PPB January 2018

people. I am lucky to work with Devin Martin, whom I have worked with for the past 17 years at a few different companies. She is my right arm, my best friend and the yin to my yang—I couldn’t do what I do without her. What changes or improvements have you recently implemented, or are youplanning tomake in the future? Our company is constantly evolving with the times; we are updating our website, which we hope to have complete this month. We are always in communication with our customers, asking how we can be a better partner: we listen, learn and implement. We are always adding new processes, equipment and materials to stay on the cutting edge. Describe your office atmosphere. My office atmosphere is awesome. I work from home when I am not traveling, and it could not be more relaxing. My dog at my feet, the fireplace on, a candle lit and office windows looking into my backyard woods—it’s a great way to work. When I am on the road, I try to sightsee, even if it’s a LOVE sign in Virginia, The Fonz statue in Wisconsin or the Great Wheel (a Ferris wheel) in Seattle. I like to get out and have some fun. What kinds of projects or tasksmight you tackle ona givenday? That depends on the time of year. When it comes to selling awards, we have a busy season, and during the fourth quarter leading into first quarter, my to- do list can be quite long. When I amnot traveling, I do a variety of things, fromgathering and analyzing reports, to planning the next sales trip—this can be tricky as some clients like to plan far out on the calendar, and some are the type who ask you to call them the week before you arrive. When I’m traveling I do four sales meetings a day, some in offices, some during coffee or lunch, as many distributors work fromhome offices and prefer tomeet offsite. This is my favorite part of the job— seeing old friends andmeeting new ones. Howdoes this job challenge you? This industry is ever changing. When I started in the industry, trade shows and networking events were the onlyway to really communicate. Nowwe have technology that has somewhat taken over the face-to-face connections. I think the personal connection is such an important thing, and it sometimes gets lost with all the technologywe nowuse. Howdoyoucollaborate withco-workers? I collaborate with co-workers in a variety of ways—by phone, text, email, conference call, brainstorming sessions, Bitmoji, FaceTime and occasional sales meetings at local taverns. Whatmakes your company a valuable member of the promotional products community? I would have to say it’s our 76 years of dedicatedmembership in the industry. It’s so fun to talk to our owner, Glen Lorenz, as he reminisces on his road- warrior travel days in sales and also about how shows have changed formats, locations and attendance over the years. We also believe in volunteering for our associations—we can get as much out of it as we put into it [Ashfield is amember of the Upper Midwest Association of Promotional Professionals (UMAPP)]. If you are not involved in your regional association on some level, you really aremissing out. Left, Ashfield and her family—husband, Steve, and their children, Cole and Jade—make the most of their time together. Below, At a costume party, Ashfield engages in a bit of pop culture fun dressed as Cher, while coworker Devin Martin channels Sonny Bono. “We are always ... asking [our customers] how we can be a better partner: we listen, learn and implement. We are always adding new processes, equipment and materials to stay on the cutting edge.” | JANUARY 2018 | 111 CONNECT