ASI Media 2022 Salespeople of the Year

Jul 24, 2023

Just like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, Peter McCutcheon was The One.

That's how Michael Scott Cohen and Jon Alagem, the co-founders of Harper + Scott (asi/220052), felt six years ago when they met him. It just so happened that the New York City-based distributor and the experiential marketing agency McCutcheon was working for at the time were both involved with a product launch for adult beverage company Diageo. In addition to brand activations for beer and liquor companies, McCutcheon also had valuable experience purchasing promo – everything from uniforms and shot glasses to giveaways, banners and signage. Cohen and Alagem pegged him as just the guy they needed to grow their sales in the adult beverage sector.

"About a year and a half into starting the company, we knew we needed to bring on someone to lead the charge on the sales and business development side," says Alagem, the company's president. "I knew right away that Peter was the one."

McCutcheon was hesitant at first. A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate who initially relocated to New York for music management, he had a thriving career that allowed him to attend buzzy headlining events such as Coachella, Art Basel, SXSW and the Grammy Awards. In fact, he turned down multiple offers from Cohen and Alagem. But the duo persisted, and ultimately convinced McCutcheon to join what Alagem terms "our little no-name startup."

"They said, ‘Your skillset is what we’re looking for,’" says McCutcheon. "‘With your experience and network, you’ll crush it.’ I decided to make the jump and haven't looked back."

Peter McCutcheon, the ASI Media Distributor Salesperson of the Year, was a recent guest on the Promo Insiders podcast, where he talked about his career path that led him to NYC-based Harper + Scott, how he delivered for high-profile brands in the midst of pandemic challenges, and what he's most looking forward to this year.

"We were so happy when he finally came over," Alagem adds. "It takes a lot of courage to leave a big company where you’ve been for nine years. But that's who Peter is: a courageous, hard-working and all-around incredible person. The Harper + Scott we are today is in large part because of Peter."

Their hunch has proven correct. Between 2020 and 2021, McCutcheon, now the vice president of business development, increased his sales by more than 250% and hit eight figures. He leveraged his years of experiential marketing prowess into collaborations with a number of major entities, including Restaurant Brands International (RBI), Angel's Envy, Twitter, Diageo, The Estée Lauder Companies and The Boston Beer Company.

Meanwhile, Harper + Scott has grown into a powerhouse distributor with nearly $34 million in sales in 2021. And as the company's highest-performing sales rep, McCutcheon is right in the middle of it.

That combination of major success and dedication, coupled with engineering some of the buzziest merch campaigns of 2021, has earned McCutcheon the title of ASI Media's Distributor Salesperson of the Year.

"Peter is the sales colleague companies dream of," says Harper + Scott CMO Kate Hallett. "He's self-taught in sales, but his portfolio reflects an industry veteran. It's his unwavering work ethic and commitment to driving value through creativity, conversation and client-oriented dynamics that make him such an outstanding seller."

But as McCutcheon will be the first to tell you, it's been a team effort to weather the pandemic storm and continue to deliver. "These have been two volatile years," he says of COVID and its accompanying challenges. "But I’m really proud of our constant drive to find unique, creative and innovative ways to succeed with a value mindset, first and foremost. Our expansion into quick-service restaurants and high-profile, pinch-yourself projects in 2021 are standout, and I’m honored to have been part of it."

Specifically, a massive celeb-centered endeavor dominated McCutcheon's time last summer: planning three separate merch drops in late 2021 for Popeyes x Megan Thee Stallion to mark the hip-hop artist's new Hottie Sauce for the chain of restaurants. McCutcheon and his team leveraged an existing relationship with RBI, Popeyes’ parent company, to land the major assignment. It included a variety of branded merch, including apparel, totes, stickers and even stainless-steel bottles shaped like fire extinguishers.

As though the pressure of working on such a prominent account wasn't enough, supply chain disruption was a constant threat. "Transparency" became the operating word, says McCutcheon. "It's critical to walk the client through everything," he says. "Thankfully, clients understand that challenges with supply chain, for example, aren't limited to the promo industry. Still, they expect us to be their subject matter experts. They still want to know: how is Harper + Scott making sure products arrive on time? It's a huge box for them to check."

McCutcheon works proactively to anticipate delays. He's in constant two-way conversations about current events and how they’ll impact the supply chain, he pads timelines and he uses Gantt charts (a common project management tool) to track benchmarks for each order.

"We want everyone to be confident, not just praying in the dark that things show up," he says. "At the end of the day, we’re two parties working toward the same goal. It's a partnership."

McCutcheon's previous role certainly had its perks, from VIP launch events with celebrity DJs to visits to some of the biggest distilleries and breweries in the world. But he appreciates that the promotional products industry has offered him the opportunity to expand his expertise in a myriad of ways.

"I’ve learned the ins and outs of the consumer-packaged goods, beauty, tech and quick-service restaurant industries, and that's made me a better marketer and more effective salesperson," he says. "We see our products on the streets of New York, posted on fashion blogs and even worn by celebrities, and that's the ultimate validation of all the hard work our team put in behind the scenes to support these amazing brands." – Sara Lavenduski

The ASI Media Salespeople of the Year awards were determined by a panel of ASI staff using the following criteria: annual sales, year-over-year increase in sales, colleague testimonials, prestige of clients and creativity in recent promotional campaigns. Nominees for Salesperson of the Year must generate $1 million or more in sales revenue.

A theater major who knows how to work a crowd, Stefanie Hargraves would rather be in front of an audience of thousands than tied to a phone all day. The Southern California sales rep for Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863) for the last eight years, she had honed her sales presentations to an art form, educating and entertaining clients about the ins and outs of apparel – sometimes even tacking quizzes and Starbucks gift cards to the end to keep her clients on their toes.

"I just love talking in front of people," she says. "I get excited about that."

Then, the pandemic happened and Hargraves had to find a new way to connect. So, she pivoted to video and became an "influencer" – or at least, that's what her boss Ted Wright dubbed her. Hargraves took virtual sales calls "to the next level," says the director of Western sales at SanMar.

Hargraves started creating minute-long videos wearing and describing SanMar products in fun ways, sharing them with customers and SanMar leadership. Her customers loved the videos, as did her colleagues. Hargraves sparked a trend within the company – with other sales reps encouraged to shoot their own videos showing off SanMar styles.

But going the extra mile is just how Hargraves rolls. "She's truly motivated by seeing a smile on a customer's face and having them share a success story about how happy they were able to make their customer," Wright says. "She puts her all into every single opportunity, for every single customer – no matter how large or small. She measures her success by her customer's success."

She savors the moments when she can be a customer's go-to on apparel, training them on fashion trends, educating on fabric properties and giving real-world case studies on how to successfully pitch apparel to their own clients.

Her sales mantra? "I’ve got to do something that most salespeople won't." That means making one last call on Friday at 4:45 p.m., even though she’d rather log off for a weekend at the beach. Or getting on the computer at 7 a.m. instead of 8 for a bright and early start on Monday. "I really think that's important," she says. She also makes it a point to return every phone call and answer every email.

And in her spare time, Hargraves has even been learning Spanish to better service her customers who do business in Mexico, Wright says. "She's gotten very good at it," he adds. "I fully expect that the next time we travel together and include our Mexican customers, she’ll lead some of those conversations."

Hargraves has been in the promotional products industry for more than two decades, after pivoting from a career in local politics. She spent a dozen years in Las Vegas working for the Nevada State Education Association, handling their public relations campaigns and representing the teachers union in labor management disputes. In that life, Hargraves always enjoyed working with her promotional products rep, so when she moved to Southern California after 9/11, she decided to switch gears and get into promo herself.

Her first gig was filing catalogs at Logo Expressions. "It was the best thing ever," Hargraves says. "I learned all the different products and how the industry worked."

She later became a sales manager there, and discovered a flair for apparel – which led to her next career leap, into the supplier side of the business. Hargraves had stints at alphabroder (asi/34063) and TSC Apparel before joining SanMar. Her first sales meeting in this new position was nerve-wracking. "I couldn't believe I was in a room full of such high-achieving salespeople. It was really scary, and I thought, ‘You need to step up to the plate.’"

And step up she did. Jeremy Lott, SanMar president, calls Hargraves "an exceptional sales rep – one of our best," and Steve Cuthbert, SanMar's vice president of sales, notes that Hargraves has "more than doubled" her sales over the last five years.

Customers rave about her creativity, deep product knowledge and dedicated customer service – all of which have been especially welcome during the ongoing supply chain issues faced by the industry. "Recently, I had a client who requested an update on their online store, and [Hargraves] took the time to advise me on what products were out of stock with a quick turnaround of only two hours," says Brad Shuman of Logo It Promos. "This allowed me to get back to the customer the same day as well as be informed on the supplier side."

Chuck Gallant of Custom Logos (asi/173183) says Hargraves outshines the other sales reps he's worked with during his decades in the business. An example: Gallant found himself unable to access SanMar's website on a Saturday evening when a client needed to put in a rush order for hats. He reached out to Hargraves, who sent him a screenshot of available inventory on Sunday morning. By Monday afternoon, Gallant was able to place an order for 130 hats for his client and hand deliver them in time for his event. "With stock issues being a daily occurrence, Hargraves has gone above and beyond to work on solutions to problems that pop up," he says. "I’m only as good as my last order with any client, and she has made me look amazing over the years."

Another of Hargraves’ customers has a large national program that includes about a dozen SanMar products. When it was time to renew, the client ran into low-inventory issues on a few items. "Stefanie worked overtime not only to help the customer replace items with like items, but also with our production planning team (that works with factories) to ensure those replacement items would be here in time and forecast the program for the year to ensure goods would keep rolling in," Wright says. "She helped the customer re-win this program. At a time when the answer, ‘Sorry, we don't have it’ has become common and perfectly acceptable, it wasn't good enough for Stef." – Theresa Hegel

When asked what it's been like working in customer service during the pandemic, Kate Foley laughs. "I worked during the holidays at Kohl's," she says. "I’ve seen it all."

In fact, it was her retail job at Kohl's that led her to Top 40 supplier S&S Activewear (asi/84358) in the late summer of 2020, less than six months into the pandemic. A co-worker at the retail chain, where Foley was an area supervisor, also worked at S&S and recommended the company to Foley, an Illinois native and retail veteran. Foley was intrigued; as a mother of a five-year-old, she was ready for a more traditional weekday/9-to-5 job than retail could offer.

Foley applied to an open customer service position at S&S and, after the interview, was told she’d be a good fit as a customer account manager (CAM). She started her job in August 2020. Now, Foley is the exclusive CAM for outside sales reps Meg Erber and Holly Bray. From the beginning, say colleagues and clients alike, Foley has been impressive.

"Kate is extremely special to me," says Erber. "With her background, I knew she’d be able to handle the tough Northeast distributor base with ease. She adapts to any customer that comes her way."

Supplier CSR of the Year Kate Foley at S&S Activewear joined the Promo Insiders podcast to discuss her time in retail, working in the promo industry and the success she's had in just 20 months.

While the customer service she provides these days has a different look compared to retail, Foley has brought the same lessons to bear on promo and it's paying off in spades. According to Erber, she's "directly responsible" for growing several accounts by double- and even triple-digit percentages; she's even helped to increase the spend of one well-established account by about 835%.

"Kate approaches every day with a smile and finds innovative ways to satisfy our customers," says Lyn McKinney, CAM manager and Foley's direct supervisor. "She's conscientious and attentive, and going above and beyond for our customers is a natural part of who she is."

When asked about her quick success in a new industry, Foley credits her many years of caring for retail customers. "I don't see clients in person like I used to, but I still want them to be incredibly happy with their experience," she says. "I wanted the same thing at retail. I wanted them to come back for more, for the store to be their number-one stop. I always ask, what can I do to make it better?"

And it's paying off. "Kate is amazing," says Aileen Grodzinsky, swag specialist at Morganville, NJ-based Creative Solutions (asi/170769), one of Bray's accounts. "We work with many reps, and she is by far the best one and the reason we use S&S over its competitors. She really knows her stuff and she's lovely to work with."

The mark of a great CSR is more than a smiling face; it's also providing solutions and positivity when the going gets tough. And tough it certainly got this year, with staff shortages, disappearing inventory and delivery delays. But Foley isn't one to avoid awkward conversations. Her first instinct when things get complicated is to make a call.

"I want to speak to the client so we can work on it together," she says. "It's easier to convey customer service in sticky situations over the phone. With email, there's too much back-and-forth. It can be tempting just to send them a message, but they’re grateful when you call them."

Like Erber, Bray is thrilled that Foley was assigned to her accounts in 2020. "Kate is an incredible teammate," she says. "All of our customers really enjoy working with her and appreciate her upbeat attitude, problem-solving skills and adaptability. I appreciate her hard work and passion for the business."

That penchant for quick communication came into particular focus recently, when Foley and a client crossed wires and part of a huge order (about 90 boxes) was delivered to a closed storefront. As is her way, Foley kept calm and immediately reached for the phone. In the end, UPS and FedEx picked up the boxes and delivered them to the correct address, while packages en route returned to the S&S warehouse and got new shipping labels.

A truly skillful customer service rep knows how to make the impossible happen and fixes situations quickly when things go awry. And in this industry, with all its many moving parts, that's critical. "She's responsive, extremely helpful, knows what I need before I do, and goes above and beyond for all of our customers," says Erber. "She's been one of the key components to my overall sales growth. Kate is the peanut butter to my jelly, and I’m beyond proud of everything she's accomplished in the short time she's been with us."

Foley also happens to be a fan of Disney, says McKinney, "and that's fitting because she brings a little of that magic to the workplace. It truly shines through for our customers to see." – SL

(15+ Years of Industry Sales Experience)

Michele Adams’ finest hour came amid one of the nation's darkest.

As COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in 2020, the United States faced a critical dearth of essential personal protective equipment. Adams saw an opportunity to help.

Working closely with overseas factory partners with which she’d previously established strong relationships, Adams began sourcing massive quantities of quality PPE. Bolstered by Proforma's sourcing support network, which (in certain instances) chartered cargo planes to get essential PPE out of China to the U.S., Adams successfully procured and delivered the masks, nitrile gloves and other items clients desperately needed.

"I can honestly say every one of my orders delivered," says Adams, owner/president of Tampa, FL-based Proforma Global Sourcing, an affiliate of Top 40 distributor Proforma (asi/300094). "In four months, I provided more than 40 million people with PPE."

While Adams is especially proud of her PPE pivot, it's just one of many impressive achievements that have punctuated a glittering 40-year career in promo products sales.

For instance, Adams’ distributorship ranked 255 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in 2021. A member of Proforma's $10 Million Club, Adams has received the firm's Best of the Best Award, PPE Hero Award, and various other recognitions outside the company.

Still, for Adams, it's not so much about accolades as it is doing a job she enjoys with great aplomb. "I’ve dedicated 40 years of my life to this industry – an industry I love," she shares.

It was Adams’ father who got her into the business, and she enjoyed it from the get-go. "I loved it because it allowed me to use my education – I have an art background – to creatively design marketing campaigns that incorporated promotional products for my clients," she explains.

While 2020 was a record year in sales for Adams thanks to her performance amid the height of the pandemic, she turned in another stellar performance in 2021, growing her revenue by 260% compared to 2019 – the last full year before COVID. Indeed, she has engineered annual revenue tallies in the seven and eight figure range thanks, in part, to a keen focus on program sales and by capitalizing on her status as a woman-owned business that's certified as such through the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). "My target markets are corporate members of WBENC," she notes.

While Adams leverages her WBENC status, the secret to her winning coveted clients and keeping them loyal lies in her deft ability to operate as a savvy consultant – a partner who understands customers and their objectives, and who consistently delivers the results they desire. "I listen to my clients," she says, "and put their needs in front of mine."

Over the years, Adams has orchestrated a wide range of successful promo and print campaigns for a diverse group of clients.

Some of the initiatives have been complicated and incorporative of multiple marketing mediums. Take the campaign she did for R.M. Rose, once a large whiskey producer that shut down when prohibition hit in the early 20th century but that was relaunching in modern times.

For the client, Proforma Global Sourcing delivered a cohesive, well-coordinated suite of solutions that included promo products, digital marketing, social media marketing, and an e-commerce store, while also helping the beverage brand procure a point-of-sale system for handling all distribution points. Establishing and designing brand standards was key, too.

"We connected and interacted with customers through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, drawing business once the distillery was open," says Adams in explaining just one component of the broader campaign. "Proforma then built an edgy e-commerce site to market promotional products that complemented and celebrated the brand."

In another case study, Proforma Global Sourcing bested the competition in an RFP from a multibillion-dollar logistics/supply chain management company. Adams did so, in part, through suggesting creative solutions that met the client's strict standards for branded merchandise and for the digital catalog it wanted created. Ultimately, Adams created a solution that centered on a Proforma-built custom e-commerce site for the company, which selected more than 350 of the products Adams had suggested.

"The $2 million opportunity served as a launching pad for a strong, continuously growing partnership," she shares. "Five years later, we’re still servicing the client and expanding their services with non-catalog special requests."

Such wins continue to inspire and propel Adams forward in her already distinguished promo career. Want similar success? "Embrace challenges and always be willing to learn," Adams says. "Make it your job to make your clients look good." – Christopher Ruvo

(Three Years or Less of Industry Sales Experience)

Kaitlin Rygula never expected to become a sales rep. After three years at Gaithersburg, MD-based Sonic Promos (asi/329865), she can't imagine herself doing anything else.

"Growing up, I was very shy and never liked talking to people on the phone, or face to face," she says. "If you were to ask me five years ago if I could see myself in sales, I would have said, ‘No way!’"

Still, the Hofstra University grad took a chance on a job ad with Sonic, working first as an assistant to company president Seth Weiner. Eventually, Rygula started building her own book of business from scratch, using a methodical approach to prospecting that involves heavy online research and targeted email blasts. Once she's made a connection, her strategy is simple: Get to know clients and find out what's going on in their lives. She notes down birthdays and asks after children and pets. But she also goes deeper, figuring out the best ways to communicate with each of her clients.

That personal touch has proven wildly successful. In 2019, her sales were around $145,000. Last year, she was brushing up against the million-dollar mark, with more than $930,000 in sales. "Sonic Promos has never had a salesperson achieve such a rate of sales growth in such a short period of time," says Mallory Scott, director of marketing at Sonic.

Rygula's favorite project to date was a fanny pack she helped create for Jamie Greenberg, a celebrity makeup artist in California. Greenberg was launching a new line, and to promote it, she wanted 500 custom fanny packs in her brand colors to send to celebrity clients. Sonic worked with Greenberg's team for about a month, getting the design placement just right and ordering preproduction samples to ensure everything was perfect. The day of the launch, stars like Chelsea Handler posted Instagram pics featuring the fanny pack Rygula had helped usher into being. "It was just really cool seeing it in the real world," she says.

Her biggest challenge right now is helping clients understand and work around the supply chain issues the industry has been facing. "I’m a people pleaser, so I always want to be able to meet the needs of everyone," Rygula says. "Sometimes there are just those impossible requests, and I have to find the best way to let the client know it's just not going to happen." Whenever possible, Rygula says she’ll work to find alternative solutions that still meet the clients’ needs.

"Her creativity, diligence and attention to detail," Scott says, "keeps clients coming back again and again."

Rygula's goal for 2022 is simple: Make it to $1 million in sales. And based on her monthly tracking, "I’m on target right now," she says. – TH

Christopher Seriale's promo adventure began about 28 years ago when he designed personalized gavels to be sent to important recipients, including celebrities like famous disc jockey Howard Stern, to support the release of a record entitled "Guilty."

"I loved the creativity of it," says Seriale, founder/president of Secaucus, NJ-based New World Group (NWG, asi/283161). "Coming up with the concept, designing it, selling it, producing it and then seeing it launch – I was hooked immediately."

He's remained so ever since – and that passion for promo has translated into major success.

Billing seven and eight figures annually, Seriale spearheads a distributorship that's forged enterprise license relationships with some of the world's largest entertainment and technology companies, including Disney, Marvel, Sony and Warner Bros.

For these and similar clients, Seriale has crafted campaigns that include everything from in-theater promotions, convention tools and swag bags to influencer kits, corporate merchandise, internal giveaways and consumer sweepstakes.

A near fanatical commitment to customer service has been key to landing and retaining marquee clients. "We won the business by being persistent, creative, cost effective and consistent," Seriale shares. "We have kept the business by doing those same things and through an overarching commitment to compliance testing and safety."

Seriale has worked on a bevy of exciting projects, but one that stood out during the pandemic era involved the creation of a collectible pin for PlayStation. The pins were a gift-with-purchase. "It made quite a splash in the gaming industry," Seriale explains. "During a period of time where our entertainment division was quiet due to closures, it was really wonderful to get such a great project in."

Indeed, like all promo pros, Seriale and his team have faced challenges due to COVID-19. Still, they have adapted and thrived.

"Our business continued to advance while morphing to fit new needs of our clients," Seriale explains. Small promotional tools turned into larger experiential influencer kits, for instance. "At the end of the day, our customer service likely saved us. Having a live, seasoned and intuitive person to make your vision a reality – there's nothing like excellent customer service," he says.

It's a belief Seriale has put into practice with great success through his nearly 30 years in promo. And it's something he plans to keep executing on for years to come. – CR

Aimee Ericson's ascension into a top salesperson is matched by the remarkable two-decade rise of her employer, Overture Promotions (asi/288473). It was in 2001 that Ericson departed HALO for the new company; she recalls helping with the first orders and setting up the catalog room, back when the distributor's ambitions were simply to be a "boutique agency." Today, Overture is a Top 40 distributor that banked $114 million in revenue in 2021. Ericson, meanwhile, generates annual multimillion-dollar sales with a roster of brand-name clients that include AbbVie, UPS and Nielsen Media.

As with Overture, getting there took time for Ericson. She spent many years as a sales assistant before earning her own small accounts, in addition to raising a young family and helping company founder Heather Sanderson with women's business events. She relentlessly learned and networked every step of the way. "Patience, grace and persistence" is how she describes her efforts, and the way she manages client relationships today. The effort paid off in 2020, when Ericson shifted focus to work-from-home engagement, leading to a 138% sales increase in 2021. "I was really proud of us," Ericson says. "We pounded the pavement and stayed on clients to keep their employees engaged."

The "us" includes account coordinators Karyn Augelli and Beth Becker – a team so close that, on the days the trio aren't in the office, they just leave their FaceTime on. "I couldn't do this without them," she confides. Ericson readily credits many others as well for her success, including retired VP Jan Pennacchia (whose accounts Ericson took over in 2016) as well as Sanderson and Overture President Joe Hazan. "I wouldn't be here without Heather, Joe and Jan. They all propelled me into the next phase of my sales career," she says. "I was scared – who wants to go to commission only? But they really pushed me and gave me the confidence I needed."

Cheerily outgoing, Ericson takes pride in forging connections – so much so that clients always call her up when they move on to new companies. She delights in the creative aspects of the job and the fact that no two orders are the same. "I love to sell a story," she shares, and at the same time, her sales success story is still being written. – C.J. Mittica

In 1997, a mere three months after swapping life as a clinical therapist at a children's hospital for a promotional products career, Jeff Feichtinger intently scribbled on a notepad as a client described his start-up tech business.

"Their words went in my ear, into my heart and onto my pen," Feichtinger says.

Feichtinger's handwritten concoctions that day launched the upstart company's logo, its first marketing campaign and a substantial promotional goods program. Now, 25 years later, a refined version of Feichtinger's doodle survives as the company's logo while Feichtinger remains a trusted partner.

"That kickstarted my career and I’ve never looked back," he says.

At Midwest Promotional Group (asi/270800), the suburban Chicago company his in-laws’ family founded in 1926, Feichtinger has plied the listening skills he developed as a therapist into a high-flying sales career that crossed $1 million within its first 18 months.

"My mouth isn't my skill. It's my ears," Feichtinger says. "If you listen and have a creative mind, you can have success in this business."

An unwavering commitment to clients doesn't hurt, either.

Consider the time Career Builder ordered 500 phone chargers for a professional golf event in Palm Springs, CA. Just as those chargers were about to ship, Feichtinger discovered they were incompatible with Apple phones. He halted the shipment and rushed to Kalamazoo, MI, to collect 500 universal chargers before returning to Chicago, printing the items at Midwest and driving 28 hours straight to Palm Springs. He delivered the chargers three hours before the planned room drop.

"I care about how my clients are presented in the marketplace and putting them at ease," says Feichtinger, whose diverse client roster includes national firms in the tech, banking and real estate fields.

Midwest Account Executive Gilbert Voltaggio says Feichtinger "never rests on his laurels."

"Jeff has a commitment to excellence that's unmatched," Voltaggio says. "Not just within our company, but I would challenge any salesperson in our industry who can rival Jeff when it comes to the drive to succeed and who has over a 25-year track record of accomplishment." – Daniel P. Smith

Ewa Wlaz emigrated to the U.S. from Poland when she was just 10 years old. "It was certainly an adjustment learning the culture, making friends and trying to navigate school," she recalls, noting that being young and eager to learn helped her pick up English fairly quickly. And the resilience and strong work ethic she learned in childhood helped her succeed in college and beyond.

Wlaz has brought that eagerness and work ethic to Cheshire, CT-based distributorship Barker Specialty (asi/132690), where she's worked for nearly 20 years, helping clients develop creative promos. The account director helped one client create sterling silver bracelets for its own clients, adding a new custom charm for the bangle each year. For another, she created a custom 3-D ornament made up of over 100 intricate pieces, all packaged in a beautiful box.

But one of the projects she's most proud of is a custom online safety recognition program she launched for a Fortune 500 client. Wlaz led the development of online stores, recognition and safety program sites and fully integrated the portal with the client's internal approval and organizational workflows to make the experience seamless to the customer. After the consolidated process was launched, "Employee recognitions doubled, and employee feedback has been extremely positive," says Wlaz, who was previously recognized by Counselor for its 30 Under 30 list in 2005.

Wlaz approaches sales with a creative flair – thanks perhaps to a degree in graphic design and theater – and views her relationship with customers as a collaboration. "I look at each client interaction as an opportunity to learn from them," she says, "but I also get to educate the client in return."

That "unquenchable thirst for knowledge and ability to quickly grasp new ideas" are some of the reasons Wlaz stands out in the industry, says Gerry Barker, president of Barker Specialty. "Ewa is always pleasant and cheerful, whether a client is looking for a large order or one gift, and she handles stress very graciously," he adds.

Despite the challenges of the last few years, Wlaz – whom Barker describes as "a master of merchandising" due to her flair for online store curation – has seen a steady uptick in sales, growing her revenue 5.4% from 2019 to 2020 and 6.9% from 2020 to 2021.

Though she strives for success, Wlaz remains humble and has never forgotten her roots, staying active in Polish organizations with her family and enrolling her two daughters, ages 12 and 14, into Polish school on Saturdays since they were in first grade. "I want to make sure," she says, "they learn about their Polish heritage and culture, appreciate where they’re from and are able to communicate in the Polish language." – TH

Early on in his promotional products career, Nate O’Neill says it would have been easy to scoff at some of the modest orders he received, particularly those coming from buddies who had started companies with only a handful of employees.

Only O’Neill didn't scoff. In fact, he didn't even set minimums. He just delivered. That mindset has served O’Neill well, who has enjoyed consistent annual sales growth over his eight-year run at Stran (asi/337725).

"It's about their network being my network. Every order is important for a referral or account growth," says the Quincy, MA-based O’Neill, whose client list includes fantasy sports and beverage companies as well as start-ups.

O’Neill also believes in developing genuine relationships with a core group of suppliers. "The biggest mistake I see so many in our industry make is not valuing the importance of suppliers and treating them with the same respect as a client," he says. "Without my suppliers, I couldn't deliver for my clients, and without my suppliers, I wouldn't have clients."

O’Neill leans into those supplier relationships often to ensure his clients receive the goods they need, though he also hedges, too. A clever buyer with an eye for trends, O’Neill hoards some stock and has blanks of key products – a top-selling hat, for instance – on hand to accommodate immediate client needs.

"Nate knows his target account and personas better than most and is able to target his prospects with pinpoint precision," says Howie Turkenkopf, Stran's vice president of marketing.

O’Neill's ability to consistently deliver for clients has spurred referrals and what O’Neill terms "the monster."

"Honestly, my biggest challenge is being able to handle it all," says O’Neill, who has two young children.

The mounting business is why O’Neill was excited to see Stran go public late last year. The move will help O’Neill build off an immensely successful 2021 (where he increased sales by 175%) and assemble a support team to scale and grow his business more efficiently and effectively. "There's only so much," he says, "I can do in the weeds." – DS

Back in 2007, April Morrow-Ebow was a 21-year-old working in a coffee shop around the corner from the Santa Rosa, CA, office of Sonoma Design Apparel (asi/329869). One day while grabbing his cup of coffee, Sonoma President Eddie Brascia mentioned he was hiring a receptionist. Though Morrow-Ebow shrugged off Brascia's initial overture, she accepted his second invitation to apply for the post.

"Good," Brascia said. "You’re the one I wanted."

Morrow-Ebow joined Sonoma eager to trade 6:00 a.m. café openings and the perpetual smell of coffee for life at a desk and the opportunity to wear nicer clothes. With a full showroom at the office, however, she gradually gained a deeper understanding of product ("When I started, the only thing I knew about a polo was that it's a shirt," she confesses) and was soon outselling outside sales reps. In 2011, she made the move, albeit reluctantly, to full-time sales. "Eddie pushed me to do it because it wasn't something I wanted to do," she says. "I was comfortable where I was."

Without the luxury of established clients who could step into the Sonoma showroom, Morrow-Ebow had to knock on doors and generate business herself. She landed some early sales, captured a niche with breweries and wineries, and generated referrals. A decade later, she's the top sales rep at Sonoma and an indispensable force at the 19-year-old firm. "We couldn't do it without her," says Brascia.

Though Morrow-Ebow became a mother in December 2020 with the birth of her daughter, Ruby, and spent the opening months of 2021 on maternity leave, she nevertheless maintained her hearty sales figures (and increased her 2021 sales over the previous year) by embracing the flexibility parenthood demands while retaining a resolute focus on her clients.

"Any sale is a by-product of understanding the client's needs, budget and their overall goals," says Morrow-Ebow, whose favorite part of the promo industry is seeing a product, one sketched on paper or cooked up on a computer screen, transformed from idea to reality. "It's so cool to see something out in the world and know I helped bring that product to life." – DS

In high school, Benji Bearman was named most likely to succeed in business. It fit the kid who, at the age of 10, set up a stand to sell his father's retail store castoffs, and then later in college started a business selling swag and apparel to frats and sororities. "We had a website and we were getting several thousand hits a day," recalls Bearman, the co-owner of Liquid Screen Design (asi/254663). "That was a lot. This was 1995, a whole different era."

From there, Bearman put his entrepreneurial plans on hold, selling the business and embarking on a two-decade detour into nonprofit management, including a lengthy stint running a summer camp. By then, Bearman was ready for a change, and teamed up with friend and former co-worker Bryan Goltzman to take Liquid Screen from a side venture of Goltzman's to a full-time endeavor. "There was a lot of excitement," says Bearman, who lives in Skokie, IL, with his wife and three kids. "Over the years, I was someone who was purchasing swag all the time. We wanted to elevate the game."

And indeed, Bearman is making good on that high school prognostication. Liquid Screen ranked 12th on Counselor's recent Best Places to Work list, and Bearman's annual sales have soared nearly 400% since 2019. The turning point was actually the beginning of the pandemic, when orders instantly dried up for the company's bread-and-butter markets of education, recreation and nonprofits. A call from a client about an event moving virtually persuaded Bearman to put together a kitted box for the event, and the company's pivot to custom swag boxes has fueled a meteoric rise.

All this growth has come by referrals and inquiries – no cold calls. Bearman strives to partner with clients and share their story instead of brazenly sell to them. "A lot of times when I talk to people, I say ‘we,’" shares Bearman. In his old/new line of work, he's thrilled to meet people, build relationships and bring "surprise and delight," indulging his creative streak through well-designed kits and unique offerings such as custom designed board games from scratch.

"I’m enjoying the opportunity to build and grow a business," Bearman says. "That was always my dream as a kid." – CM

Liza Tam got her first taste of promo products in an unlikely place: as a firefighter trainer. She would travel to firehouses in Ontario and teach personnel how to use Scott Air-Paks, the critical oxygen cylinders worn on active scenes. The training culminated in a simulation to test what they’d learned.

"They’d have to crawl through a Draeger training maze wearing these cylinders and all their heavy equipment," says Tam. "There’d be smoke, and people screaming, and it was really hot and pitch dark."

After firefighters successfully completed the simulation, they’d often ask about prizes. "I started giving out Swiss army knives and patches," she says. "That's when I discovered the promo products and incentives market."

So when Tam was looking for a new job during the recession in 2008, her mind went back to promo. She joined Alliance Creative Marketing (asi/117852) in Markham, ON, in 2010 and attended her first trade show at ASI Chicago.

"I enjoyed shopping for and giving out gifts," she says. "We get to put a smile on people's faces, inspire them and make money. What other industry offers that?"

Today, she's president of the company with seven employees. Equally impressive, she increased her revenue by 20% from 2019 to 2020, and then another 16% in 2021. She's also leveraged her experience with Scott Air-Pak to be a safety standards consultant for clients, particularly those in the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional sector. And she credits Pennsylvania-based Wes Kenneweg, formerly with Draeger (which makes training mazes for those learning how to use breathing apparatuses) and her first sales manager here in North America, for his early mentorship. "I can't thank him enough," she says. "A tough boss made me a tough salesperson today."

Tam and her team worked on unique projects in 2021, like a kitted sponsor bundle for a client's annual general meeting shipped to more than 200 people. They also went to a convention with a dye-sublimation machine, mugs and phone holders, and printed attendees’ photos on the items. "People were lined up during the entire event, including a VIP from the U.S. embassy," says Tam. "While they were waiting, I showed them our products and got new customers."

Naturally curious, Tam jumps on Zoom every night with her sister in Hong Kong and college-age nephew in Canada for about an hour to thought-share about the stock market, books and design ideas. Her nephew discusses best practices in social media and how to increase followers.

"We’ve been meeting for over a year now," she says. "It's been a silver lining of COVID." – SL

How do you gauge the strength of a salesperson? One way is to ask their clients’ opinions. For Jill Moore, owner of Texas-based Top 2 Bottom Marketing (asi/601400), the descriptions her clients use include "problem-solver," "trustworthy," "authentic" and "innovative."

She also doesn't quit. Despite the challenges of 2021 with unprecedented inventory and shipping issues, Moore says "opportunity was everywhere!" Her skill at developing relationships has paid off, as her business has grown double digits every year of the company's 14-year existence. Plus, her clients remain loyal – many have been with her over 10 years and send referrals on a regular basis.

"I’m all about relationships – it isn't cliche to me," says Moore, who had a record 2021 with 35% growth. "I never want to be a salesperson to my clients. One of my best friends describes me as ‘an orchestrator of relationships’ and I think that's just my nature. I also don't look at success in terms of financial gains. Although our sales have grown significantly, what makes me the happiest is the loyalty and joy I get from our amazing clients and the love I have for my work family."

Moore's work history is long and varied. Her jobs include filing catalogs as an 8-year-old, waitressing, and teaching marketing classes in a local career high school program while her son was little. She eventually got into the promo industry in 1996 as an account executive for an advertising agency in Monroe, LA. "The owner had just opened InPrint Design," Moore says. "That's where I learned to use promo products to enhance branding campaigns and events."

As a former marketing director for a boat company, some of Moore's top clients are those in the marine market. One promotion she's proud of is the Yamaha Watercraft first-time buyers project. It took several months to develop and is still active. On the product side, she worked with Towel Specialties (asi/91605) to find the right beach towel that exuded quality and stayed within the budget. A branded mailer from Metropak (asi/70830) was also part of the project. Plus, she's providing the fulfillment "which means ongoing income for our business," Moore notes. "We’ve negotiated to continue the project in 2022." – Joan Chaykin