PPB September 2019

FEATURE | Rising Stars Cola Svec, 30 President & CEO Soul & Swag, Inc. Omaha, Nebraska Education Degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Kearney with a minor in Spanish First Industry Job She grew up in and around the industry, as her parents owned a promotional products business. After college, she began working part-time for them in phone sales. Why She’s A Rising Star She and her mother started their company in 2017. Her nominator says Svec is a brilliant entrepreneur who is building a thriving business. She has been a presenter at skucon’s Entrepreneur Jam and for local business audiences. Her company was awarded the West O Chamber’s 2018 New Business of the Year, the 2019 Small Business of the Year and Svec was named its 2019 Business Person of the Year. What Inspires Her “Our clients inspire me to stay creative and fresh with the ideas we present. The community of Omaha and beyond inspires me to give back and support local organizations that are literally changing lives on a daily basis. Our team of incredibly strong, badass women inspires me to think outside the box and never stop dreaming big. My fiancé inspires me to never give up on what I want and to work hard, but play harder.” Most Difficult Challenge “There have been two times in my life when I really thought I had things figured out before being smacked upside the head with huge changes for our family. I had a vision for what my life was going to look like at age 14 and then again at 27. God had different ideas and made some drastic changes with what I was doing at the time. Without going into all the details, I will share that those were some of the toughest, most challenging times of my life; however, without those two defining moments, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be answering these questions today.” What She’d Like To Accomplish In The Next 24 Months “It may sound cliché, but I simply want to make sure we’re always doing business the right way. Our team has a goal to hit $1 million in sales during year two and we all know that’s a lofty goal. Over time, if we’re doing things the right way, I have no doubt we’ll get there and several years after that, we’ll make it to $3 or $5 million or beyond. Regardless of the numbers, I want to always take care of our team, give back to the community and live a healthy, balanced life with my family.” What’s Needed To Recruit And Retain Young Pros To The Industry “I think if we can appreciate and understand the differences amongst each generation, we can execute as a team. I believe education is also a key component to attracting more young professionals. So many people are unaware of the magnitude of our industry. The only way to change that is to help educate people on what’s available through things like internships, community outreach, social media and more.” Best Advice For Industry Newbies “Never stop learning from others. I’ve been around this business for almost 25 years and working in it for over six, yet I feel like I learn something new almost every single day. I love listening to podcasts, reading industry articles and reaching out to other distributors or suppliers for their insight.” Tips To Relax And Recharge “It depends on the day. Some days it’s a warm bath, relaxing music, red wine and a night at home without any work. Other days I love ice cold Busch Light by the lake with friends.” 36 | SEPTEMBER 2019 |