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Ma r y Dobsch
T
his year’s Woman of
Achievement Award winner,
Mary Dobsch, president of supplier
The Chest (UPIC: thechest) has
spent her inspiring career—all
35 years—as an integral member
of the promotional products
industry, committed to sharing
her knowledge and experience
freely to help others succeed.
As a committed PPAI volunteer,
her service has included two terms
on the PPAI Board of Directors
(2008-2012, 2013-2014), as well
as participation on toomany
committees tomention, including
the Government Relations Action
Committee (GRAC). She has also
served as a facilitator for PPAI
classes on packaging and has
given numerous PPAI and regional
presentations on selling.
“In an industry of duplicate
products, Mary is an innovator, not
an imitator,” says DaveDegreeff,
executive director of theHouston
Promotional Products Association
(HPPA) and the Promotional
Products Association of the
Southwest (PPAS), who nominated
Dobsch for the award andwho
has known her formost of his life.
“Her company has pioneered the
way for distributors to separate
themselves fromthe pack byway of
creative packaging. ”
Early Career
Most people can point to a
definingmoment in their lives
that led to the type of person they
eventually became. For Mary
Dobsch, that moment came when
she was 13 years old and lost
her mother. Living on a pig farm
outside of Washington, Missouri,
and as the oldest girl of eight
children (three brothers were older
but they had to work outside on
the farm), she was suddenly tasked
with cooking for 10 people.
“It was the toughest part ofmy life
by far. Butmy father was some kind
of amazing,” Dobsch says. “I’msure
what I cookedwas horrible, but he
was always sowonderful and said
that was the best he’d ever had. And
when you’re 13 you really believe
it.”That early encouragement
likely led toDobsch’s incredible
resilience and perseverance, two
essential qualities for any successful
businessperson. “Inmymind you
can do anything youwant to. You
just dowhat you have to do. When
my soup looked like it was solid, it
didn’t really seem like that was a
problem. You just keepmoving,”
Dobsch says.
An ambitious teenager, Dobsch
was quickly ready towork outside
the home and put her other skills to
the test. She sawher chancewhen
shewent to the doctor for a sinus
infection at age 16 and talked that
doctor into giving her a job. “I was
a receptionist. I typed insurance
forms. I’d go after school at 3 pm
andwork until 5 pm. I’d try to
make dinners the night before,”
Dobsch explains.
Her exceptional organizational
and planning skills made her a
huge asset at home and at the
office, but didn’t always earn her
social credibility among her high
school classmates. “You know
how they give you a title at school?
I was the busiest. Not the most
PPAI’s 2016 Woman of Achievement Award
Winner, Mary Dobsch, has soared through
her career while giving back to others.
YES, SHE CAN
by
Julie Richie
Mary Dobsch was presented the PPAI Woman of Achievement award on
June 27 during the PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference in Atlanta,
Georgia. She is the 10th recipient of the coveted award.
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SEPTEMBER 2016
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