It’s been about 5 months since I’ve started this journey and I think it’s long overdue that I introduce myself! Honestly, I hate being the center of attention or talking about myself, but I also want you to know that there is a real, genuine, and caring person behind this brand.
My name is Ericka Genson. I’m 23 years old, born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. My boyfriend Tony and I have both grown up with ATV’s, dirt bikes, and snowmobiles. Together we now have 3 Jeeps as our toys...
I could just make this a long boring post and ramble on about my life, but I thought it would be better to answer what you really want to know! Here are the questions some of you sent to me on our social media, answered:
How did you know you wanted to start your own company?
I work part-time for a wheelchair lift manufacturer (super boring, right?), so I have some extra time on my hands. I wanted to fill that spare time with something I was passionate about. That's when Pretty PowerSports was born. The main goal was to connect with other women like myself. I also wanted to create cute but functional clothing for women to wear while riding, wheeling, and working on their rides.
I’ve had this idea for a while but it took me FOREVER to actually act on it. I was so nervous that no one would like it, or want to be a part of it. Finally, I just went for it - I am SO GLAD I did. The Instagram page caught on quickly, and I brought on ambassadors to help grow our online community of like-minded ladies. Five months later, I’ve connected with so many amazing new people! Watching others connect over this idea is so heartwarming too. I regret not starting this sooner. This group is growing every day and I can’t wait to see where it goes!
How did your passion for powersports start/grow?
I started when I was young, my dad always had my sister and I out riding our dirt bike or 4 wheeler, or we were riding with him on his. We both lost interest as we got older, through junior high and high school. I got back into it when I met Tony. He had snowmobiles at the time. He bought his first Jeep when we had been together about 6 months, and it’s grown from there. I’d say within the past year we have really gotten into it. He’s rebuilding his Wrangler, I got my own Wrangler, and he bought a Comanche so we had something to beat on while his Wrangler was down. We have a lot of trips planned for this spring/summer so our passion can only keep growing from here!
What’s your favorite thing to do that doesn’t involve a motor?
This question made me realize how boring I am. If we’re not doing something Jeep related, I’m usually just hanging out with my dogs.
What types of powersports have you done and what would you like to try? / What other powersports are you interested in?
Like I said earlier, I had a dirt bike and 4 wheeler when I was young. I’ve ridden on the back of Tony’s snowmobile, so I’d like to ride one myself some day. I don’t know if we will ever buy some of our own, just because we don’t get much snow here and traveling can get expensive, but we have talked about renting some for a weekend. If it was in our budget, we’d have one of everything! I’d love to get on a dirt bike again.
If you didn’t drive a Jeep what else would be a dream car for you to drive?
I honestly don’t know. I’ve never really been into cars. I learned to drive in my mom’s Expedition and my dad’s full size GMC Sierra, so I’ve always wanted something big. Cars make me feel so little, like I’m sitting on the ground. If I didn’t have my Jeep, I would probably have a Chevy truck just because I like the look of them.
Will Tony ever get the JK done?
This made me laugh out loud, so I had to include it. I wish I had a real answer but only time will tell.