Some people know him as the man with the gloves.
Some people know him as the always-smiling Sona Prius driver.
Some people know him as a hero.
At Sona, we know him as Jimmy Medina. A hero, a positive force in the community, and one of the many Sona employees with an amazing story.
Tell us about yourself, Jimmy!
Hi, my name is Jimmy Medina and I am a delivery driver here at Sona.
I have been around for a long time and I have had many experiences with a variety of businesses. I owned my own pizza place for 8 years in Florida until I had my child (My angel, Stephanee pictured below).
She is the main reason that I moved to Asheville, NC from Florida. She is 26 years old and currently lives at the Irene Wortham Center.
Believe it or not, before coming to work at Sona, I actually worked as a pawnshop manager for 15 years. I haggled back and forth with customers all day, so it’s safe to say that Sona is a MUCH better experience.
What is your favorite thing about being a Sona delivery driver?
I love driving for Sona because it’s extremely rewarding!
I get so much joy out of delivering medications to those who would otherwise have to depend on family or friends to pick them up. Our customers are so thankful every time I come see them, and it makes me feel great being the person who makes their day.
Do you have any rules for the road?
Believe it or not, I have been driving since I was 9 years old when I took my sister’s Pinto on a joy ride. Yes, a Ford Pinto. I’m going to be 55 years old on March 1st 2018, so I’ve been driving a long time!
You can’t help what other people do on the road, but I do have a few rules:
- Never go more than 5 miles per hour over the speed limit
- Never take your eyes off the road, even if you’re getting stung by a bee. It’s better to get a bee sting than to be in a wreck (unless you’re allergic to bee stings).
- Always use hands free devices like bluetooth
- Never text while the car is moving
People love your driving gloves. When and why did you start wearing them?
I’m glad to hear you like them! Besides being pretty cool, the gloves have many functions.
First, after a few hours on the road my hands start to ache a little bit. The gloves help the aching go away.
Second, the gloves keep my hands from getting wrinkles from the sun.
Finally, the gloves help give me a better grip on the steering wheel.
People ask me all the time why I wear gloves instead of putting a steering cover on the wheel. In my opinion, those things are bacteria magnets! Plus my gloves look pretty cool as I drive.
What is your music of choice while you’re driving?
I love listening to all kinds of music: rock, jazz, and classical music on NPR are my favorites.
I like listening to classical music in the morning because it’s relaxing and let’s me concentrate on the road.
You always seem to have a smile on your face. What advice do you have for staying positive?
I am always smiling because it takes less muscles to smile than it does to frown!
No, I’m kidding, that’s not it.
In life, there is always someone who has it worse than you and better than you. So, that’s why my attitude is always positive. I know that even with the difficulties in my life, there’s a person out there with other far greater problems than my own, so I’m always grateful.
What Do you Love About Sona?
The bottom line is the personality of any business is the most important thing.
In my experience at Sona, I have been around a long time but I have never worked anywhere so pleasant. It seems like the place runs by itself!
I haven’t had a lot of jobs, because I don’t like to move around too much, but Sona is like being in another dimension. Everyone and everything runs so smoothly, everyone’s so thankful all of the time, and everyone appreciates our customers like they are our family.
What Are Your Future Plans?
Driving gives me a great ending chapter to the story of my working life. That’s why I’m always smiling as much as possible. You have to make the best of it!
