mobility
CHEERLEADING( Left) Bryson with one of her favorite clients, Carly Zukowsky;( right) Bryson when she was team captain of the New York Jets Flight Crew.
by abroken leg or astroke, or to transport family members toand from holidays or events. FTMobility can deliver the vehicle to Newark Airport, if needed, for those arriving by plane. When Bryson took ownership, the business had three vehicles for rent— now there are 20. And on Mother’ sDay weekend this year, they were all booked.
LEADING UP TO HER BIG DECISION
Bryson, who graduated from Bergen Community College with adegree in liberal arts, considered teaching as acareer.“ Once Istarted working at FTMobility, Iwas hooked,” she says.“ I was working with people with challenges, and realized this is what I want to do. Iwas changing their lives.”
In those early years, FTMobility wasn’ t Bryson’ sonly job. She started dancing at age three and was acheerleader inhigh school, where she became squad captain. In 2009, at 25 and now general manager at FTMobility, she auditioned for the New York Jets Flight Crew Cheerleaders and made the team.
Her parents, she says, were her biggest fans.“ They would cry at every game tosee me perform,” she says.
She spent six years with the Jets, four of those as team captain. That meant
working all day and practicing at night with the squad.“ While cheering for the Jets was exciting and thrilling, it’ snot forever,” she says.“ Ihad to choose the longevity path.”
When she left the Jets, Bryson thought she had lived her best years, but now realizes that was far from true.
“ I got to go to the Pro Bowl, when they choose one girl to represent each team,” she says.“ The Jets are such a brand, and you feel you’ re atthe highest level. There are big events, you meet celebrities. You feel like you’ re down when you’ re off the team, like that was the peak of your life. Little did Iknow!”
Like any business, FTMobility has faced challenges. Ayear after she bought the company, Bryson had twin boys, Dallas and Decker, now five, and ayear after that gave birth to another son, Carter. When COVID hit, FTMobility, like many businesses, shut down.“ I thought,‘ How am Igoing to come back from this?’” she recalls.“ But Icame back with flying colors.”
Bryson now has 11 employees, including her sister Danielle, who serves asgeneral manager, and her mother Barbara, who handles the finances.“ What better person to trust with my money than mymom?” she says with alaugh.
Bryson— who lives in the Township of Washington with her husband, Bobby, originally from Texas, and their sons— was born and raised in Saddle Brook, so having her business there is something of ahomecoming. In addition to her sister, she has abrother, Joseph, who works as an aeronautical mechanic atTeterboroAirport.
In March, Bryson was named the 2025 Small Business Person of the Year for New Jersey, anaward administered by the U. S. Small Business Administration, and she represented the state at the national competition in Washington, DC, inMay. Bryson had been nominated for the award bythe SBA administrator at Columbia Bank.
Percentagewise, Bryson says, the business has quadrupled since she started working there, alevel of success she attributes to the outstanding service they provide.“ Our customers have very specific and urgent needs,” she says.“ They have big challenges in life, not just transportation. Myteam is really strong in helping with things beyond transportation by connecting them with resources, such as support and therapy groups. Wework really hard onour reputation.
“ The best part of what Ido,” Bryson adds,“ is what it does for others.” n
@ 201magazine( 201) HEALTH 2025 EDITION
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