9427333_PPB_Sep20

Jeff Franklin, CAS Age 34 National Accounts Manager Headwear USA Frederick, Maryland B efore landing his first promo industry job as a brand consultant for Maryland distributor Blue Chip, LLC in 2008, Jeff Franklin worked a series of uninspiring jobs as he tried to find his calling. “I went fromoutbound sales at Martin’s Potato Chips to a lawn technician for Scott’s Lawn Service. My brother-in-law owned a promotional products company, and he andmy sister recruitedme by offeringme a free trip to Vegas for the PPAI Expo,” he says. “I was hooked after that.” Franklin was nominated by HaroldWood at BICGraphic NA, who has known him for the past 10 years and worked with himas a volunteer at Chesapeake Promotional Products Association (CPPA). Franklin has held various roles at CPPA and has served as president for the past two years. He’s also volunteered for the SPARKWork Group, participated in PPAI’s Legislative Education and Action Day for several years and is a keymember of the Strategic Regional Foresight Committee. Wood says he’s impressed with Franklin’s ability to inspire and lead, to analyze issues and opportunities, and to exceed expectations. What impact has the COVID-19 lockdown had on your life both personally and professionally? I tend to travel quite a bit. Being on lockdown due to COVID-19 has not been an easy adjustment personally or professionally. My wife, Eliana, is a saint for dealing with me and our two beautiful and sometimes mischievous little girls. Professionally, things were a bit difficult at first as the whole world around us changed and we were confronted with difficult decisions. I am incredibly proud of my team at Headwear for stepping up and kicking some serious tail. Due to this whole situation, I am being mentored by not only our CEO Nik Mirich, who is an absolute legend, but also our Global Director Peter Barblett, who is unequivocally unmatched at what he does. I’m fortunate to work for a company that adapted to the changes by shifting production to face masks but was smart enough to not just rush into it with any ol’ product or design. What have you learned about yourself during this time? I have learned how egotistical, arrogant, unorganized and undisciplined I have been my whole life. We are brought up being made to believe we are really good and that we are worth something, and over time that becomes a crutch and complacency creeps in. I am now working harder than I have ever worked before, and I’m continuing to find more cracks and failures than I ever would have thought possible if I just kept cruising along thinking I’m really good. Because I’m finding these failures, I’ve actually gotten an opportunity to fix them. What concerns you most about the future of the promo products industry? I do not think this industry is going anywhere. People love promotional products and as long as there are businesses trying to connect with communities, we’ll be here. The landscape that we currently know will continue to change though. Technology is shrinking the world, and, in turn, distribution channels are shrinking. What are you most optimistic about moving forward? The resiliency of our industry, and how adaptive and flexible we are as a group of people. Who or what inspires you and why? My wife, my kids—my whole family. Nik Mirich, Peter Barblett, Paul Bellantone, Harold Wood, Cliff Quicksell, Bill Petrie, John R.B. Cudahy, Danny Rosin, Dana Geiger, Tiffany Kanak, Cindy Brown, Michael Valentini Jr., Cheryl Hokanson, Michele Reed, Bob Titelman Jr., Laird O’Cain. This list of people inspire me for myriad reasons, and I could go on and on. What would you like to accomplish over the next 24 months? My MAS first and foremost. I have lofty personal sales goals that I aim to achieve in the next 24 months as well. How can the industry attract, recruit and retain more young professionals? Secure income. Commissioned sales roles are a very difficult thing to enter into as a young professional recently removed from college with a ton of debt. I also think education and creating awareness about our industry within the curriculum would be hugely beneficial for attracting and recruiting young professionals. What’s the best advice you can give others who are just starting out? Keep going! It can be overwhelming trying to learn all the ins and outs of the hundreds of thousands of products that are offered in our industry and the various decoration techniques. That education is probably the best springboard for success early on though. I would recommend PPAI’s online education portal as a huge resource. The TAS courses are great for beginners, so start there if you have not already. FEATURE | Rising Stars 26 | SEPTEMBER 2020 |