PPB July 2021

disservice by not checking in. How do we sit in both camps of taking care of the clients while honoring that they may be going through something?” McDaniel says the pandemic emphasized the importance of compassion in selling and in relationships, especially with his team. “I understand the importance of ‘loving on’ and servicing the team,” he says. “They are going through stuff, too, and yet we are asking a lot of them, especially in the early stages of the pandemic.” Candice Brouillette, an employee of three years, says that she’s never had an employer who encourages her as much as McDaniel does. “He is just a natural leader, so well-spoken and thoughtful with every customer, vendor and employee he meets. It’s evident howmuch he truly cares about our customers’ needs,” she says. “Inmy short time being a part of the One World team, I’ve seen our sales increase over 60 percent, and we are only a four- person team. We’ve been able to successfully handle it all due to his talent for finding the right people for the job, educating them and then empowering them. He has created an amazing office culture that keeps us all excited to work.” McDaniel has a saying: “If I can convince the team that I work for them, then I’ve won.” He explains, “The most important thing I can do each day is show up, serve and support them. Ultimately, if we are operating at a high level of trust and [my employees] feel empowered, then they can take this business further than I ever could if I pushed them there.” PPB spoke withMcDaniel to learnmore about the industry lessons he’s learned and how he’s “being human in selling.” PPB What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in the last year? McDaniel Whatever you think you need in the bank as back-up? Double that. Good times are not going to be forever. People who got into this industry in the last six years were probably thinking it will never go bad. You always need to plan for that time. If you are intentional in your business planning, you can prepare for the catastrophic stuff. I learned the importance of diversifying in the first recession and it paid off in the second. Clients who I barely heard from when times were good, I heard from a lot more during the pandemic, and clients who I heard from every day, I still haven’t heard from them. Normally, business doesn’t wait for anyone. Being human means realizing that there is so much more going on in peoples’ lives than a promo order. We can all get through this a little bit easier if people have grace and space. PPB How do you continuously better yourself as a leader in this industry? McDaniel By being hyper intentional. I also focus on my emotional intelligence, being able to read the room and being able to adjust accordingly. There are so many books and podcasts that you can just eat up, but if you are not intentional about implementing them, they don’t do a whole lot of good. I always try to have a high level of self-awareness because if I am not aware of my shortcomings or where I drop the ball, then listening to podcasts or reading books isn’t going to help me if I think the advice is for someone else. Specifically, in this industry, I hate not knowing how to do something. I am going to obsessively deep dive into something new. If someone requests something we haven’t done before, our goal is to become an expert in it as fast as possible. PPB What are you most optimistic about moving forward? McDaniel In either an email or during a PPAI event, someone said, “The promotional products industry is naturally built to adapt.” By nature, all of us, as distributors and suppliers, adapt because we are always dealing with deadlines and solving problems—I think more so than other industries. The promotional products industry came out of this pandemic stronger and even better. If we can come out of one of the most unprecedented times, what else can we come out of? Also, when I first joined this industry, I was 22. Going to a PPAI show, I looked like somebody’s kid who’s just hanging around. Even now, I’ll go to a show and people will ask me, ‘How do you like getting into the industry?’ I have to tell them I’ve been in it for 16 years. But now you go to a show and there are so many young people. There is so much youth and even if they are, in theory, my competitors, I think it’s awesome that young people are getting involved in this industry. They really have their pulse on those trends. When I started, it felt like the industry was five years behind retail trends. Now, I think the industry is driving those trends. It’s exciting because we can be a part of those trends. The creative level that we’re at is unreal. Kristina Valdez is associate editor of PPB. Gr i f f i t h McDan i e l “Ultimately, if we are operating at a high level of trust and [my employees] feel empowered, then they can take this business further than I ever could if I pushed them there.” —Griffith McDaniel 82 | JULY 2021 | CONNECT