We all have that friend who at one point has said “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a service that delivers fuel to your car” Well, if you haven’t heard, there’s a new app in Milwaukee, PumpFive, that just made that a reality.
Started in 2018 by Founder, Talethea Thompson, PumpFive originated from the simple idea: why can’t someone bring gas to me?
But Talethea wasn’t always looking for a life of entrepreneurship. For most of her life, she worked normal 9-5 jobs and at one point, as a 911 operator. When she decided to quit in 2016, she became a contractor for Amazon delivering shipments and also drove Uber and Lyft. “I was able to work less than 40 hours a week and still make enough to support my family. This allowed me to be around my family more and share more of those special moments,” Talethea told The B.E.E. Narrative.
Talethea says it was during one of her Uber rides that the idea of PumpFive came to her.
So she started researching and talking to people in her circle, who all were very receptive to the idea. “It was exciting to know that this was something people were willing to pay for. When we officially started, we had 12 customers out of the gate,” said Talethea. The first group of customers that signed up for the service paid for an entire year’s worth of gas.
This initial growth did not keep Talethea stagnant. She invested back into PumpFive by taking part in the Entrepreneurship Training Program with UWM which helped her write her business plan. Shortly after, she participated in the RISE program and the BizStart Co Starter program, both great opportunities that focus on enabling entrepreneurs through education, guidance and mentorship.
“When I look back at how far I’ve come, I can definitely see the growth,” said Talethea. I’m looking forward to creating opportunities. Not everybody wants to be an entrepreneur and there is nothing wrong with that, but my goal is to make employment opportunities for people.”
A few of those people include her family who Talethea says are extremely helpful with PumpFive. “My younger kids right now help with the accounting, books, marketing, and designing brochures. My husband does deliveries on his off days and weekends. Whenever we do expos, they’re a part of the street team, handing stuff out and talking to people. They love it,” Talethea said.
Her main goal is to provide her family options. Whether their wealth comes from PumpFive or something else, Talethea just wants them to have the option to do whatever they want and not have to worry about whether or not they can pay for it.
Overall,Talethea is pure #blackgirlmagic! A true innovator, leader, and collaborator. She concluded that “there is enough for all of us to eat. We can be doing the same thing but there’s still enough out for all of us to succeed. We can all win!”
Spoken like a true boss woman!