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Rachel Minogue Age 27 Senior Account Executive Monarch & Company Englewood, Colorado L ike many, Rachel Minogue wasn’t aware of the promotional products industry until she saw Chicago-based distributor Monarch & Company’s job post for an account coordinator in 2017. Minogue was fresh out of the University of Kentucky with a degree in integrated strategic communications and was ready for her next challenge. Although she lacked experience, the company principals saw something special in Minogue and offered her the job. “She’s a rare blend of creative and analytical and has a tremendous ability to always take the next hard step,” says nominator and Chief Operating Officer Anna Nguyen. “She is always pushing for feedback to make her better and expand her mindset to see possibilities rather than obstacles. In her first two years, she started running custom kits and projects for brands like Malibu, Jameson, Continental Tire, Absolut, Corona and Maker’s Mark, and last year her sales exceeded $1 million.” Nguyen adds, “She’s so bubbly and insightful, and has a knack for sourcing, creativity and client service that is miles ahead of her years of experience. She truly embodies the future of our industry and I believe has the ability to inspire all generations with her story.” What impact has the COVID-19 lockdown had on your life both personally and professionally? Personally, my fiancé and I had to make the tough decision to postpone our wedding twice. It has been the right move for us, and we look forward to May 13, 2021. In addition, we live in a 700 square-foot apartment with our 70-pound black lab, Booker, so it has been an adventure of walks, new card games, Netflix and trying out new beers and hard seltzers. Professionally, my normal, unpredictable day is even more unpredictable now. We are flexing and developing different muscles while continuing to do what we do best: unleashing creativity. As a team, we are focusing on what we can control, how we can best support our event-based clients and generating ahead-of-the-curve ideas, all while working from separate homes. What have you learned about yourself during this time? I have learned to remind myself to focus on the things we can control and adapt from there while staying true to myself and who Monarch is. I love what I do, and if I can take this time to slow down and reprioritize a little while still creating and staying true to Monarch’s values and brand, then this time, while unplanned and far from ideal, was valuable. I know there are several things I have had the time to discover during the lockdown that I look forward to bringing forward. What concerns you most about the future of the promo products industry? What concerns me the most is the possibility that we may not get to see our colleagues, partners and industry friends in person for a long time. There is always a book of new learnings coming back from the PPAI Expo and all of the surrounding events that week, many of them stemming from face-to-face conversations and interactions: new perspectives, new product ideas, new selling techniques, new platforms or plugins, etc. It is such a reinvigorating time and I hope that we can find a way to come together and still have a week of learning and networking. What are you most optimistic about moving forward? I am most optimistic about Monarch moving forward with a whole new toolbox of ideas and strategies that we have developed and refined during the lockdown. In addition, we have taken this time to reflect and determine how we can revise our mission and vision based on some of our shutdown discoveries. As an industry, we have all been forced to adapt and grow in ways that are not natural, which brings the industry as a whole to a new level. I always knew this industry was a force to be reckoned with, but I never imagined us taking on a pandemic and coming out on top. Who or what inspires you and why? I am inspired by the way our CEO Yvonne Zeman and COO Anna Nguyen have led Monarch to lean into the pandemic and push ourselves to new heights, individually and as a team. We are truly learning, adapting and growing every day by asking our clients (and ourselves) curious and hard questions, positioning ourselves in a way that we think will have the greatest impact (with social, blogs and clients) and taking Continued on Page 42 FEATURE | Rising Stars 36 | SEPTEMBER 2020 |