Leading companies in the promotional product industry typically operate from a core set of values. In light of Advantages’ recent cover story on the experience of women in the industry, how do these companies encourage empowerment and gender equality? Three female leaders from top industry companies weigh in.

Standing Strong: Women of Promo Confront Workplace Inequality

Joan Bluestone Landorf, executive vice president/partner at Axis Promotions (asi/128263)

“I’ve been a member of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) for 18 years and I’m an active board member of Girls Inc. Westchester. I hear many stories about women’s struggles in the workplace firsthand. They are very real. I’m proud to say I have never experienced these issues at Axis, which is roughly three-quarters female. From our start 25 years ago, Axis has attracted strong women and men who succeed on their merit. The Axis workplace has always been gender-equal. It has never occurred to me as a business owner or partner that gender has been a factor in my success or my colleagues’ success in the workplace. That’s what I love about Axis and our industry. Women are equal to men and can excel based on effort, drive, determination and passion.

“Our mission at Axis is to make everyone feel valued and supported. Our company policies support maternity leave and flexible work schedules. We focus on what people want and how we can help them achieve their goals. Unfortunately, I know this isn’t true for women in other companies and industries. That’s why I’m committed to mentoring girls and women and helping them find their voice, strength and confidence.

“In today’s workplace, empowerment isn’t an option; it needs to be the norm. Our employees know they matter and are counted on to drive company core values, culture and growth. New ideas and innovations come from everyone, regardless of age, gender or level of experience. Empowerment in the workplace emboldens employees to strive for what they believe. It allows them to make a difference in their lives and others.

“I believe our industry is committed to empowering all people. However, this is an ongoing effort that needs to be encouraged and supported by the industry and all distributors and suppliers. Empowerment is about much more than growing businesses. It’s about our responsibility to support, mentor and empower everyone to reach new levels.”

Sharon Willochell, president – apparel at Polyconcept North America

“We strive to create an environment of respect for all individuals. Everyone should expect a safe and harassment-free workplace. We recognize that when we aren’t embracing diversity, we are limiting our potential as a company. We need all the best thinking and perspectives to be the world-class company we strive to be. We also look to create opportunity, and help all individuals reach their full potential. I am proud to say that we have numerous examples of women moving into different areas of the company and business units, and even geographically to develop the skillsets needed to play much broader leadership roles in the future. Getting women into broader and more strategic roles must be built though a deliberate career path, with a variety of roles and exposure to multiple aspects of the business to create the right foundation for success.

“To empower women in this industry, things like the Women’s Leadership Conference and the Women’s Engagement Event are important. They help women connect. And as more and more women begin to serve in positions of influence in their companies, I think we are seeing support networks really come into play.

“I think in the work world in general, as well as our industry, there have been great strides made. As workforce demographics change, I believe we will see more changes in how women, and other diverse contributors, are treated in the workplace. I believe that, in general, there is a lot more awareness of the challenges that women face. Intent and outcome are two different things, of course. The reality is that when you look at the most senior levels of leadership of the companies in the industry, it speaks for itself in saying we have a way to go.”

Brittany David, vice president of sales at SnugZ USA (asi/88060)

“Our executive team recently met and re-evaluated our current core values. We previously had a lot of them and they didn’t even completely make sense. We went through a pretty vigorous and lengthy process to better define our mission, vision and values. We came up with the following:

Mission: Create connections with products and experiences that impress.

Vision: Build opportunity for our co-workers, customers and communities.

Values: Care passionately, work like crazy, think big and do what’s right.

“These are listed on our badges and posted throughout our entire building in various places. They play an integral role in nominations and selection of our monthly MVPs and we review them in our quarterly all-hands meetings. We’ve even incorporated them into our yearly reviews as a guidepost to see if we’re really living what we’re preaching. If you care about what you’re doing, work hard, think outside of the box to propel our evolution and have integrity in all that you do, you’ll probably do well here and enjoy the ride. These values really do give you a peek into our company culture and some of the secret sauce that makes us tick.

“We want our work environment to be safe, from a compliancy, regulatory and equipment standpoint, as well as free from harassment. We also want it to be open and transparent so everyone knows they have a voice that’s heard. Every team has a weekly meeting that we call ‘Big Boardz,’ where they talk about company top-level key performance indicators (KPIs), departmental KPIs, company news, victories, action plans and new ideas.

“One of the most important things for us is creating opportunities for our employees and our customers. So much of our company environment and culture stems from this belief and desire.”

Debbie Abergel, chief strategy officer at Jack Nadel International (JNI, asi/279600)

“We want the environment at JNI to be creative, fun, supportive, educational and comfortable, and we want all team members to be valued. Empowered employees will always look out for the health and well-being of the company. With the pace of business today, you need all levels to have decision-making skills. That leads to being recognized, and we all like being recognized for our accomplishments. Recognition is a motivator; it leads to more creativity, job satisfaction and loyalty.

“I think we need to bring more men into the conversation. I don’t see many of the male movers and shakers in the industry attending the women’s industry conferences. How can they help bring the change if they are not a part of the conversation? They need to help women as well.”

ASI’s Corporate Values

In order to continue to serve an increasingly diverse industry while remaining a positive workplace for all employees, ASI has enshrined the following values into its official company policy.

• We care about our members and colleagues and the communities where we live and work.
• We treat people as we would like to be treated. That means following through, listening and considering alternative views and ideas.
• We are fair, open and honest with each other, our members, our partners and our vendors. We deliver on our promises. If we can’t, we try to make it right.
• We surround ourselves with talented, enthusiastic people who want to learn, grow and help us improve. ASI isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK.
• We embrace diversity in race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, physical ability, veteran status and everything in between. Diversity broadens and deepens our understanding, and helps us represent and serve everyone.
• We’re like a family. We have fun, and we’re willing to be as silly as we are serious. We celebrate everyday accomplishments and successes, and share in major milestones.
• We invest in our future by encouraging and nurturing new ways to serve members and each other.
• We use data and facts to make decisions, but we aren’t afraid to take risks.
• We hold ourselves, and each other, accountable. That’s how we learn for next time.
• We strive for excellence in everything we do, from the products we create to the relationships we build.