PPB September 2021

sophisticated, there may be less need to hire individual sales reps to work with clients to help with ideas, so it is important to maintain personal relationships with your clients so that sales representatives are not easily replaceable. Additionally, with the cost of cargo containers increasing and production delays, I am concerned items will start to become more expensive than clients’ budgets allow, and they will decide to reduce orders or quantities, or find replacements to using branded items. Inspiration: My little family that currently consists of my dog, Rylee, and my husband, Zach. I want to make sure that I am doing the best I can do for us, so that we can get a nice house for Rylee with a large backyard, and welcome our friends and family to it. To accomplish in the next 24 months: Professionally, I want to continue increasing my sales while maintaining my business retention ratio at 95 percent or higher and increasing my new business development ratio by at least 20 percent. I would also like to complete my MAS, so that I can continue to learn more about the industry and better serve my clients. Personally, I would love to own a house and make sure that I am creating work-life harmony—working hard but still taking time for my loved ones and myself. Ideas to recruit and retain more young talent: Younger individuals want to know that ours is an industry that supports its workers and cares about the longevity of our planet. It is important to focus on making our industry eco-friendlier so that our products are used even longer and that they are recyclable or made from recycled materials. Plus, we must also establish the value of promotional marketing as a platform to reach clients, appreciate employees and create integrated marketing plans. As a marketing major, I love this industry, as it provides a tangible and impactful form of advertising that can have an extensive amount of reach. However, the value of promotional marketing can be lost in all of the noise around us, and younger individuals can be caught up in digital marketing, so we need to regain their focus on why having tangible items matters. Best advice for them: No matter what happens, focus on the positives. You might receive a bunch of “no’s” from people not interested in what you do or in working with a new company. However, when you receive a “no,” it makes it easier to focus on the clients and individuals who actually want to work with you. You cannot let a “no” stop you from reaching out to additional prospects. Plus, if you stay informed about what is happening with the industry and trends as a whole, then you can become an invaluable resource for your clients as their trusted promotional marketing representative. Inspiration: My 2021 New Year’s resolution was, “If it doesn’t make me money or make me happy, I’m not going to do it.” Wanting to keep up with the Joneses is always going to have an influence on a person’s drive whether they admit it or not. So, with that out of the way, I am inspired by “happy.” I want to make everyone I can happy, at some level. I was raised by two amazing parents who came from very different walks of life, but they had the same core values. Respect yourself and respect others. When you show anyone at any age respect, they take their guard down. As those guards fall, they become more comfortable with you and pure happiness starts to show through. I love to smile and really enjoy seeing others smile. That’s how you know they are truly happy. To accomplish in the next 24 months: Professionally, I am looking to complete my certifications for the CAS and MAS. Those have been long-standing goals of mine and in the next 24 months I can make it happen. Also, I would like to become more of a resource for the industry. I got the speaking bug at skucon 2020 and then being live on everyone’s computer screen for just under two years—y’all can tell I am never at a loss for words or opinions. PromoCorner has offered me a fantastic platform to broadcast from, but it’s time to take the show on the road. Over the next 24 months, I am sure I can lock down some gigs speaking to awesome folks. Ideas to recruit and retain young talent: Keep up this trend of being trendy. I know that if you are still reading this, I am sounding like a broken record. Our industry was in a great technology spot. Let’s make sure that we stay up to date with virtual events and incorporate them into our in-person events. That’s going to help showcase how fun our industry is on the apps and programs the young professionals are on and will be on. Best advice for them: Have fun! This is a fun industry. No one ever says, “Oh man, here comes those promo people.” No, when we show up, we are there because there is an event, a run, a happy hour, a celebration. People use promotional products all day, err-day. Continued from page 25 Continued from page 26 Brandon Pecharich Kaylee Shields, CAS Rising Stars | FEATURE | SEPTEMBER 2021 | 31