Beyond the Game is a series where we take a look at former athletes who have taken the skills, discipline, and drive from their playing days and turned them into winning careers and businesses off the field. These stories show how the hustle doesn’t stop when the game ends – it just takes on a new form.
Tell us your name, where you went to high school and college, sports played at both, and then a little bit of background on your business you own.
Jennifer Pruitt was all county basketball and softball for Bel Air High School and played both sports at Harford Community College. After HCC Jennifer went in to the trucking business in Baltimore
How did your experiences as a county athlete shape your mindset or approach to running a business today?
Our business, TP Transportation, is an intermodal business in Baltimore. I played basketball and softball at Bel Air high school which were both team sports.This helped me to realize one person cannot carry the team. It takes the talent of all the players to accomplish the goal. The same is true in business. I may be the leader but without the contributions of my employees and the drivers who we contract with, the business would not succeed.
What lessons from competing locally—like dealing with pressure, failure, or rivalry—have helped you navigate challenges in business?
Sports helped me realize that even when you give your best effort, you don’t always win. In our business, there is always a challenge to deal with and while we do our best to meet our customers needs, we are not always going to succeed. We must accept our failures and come up with a plan for the next time. Just like a loss in sports, you come a with a plan to try for a win the next game.
Business is also like sports in that we are constantly competing with our rival competitors. It’s not always about having the best talent, it is about having the knowledge to get the best out of the talent you have. We may not win ever bid but when we do win, we provide the best service to ensure the customer returns.
Why was it important for you to come back and build your business here in the same county where you once competed?
My father started our business over 40 years ago. Jason and I currently run the business and it is very important to us to maintain our business in the area and to carry on our father’s legacy.
