PPB September 2019

Rising Stars | FEATURE Katrina Marshall, 38 President Artistic Toys & Promotions, LLC Allentown, Pennsylvania First Industry Job Marshall joined the company in 2006 as receptionist and quickly earned her way into a sales/service role. She worked hard, learned quickly, then transitioned into a full-time account manager and over the next 11 years held just about every position with the company. In 2017, when the owner wanted to sell, she purchased the company. Why She’s A Rising Star Her nominator says that once Marshall acquired the business, she made an aggressive goal for herself to reduce overhead and help improve overall company profit. That decision was instrumental to the success of the company in its first year of business. She took on the role of two to three full-time equivalents and was extremely hands-on in every single aspect of the daily business operation so she could step into any role in the company at any time. She formed friendships and bonds with her staff and created a positive team environment to help make her first year a success. Her goal in 2018 was to reach $1.5 million in sales and she exceeded it by $400K. The company provides a summer work program for high school seniors to prepare them for careers in business and regularly donates gifts to local schools and hospitals. And she’s raising five children. What Inspires Her “Tell me I ‘cannot’ do, be or have something, and that is the surest way to inspire me into action. What inspires me is simply when the ‘impossible becomes possible’—to tackle a problem and never give up, no matter how challenging. It is as if my need to ‘prove’ myself has fueled my relentless pursuit to create success. To show all those people who said to me ‘you can’t’— that in fact I can. And I am equally inspired by other people’s stories of creating the possible from the impossible. If I hear a story of someone who has overcome the odds, worked hard, focused, fulfilled on his or her word and has been relentless in changing the world to make it a better place—I feel unbelievably inspired and uplifted.” Most Difficult Challenge “It’s been most difficult balancing work and family life. It’s really hard to turn off work; there’s always something to do or a new goal to achieve. I’m constantly in work mode. My family has made a lot of sacrifices which enabled me to be really successful in the first two years. I am learning to balance being a mom to five and the president of a company, along with still making time for myself and being a good friend, sister, daughter, etc.” What She’d Like To Accomplish In The Next 24 Months “Continuing to grow Artistic Toys and moving into a new more modern and higher-functioning warehouse and office space. Creating new positions and adding some new faces to our team.” What’s Needed To Recruit Young Pros To The Industry “I think as an industry we need more exposure that would allow the many career possibilities to be explored. There are so many career opportunities inside our industry on the supplier and distributor side aside from sales and marketing—graphic artists, brand managers, supply chain and logistics positions, to name a few.” Best Advice For Industry Newbies “Remain committed to learning, expanding your knowledge. Keep challenging yourself. Always keep your vision clear. Build a great team around you. I have been extremely blessed with a great team that supports my vision for the company. Focus on setting and achieving small, incremental goals.” Tips To Relax And Recharge “Spending time with family and friends. I have five children who are very active. We love sports and seeing them compete is always a good time. Spending time with my friends and family always reminds me of the need to unwind and have fun.” | SEPTEMBER 2019 | 33