PPB September 2018

FEATURE | Rising Stars Best Advice Don’t be afraid. There is so much to learn in this industry. It is certainly overwhelming, but fun. Start small; learn who your key suppliers should be based on what you sell. Ask them for help. You are their client—they should be wowing you and making your job easier. Ask what their top five products are, get samples and ask for virtuals. Be prepared. Always bring something to the table or phone conversation. Ask clients how you can make things easier for them. Sometimes you can win business just by fixing a “pain” or issue. Lean on others in the industry. And the biggest one I am guilty of, don’t be afraid to ask for the business. Biggest Challenge When there was talk about Donna’s retirement and they approached me to buy the business, I was caught off guard. But the more I thought about it, I thought, I could do this! Making the leap was a challenge, but so far everything has worked out well. Change She’d Like To See I’d love to see the industry close the gap in getting hot retail-inspired products in our hands faster. I hate missing out on business because we don’t have a direct contact in our industry to produce the items that our clients see in retail. There appears to be a six to 12-month lag time. Ashley Moore Fens, 34 Owner Weyh Roberts & Associates/ American Solutions for Business A shley Moore Fens got her first exposure to premiums during a class in her senior year at Radford University. After graduating in 2006 with a degree in media studies and a concentration in advertising, her job search turned up a temp job with distributor Weyh Roberts & Associates in Tysons Corner, Virginia. She took the job and spent the next 12 years learning everything she could as an account executive, researcher and manager. In April, she bought the business when the owner retired. “Ashley gained enough confidence to get out of her comfort zone and take on more risk than she once thought she could handle,” says nominator Justin Zavadil, president of American Solutions for Business. “She has worked incredibly hard to get where she is and is an impressive up-and-comer in our company and industry.” Fens acknowledges her own efforts in building her career but gives substantial credit to her parents, who encouraged her, and to the company’s former owner, Donna Weyh Roberts, and her husband Brian. “They took me under their wings and really taught me the business,” says Fens. “It’s great having their support and advice to help guide me with making important decisions.” 42 | SEPTEMBER 2018 |