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Justin Washburn Age 39 Owner Full Throttle Marketing powered by Proforma Bonita Springs, Florida W hen JustinWashburn entered Kent State University in 2000, he wanted to pursue a career in business management and logistics. Fast forward five years and he was following a different path selling commercial cabinetry and countertops. But when the company had to scale back, Washburn’s position was eliminated. Looking for a fresh start, he approached a friend about the promo industry and went to work as a sales rep for another Proforma company in 2010 before becoming a company owner himself three years later. FellowProforma owner and nominator Anthony Carpenter of distributor The BrandedCreation has known and volunteered alongside Washburn for the past two years. “Justinwas a foundingmember of the ProformaNEXTUnder 40 group. He and his wife chaired the Membership committee and he now serves as vice president of the group. Justin is amentor and a speaker at a local college business entrepreneurship programto educate the next generation about promotional products,” he says, adding thatWashburn has also shared his expertise by serving on several panels at Proforma events. What impact has the COVID-19 lockdown had on your life both personally and professionally? COVID-19 has affected me, but mostly early on. Being that I started in this industry during a financial crisis, I unintentionally found myself selling predominantly to higher education facilities. On top of that, COVID-19 hit right at the same time my schools typically clear out their budget for the end of the fiscal year. We took an early-onset hit due to this. The silver lining is that it really helped me realign my time with my family. I also learned that I do not much care for assembling large jigsaw puzzles. What have you learned about yourself during this time? More diversification. I had been slowly working to diversify my client list more into the private sector before COVID-19. The pandemic has just expedited the process. After starting/surviving the mid-2000s, I never would have thought I would be hurting my business by focusing on federally funded entities, such as universities. What concerns you most about the future of the promo products industry? Other than the fact that life as we know it will most likely never return, as long as we pivot to the industry’s needs, I think we will be fine. Staying malleable is going to be key. What are you most optimistic about moving forward? My optimism stems from the tools and support I have received from my Proforma family and support center. Early on, Proforma took the necessary steps to make certain their owners were able to provide their communities with proper and certified PPE products, along with focusing on the areas of businesses that were still making purchases during these trying times. Who or what inspires you and why? I think there are two factors here worth mentioning. The local community’s resilience and whether it is post-hurricane or during a health pandemic, the fabric of our community is so tightly knit. It amazes me how everyone comes together in a time of need. There is a core group of Proforma franchise owners, including my fellow NEXT Under 40 members, with whom I speak regularly. I am inspired by their individual accomplishments, willingness to share knowledge and unyielding mindset to succeed. What would you like to accomplish over the next 24 months? Continue a steady growth model, the addition of one to two quality sales representatives and self-sustainability, so I could rest easy if I wanted to step away from the business and take a vacation. How can the industry attract, recruit and retain more young professionals? As a current member of Proforma’s NEXT Under 40, our group focus is exactly that. As a newly founded group, we are mostly focused on networking and education, shedding light on the opportunities our industry can provide. What’s the best advice you can give others who are just starting out? Considering the current challenges at hand, if I could offer any advice I would say that diversification would be at the top of my list: client diversity, product diversity and vendor diversity. It gives us the ability to survive and even thrive in most any situation. It naturally instills a backup plan into your book of business and could make pivoting your focus for success a little easier. Rising Stars | FEATURE | SEPTEMBER 2020 | 39