2023
Salespeople of the Year

One of the earliest memories for Marissa Carlino and Lorin Carlino Ogawa is playing “work” together, and it was serious business for the sisters. Their parents gave them items to build a little office at home, including a credit-card swiping machine, old phone, fake invoices, junk mail and department-store catalogs. They would take calls, fill out orders, file documents and build sales teams.

“We’d play for hours,” says Marissa. “We dressed the part, brought in our cousins, our parents would ‘purchase’ things from us. Sales was our love language.”

And it still is. Fast-forward to 2023, and the Carlino sisters, now at the helm of their family distributorship Creative Solutions (asi/170769), have grown their multimillion-dollar annual sales by an average of 14% each year since 2020. As a formidable sales duo, they collaborate to boost major accounts and hit big numbers, thanks to a winning balance of each of their personal attributes. Their client roster includes the most prominent names in tech (Meta, Google and LinkedIn) as well as a number of other impressive accounts: NBC, Nordstrom, Datadog, IPSY, SalonCentric, Equinox and Credit Karma. Through refreshing branding and unparalleled customer service, the rousing success of this powerhouse team has earned the Carlinos the title of ASI Media 2023 Distributor Salespeople of the Year.

As the sisters were unknowingly honing the skills that would drive them to major success, their mother, Debbie Harkavy, was embarking on her own entrepreneurial journey: She founded the New Jersey-based company in 1990 after previously working for a small distributorship that closed. Harkavy started reaching out to prospects, finding their contact information in the phonebook. Many of the clients she landed in those early days, like Moët-Hennessy and HBO, remain loyal customers today.

“She showed us how to be hardworking women,” says Lorin, “and she taught us the value of work.”

But when Marissa and Lorin embarked on their respective careers, they weren’t at first convinced they wanted to go full-time in sales, even though they had spent hours playing the part. Lorin considered becoming a teacher; Marissa worked in hospitality for a while. But they both made their way back to their mom’s company to make their mark on the industry.

“She’s tough but she knows what we’re capable of, and that’s key,” says Lorin. “We always have to stay on our toes.” Marissa, now the chief merch officer, joined full-time in 2006, followed by Lorin, now the chief swag officer, in 2009; Debbie remains involved as founder and president, and the company is certified women-owned and climate-neutral.

Marissa Carlino (left) and Lorin Carlino Ogawa (right) learned their work ethic from their mother, Debbie Harkavy (center), who founded Creative Solutions in 1990.

In addition to long-term clients from their mom’s early days, the sisters have landed a number of large clients through a combination of organic lead generation (like connecting with people on LinkedIn) and word-of-mouth referrals. The relationship with Meta was especially pivotal for the Carlinos and started with a chance conversation. About seven years ago, two employees from Instagram, one of the platforms under the Facebook/Meta umbrella, happened to be in a Manhattan elevator with the Carlinos’ contact at AOL. The Instagram reps were discussing their need for promo products.

“Our client interjected and let them know about us,” says Lorin. “Instagram called us, we did a project for them, and they flew us out to California so we could visit Meta’s offices.”

While there, they took the opportunity to find out how to gain more sales traction within the company. Fortunately, procurement was very decentralized; they were told to connect with administrators, who often do the buying, and let them know what you do. So the sisters hopped on LinkedIn (which eventually became a client, too), started making connections and sending self-promo. The number of projects started with a couple, and over time, doubled to four then quintupled to between 20 and 30. Meta is now their largest client.

“Creative Solutions’ commitment to working diverse-owned companies and incorporating sustainability makes them stand out,” says LaMecia Butler, Meta’s program manager for supplier diversity. “They care about the entire client and end-user experience, and put their energy into advising us from product selection to packaging and delivery.”

Multi-line rep Jason Bickoff, with Jules Scheck Associates in Montville, NJ, has worked with the Carlinos for about 15 years. They recently collaborated on custom bookends for Meta. “It was a multi-year, ongoing order with numerous challenges,” he says. “But their constant communication and solutions-based thinking made it one of the most successful of my 20-year career. Their commitment to their clients and our industry are no doubt one of the main reasons for their continued success.”

The Carlinos say that’s by design. “We call it ‘the CS Way,’” says Lorin. “At the core of what we do is the relationship with the customer. We bring a human element to things, along with sophistication and style.”

[Podcast embed]

Lorin Carlino Ogawa and Marissa Carlino, the ASI Media Distributor Salespeople of the Year, recently joined the Promo Insiders podcast to discuss the early days of their company, how they landed their largest account and their best advice for fellow family-owned businesses.

One of their favorite projects is an ongoing kitting program for Hearts & Science, an advertising and media firm. Jason Jahn, executive director of marketing & communications, regularly works with Creative Solutions to put together employee boxes marking observances like Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride Month and others – each containing items purchased from vendors who represent those communities.

“The Carlinos are an extension of our team; they always have our best interests at heart and work effortlessly with talent and grace to get us what we need, whenever we need it, at lightning speed,” says Jahn. “They put the creative in Creative Solutions, go above and beyond for our employees and clients, and truly make magic for our brand.”

The sisters also have a special place in their hearts for small businesses, like a one-woman blanket company in Kentucky: They used her items in a Google campaign and it helped pay for her kids’ college tuitions. Another was a 3,500-piece candle order for Instagram from a small self-care item business – it was one of the largest orders that company had ever fulfilled.

“We like to find amazing brands and companies to work with,” says Marissa. “We get to bless others and see the impact and influence on people.”

Christy Yacullo, head of operations at Creative Solutions, lauds the Carlinos’ “innovation, vision” and commitment to the customer. “They put in 100% and do what it takes to provide the best possible client experience,” she says. “I feel fortunate to have such dedicated women as my leaders.”

Jane Lee, global program manager for employee experience at LinkedIn, says the Carlinos make the process easy. “It’s an honor and privilege to partner with them and experience their magic,” she says. “The journey from beginning to end is seamless, and they’re so passionate about what they do. They continue raising the bar by prioritizing sustainability, inclusivity, creativity and fun. I’m lucky that they bring me along on their amazing journey.”

The Carlinos say success comes from leaning into their strengths: Marissa (who’s been based in Florida since 2013) loves design, sustainability and “the pretty stuff,” and Lorin (who lives in Brooklyn) appreciates logistics, plans for large-scale projects and spreadsheets. “We do what we enjoy,” says Marissa, and Lorin adds: “That leads to balance in the business relationship.” – Sara Lavenduski

With a supercharged Southern drawl – courtesy of a childhood in Texas and a fast-talking father who grew up in New York – Claire Ashford brings boundless energy, infectious enthusiasm and lighthearted humor to her role as Southwest regional sales manager at Top 40 supplier Tekweld (asi/90807).

A true road warrior who spent 43 weeks of 2022 covering the 10 states in her territory, Ashford loves building relationships with her clients and giving back to the promo industry through mentoring and serving on regional promotional products association boards.

“Claire does an outstanding job of representing Tekweld in the industry,” says Ray Rodriguez, vice president of sales and Ashford’s boss. “She’s a great team player and will always jump in when one of her peers needs help.”

Case in point is a story from Ashford’s years at Dart Manufacturing. The supplier was working on a huge custom order that needed to be rushed out in a day, Ashford says. “So, that night, I was out in the factory learning how to put on zipper pulls, which is kind of an art. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but I stayed up very late putting on zipper pulls and helping to pack custom cases to get them out the door.”

Ashford also loves getting creative to help clients. She recalls, for example, helping to create a memory box for the funeral home industry: “It was a bonded leather box and had a padded base on the bottom so people could put memorabilia in the inside, and it had archival-quality photo pages. This was back in the day when we still had CDs, so the CD went inside of it, too. It was a really nice memory box. I nicknamed it the dead person doodad box.”

[Podcast embed]

In this Promo Insiders podcast episode, Supplier Salesperson of the Year Claire Ashford shares her advice for others in the promo industry.

Distributor clients love Ashford’s special touch so much that many have stuck with her throughout her long promo career. Noel Garcia, managing director at Top 40 distributor Boundless (asi/143717), has known Ashford for more than 20 years, working with her while she was still at Dart. “She helped me secure a sizeable six-figure order that we reordered from them consistently for several years after,” he says. “Claire seems to have a knack for finding those big-order opportunities, because it seems like I always have large overseas orders in production with her.”

Teresa Moisant, owner of Moisant Promotional Products (asi/275276) in Oklahoma City, OK, also has high praise for Ashford, describing her as a “take charge person” who’s always eager to lend a helping hand. “When you contact Claire with a question or a need, she immediately responds,” Moisant says. “She always has suggestions when I have a need.”

Cathy Cummings gushes that Ashford “goes above and beyond, every single day.” The executive vice president of supplier relations at distributor network AIM Smarter (asi/522700) adds that “she values our partnership and is very supportive and involved in our initiatives to help grow business.” Ashford “gives honest input and isn’t afraid to ask questions about the direction of our strategy,” Cummings says. “She listens and provides solutions for growth opportunities.”

Indeed, Ashford says she likes to get down into the nitty-gritty whys of a particular promo project. “There’s a rhyme or reason to everything that we have,” she says. “Why do we need to use a pen? Why do we need to use a mousepad? There’s a story behind them all.”

The strategy has worked well for Ashford, who saw her sales increase by 33% from 2021 to 2022. She worked with Tekweld as a multi-line rep for five years before joining the supplier full time eight years ago, and says she’s been thrilled to help the company on its growth journey. “When I started, we were maybe $7 million to $10 million,” she says. “Now, we’re just shy of the $50 million mark. We’re a Top 40 supplier. We’re not just lip balm and hand sanitizer anymore.” – Theresa Hegel

Relationships matter to Wendy Curtis. In her 13 years with Top 40 supplier HPG (asi/61966), the customer service lead has seen her customers get married, have babies, adopt pets and go through countless other life changes. And Curtis hears about it all – because she believes forging that personal connection is an essential part of the customer service experience.

“I’ve had the same customer base for quite some time; you get to know them beyond working,” Curtis says. “You get to know them on a personal level, and I enjoy that. I have some customers who will pick up the phone just to call and say hi, and I’ve done the same with them.”

But once pleasantries have been exchanged, Curtis knows how to get down to business, helping to solve her clients’ problems and ensure each of their orders gets out of the door on time and without errors.

“She brings her best to work every day,” says Curtis’s manager Chris Ford, head of customer service at Hub Pen. “Regardless of the order size or complexity of the situation, Wendy gives the same amount of energy and attention to each and every order. If Wendy is on it, you know the order is in great hands.”

For Curtis, the keys to customer-service success are listening with empathy to a client’s concerns and then, crucially, following up. She has a board on her office wall where she keeps track of orders – and will check in on a daily basis with other departments at HPG to make sure everything is running smoothly and that products are shipped in time to make a client’s deadline. And she’ll reach back out to her clients to make sure they’re in the loop at every step in the process.

COVID made the job more challenging – dealing with stock issues and working around a smaller staff – but Curtis says she and the rest of the customer service team at HPG work together to make sure everyone’s accounts are handled. “I share this award with them because we do help each other,” she says. “If I get someone else’s phone call, I don’t give it to them, and they don’t give me mine. We handle it. … There’s a lot of teamwork.”

Clients appreciate Curtis’s can-do approach. “She’s always helpful, resolves issues quickly and has always gone above and beyond to make my orders run smoothly,” says Amy Clyne, a Kaeser & Blair (asi/238600) authorized distributor. “I know that if I ever need anything at all, I can rely on her. In an industry where customer service is scarce, I know that she will always take care of things.”

And Joe Hoffman, vice president of vendor management at Top 40 distributor iPROMOTEu (asi/232119), says his company’s sales reps love Curtis because “she always takes care of them right down to the last detail.” He adds: “She really is the best of the best.” – Theresa Hegel

Call it a stroke of serendipity.

Chris Martins was eager for a career change out of the banking business. It so happened that the then-president of Cooley Group (asi/168125) was an alum of the same high school as Martins. The connection helped open the door to a sales position at the New York State-based distributorship.

That was 28 years ago, and Martins has never looked back.

Over his three decades in promo, the seasoned rep has forged a fantastic career, tallying big sales numbers, delighting clients and serving as an inspiration to fellow reps at Cooley Group. Ambitious, hardworking and laser-focused on clients’ needs, he’s consistently the top (or top two) biller at the distributorship.

“Chris’ colleagues consider him a walking encyclopedia of promotional products know-how,” says Patricia Lipari, marketing director at Cooley Group. “Chris doesn’t shy away from experimenting and breaking new ground with never-been-done-before projects. His ability to creatively develop unique solutions for our clients is the hallmark of his success and the success of our company.”

And Martins isn’t slowing down, as he increased his personal sales total 27% year over year. He scored the seven-figure annual sales sum by constantly coming through for clients in end-markets that included education, healthcare, finance, telecommunications and beverages.

One case study that highlights Martins’ creative work in action was a beverage brand that wanted more visibility in quick-stop/convenience stores. Rather than stick with more common corrugated displays at a time when prices were soaring and there were shortages of the material, Martins got the client to think outside the box: How about a custom-branded in-store mini-display cooler to catch attention?

The client liked the idea and Martins executed, working with the brand to develop just the right design and diligently collaborating with a manufacturer to develop a prototype. Ultimately, Martins provided about 1,000 one-of-a-kind coolers that helped the client stand out in stores.

“It gave them a larger long-term marketing display in the competitive point-of-sale display territory battle with their competition,” Martins says. “We were a branding asset to our client.”

For sure, that’s been the cornerstone of Martins’ many accomplishments throughout his promo career: He’s a consultative marketing partner – one who can see things from a client’s perspective and tailor a solution to help them meet their particular objectives.

While he’s achieved several first-time sales milestones within Cooley Group’s more than 75-year history, it hasn’t been easy. Like any distributor pro, Martins has dealt with a barrage of challenges, from the familiar, like stock shortages, shipping delays and production issues, to wilder strikes of unfortunate happenstance: a shipping container with a custom order falling into the sea and a FedEx truck that contained a client’s order being stolen.

Still, he’s remained nimble and adaptable, keeping clients informed and offering viable alternatives when something goes awry. That’s made him trustworthy, reliable and dependable. It’s also made him an invaluable partner to customers – and that means something to him.

“Maybe my greatest career accomplishment is the relationships I’ve built with clients,” Martins says. “It’s an achievement I’m very proud of.” – Christopher Ruvo

Though Tommy Gomez only joined Brilliant (asi/146116) at the end of 2021, he’s known promo products for years.

As a marketing professional at a variety of companies, including cause-related organizations like Rescue Agency (a marketing firm focused on healthy behaviors) and Aqua Foundation (a women-centered LGBTQ+ nonprofit), one of his responsibilities was to procure branded items. So he was familiar with the process when a friend sent him a job opening at Brilliant that sounded perfect for him.

“I decided to exit traditional marketing through the ‘gift shop,’ and I joined the team at Brilliant,” says Gomez, who’s based in Miami. “I didn’t have to give up marketing – now I do it for multiple clients.”

Those clients include an impressive roster of tech companies, including Pinterest, Handshake, Cruise, Plaid, Cloudflare and Microsoft. All of them resonate with Gomez’s marketing expertise, art and design chops, flair for storytelling and ability to advise and guide them on the finer details of how to execute a successful promotional campaign, as evidenced by his astronomical 1,600% sales growth since 2021.

“Tommy has taken his retail and trend expertise and applied it carefully to elevate campaigns to the next level,” says Brilliant founder Millie Tadewaldt, who started the all-remote distributorship out of her garage in 2016. “He’s an incredibly creative, empathetic colleague who truly partners with clients, and deeply understands and embodies their personal goals, brand vibe and needs.”

[Podcast embed]

Tommy Gomez, the ASI Media Up-and-Comer of the Year, joined the Promo Insiders podcast to speak about his career journey before Brilliant, the details of his favorite recent project and what he appreciates most about the industry.

Gomez’ astute eye for design has contributed to some of his favorite projects, including plushies in the shape of Cruise’s driverless electric vehicles and themed gift boxes for clients of Handshake, a job-recruitment platform for college seniors and recent grads. Ahead of the busy fall recruiting and hiring season each year, Handshake distributes about 500 of the gift boxes to clients in the U.S. and U.K. that post jobs on the platform. In 2022, it was travel-themed – complete with suitcase-shaped packaging – to acknowledge that many of the recipients’ jobs involve travel, plus the relaxation of pandemic-era restrictions. Gomez and his team included travel products like a toiletry kit from Matador, a laundry bag from Numo (asi/74710) and a luggage tag from Parker Clay, as well as a scratch-off airplane ticket with the opportunity to win prizes. They encouraged recipients to unbox the gift on social media using the hashtag #handshakefirstclass.

“My favorite products are like cultural artifacts,” says Gomez. “People may lose things or forget where they came from, but when the perfect gift is paired with the right story, it becomes something they’ll cherish for years to come.”

What Gomez says attracted him to the industry, and what’s led to his quick success, is the opportunity to tell stories with the products. “We differentiate ourselves in a crowded industry by focusing on storytelling,” he says. “We want to source products that have a story. Suppliers used to be a closely guarded secret, but now clients want to know where something came from.”

Gomez is also extremely detail-oriented, and clients have taken note. “Tommy is an extraordinary creative partner,” says Madeline Moore, brand manager at Airbnb. “He always meets the needs of the project brief while going above and beyond by sprinkling innovative and unexpected ideas throughout his presentations. He’s enthusiastic and tackles logistics and operations with zest. He puts me at ease because I know he’s paying attention to all the tiny details so that nothing slips through the cracks.” – Sara Lavenduski

Geographically, Dominique Volker’s journey to the promo industry covers 160 miles – the distance from her family home in rural Pennsylvania to New York City. Professionally, her route to the promo industry was more circuitous. After a childhood helping her parents care for guests in their bed and breakfast, Volker headed to the big city, where she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC and looked forward to a career in high fashion.

After a few unfulfilling internships at fashion houses and publications, she happened to meet Joseph Sommer, president of Whitestone (asi/359741), through mutual friends. “We discovered we lived on the same floor in the same building,” she says. “I would help him with a few random things for his business when he was first building it.” Volker was brought on as operations manager in 2016, the first full-time staff member hired by Sommer, and proved her worth as a jack-of-all-trades before moving into sales as the company grew.

The move has certainly paid off. As Whitestone quadrupled its sales in the last three years, Volker has driven about half of the entire company’s revenue and grown her own book of business each year while training new staff, setting up internal processes and planning annual offsites. Since 2020, she’s increased her revenue by an average of 67%, with a portfolio that now includes clients like Alteryx, Goldman Sachs, Millennium Management, ALASTIN Skincare and experiential marketing agency Riddle & Bloom. Volker (who fulfilled a lifelong dream and moved to California a few years before COVID) was recently promoted to executive director of enterprise sales to pursue more contract business and maintain relationships with six- and seven-figure clients.

Emily Goddu, marketing & brand associate for Whitestone, recalls a cold tech company lead that Volker nurtured into the company’s first seven-figure client. Volker now works in 24 of their departments, developed a global e-commerce platform for them and helps them put on annual international events that welcome thousands of people.

“Dominique loves to analyze trends, find emerging retail brands and take inspiration from the outside world to bring promo to a more retail-ready space,” Goddu says. “She’s always been flexible and willing to adapt and grow with the company.”

One of Volker’s favorite projects is an annual program with custom awards shaped like Volkswagen buses, evoking the full-scale model that sits in the client’s office with a meeting space inside, kegs in the back and surfboards on the roof. Volker and her team sourced the metal bases, full-color wrapped them, and 3D-printed the kegs, surfboards and interior.

“We did these in three colorways for the different tiers, and we’ve produced them for four years, slightly changing the design each year,” says Volker. “It was like nothing I’d ever done before. They were fragile and expensive, and we shipped hundreds all over the world. We inventoried them and had to ensure they were perfect. At the end, it looks like a fun toy. We just kept putting one foot in front of the other until it delivered.”

Clients too have noticed her dedication to continued learning about the ins and outs of promo. “Dominique has an incredible breadth of knowledge about her industry,” says Michael Minihan, director of global brand marketing for Alteryx. “She can find a solution to any challenge or opportunity, and she offers the most responsive, collaborative and swift communication I’ve found in a partner.”

While she never expected to be in promo, Volker says she’s found where the belongs. “It’s been a wild ride,” she says, “but it’s been fun.” – Sara Lavenduski

Karen Montgomery upped the ante in her first year as a sales rep at Barker Specialty (asi/132690) when she not only aced the company’s seven-figure sales goal, but delivered a proverbial royal flush, exceeding her goal in 2022 by over 150%.

That’s no surprise given that Texas Hold ‘Em is her favorite way to relax. “I’m a competitive person,” she says, “and I look forward to my regular poker games with friends, pizza and grinders!”

Montgomery might bluff at the poker table, but when it comes to selling, she’s a straight shooter whose clients always come first. “Karen prides herself on relationship management, not only with her customers but also with her team, and always has a pulse on the order in the production process so she can confidently update her customers,” says Amy Serrano, Barker’s director of marketing. “As busy as Karen is, she responds within minutes of an email, even for trivial matters.”

Montgomery learned the ropes from company co-owner and executive vice president Steven Barker, with whom she worked side by side as his senior account manager for over 10 years. When Barker decided to retire from his selling role in 2022, he looked no further than his right-hand woman to fill his shoes. “Her transition to sales was a natural move,” says Barker. “She knew all of the accounts inside and out, and I knew she had the hunger; she’s a go-getter,” he says.

And now? “Karen’s doing a great job and it makes me feel proud,” offers Barker (who Montgomery refers to as “Master Po” and herself as “Grasshopper” in a nod to the 1970s TV series Kung Fu). “In fact, now her numbers are ahead of mine. Maybe I should have retired earlier!”

Montgomery’s largest client is an international disaster relief organization, and recently Montgomery provided over 1 million bags for the people of the Ukraine that were used to distribute food in that country. “I did all of the sourcing; the order was a lot of hard work and also good timing,” she says. “I had always handled this customer from soup to nuts, and we delivered.”

She credits her sales success to “hard work, a tremendous teammate in account manager Kimberly Smith Duplessis, and also sheer luck.” In addition, a comment from her first sales manager also fuels her: “No one has anything to do unless someone sells something.” – Jean Erickson

Brandon Kennedy looked at the promo industry and liked the prospects. So many products to sell. So many potential clients. Success was within reach if you were willing to hustle, he felt.

And so, Kennedy started his own distributorship. That was 19 years ago, and today, Kennedy is going stronger than ever.

Working with clients in industries that include manufacturing, oil/gas, agriculture and healthcare, Kennedy posted a 75% year-over-year increase in his personal sales in 2022. He achieved the feat while also leading the team at his Bakersfield, CA-based distributorship, BrandCo Marketing powered by American Solutions For Business (ASB, asi/120075) to company-wide 55% growth.

“Brandon has built a strong reputation for himself and BrandCo within the industry over the last 20 years,” says Taylor Borst, ASB’s director of marketing, events and public relations. “Much of this is due to how he embraces new technology and fearlessly pursues large programs – but most of all, it’s in his commitment to kindness toward his employees, peers, suppliers and customers.”

Kennedy says a key to his sales success has been asking good questions that enable him to understand a client’s roles, responsibilities, objectives and challenges. From there, Kennedy crafts unique solutions. Building out tech-fueled offerings that streamline the order process has also proved essential to winning and keeping clients, not least of all BrandCo’s Fortune 1000 and Fortune 500 customers.

“Rushes are an everyday occurrence, and we’ve created tighter systems around that to get things done quickly and accurately,” says Kennedy. “It’s been a huge advantage.”

Clients have included the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, for which Kennedy executed one of his favorite projects: A custom Christmas ornament that featured in a fundraising initiative that was propelled by A-lister Heidi Klum.

“In this business, you have to keep evolving,” Kennedy says. “Problem-solving and finding ways to come through for our clients has been very rewarding.” – Christopher Ruvo

Josh King learned at a young age that he had a passion for selling. The CEO of You Name It Specialties (YNIS, asi/365123) sold newspapers door-to-door in his hometown of San Antonio, and at age 12 was the top salesperson in the city.

“It was the mid-1980s and I was making $200-$300 a week,” says King. “I didn’t care about rejection – in fact, I would tell them ‘hurry up and tell me no’ if the sale looked like it wasn’t going to happen so I could move on to the next house where I knew I would be successful.”

Four decades later, the results are no different, with King having grown his sales revenue 80% in the last three years. “My greatest accomplishment in sales,” says King, “is creating a substantial book of business from nothing – cold calling accounts and convincing them they should work with me.” And that doesn’t even mention the over 40% organic sales growth with existing clients in 2022.

King, along with his wife Faith and business partner Jan Meuth, bought YNIS in 2017 when the previous owner decided to retire. “We had a family of people we worked with and we liked the environment we created, and we wanted to keep that going,” he says. The company has since grown from $5 million to $11 million, and YNIS was named in 2021 as one of the fastest-growing businesses in the city by the San Antonio Business Journal. And though King confesses he enjoys the sales side the most, Kayla Goudy, production manager/CSR says, “He handles both titles every single day with so much grace.”

King loves to learn about and understand his client’s business to provide the best solutions. “His ability to search for solutions to problems and find innovative ways to improve the success of YNIS is amazing,” says Meuth, the company’s VP of business development. “No one can compare to his creativity and passion.”

And dedication – 80-90 hours a week are the norm and King is often in his office until the wee hours of the morning. A favorite slogan is, “Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

Despite his penchant for hard work, King isn’t above a little fun. Or a lot of it. He’s known for doing high kicks for laughs when he passes the big picture window in the office. The staff loves Nerf wars, which King instituted on a whim after visiting Walmart and buying every Nerf gun on the shelf. King set them out on a table in the office and got everyone involved– even the UPS driver.

The whole YNIS team meets every Monday morning to share concerns and to share victories, says King. “We discuss what weighs on us, and what brings us up and down, work related or not. This is my family.” – Jean Erickson

In 2014, with but two years of distributor experience to his name, Jay Basaria launched 5 Star Promo (asi/589987). Though he had no clients and no office – unless his parent’s loft counts – Basaria had a credit card, a laptop, plenty of chutzpah and a buddy at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando willing to throw him his first sale.

“A couple of hundred dollars worth of Bluetooth speakers,” Basaria recalls.

That modest order, part of a $2,000 opening month, wasn’t much Basaria acknowledges, but it was momentum. His friend promoted 5 Star in the hotel and Basaria later began pitching other Orlando area hotels.

In those hustle-filled opening years, Basaria established the fundamentals of his business. Honesty would guide every relationship and the client’s needs would always come first. Basaria pledged to downsell before upsell and even recommended another distributor if he thought a particular project was better handled elsewhere.

“It always comes back full circle,” says Basaria, who also eschewed catalogs. “If they have a catalog, then they don’t need me. Instead, I say, ‘Give me some context and I can narrow down the search to your needs.’”

Those fundamentals spurred 5 Star’s growth, as existing clients responded with new orders and referrals mounted. By year three, Basaria moved 5 Star out of his parents’ loft and into a windowless office, enough to signal his legitimacy as a business but not enough to tax his finances. The following year, he hired an employee to address administrative tasks.

“I wanted the company to be as lean as possible,” says Basaria, who remains a one-man sales force with revenue growing at a 30% annual clip. “I’m the social media coordinator, the delivery guy, the boss and everything in between.”

In time, though, Basaria hopes to change that and build a team of hungry reps eager to thrive in the industry. “I feel I have the blueprint,” he says, “so I’m looking to scale and grow the team with multiple people doing seven figures.” – Daniel P. Smith

When Kim Williams Stiller decided to leave a 13-year teaching career to join the family promotional products business, she had to interview with her dad: founder Bert Williams.

“There was no expectation that I would automatically be hired,” says the account executive with Williams & Associates (asi/360450). In fact, she says her dad expressed some concern at the time that she would “care too much and not close the sale,” based on her elementary education background and training to meet the needs of her students.

Those fears were quickly dismissed. “That caring worked to my benefit because clients trust me,” says the two-decade veteran of promo. It paid off again in 2022, with a nearly 80% leap in sales over 2021 (continuing a two-year trend of strong growth after a COVID-year dip that hit many of her biggest markets, including tourism, resorts and hospitality).

“The single thing that sets Kim apart is her desire to serve others, all day, every day,” says Bert Williams.

He adds: “I’m exceedingly proud of her.”

Rosalyn Poulson, senior event manager with travel agency Destinations Inc., praises Stiller’s “attention to detail, willingness to brainstorm creativity, professional insight, kindness and her transparent communication.” In addition, she says Stiller “went above and beyond to come and help assemble swag while onsite with her team.”

Stiller’s reputation for persistence serves her well. More than once a prospect has called her to say her dogged determination to continue calling on them and keep presenting ideas has won them over and resulted in giving her their business. In fact, she earned back a large account that was lost to a corporate bidding process prior to the pandemic.

“It’s Kim’s special level of customer service that keeps us coming back,” says Christina Gabriel, market director of operations at Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club. “Instantly Kim became a business partner; once you work with her, you’re hooked.”

Stiller’s location in Hawaii presents some obstacles – namely meeting deadlines to deliver to the island economically, with staffing and product shortages that can cause late shipping times and order delays. Having the right team in place allows her to meet these challenges, and Stiller readily gives credit to executive sales assistants Rowie Castro and Heather Ganis: “They professionally and collaboratively manage my business, take initiative, and I can delegate anything to them.”

Hiring good people and delegating is something her parents instilled. A strong work ethic too. In fact, her and her two brothers all helped out with the family business at a young age. “There was no kitting back then – we did the packaging in our living room,” she recalls.

“Mahalo,” Hawaiian for “gratitude,” is how Stiller signs off on all of her emails. And indeed, any correspondence from her, both written and verbal, is sprinkled with “Thank you” and “I appreciate you.”

“I feel blessed to be successful in this business – God, my parents, my husband and my staff are my secret to success.” – Jean Erickson

Over 11 years in the promotional products game, Mark Myers’ sales numbers have jumped each year and ScreenBroidery (asi/305623) CEO Thomas Rector knows why: Myers embraces the importance of the customer experience like few others.

“He goes beyond his customers’ expectations to do the things that they don’t know they need in a sales rep,” Rector says of Myers, the chief sales officer for ScreenBroidery. “He helps them find their problems. He helps them understand their opportunities. And he responds even when they don’t immediately need him.”

Leveraging ScreenBroidery’s diverse capabilities – kitting, fulfillment, shipping and e-commerce among them – Myers’ sales soared more than 50% in 2022. In a surprising twist, Myers attributes his success to redirecting some sales opportunities to his junior colleagues at ScreenBroidery, an Indiana-based distributor that has doubled its headcount since the pandemic.

“I focus on my big accounts so they receive the attention and care they deserve, and filter other opportunities to colleagues so they can grow that business relationship,” says Myers, who works primarily in liquor, wine and spirits as well as residential. “This allows me to be more proactive with my clients and positions our company’s overall business to grow as well.”

That approach fits Myers’ team-first philosophy, which also includes coaching and mentoring ScreenBroidery’s newest employees on products, sourcing and sales approaches.

“There’s so much we can sell and offer that it can get overwhelming,” Myers says. “I try to help my colleagues from start to finish, whether it’s building a custom kit, pitching a web store or helping them ask the right questions to understand a given client’s needs.”

Driven to continue growing his book of business in an industry that energizes with its fast pace, Myers himself is always seeking the “next best thing” to pitch a client – a focus he urges others to adopt.

“We’re the experts, they’re not,” he says of clients. “Offer what they want as well as a solution that might give them better bang for the buck and you become an ally they will turn to again.” – Daniel P. Smith

Reflecting upon her first weeks in the promotional products business, Tanya Mayer shakes her head.

In 2017, she joined long-time friend Tiana Gamble at Creative Design Hawaii (asi/170474), an existing company Gamble purchased that same year. In those opening weeks, Mayer – a senior sales rep for the distributor – recalls evaluating 10,000 customized fly swatters for printing errors and unpacking a container of 30,000 water bottles in a hotel parking lot because neither she nor Gamble knew about coordinating inside delivery.

“We went from zero to 100 immediately,” Mayer laughs.

Mayer’s sales philosophy leans on care, creativity and thoughtfulness. When a female-owned online retailer wanted a customized Made-in-the-USA item, Mayer concocted the idea of a premium large-sized wall calendar spotlighting works from female artists. The product fit perfectly with the retailer’s ethos, especially as a portion of each calendar’s sales supported the featured artists.

“Service is about more than just knowing the items. It’s also a consistent willingness to find and source items that make sense,” Mayer says. “We understand how to make clients happy, get involved and find solutions.”

Such earnest activity has pushed Creative Design Hawaii’s client roster beyond the military and union contracts it inherited six years ago and fueled its growth into a 20-person operation. Mayer says the firm saw great growth during the pandemic as clients increasingly discovered the power of a deliberately crafted promotional product.

“Without face-to-face interaction,” she says, “clients learned to spend money in different ways, and we cultivated a client base that trusted us to explore options that would help them connect with their customers.”

While Mayer closed 2022 with a sales tally nearly double her 2021 numbers, she believes her best days are yet to come. She’s inspired by the customization available in the industry and intrigued by the potential of artificial intelligence to spur ideation for clients.

Says Mayer: “What we can do for our clients is only growing and that has me excited.” – Daniel P. Smith

As befitting a former art teacher, Olivia Scott looks at a promotional product and sees a canvas of creativity.

“What I get really excited about is when we can do something that makes it fit into what the messaging is – to do something really creative or unexpected with it or add a different type of value,” says the co-owner and president of Promotional Partners (asi/397983). “That’s what keeps it fresh to me.”

The approach is working. With a diverse mix of clients in healthcare, education, technology and automotive and a heavy emphasis on local clientele, the Apex, NC-based distributor hit seven-figures in sales revenue in 2022 (the second time the company has reached the mark), with Scott herself recording 77% sales growth in the last three years.

Scott started her career in teaching in the ’80s, but two decades later she and her husband Keith were looking for a change and go into business together. They discovered the promo industry and thought it would be a good fit for their talents, and started their business in 2007 … right at the beginning of the Great Recession. “Everyone kept apologizing for their budgets,” Scott recalls. But with “no other option but to make it work,” Scott tapped into her extensive volunteering and nonprofit contacts and practiced relentless grassroots networking. Her professional skills proved be to a tremendous benefit as well. “The teaching experience was a plus for me,” she says, “because I was used to having to differentiate between many types of learners and ways of presenting information.”

Sixteen years later, Promotional Partners is thriving. Scott is the face of the business and lead salesperson, while Keith handles financials and operations (and the ever-important job of model/mannequin). Scott acknowledges their incredible support of their close-knit team of five. “They’re an amazing group, and without them we wouldn’t be here,” she says. And the collaborative dynamic that Scott prides herself on extends into her interactions with clients. “Being both creative and collaborative is just who I am,” she says. “You can’t spend 20 years being an art teacher and telling someone to create a vision without communicating with them.” – C.J. Mittica