Meet Donita Blasberg

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Donita Blasberg a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Donita with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I would say that I get my work ethic from my parents. My dad worked in a factory most of my childhood years and my mom was a private in home care/cleaning lady. Then my dad started working beside his dad, my granddad at the family restaurant. It is a burger and fries and no apple pies kind of “diner”. When I was 12, I started washing dishes at the “joint” as we fondly call it. I would ride home with my granddad most Friday and Saturday evenings. I learned quickly that “running” a business was almost a 24/7 gig because it seemed like my dad was NEVER home.
Fast forward a few years and my granddad stepped farther back and now my parents worked side-by-side. They did for the most part work opposite shifts, mom mostly mornings and dad mostly night because he was a night owl. I used to swear he was nocturnal. These are the years I enjoyed being able to learn how to work hard and learn to work for what I want and need.
I took accounting at a vocational school and worked two part-time jobs. I stayed on at the “joint” and I also worked at a clothing store. At almost 21 I decided I wanted to drive a truck for a living and see this great country I call home. My dad was not a fan of this decision and I promised him that when he was ready to retire that I would be here to take over the “joint”.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I drove a truck and was involved in the transportation industry for 30 years. It was hard as a woman to be a driver in a “man’s profession”. But, with the work ethic and upbringing I had, I was able to survive as a driver.
In 2000, I moved to Texas because I was “in love”. I was there for 3 years and 3 months. In July of 2002, I had a son that was 10 and a half weeks early. In Oct of 2003, It was time to leave the mentally and verbally abusive relationship and return to Ohio where all of my family was. I continued to work in the transportation industry and also work at the joint on Saturday’s. In 2005, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She was a fighter for sure. In July of 2010, almost 5 years after the first diagnosis, she passed away. I kept working my transportation office job and continuied to work for my dad at the joint.
In 2019, my dad was robbed and pretty much left for dead. We discovered while he was in the hospital that he had been hit in the head. I stepped in kept Porky’s operating. Everyday I would open Porky’s and then I would go to my office job while my dad was recovering. On April 25, 2020, after COVID hit and shutdown the sitdown portion of Porky’s, my dad had a stroke and was gone the next morning. I continued to work both the joint and the transportation office job until September. I decided the joint needed me more and gave a 6 week notice. The end of October, 2022 I became a full-time, almost entreprenuer. I say almost entrepreneur because we are still in the probate process after my dad’s death. I do have a sibling and we do not get along. I operate Porky’s like I am the sole owner because the employees need me and their jobs and the people of our community need our wonderful food! I am the 3rd generation! Lots of places can say they have been around for 75 or more years but not many can say it is still owned by the same family!!!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, I think it was the ability to listen to learn. So many people only listen to respond, you have to listen to learn. The ability to take and accept constructive critisism. Be willing to dive into books, the internet and just ask people questions and learn on your own time.

Like I said, you have to listen to learn, God gave us one mouth and two ears because we are supposed to listen twice as much as we talk. Learn how to accept critisism, it WILL help you grow! You have to be willing to learn on your own, to look for information that will help you grow!

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

Employees. The lack of, the disrespect of, the entitlement of, the rudeness of….employees. I will admit that I have a lot of my dad in me in the respect of he was LAID back. Well, I have been laid back for way too long here at the joint, Porky’s. I have slowly been finding my voice to help me combat the disrespect, the entitlement and some of them do not like it. Well, I do not care that they do notb like it, I sign the paychecks! As far as hiring employees, this day and age, people do not want to work. If they do want to work, they want way more an hour than I can pay.
It takes a special someone to be able to handle the younger generation because a lot of them can not multitask or count change. Here at Porky’s most positions do require you to multitask and count change. It is very important to be able to count/make change so that customers get the correct change! Without the customers we do not have jobs!!