Meet The UPS Store Retail Owner, PJ Thurkauf

Say hello to lifetime New Jersey native, PJ Thurkauf, the charismatic retail owner of two The UPS Store locations, located in Morristown and Lake Hiawatha, N.J.

PJ has always actively helped his local community. At the age of 15, he became a member of the local Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter, and later served as an EMT for many years. Growing up with a desire to help others and a love for firetrucks as a kid, he was a natural when he became a volunteer firefighter.

When he was 18, a fateful opportunity happened which impacted the direction his life would take. His mother learned of a job opening at Mail Boxes Etc. from a fellow church member and told PJ. He applied and got the job. He worked his way up to manager, became part owner of the store, and eventually went on to own two The UPS Store locations. He has developed a 26-year career in The UPS Store network and is continuously grateful he gets to do what he loves daily: help his local community and customers.

Nowadays, PJ's idea of helping his community is about "providing a superior customer experience" at his stores. He does this by providing extensive employee training, and he leads by example to always "do the work right." This makes him an empathetic community leader and a "rad boss" for his team.

PJ has been a community pillar as a Morristown Rotary Member for the past 15 years. He was even their president at one point. He's currently a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and his stores often sponsor local sports teams – all with the goal of lending a helping hand to make a difference in the lives of others.

When not busy with work or doing charitable acts of kindness, his main focus is spending time with his wife Jennifer and their young son and daughter. Life is busy at the Thurkauf household with Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, field hockey, ice-hockey, soccer, and dance lessons. Every year the family takes a trip to Disneyworld. They also enjoy a wonderful summer beach vacation in their own N.J. backyard, the Jersey Shore.

PJ enjoys working out and going on hikes. He relishes a good book on tape and spends his downtime listening to business podcasts, especially when it's from his favorite fellow entrepreneur, The Tim Ferriss Show podcast. When PJ is not reading or hanging out with his family, he can be found at home playing his beloved bass guitar. PJ has a long history of playing in bands: from the high school marching and jazz bands and even to his own rock band. While he has an eclectic playlist with jazz and big-band tunes, his number one go-to genre is hard rock. His favorite band is Rush and the lead singer and bassist, Geddy Lee is someone who PJ admires.

Next time you are in one of PJ's stores, be sure to stop and say hello to this community rockstar. Ask him if he has listened to any good business podcasts lately.