PPB September 2019

Rising Stars | FEATURE JP Stratton, 35 Director of Merchandising and Vendor Relations Bel USA, LLC Medley, Florida Education Degree in sociology from York University in Toronto, Canada First Industry Job His first industry job was joining Bel USA in 2016. Previously, he worked for Office Depot for 10 years as a studio coordinator for the private brand packaging team and as a retail merchant/buyer for multiple categories. Why He’s A Rising Star He joined the industry just two-and-a-half years ago and has accomplished more than most people do in 10 years, says his nominator. He came in with no industry experience or contacts but has since taken on all brand merchandising and vendor relations. He is responsible for the company’s sourcing and compliance programs, and manages the merchandising/ onboarding team in Manilla, Philippines. He’s also a volunteer leader with the Gold Coast Promotional Products Association. What Inspires Him “My wife, first and foremost. She is such an incredible woman. She never takes a day off—it’s amazing. She works, goes to the gym and does an amazing job raising our daughters and, on top of that, she knows how to deal with me, which I know can be challenging sometimes. My younger brother was the biggest influence I had growing up. I never wanted to show him that I was down or that I wasn’t good enough at something. He is a great person and that always helped me. He pushed me more than anyone else to be a better man and to enjoy life. My parents, step-parents and in-laws are also huge inspirations for me. They all provided my family and me with a wonderful life which I am so thankful for. My family could never be what it is without the opportunities our parents provided us. I want to be able to give my kids all those opportunities and more. I’m not sure how that is possible to give more, but we are going to keep trying.” Most Difficult Challenge “The toughest thing I have ever had to overcome in my life is learning how to read. Even to this day, it still frustrates me. I am slightly dyslexic, so it was challenging. I remember going through testing in the sixth grade and being told that my reading level was equivalent to grade one or two. It hurt to hear (a lot). I was extremely embarrassed and for a little while I felt like I should just stop reading all together. But I was lucky; I had people in my life who really cared and helped me—lots of family support, a couple friends and a tutor/life coach.” What He’d Like To Accomplish In The Next 24 Months “Professionally, my goal in the next two years is to expand our merchandising team with additional category management. We are a very fast-paced team with a large breadth of assortment. I feel there are additional opportunities to have specialized talent in specific categories.” What’s Needed To Recruit And Retain Young Pros To The Industry “I really believe this is an industry you must see to believe. Personally, I did not know how big this industry is. I especially did not know how much fun it is. It’s an industry full of creativity in the personalization of items and innovation in products seen when walking the shows. So there really is something for everyone. I think showing that breadth of opportunities at the college fairs is the most important.” Best Advice For Industry Newbies “My advice is two-fold: Find something that you love to do and find something that motivates you to do more. Loving what you do will get you very far in life and in business. But every day is not going to be sunshine and rainbows, even if you love what you are doing. Finding a motivation will drive you through the rough patches and push you further. It’s the balance that makes us stronger.” Tips To Relax And Recharge “My favorite way to relax is spending time outside with my family: walking, playing games and especially going to the beach whenever possible. We are lucky enough to live in South Florida, so the weather is usually accommodating but hot.” Tina Berres Filipski is editor of PPB. | SEPTEMBER 2019 | 37