TRUDY JACOBSO | BusinessWoman | CPMagazine

Hay personas que tienen un don especial para la música, quien desde temprana edad desarrollan habilidades para algunos géneros en especifico, este es el caso de Karina Rosee, quien desde los 14 años decidido dedicarse a lo que mas le gusta: La música electrónica.

FOUNDER, OWNER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF JACOBSON HOLDINGS INC

Trudy Jacobson came from humble beginnings and now is the Founder, Owner and Chairman of the Board of Jacobson Holdings Inc. Her hard work as a LADY TRUCKER and her success in the industry pave the way for potential career opportunities in trucking for women today. Her new book that captures her life in a fictional novel titled “Diesel Smoke and Dangerous Curves” is in the making.

1.Q.. As a businesswoman you had a unique job in the trucking business tell us how that came about. I worked for a truck dealership in a small town in Missouri and learned my way around the industry and the people involved. One day I met a “trucker” who happened to have started a major trucking corporation called National Carriers. We were married and I was thrown into playing a key role in his business in Western Kansas. I felt blessed to have such an opportunity to prove that women have potential to be successful in a male dominated work environment and industry. The top leaders of the company were my husband and father-inlaw, Executive VP and CEO, respectively, of the Fortune 200 publicly held meat processing, cattle feeding, and trucking operation.

As leaders of the company they were respectful and intimidating at the same time. I was eager to learn and gain credibility in an industry in which I was interested and passionate about. I even went as far as becoming a driver, or “meat hauler” myself! I got my commercial driver’s license and began hauling meat from state to state. I loved every adventure on which I went, despite the dangers of the roads, because I felt empowered and could experience what my co-workers lived every day. My first trip took me from Kansas to New York, then to Michigan, Utah, Oregon, California, and back to Kansas again. The trip took two weeks. We broke down, I peed in a cup, and did not rest because we did whatever it took to deliver on time. It was a hustle, and it was common for meat to be stolen and truckers to be robbed along the way. 2.Q.What have been the biggest difficulties as a woman you encountered in this job? The biggest difficulties I encountered as a female in the trucking industry began with becoming confident to make my voice heard in a room full of men. The common perception is that men handle “tough” jobs like driving, handling the equipment and responsibilities that come with management; but in reality, I was just as capable to do everything associated with trucking and more. 90% of all positions in trucking were occupied by men. I was a strong leader who trained drivers, and I had a passion to advocate for them. Getting product loads that weigh 40 tons from place to place takes a lot of determination and grit, and I was happy to be one of the ones hooking up the trailer and getting the job done. My main focus was to do a good job with John, my husband, as a co-driver. I had to back the trailer into docks and perform numerous difficult maneuvers. Even though I had earned the respect of my co-workers, I still ran into trouble when pulling into truck stops along the route. I was denied a bathroom in many locations, and most memorably in the southern states. I encountered discrimination in the 80’s as a female trucker, and thankfully that environment has changed for the better today.

3.Q There will be those who think that you are very lucky, so tell us also about the difficult times you have lived before your success. Everyday I wake up and feel how lucky I am to have married a man who shared the same passion and drive that I have. We gave up so much of our time for work. Our relationship was based around work, and I even considered us to be workaholics. This led us to grow apart, because we did not make time for intimacy and closeness. We were constantly absorbed in work-related responsibilities. I often felt isolated in the small town in which our company was based. We worked through holidays and rarely spent personal time together. We hired amazing people of diverse backgrounds and held events such as safety banquets and business dinners with customers. We were social with people within the company and considered them family, as they often came over for barbeques and backyard fun. John and I stuck together because as big fish in a little pond, we were constantly under scrutiny, and much was expected of my husband and me. There was always much to be done, and I barely had any downtime. After the first company was sold, we started another trucking company from scratch near Kansas City, Missouri, TransAm Trucking Inc.. Starting a company requires full devotion and there was little room to pursue other passions that I had, including motherhood. Later my son was born, and I faced the dilemma of prioritizing my career and being a mother with the never-ending responsibilities of the new company. Most of the parenting responsibilities fell on my shoulders as my husband directed all his focus on the company. It was nothing short of an impossible feat!

4. Q. What would you consider as the most influential time in your life and career? While isolated in the small town in Kansas and working at National Carriers, I took advantage of the amazing community in which I found myself. I took a leadership role and found fulfillment as an organizational leader and community influencer. I served as Chair of the County Economic Development Committee and was an officer on the Chamber of Commerce in the community. I was a representative of our company and was working in leadership positions in my early 20’s. I learned to adapt to a position of power and responsibility and consequently developed excellent leadership skills that I later applied to starting my own company. Being respected as a community leader trickled into all other aspects of my life and helped me become a skilled businesswoman. These leadership skills helped as well in my participation in philanthropic organizations in the Kansas City area as I became more involved in leadership roles. It was empowering to hold these positions and be wellrespected within the community, and it was at this point I realized I was capable of anything. People looked to me for inspiration, and I exemplified strong leadership capabilities in executive careers that I have filled throughout my career.