Lexington, KY - Libby McCarty's first job out of Eastern Kentucky University was selling life insurance. "Hardest job I ever had," she tells me. "But I figured that if I could sell life insurance, I could do anything." She stayed with the job, learned to do it well and later bought an insurance agency with her new husband. After four years, she was restless in the insurance business. "My father was an incredibly smart businessman, and I always talked to him about my work. When I told him I wanted a change, he suggested I join the family business and try selling oil to the equine industry. I had a blast! It was like eating ice cream all day!"
"How did you find me?" McCarty asked when I called. "I'm usually way below the radar." As it turned out, I happened to call during the 10th anniversary week of her parents' death; she was remembering, and her voice cracked. "I had wonderful parents who were my role models. My mother was quiet, strong, full of grace-a woman who taught by example. I always wanted to be like her."
In the late 1980's, when environmental laws on fuel storage were tightened, Riley Oil began building unattended/ automatic fueling stations for fleets of vehicles. "My uncle had seen this work in California, which had the most stringent environmental laws at the time. My father liked the idea and we built the first unattended fueling station in Richmond." McCarty's alma mater, EKU, was their first customer, and the popularity of using Fleet Cards at central fueling stations grew.
McCarty enjoys the business. "I like getting to know our customers, helping them solve problems, working with our employees. And I hate having to lay people off!" What she loves, what inspires her, is her family and friends. "I love to go on girl trips, shop, visit a spa, hang out with my friends." At EKU she made good friends who are still part of her life, even though they're in Chicago and New York, places far removed from the Richmond area McCarty calls home. "We still get together to party, go to the theatre; we've even met up at a spa in Scottsdale, Arizona."
McCarty and her friends also love karaoke. She told me of a house party where everyone dressed country and sang country songs. She and Jim, her husband of twenty-three years, dressed as June Carter and Johnny Cash and sang the signature song "Jackson." She laughingly reveals that "Dolly was there and George JonesÖand I don't remember if Elvis was there, but a pregnant Brittany sure was."
"Every day I count my blessings," McCarty says in closing. "I have two healthy boys, Riley (19) and Charles (15), so we're very involved in their sports activities. I'm not sure they'll go into the business, but, whatever they do, it'll all work out." Her main concern these days is the lack of stability in the economy and fluctuating oil prices. "One day at a time," she says. "One day at a time."