It’s exactly 20 years to the day since I joined ASI as CEO and the promotional products industry (February 24, 2023). Since milestones are a good time to reflect and, more importantly, to focus on the road ahead, I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned along the way:

Relationships Matter. The promotional products industry is comprised of mostly small and often family-owned businesses like ASI. Whether you’re a two-person operation or a global enterprise, building trusted relationships – with clients and colleagues – is a key to business success and just plain daily enjoyment. That was true in 2003 and might even be more important today.

The More We Change, the More We Grow. When I joined the industry, we still used fax machines, AOL and Netscape. We hailed cabs and bought just about everything in malls. The idea of a billion-dollar promo company probably seemed as far off as a driverless car. So much has changed for the better. I remember looking out over the crowd at my first ASI trade show and seeing mostly people who looked just like me. Walking the show floor today, I see a younger, more vibrant and diverse industry selling products that increasingly meet the demands of new generations. I’m proud of that progress, but we continue to need more.

Here’s a fun “Before and After” photo of me from when I first started at ASI in 2003 to this year.

Technology Simplifies Everything. Three years ago, most of us probably couldn’t imagine routinely making sales calls, demoing products and hiring new employees through video chat. Yet we transitioned in the blink of an eye. It’s no longer enough to sell products faster than your competitor. Today it’s imperative to use readily available technology to speed up every facet of your business, saving you time, energy and money while helping you connect and communicate seamlessly and without much effort.

Be Proud of Promo. I wish more of us would speak with pride of being in an industry where ideas matter as much as products, where a college kid selling T-shirts in a dorm can realize a dream of owning their own business, where multigenerational family businesses can thrive decade after decade by banking on experience, values and a willingness to embrace new ways of working and succeeding. We’ve upped our game in terms of the quality of products available, and we help businesses of every size market their message for pennies an impression. Don’t look at your shoes when you explain your wonderful career choice and our engaging industry.  

I’ve made many friends in the last 20 years and the best part of my job continues to be spending time with enthusiastic, energetic, entrepreneurial creatives. I thank all of you for embracing me when I met you 20 years ago, your continued support and our shared commitment to excellence.

As my incredible boss Norman Cohn loves to say, “The best is yet to come!”