A Story of Resilience and Hope | Business with Purpose Podcast EP. 321: David Pruitt

My guest this week is David Pruitt, a first-generation college graduate from UNC-Greensboro. As a senior leader in the U.S Bicycle industry, he served on the board of “People for Bikes,” a national organization with 1.3 million members that works to make riding a bicycle in America safer, easier to access, and more fun.

A licensed CPA, David started his business career in an entry-level accounting position before advancing to first CFO, then CEO, of Performance Bike, for a time the largest cycling retailer in the United States.

He is an avid reader, a happily married husband for more than 30 years, and a proud father of two successful children. He currently resides in Chapel Hill.

5:24 – David 101

He was raised in Greensboro with two older brothers.
David had a dysfunctional, chaotic upbringing. His mother had mental health issues and his father was mentally and physically abusive.

20:12 – Breaking cycles

30% of children who are abused end up abusing their children
David knew he was never going to put his hands on his kids. There was never a doubt, given his experience with abuse.

22:16 – 10 traumatic events

The CDC identified 10 traumatic events that can happen to a child before the age of 17.
If enough of those events happen, it can dramatically change the quality of the rest of their life.
Some include: physical/verbal/sexual abuse, neglect, domestic violence on mother, alcoholic parent, etc.

29:30 – Easy and difficult writing

Writing is not a cathartic experience.
There are tough things in his book, but it has a good ending.

42:32 – Forgiveness

David used his faith to help him forgive his father before his death.

45:00 – Missing the mother-son connection

David never had a connection with his mother. Mother-son relationships are supposed to the closest, but it wasn’t.

52:03 – Get to know you

Strange pet peeve? Mess. He’s a neat freak.
Hobby we wouldn’t guess?

FEATURED QUOTES

I wanted to stop the cycle with my kids. So I was focused on being a good dad.

I knew I was never going to put my hands on my kids. I knew it. There was never a doubt.

There’s nothing worse than seeing a child’s potential stolen.

CONNECT:

https://gosparkpress.com/portfolio/david-pruitt/

Thank you to our partners of the show!

Are you looking to clean up your household cleaning products this year? MamaSuds would like to help! The best way is to simply start with one product. Every time you run out of a specific cleaning product, replace it with a non-toxic one. Another tip, purchase a product that has multiple uses. The MamaSuds Collection has many multiple use products (castile soap or the toilet bombs are just a few!). Their blog has lots of great tips and a castile soap recipe that you can print and make a lot of your own effective cleaners! Give them a try at www.mamasuds.com and don’t forget to use the coupon code MOLLY for 15% off your order!

I’d like to thank our other partner of the show and that’s Tradlands. Tradlands is an INCREDIBLE sustainable fashion brand that believes in clothing that you can live in NOW and love forever. Clothing that not only makes you feel like your best self, but also fits in a way that flatters. Their gorgeous dresses, pants, tops, and more are designed to move with you throughout your busy days. Their Nico dress is my dress in a love language —not only does it have sleeves, but also POCKETS and you know how I feel about dresses with pockets. I love how comfortable and stylish each piece – and they come in colors like classic neutrals or vibrant hues. One of the things I love most about Tradlands is their focus on sustainability and creating small batch clothing that lasts… they never over produce what they make and focus on only the highest quality materials. And you know how much I love supporting small businesses, too. Check them out at https://tradlands.com/businesswithpurpose and use the code MOLLY20 for 20% off!