BLOG POST

Worldwide Express Career Spotlight: Kurt Watkins

Two photos are linked by an arrow: one shows three men in suits holding a $7,500 check from Worldwide Express; the other features four people smiling with a $71,000 check. Discover success stories and growth through Worldwide Express careers.

Reading Time: 9 minutes

Worldwide Express careers in sales are more than jobs. We create pathways. Whether that means starting in Worldwide Express corporate sales, stepping into leadership or ultimately building something of your own, the organization gives driven professionals the flexibility to grow based on their goals, strengths and appetite for opportunity.

Kurt Watkins is a clear example of that path in action. His journey began right out of college at Worldwide Express (part of the WWEX Group family of brands) where he started in sales in downtown San Francisco in 2006. What began as cold calling high-rises and learning the business from the ground up quickly evolved into leadership roles across California, where he gained experience managing teams, owning a P&L and driving growth.

After stepping away for a couple years, Watkins returned to WWEX Group in 2019 to take a different path within the same organization — launching his own Unishippers franchise. Leveraging his experience and the company's platform, he built a business of his own and is now helping members of his team transition into franchise ownership as well.

In this Q&A, Watkins shares why returning felt like a homecoming, how his experience prepared him for ownership and why the right opportunity can become something much bigger than a job.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your Unishippers franchise?

I was born and raised in San Jose, California. I went to California Polytechnic State University — San Luis Obispo, majored in business with a marketing concentration, and Worldwide Express was my first job out of college. I thought I was going into marketing, but I had waited tables through school, and if you combine marketing with waiting tables, that probably means you are headed for sales. I interviewed with a lot of companies and eventually narrowed it down to two opportunities. One paid more, but I really liked the Worldwide Express team and the management path.

Two men in suits, one holding a drink and the other holding a rectangular white sign, stand side by side with arms around each other, smiling at the camera in a dimly lit setting.

I started in downtown San Francisco, cold calling high-rises and learning the business door by door. I moved into management, ran Southern California from 2007 to 2012, then Northern California from 2012 to 2014. I left for about four and a half years, then came back in 2019 to start my Unishippers franchise. What started as one franchise has now evolved into three, with people on my team stepping into ownership roles alongside me.

Returning to the WWEX Group family of brands is a full-circle story. What made you decide to come back?

The biggest reason was the people. In a lot of ways, it felt like a homecoming. These were people I spent many of my early, formative business years with. We had been through the highs and lows together — including conferences, late nights, early mornings and major changes in the business. When you go through those experiences together, you build a real connection.

When I came back, every email and phone call felt familiar. People were saying, "It's so good to see you again," and "You're back." It felt like moving back to your hometown after being away. I also trusted leadership. I knew the people running the company were forward-thinking and deliberate about moving the business in the right direction. My responsibility was to execute, grow the business and take care of my team. At this stage in your career, you want to work with people you want to work with. That was a huge part of the decision.

When did you realize you wanted more than to be an individual logistics sales contributor?

By 25, I was running a Worldwide Express sales office, managing a P&L, hiring people, making decisions and dealing with the ups and downs of the business. That experience gave me an early understanding of what it takes to run something. I was responsible for moving the business forward regardless of circumstance.

When the opportunity came to come back as a Unishippers franchise owner, I had to think about it. I was in a good position at the time. I had a great boss, strong work-life balance and a role I liked. It was not an easy decision. Looking back, it was clearly the right move.

What made you willing to take the leap into franchise ownership?

I am probably more of a risk taker by nature. That made the decision easier for me than it might be for some people. But it was not just about risk tolerance. It was also about knowing the company, knowing the people and trusting the direction of the business. This was not some random opportunity. I had known many of these people for decades. I trusted them, I liked the business, and I understood the model.

That said, it was still a risk. I started the business in November 2019. I took out loans, and then COVID hit a few months later. I was in San Francisco, which was one of the most restricted places during that time, and I was used to being an outside salesperson. At that point, I had one customer. None of us knew those storms were coming. But I also knew an opportunity like this was not likely to come around again — not with a company, people and industry I already knew so well.

How does the scale of the WWEX Group family of brands help you as a franchise owner?

For us, scale creates opportunity. WWEX Group is the largest nonretail authorized reseller of UPS in the nation. So, when I first started selling parcel, I remember thinking that a customer spending $40,000 a year was a high-end opportunity. Now we have customers that do $40,000 a week. That shows how much the business has continued to grow and how the company keeps pushing into larger opportunities.

Truthfully, we continue to punch above our weight class. The company keeps raising the ceiling, expanding what we can go after and giving us more room to grow. That is what leadership is supposed to do — make the playing field bigger and give us more opportunities.

In return, our job is to execute. We have to grow the business, whether that is organically, through headcount or a combination of both. The dynamic works because we trust corporate to keep opening doors, and they trust us to go execute in the field. That is the value of scale. It gives us more to work with, but still leaves the responsibility on us to build the business.

Two smiling men in suits stand together at a crowded event, holding a large check for $1,200 made out to Kurt Watkins at the Unishippers Sales Conference 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

How did your earlier experience at Worldwide Express help you transition into franchise ownership?

In many ways, back then, I was already doing what I am doing now. I am just doing it for myself. When I ran offices for Worldwide Express, I was responsible for the business, the team and the results. The biggest difference now is that my franchise is not geographically constrained, and I am working for myself.

That changes the way you experience the highs and lows. When you own the business, the victories feel bigger, and the setbacks are more personal. If a customer has bad debt or we take on a risky client, that affects the business directly.

You have to be ready for that. It is less of a steady line and more of an up-and-down experience, especially early on. But the foundation was already there. I understood the sales process, the business model, the customer challenges and what it takes to lead a team. That background made the transition much more natural. The work was familiar. The ownership responsibility was the real difference.

Worldwide Express promises a playbook to sales professionals. How has the proven playbook helped you build your franchise?

The playbook works, but you also have room to customize it for your business. Most of the business comes down to execution. You have to fill the funnel. You have to create opportunities, follow up with prospects, bring on good customers, earn referrals and continue managing those relationships well after onboarding. That is the core of the playbook, and you do not want to get too far away from it. But as a franchise owner, you can make adjustments based on how you want to build.

For example, I live in California, but I do not have any employees in California, and I do not have an office. My team is spread across Michigan, Houston, Fort Worth, Detroit, Oregon and Georgia. That is not how every group does it, but it works for us.

When I came back, I had an idea for how I wanted to structure the business, and I was told, "Do it how you want to do it." That freedom is powerful. You follow the fundamentals, but you can build the business in a way that fits your life and leadership style.

Six men in business attire stand smiling in front of a large red UNT sculpture outdoors. They wear conference badges and lanyards. A banner at the bottom reads WWEX Group Partner Channel Conference, April 2, 2024.

What role has logistics and sales training played in your experience with Worldwide Express and Unishippers?

Training has always been important, both for skill development and for staying connected to the larger organization. When I started, training was more of a cutthroat, boot camp-style experience. It has gone through several iterations since then, and now there is training for almost everything — new franchise owners, sales managers, account managers and different levels of sales development.

For a remote team like mine, those touchpoints matter. I want my team to see each other and the broader organization several times a year, whether that is through the national meeting, regional meetings or specific training programs. Our business changes over time. New products, pricing updates and tools come out, so you need to stay current. But training is also about staying connected to the core of the company.

I think of it like running on battery power. Trainings, meetings and conferences plug you back into the charger. They reconnect you with the company, the people and the direction of the business, and that helps carry you through the next stretch.

What would you tell a strong salesperson who is considering a Unishippers franchise opportunity or a sales opportunity with Worldwide Express?

I would not try to convince everybody, because I do not think this business is for everybody. Freight and transportation have their own challenges. It can feel blue collar in the sense that you are always rolling up your sleeves, dealing with tracking, damages, customer issues and day-to-day problems. It is not for the faint of heart.

But if someone is diligent, detail-oriented, aggressive and not willing to lose, the opportunity is incredible. There are people who like to win, and there are people who hate to lose. The people who hate to lose are often the ones you want on your team because they will do what it takes to get there.

There are flashier industries out there, especially in tech. But logistics sales is consistent. It is tried and true. You may not get the dramatic spikes some industries promise, but you also are not chasing every trend or worrying about every market shift. If you are a top-tier salesperson and you want to build something long term, this can be a great place to be.

What would you tell someone who is concerned about leaving the stability of a corporate job for a career in logistics sales?

It all depends on the type of person you are. Some people are really uncomfortable leaving the W-2 model, and I understand that. A stable salary, benefits and a predictable path matter. But franchise ownership requires someone who is willing to take risks and put more on the line.

That does not mean everyone has to take the same level of risk. I may be a 10 on the risk scale. Some of the people who joined my team and took pay cuts to be part of the long-term opportunity may be sevens or eights. They still took a risk, but in a different way. The people who are twos, threes or fours on that risk scale may not be the right fit for franchise ownership. And that is okay. Not everyone should own a franchise.

For me, the goal is also to create opportunities for others. Everyone on my team has equity in their accounts. I want them to be able to build wealth for their families, and they are doing that alongside me.

Do you see your franchise as something bigger than a job?

Yes, but maybe in a different way than I originally expected. Early in my career, everything was built around working hard, maximizing selling hours and doing everything possible to create opportunities. That structure was important, and it helped build the foundation.

But over time, the business has become something different. I still work hard, but now a larger part of my role is building relationships — taking clients to dinner, developing referral networks and doing good business over a long period of time.

The inbound side of our business is much stronger than I expected. After years of doing the right thing for customers, people now refer to me as their shipping or freight guy. They connect me with others because they trust us.

That has changed the way work feels. It is not just outbound prospecting every day. It is coffees, lunches, dinners, travel and relationships. It also gives me flexibility to be present for my kids and my family. In that way, the business has become more than a job. It has become a life I can build around.

Three people wearing event badges smile and pose together at an outdoor evening event with a crowd of people and string lights in the background.

Interested in building a Worldwide Express career with no limits? Connect with us today.

As part of the WWEX Group family of brands, Worldwide Express offers more than a job — it offers a path. Whether you're looking to grow in sales, move into leadership or explore long-term opportunities like franchise ownership through brands like Unishippers, WWEX Group gives you the platform to shape your career based on your goals.

With industry-leading carrier partnerships, proven training, strong support systems and uncapped growth potential, Worldwide Express empowers driven professionals to take control of their future. If you're ready to build something bigger than a job and explore where your path can lead, check out our career opportunities today.

Publish Date: 05/19/2026

If you liked this, check out similar articles below: