PPB October 2020

“As a distributor, we have to constantly educate ourselves, better ourselves to find things that our clients haven’t thought of.” Diversity In Promo Meet The Promo Guy Whether he’s working as a certified kettlebell instructor or serving as an ambassador for his local chambers of commerce, Swire Ho is constantly looking for new ways to build relationships and new business. F or Swire Ho, the key to success has always been through unique customer service. “We can all benefit from repeat and loyal customers, but in order to do that, we need to give them the level of service they can only experience at the company,” says Ho. Along with his business partner and wife Shirley, Ho, also known as #thepromoguy, is co-founder of Los Angeles-based distributor Garuda Promo and Branding Solutions, serving clients that include United Airlines, the U.S. Army, the YMCA, Nestle and SKANSKA. A Chinese American (he was born in Hong Kong) who immigrated to Los Angeles in 1996, Ho says being a distributor is a lot like being Marco Polo. “As a distributor, we have to constantly educate ourselves, better ourselves to find things that our clients haven’t thought of, and we bring them the idea, the item or items that could improve their sales and help themmarket, and then become a partner,” says Ho. Before joining the promotional products industry, Ho was in the CD and DVD replication industry working with music labels and musicians. In 2003, he and Shirley were enjoying the first day of their honeymoon when Ho learned the company he was working for had gone out of business. When the couple returned from their honeymoon, Ho began making calls and ultimately created his own production company, Hellman Production, Inc. “[When people ask me] how I started in the business, I say ‘an idea, a phone line and an email,’” he says. A year and a half later, Ho asked his wife to join him in the business. While working with musicians and production labels, Ho stumbled upon the promotional products industry. “After they would finish the album or the DVD, [the clients would] ask me, ‘Do you guys do t-shirts or merchandise we can sell?’” Second In A Series: Diversity In Promo by Kristina Valdez 92 | OCTOBER 2020 | CONNECT