PPB June 2018

during this time was hire an accountant to help me stay organized. He’s still doing my accounting today. What professional accomplishments are youmost proud of? Becoming a debt-free company and staying debt free to this day. This has allowed us to provide great wages and benefits to our teammembers. We cover 100 percent of medical insurance costs and offer up to four weeks of PTO, quarterly bonuses, annual bonuses and “bell-ringer lunches” when we close any order over $10,000. What motivates you in business? Seeing my team succeed in their work and their personal lives. Building long-lasting relationships with my clients. In fact, most of my closest friends started out as clients. I had the honor last year of officiating one of my client’s weddings. [Gibson is ordained by American Marriage Ministries to officiate weddings.] That was a great day! What do you enjoy most about yourwork? Having a flexible schedule is a huge perk. Now that we have a cloud-based business platform, I can work from anywhere at any time. I also enjoy that I’m not doing the same thing every day. Our industry has so many different products, and we are always looking for the latest trends and new items to offer. How do you spend your time outside the office? I’ve been really involved with volunteering since 2009, when I was asked to be a part of the foundation board for the Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center. I was very intimidated because I don’t have a college degree. But after a few meetings, I realized that, with my passion and life experiences, I could be a valuable addition to the board. Since then, I have served on several other boards, including the Adult Learning Systems of Oregon and NWPMA. I also enjoy mentoring, and I’ve recently helped New Avenues Ink, a nonprofit screen printing company, get on its feet. I am a strong believer in supporting the community financially and through volunteerism. If you wrote a book about your life, what would be the title and why? Youngest of Five and Still Alive . I grew up being the guinea pig for my siblings. Remember the Life cereal commercial on TV where Mikey was asked to try anything? Well, that was me. Terry Ramsay is associate editor of PPB. Gibson (center) and his team recently hosted a Chili for Charity event, and the winner of the best-tasting chili chose the Children’s Cancer Association as the recipient of the $1,000 prize. “I am a strong believer in supporting the community financially and through volunteerism.” —Kyle Gibson | JUNE 2018 | 95 CONNECT