PPB May 2021

go.” She told me, “Jill, this organization will absorb from you as much work as you are willing to give it.” That was such an aha moment for me. It made me realize that I hadn’t set expectations for myself and with my leader. That really forced me to focus on getting the most important work done, but I also realized I had a responsibility to myself to draw the line and say when I finish with this work, I need to focus on things outside of work. I always thought, “If there’s work to do, I will work until the work is done,” but the work is never done. PPB What concerns you most about the future of the promo products industry? Haspert The environmental impact of our industry concerns me. I think the work that suppliers and distributors have done, specifically over the past few years, with corporate social responsibility and environmental stewardship has been wonderful. I am really heartened to see that, but I think there’s a lot more work needed to be done in making sure we are emphasizing the sustainability of existing products, but then also continuing to learn about new offerings and creating demand for those items. From a distributor perspective, how do we all run our businesses more responsibly? PPB What’s your advice for other leaders in this industry? Haspert I feel like as a relative newcomer I should probably be seeking advice, but what I’ve observed is that this industry is experiencing so much disruption from technology. Every company in our industry will be a technology company or should be making plans to become a technology company. My advice is not to fight that, but to really think about your business model and how you can embrace it while still maintaining those relationships with customers. Technology does not replace relationships, and you should be thinking about how the industry is adopting technology and making sure you are riding that wave. Along those same lines, we should recognize that businesses are a lot more resilient than people think. Making these changes doesn’t change your values and it doesn’t change who you are at the core of your company. Kristina Valdez is associate editor of PPB. | MAY 2021 | 89 CONNECT