlotte

Years in the area: Most of my life. Spent a few years in Ohio when I was a child and 3 years in Georgia in my early 20s.

Marital Status/Children: Married with one daughter.

Alma Mater/Degree: N/A. Straight from High School to the workforce.

What community group or organization are you most involved with? Integrity has developed the Integrity Charitable Foundation who is currently partnered with Better Together.

Are you working from the company office, home office or hybrid? Office

What's the weirdest job you've ever had? Or the weirdest task you've ever been assigned? Don't consider it a job so much as a role but being a mother is easily the weirdest and most rewarding thing I have done in my life.

What's your top tip for being productive? Goal setting weekly & quarterly with follow up/follow through. Surround yourself with people who challenge your thinking. Look for opportunities to get things done vs. focusing on the obstacle. Reinvent the process as needed, just because it worked before doesn't mean you can't improve it!

If you could have a side hustle, what would it be? House flipping/investing.

What's your favorite off-hours activity? Spending time with my husband and daughter. My daughter is very into basketball right now so family games are a must. We also love to have game nights with our family.

What's the most significant item on your life bucket list — and what's keeping you from completing it? Personally- traveling more. Professionally- becoming a CEO/Organizational leader. More time and continued development.

What's your favorite podcast? I don't listen to a lot of podcasts but I do enjoy watching/listening to Gary Vaynerchuk and Simon Sinek. 

At what percentage on your phone do you start to get Low Battery Anxiety? 30%

What are the top three apps used on your smartphone? Music, banking, TikTok (guilty pleasure)

What books are you reading now? Selling the Price Increase

What's your go-to music genre, band or act to be inspired? I enjoy a wide variety of music. To get pumped up I often find myself listening to Rap. Artist such as J. Cole, Drake and Eminem. To focus I listen more to country or alternative music, Morgan Wallen is all the rage in our house right now.

Who would play you in the movie of your life? Jennifer Garner

Where is your happy place? At home & in the water.

Describe yourself in three words: Focused, Reliable and transparent.

Who is your mentor for your career and why? Robert Hensley, my father. He has always been a steady sounding board for feedback and advice.

What are the biggest lessons you have learned from your mentor? Instilling the importance of developing others. What you can accomplish with a team vs. alone. Caring for the individual before the "worker" Lead from the front, take the hit when things go wrong and allow others to shine during successful times. Measure twice, cut once.