Running public transit—whether driving a bus, trolley, or taxi—can be long hours of tireless work. But that’s not how Philadelphia trolley operator Tracey Holms-Williams sees it. She says that she and her colleagues are on “the front line workers” and can make a real impact. She’s made it her mission not just to keep the entire city moving, but to inspire it to keep its head up.

Holms-Williams sees hundred of Philadelphia passengers on her trolley car every day. After 26 years in the business, she has honed her philosophy on what it means to be a trolley operator. “You’re coming into my house, I want to greet you, I want to make you feel good, I want you to have a nice time.”

How does Holms-Williams do that? First of all, she has her train car set up like a welcoming home. “I put the positive quotes up there to inspire people because you never know what kind of day they’re having.” But that’s not all.

Holms-Williams tries to offer everyone a laugh or a smile. “Sometimes I’ll say ‘Hold up, don’t get on yet, I’ve got to roll out the red carpet!’”

In the end, Holms-Williams tries to improve her Philadelphia community by improving one trolley rider’s experience at a time. She sums it up simply: “I just try to make everybody feel good.”

Holms-Williams is a great example of what happens when we take pride in our work, even in an often-overlooked careers. And her trolley car is a reminder of how important a laugh or a smile can be for someone’s day. Facing an increasingly automated future, that’s an important reminder. See ABC News interview Tracy Holmes-Williams in the video embedded below: