PPB September 2019

FEATURE | Rising Stars SamReed, 26 National Accounts Manager Pacesetter Awards Co. Chicago, Illinois Education Degree in sales and marketing from Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois First Industry Job After college, he joined Pacesetter Awards as an account executive. He was drawn to the industry through family ties. He says there has been a Reed in the promotional products industry since 1959. His grandfather, William Reed, was vice president of sales at Schaffer Pen, and his father is currently midwest territory sales manager at Ariel Premium Supply. Why He’s A Rising Star His nominators say he’s young but firmly entrenched in the promotional products industry—like his father and grandfather before him. It’s not a job; it’s a career. In a short time, he has developed strong relations with distributors and established a name for himself and a stellar reputation. He has been instrumental in some of the company’s recent successes with clients and brings an infectious energy to Pacesetter. What Inspires Him “My source of inspiration is my family and friends. First and foremost, my daughter inspires me to be the best person I can be every day. My father inspires me to continue to advance my career in this industry and always work hard and have a road- warrior mentality. I have had the same group of close friends since elementary school and even from a young age, we all pushed each other to be the best we can be.” Most Difficult Challenge “The most difficult challenge I have had in my life is overcoming being cut from the freshman baseball team in high school. After playing at a high level my entire youth baseball career, including travel baseball, it was a tough pill to swallow being cut as a freshman. This only motivated me to work harder during the season. While all my friends and peers were playing, I was in the gym putting in work to better myself for my sophomore season. This worked—I ended up making the sophomore team and even earning a starting spot on the team. To this day, this situation has taught me to see challenges as opportunities to further myself.” What He’d Like To Accomplish In The Next 24 Months “In the next two years, I see myself working alongside the other members of our sales team and taking Pacesetter Awards to an increase in sales of $10 million plus. I believe with the team we have set, and the leadership we have with former Rising Star Kamil Dys, we are more than capable of achieving this feat.” What’s Needed To Recruit Young Pros To The Industry “I believe the promotional products industry can bring more youth into the industry by raising awareness of it within college organizations like the American Marketing Association. As a member of AMA in college, we had a number of events where different industry professionals would participate and outline their industry and what it entails. These events never included the promotional products industry. I have participated in a couple events in recent years at my alma mater, outlining our industry and what it has to offer.” Best Advice For Industry Newbies “The best advice I can give to someone just starting out is to be hungry. Opportunity is out there with every meeting and every trade show. It’s up to each young rep to jump on these opportunities and to stand out amongst the crowd to not only further the company you are representing, but yourself as well.” Tips To Relax And Recharge “My ultimate relaxation is a vacation my family and I take every year to Fort Myers Beach, Florida. This is a great getaway—always around the 4th of July week—to unwind and reset myself for the second half of the year. It is always a terrific feeling to be surrounded by loved ones on vacation.” 34 | SEPTEMBER 2019 |