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Wednesday
May 4, 2011 Surf’s Up in San Diego!Filed under: ASI Shows, Editorial, Fun, Travel Hi Everyone & Happy May! Long time, no blog. I know… I’ve been incommunicado, off the grid and under the radar, working on deadlines for ASI’s supplier magazine that I edit, Supplier Global Resource, and writing the Person of the Year cover story for June’s Counselor (stay tuned for this year’s exciting choice). It’s nice to resurface! So, how’s your spring and summer shaping up? I’ll be heading to San Diego — one of my favorite cities ever (due in no small part to its high concentration of hottie, long-haired surfer boys) — on May 17th for the ASI Show. Will you be there? If so, join me for one or both of the education sessions I’ll be moderating on Wednesday, May 18th. If you’re a distributor who’s interested in learning how you can immediately increase your sales, get new clients and gain market share, please join me for my session on “The Secrets of Successful Self-Promotion Campaigns.” It’s from 11:00 a.m.-noon in room 26B of the San Diego Convention Center, and features such award-winning industry luminaries as Cliff Quicksell, Bluegrass Promotions’ Billy Booe and Counselor Top 40 distributor Boundless Network’s Brad White — all of whom will be showing examples and discussing techniques for growing your sales and client base with stellar self-promos. How much do I love self-promo campaigns? Oh, let me count the ways. When they’re done with a modicum of time, planning and creativity, they deliver off-the-charts ROI. Check out these three examples…
Last year’s winner of the ASI Spirit Award for Best Distributor Self-Promotion Campaign was IL-based Edventure Promotions. Click here to read about his promo that garnered the company $50,000 in new business. (Check out June’s Counselor for the winners of this year’s ASI Spirit Awards for Best Self-Promotion campaigns…) If you’re a supplier, take a break from setting up your booth to join me for my session, “What Distributors Want,” featuring key staffers from four top distributors, all sharing tips and strategies for becoming their industry partners. The session will be held from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in Session Room B, right on the show floor, and my panelists include Craig Reese, senior vice president/partner of Counselor Top 40 distributor Jack Nadel International and Todd Singleton, owner of the third-generation distributor, The Singleton Co. Inc. There’s no need to register, and snacks will be served. Hope to see you all in San Diego from May 17-21. When I’m not moderating education sessions or walking the show floor, you can find me perched on a bar stool in the nearest surfer bar, getting my shedonism on with my hurricane-force hellraisers (Memo Kahan, Kris Robinson, Chuckles Fandos, Mark Hobbs & Nadine Panetti, Dan Townes and Jakey Krolick, I’m turning a gimlet-eyed gaze in your direction…). Come find me and I’ll buy you a cocktail! ; ) Cheers, M
Thursday
March 17, 2011 With a Little Help From My Friends…Filed under: Editorial, Fun, Personal Hi Everyone! Hope you’re all doing well and as am excited as I am about the the start of spring and — more importantly — season four of True Blood (go Team Eric!). ; ) I’ve been off the show tour and office-bound for the past few weeks (so nice!), though some editorial colleagues and I trekked to New York City last week for the prestigious Neal Awards luncheon. The Jesse H. Neal national business journalism awards are given out by American Business Media and are known as “the Pulitzers of Business Journalism.” To even be selected as a finalist is quite an honor, so imagine our delight when three of ASI’s publications — Counselor, Wearables and Supplier Global Resource — were singled out to compete for various awards. The luncheon itself, commemorating the 57th annual Neal Awards where this year’s winners were announced, was held at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in a stunning room with jaw-dropping views of the city. Midway through the program, the category for which I was up for an award — Best News Coverage for my article on the issues surrounding sourcing product from China (see the cover image for the winning issue, below) — was announced. Much to my shock, I won the award. I’m thrilled, yes, but it bears noting that there are three reasons the article was award-worthy. 1. Melinda Ligos. As the editor-in-chief of all ASI’s publications — in addition to the huge responsibility of running our education initiatives — Melinda has the Herculean task of being my boss. When the time came for us to enter the Neal Awards, I carried on like a lunatic that “I have no time for blah-blah awards,” “Who cares if we win awards,” yap yap yap. Thankfully, Melinda cares if we win. She told me in no uncertain terms that if I didn’t make the time to enter, she’d enter for me. Only because of her persistence, patience and support was my receiving the award even possible. 2. Tim Andrews and Rich Fairfield. Imagine trying to control the wind. Now imagine trying to control the wind and stop the waves from rolling in. Then imagine that the aforementioned wind and waves hate rules and rack up rock star-sized bar bills at trade shows. That’s a little what it’s like, I would imagine, to have me as an employee. Yet these two, ASI’s president/CEO and executive vice president/publisher, do it with grace, loyalty and only intermittent eye-rolls and sporadic sighs of exasperation. I couldn’t do what I do here at ASI — for 14 years now — without their flying buttress-esque support. 3. My supplier brain trust. Most importantly, I share this award with the nine supplier principals who graciously allowed me to interview and quote them, on a topic that wasn’t the easiest for them to discuss. The impetus of this article was my friend David Nicholson, president of Counselor Top 40 supplier Polyconcept North America, who reached out to me and explained — in painstaking detail — what was going on last year in Asia (factory closings, employment shortages, shipping delays) and the monumental impact it would have on the industry. “Would you be willing to go on the record,” I asked, “and explain how these issues are negatively affecting Leed’s and the industry?” Not something the head of any company would relish. You know what? He didn’t hesitate. Getting my other supplier friends to dissect the troubling issues was equally as easy. In addition to David, Dard’s Bonni Shevin-Sandy, SanMar’s Marty Lott, Gemline’s Jonathan Isaacson, Impex’s Randy Chen, Logomark’s Trevor Gnesin, Sweda’s Jim Hagan, Ash City’s Garry Hurvitz and Prime Line’s Jeff Lederer took the time to tell me exactly what was happening and how it would impact different aspects of the ad specialty supply chain. It wasn’t pretty, but they didn’t waver and not once did I hear, “This is off the record.” Click here to read the article. Only because of their openness, forthrightness and trust was I able to tell their story. To them I say a heartfelt thank you.
Cheers, and more soon! – M
Monday
February 28, 2011 ASI Dallas: Everything’s Bigger in Texas!Filed under: ASI Shows, Editorial, Fun, Travel Hey Y’all! (See, I’ve still got my Dallas on!) So I just returned from a rollicking, rave-worthy ASI Dallas Show that was one for the books (along with my bar tabs…). I’ve always loved Dallas, since way back when PPAI used to have its shows there, so I truly look forward to this ASI event each year. As you’ll see from the voluminous amount of photos below, a grand ole time was had by all (I’m looking at you, Billy Booe, Julie Ditchik and Scottie Nussinow)! My favorite parts? Meeting new friends like Proforma’s Kelsey Anthony, who I’ve talked to numerous times on the phone and via e-mail, but had never met in person, and spending time with those I don’t see as often as I’d like to — my gal pal Lisa Horn, Polyconcept North America’s Melissa Lehman and Sweda’s Kellie Claudio, for example. The show itself was an undeniable success: 3,600 distributors in attendance, an increase of 8% from last year, and record-breaking attendance for first lady Laura Bush’s keynote address, with more than 600 people packing the ballroom of the Dallas Convention Center to hear Mrs. Bush speak. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention ASI’s second-annual Women’s Summit, held at the magnificent French Room in the Adolphus Hotel. Networking with my favorite industry ladies, sanctioned mid-day drinking and a keynote address from the lovely and inspiring Mrs. Bush. What more could you ask for? Hope to see you all soon at the next show, where my goal is to keep the good times — and optimistic mood we’re all in — going! Cheers, and more soon! – M
Monday
January 31, 2011 ASI Orlando: Here Comes the Sun…Filed under: ASI Shows, Editorial, Fun, Travel Hi Everyone! Despite the sketchy weather on the East Coast, I’m back from the ASI Orlando Show, where multiple records (number of distributor attendees, exhibitors, education day participants, etc.) were shattered. This proves to me that the sense of resurgence and recovery I felt at the PSI Dusseldorf Show two weeks ago wasn’t a fluke: The industry’s bad days have passed, and, as they say in NoLa, laissez les bons temps rouler! Trust me — the good times in Orlando were plentiful and memorable. A special shout-out to my supplier panelists who shared their secrets for success (and mistakes they’ve made along the way) with their supplier peers at a free luncheon on set-up day: World Wide’s Kim Newell; Counselor Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products’ C.J. Schmidt (huge congrats to Hit, this year’s ASI Supplier of the Year!); MediaTree’s Rob Watson; and Shepenco’s Dan Townes – all of whom were simply spectacular! Were you in Orlando? Post a comment below sharing your favorite moment(s)! (You’ll see some of mine in the photos below…). Couldn’t make it to the show? Meet us in two weeks for the ASI Dallas Show, where we’ll keep the good times and optimism for the industry’s success in 2011 rolling! Cheers, and more next week! – M PS: If you will be at the ASI Dallas Show, check out my Education Day session on how to create effective, measurable self-promotion campaigns (Wednesday, 2/16, from 9:45-10:45 a.m.), with my superstar panelists Brad White, vice president of sales for Counselor Top 40 distributor Boundless Network, and Billy Booe, sales & self-promo guru at Bluegrass Promotions, one of Counselor’s fastest-growing distributor companies.
Thursday
January 20, 2011 PSI Dusseldorf: Back & Better Than Ever!Filed under: Editorial, PSI Shows, Travel Hi Everyone! I’ve just returned from Europe, where I attended my favorite show of the year, PSI Dusseldorf. It is a HUGE event in the European ad specialty marketplace, where you’ll see trends that will have an impact on the North American industry in the coming year. Trust me: No one does packaging, fashion and design better than the Euros. Optimism permeated the show floor, with business, sales and moods rebounding after two years of doom and gloom. The German Association of Promotional Products, for example, announced that sales of ad specialties in that country reached 3.43 billion euro ($4.61 billion US) in 2010, up from 2.97 billion euro ($3.99 billion US) in 2009. Another sign of good things to come? The European arm of Polyconcept, the world’s largest ad specialty supplier — PF Concept — once again held its grand party, which had been on hiatus for the past few years. Billed as “Imagine: The Party of the Century,” the fetewas back and better than ever, courtesy of Cees Martens, the Netherlands-based CEO of PF Concept International, with help from the supremely organized and capable Annette de la Rie, the Goddess of PF Concept. (See more on the party with tons of photos, below).
The PSI Show itself, the 49th annual event, is Europe’s largest ad specialty trade show. Held from 1/12-1/14, it showcased 849 exhibitors from 30 nations, covered 35,000 square meters of floor space in five halls, and drew 17,122 attendees, up from 16,464 last year. Michael Freter, PSI’s managing director, noted that while this year’s show numbers “are by no means record-breaking,” they do allow for “careful optimism.” “PSI is a barometer of public opinion … and reflects the performance of the manufacturers and distributors of promotional products,” Freter said. “The signs are positive that this year’s PSI Show will be carried by the current economic upswing.”
That sense of optimism for increased industry sales carried through to the show floor, with distributors and the heads of Europe’s largest suppliers, such as Polyconcept’s Chairman Philippe Varnier and Senator’s CEO Michael Nick, indicating increased sales in the second half of 2010 and high indicators for a successful 2011.
Product trends from the show floor include an emphasis on creative eco-friendly packaging, such as sports drinks in toothpaste-shaped tubes constructed of recycled material and vegan bags constructed from vegetables. Earth-based, rustic colors such as bark brown, pine green and leaf orange were the hues shown most prominently. Additionally, QR (Quick Response) codes are ubiquitous on the show floor, on suppliers’ booths, on attendee badges and exhibitor catalogs. Intermed Asia Ltd. attracted crowds to its booth with a video demonstration of a new application that allows logos to act like QR codes; by merely scanning a company’s logo on a bag or mug, for example, a client can launch additional promotional messages.
Next year’s PSI Dusseldorf Show — which, for the first time in years, won’t overlap with any U.S. show — will be held from January 11-13. I’ll be there, and would be happy to be your guide to the show and all the fun events, including an international reception to be hosted by ASI in the VIP Lounge of the convention center at the close of the first show day! From there, we’ll all go to PSI’s PHENOMENAL party at one of the best nightclubs in Dusseldorf. Trust me, it is quite the time. ; For more information about next year’s PSI Show, go to www.psi-network.de.
Cheers, and more next week from ASI’s Orlando Show! – M If you’re a supplier who’s attending ASI’s Orlando Show, please join me for a free luncheon panel discussion on Sunday, 1/23, on the show floor from noon til 1:30 p.m. Take a break from setting up your booth to hear my panel of esteemed suppliers who’ve experienced growth in their businesses and are ready to share how they’ve done it: C.J. Schmidt, vice president of sales for Counselor Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products; Kim Newell, president of World Wide Lines Inc.; Rob Watson, president of MediaTree; and Dan Townes, owner of Shepenco.
Thursday
January 6, 2011 Customer DisserviceFiled under: Personal Hi Everyone and Happy 2011! Hope you’re all having a great new year so far and looking forward to show season! How were your holidays? I traveled to Florida to spend Christmas with my mom and stepdad, and had a few incidents happen that made me go “WTF?” (Why the Face?, in Modern Family parlance) and really contemplate what constitutes good customer service. I’m also in the midst of compiling the profiles on some of the industry suppliers who won this year’s Counselor Distributor Choice awards (to be announced at ASI’s Orlando Show on 1/23 – if you’re going to be there, join us for the awards celebration and cocktail party at 5:00 p.m. in room S320 of the Orlando Convention Center). What do they all have in common? Stellar, “save the day” customer service. Here are two examples of craptacular customer service, from companies that could take a lesson from the award-winning suppliers in our industry. 1. TD Bank. As I was at the Philadelphia Airport two days before Christmas to fly to my mom’s house in Sanibel, Florida, I stopped at a McDonald’s to get coffee. I used my debit card, which was promptly declined. When I called TD Bank, with whom I do my banking and have credit cards, they informed me that my card had been cancelled due to “suspected fraudulent activity in Homer, Oklahoma.” According to the customer service person, Homer is a hotbed of identity and credit card theft. Who knew? I’m just guessing here that there’s not much to do in the thriving metropolis that is Homer, Oklahoma. Just sayin’. Now, while I was thankful that the bank was vigilant in spotting the attempted fraud and shut down my credit card, couldn’t they have, you know, TOLD ME? As I explained to the customer service woman that I was ready to board a plane and would need a new card overnighted to me, she informed me that I’d have to “fax a handwritten letter” giving them authority to ship my new card to an address (my mom’s) that wasn’t my own. Couldn’t I e-mail an authorization to them, providing telling data to authenticate my identity? Nope. Ladies and gentleman, you’ve now met a business in the year of 2011 that “doesn’t accept e-mails.” Brenda, the first in a long and undistinguished line of customer service people I dealt with, suggested — wait for it — that I find a fax machine AT THE AIRPORT and dash the letter off to them that way. Yes. Because the Rosetta Stone kiosk and the Relay magazine stand have fax machines at the ready. Clearly, Brenda doesn’t fly. At this point I didn’t freak too much, because I was traveling to be with my family and knew they’d lend me cash, etc. But what if I wasn’t? What if this happened as I was boarding an international flight to Dusseldorf, as I will be next week? When I landed, my mom took me to an Office Max where I faxed (so archaic I might as well have used a chisel and a slate) the handwritten letter to TD Bank, who — as I called to confirm its arrival — assured me I’d get my new card the next day. Long story short? I didn’t get my card until the following Tuesday — nearly a week – which is baffling to me in this day and age. I’ve gotten phones, flowers and shoes overnighted to me — but apparently a 2″ x 3″ piece of plastic is outside the realm of possibility. Those of you who know me can imagine how my demeanor steadily declined as I checked twice daily on the status of my card, each time speaking with a different supervisor — none of whom were “allowed” to give me their last name or direct phone number and all of whom gave me different information (“we never overnight cards,” “your card will be delivered today,” “your card is stuck in the snowstorm”). My favorite had to be when one customer service agent told me she couldn’t provide me with a tracking number “until the card was delivered.” Not a high point for my patience, I suggested she “take a moment of silence for the death of logic in that statement.” I was also so tired of repeating my personal information that I began to get more snarky than usual. Customer Service Rep: “Can you spell ‘Sanibel’ for me?” Bitchy, Exasperated Michele: “Sure! S as in Subpar, A as in Asinine, N as in Nonsensical, I as in Inept…” The lessons to be learned here (which I enumerated in a letter to the president of TD Bank): * Allow your customers to have direct access to customer service reps so they can deal with one person and not have to repeat their story again and again. It’s annoying and frustrating. * Get everyone on the same page. I think the thing that made me the most incensed was that even reps at a supervisory level all had different answers for me. The message conveyed was confusion and distrust — not what a bank wants to put out there, I would think. * It bears noting that every one of the 14 people I spoke with at TD Bank was extremely nice and empathetic. However, when you’re getting the runaround and incorrect information, nice only goes so far. * Communicate clearly with customers when there is a problem. The main point of contention with me was that the bank never notified me that my credit card had been canceled — McDonald’s did. The numerous reps apologized for this oversight and said I “should have been contacted immediately.” Shoulda Woulda Coulda. Follow through on your methods of operation. * Let Brenda out of the office to visit an airport, for the love of God. As an amusing little epilogue, when the credit card so guarded and protected by the bank that it was like The Grail finally did arrive at my mom’s house via FedEx, I was neither required to sign for it nor show identification. Kid. You. Not. 2. Southwest Airlines. Truly, Southwest is one of my favorite U.S. companies. Its employees are cordial and kooky, they don’t charge for baggage and still offer complimentary beverages and snacks. And you’ve just got to love a company that was started by a genius, loony libertine (Herb Kelleher) on the back of a cocktail napkin while drinking a snoot-full of Scotch. However… While in Sanibel and dealing with the credit card clusterduck over at TD Bank, a wicked snow storm socked the East Coast, causing my flight back to Philly to be canceled. Now, I fly enough that disruptions like this do not even phase me and I was able to go back to my mom’s house for two more days. The quandary? As I had already checked my bag for the flight that was ultimately canceled, no one at Southwest could tell me where my bag was — still on the plane, sitting at the Fort Myers airport or on its way to Philly. What I find interesting is that these days (creepily) you can track anyone and anything with technology. Except my Louis Vuitton bag, which was apparently sneaky enough to avoid detection. The lesson for Southwest? You guys are amazing at practically everthing you do… Perhaps you should focus as much on your technology as you do on your people. That’s it, I’m all bitched out. Despite these events, I had an awesome Christmas and am ready to start traveling for show season — just not to Homer, Oklahoma. ; ) Do you have a customer service story that sent you off the rails or restored your faith in humanity? Post a comment! Cheers, and more next week from the PSI Dusseldorf Show! – Michele
Wednesday
November 24, 2010 “Power” to the People!Filed under: Travel Hi Everyone, Before I share some fun photos I took at this year’s ASI Power Summit at the beautiful Turnberry Isle Resort in Ventura, FL, last week, I wanted to point out a few of my personal highlights: * The industry panelists who really spoke their minds and had the cojones to be controversial were among the best. When asked, on the ”Supplier & Distributor Point/Counterpoint” panel, about the issue of distributors trusting suppliers enough to bring them to client meetings, industry veteran Dan Townes, owner/president of Shelbyville, TN-based supplier Shepenco/Shelbyville Pencil, brought down the house with this assessment of the situation: “You have a better chance of throwing a saddle on a unicorn and riding it around than seeing distributors trust suppliers enough to bring them to client meetings.” Bill Korowitz, CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier The Magnet Group, made this pronouncement during the “Follow the Leader: Meet the Counselor Power 50″ panel, on the topic of inventory issues: “Listen, I’m happy to have a million pieces of something in my inventory if you need it; but I can have a million pieces of everything that you may or may not need in my inventory. Distributors need to do a better job conveying what they need to suppliers. Once we know what your inventory needs truly are, we can help you.” * During a discussion session I moderated, in which suppliers and distributors broke off into groups and hashed out some of today’s pressing problems, a distributor approached me on the stage and asked me to convey to suppliers that what distributors really want is “significant benefits at insignificant costs” to help them fight inflation and stay profitable. So, good luck with that one, Suppliers! ; ) * ASI’s exclusive new and updated “Advertising Specialties Impressions Study” was released at the Power Summit and is an eye-opener to the power of promo products. The study went global this time, in that we surveyed businesspeople who use ad specialties in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, as well as London, Sydney, Toronto and Montreal. Click here to see the study and download it as a way to prove to clients that ad specialties really do offer the best bang for the buck. * Sometimes, what you think will end in disaster turns out for the best, as was the case with dinner on the first evening. It was held outdoors, by the beautiful Laguna pool on the resort’s property. Unfortunately, as ASI’s president/CEO Tim Andrews began interviewing the keynote guest, economist Sean Snaith, it began to rain — hard. Not to be deterred, everyone poured inside and headed right to the bar, turning the event into an impromptu fun fest of networking and cocktailing (the open bar was a definite hit!). And Mr. Snaith’s (who was great, despite having a name that sounds like a Harry Potter villain) predictions on the state of our country’s economy and how it will affect the industry? My editorial colleague Andy Cohen interviewed him inside and the video was shown the next day. Click here to see that interview. And now, on to some photos I snapped of various behind-the-scenes events and industry friends frolicking. Next year’s Power Summit (from November 6-8) is at the drop-dead-gorgeous Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, CA. Go to www.asicentral.com/psreg for more info! Enjoy, and Cheers! – M
Monday
November 1, 2010 Meet Brad White, SGR’s Supplier Sales Rep of the Year!Filed under: Travel As the winner of Supplier Global Resource’s inaugural Supplier Sales Rep of the Year contest, Brad White, vice president of sales for San Diego-based AddVenture (asi/31940), garnered an overwhelming number of nominations and accolades from the hundreds of distributors who voted. A uniquely creative thinker, profoundly talented at self-promotion & social media, constantly in touch with clients and always on his game, Brad is the sales rep distributors dream of working with – a true renaissance man for our plugged in digital age who makes their lives easy. Read on for his guest blog, and search him out online and at upcoming ASI shows in 2011 — you won’t be disappointed! To read more about Brad, click here.
– Michele When Michele asked me to write a guest blog I was immediately flattered and honored. Now faced with this opportunity, the task is as daunting as it is exciting. How to write a guest blog for ASI about the Supplier Global Resource Supplier Sales Rep of the Year award? I asked Michele (The Chief) for advice and she gave me a list, which included sharing what I’ve learned, talking about the industry, thanking people, and mentioning my social media efforts. I wonder – can I achieve all of that in one blog? Well here goes. This is my “Things-That-Have-Helped-Me-That-I-Would-Like-To-Acknowledge-And-Share” list. Make friends. Your professional life is easier, better, and more fun when you build friendships. You achieve together, you influence each other, and you help each other grow. Whether you know it or not, you are shaped by your group, so you might want to surround yourself with good people. My group starts with my supplier constituents and colleagues, specifically those that have become dear friends like Cindy Kronen from DLX, John Costelli from Castle Merchandising, Amanda Nannini from Hit Promotional Products, and Devin Piscitelli from Aakron Rule, among others. It’s been a pleasure growing with you and I appreciate your friendship. Find good partners. Simply put, business happens when people agree to do business together, and the success of that relationship depends upon the contributions of each partner. Every success I have achieved is due to my alliance with strong distributor partners like Sarah Demont at Massive Marketing, Josh Ebrahemi at Jack Nadel Int’l., Gary Cornwell from Shamrock Promotions, Cadi Stephenson from Canary Promos, Brice Dick from Adventures in Advertising, Sarah Clasen from The Kinetic Group and Tom Goos from Image Source. Thank you for contributing your creativity, expertise and effort.
Learn from mentors. Everyonecan learn from somebody. Having a mentor to provide wisdom and encouragement is priceless. I have been lucky to find some exceptional mentors. To be specific, Roni Wright of The Book Company is the best example of positive energy I have ever met. Roni, you light up a room and you have inspired me more than I can explain. Mr. Dan Collins right here at AddVenture. You have been kicking my butt since we first met. Your solid principles and strong work ethic have influenced me tremendously. Build a solid team. You can operate with confidence when you trust your team to pick you up when you fall, help you find answers, and fight along your side. I have had the extreme pleasure of teaming-up with some talented and hard-working people. Janice Boyd, Kenn Watson, Robbie Gallo, Angela Bankston, and all the other past and present members of Team AddVenture who have made it fun to come to work every day. And of course, the team leader, Mr. Alan Davis – a passionate businessman with a big heart and an open mind, who has always given me every opportunity to grow. Make people proud. Want motivation? Realize that people who care about you would be proud of your hard work, ethical decisions, and positive example as a professional. I know it’s a cliché, but I always wanted to make my Mom and Dad proud – I still do. And now with a wife and kids of my own, I feel that desire even more. My wife Toni is my rock. Thanks Babe! I would not be worthy of an award without your support. I would like to thank my family and friends for their impact on my life. My brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins – and my friends Mitchell Brown, Cam Newlin, Darren Hicks, Adam Sancic, Mike Foote, Kris Sherman and so many other of my trusted crew. Thank you ASI for this honor. Thank you, Michele, for the opportunity to be your guest blogger. And thank YOU for reading. If you want to read more, please visit www.whitethreads.com Well there we go – list complete. Brad White, AddVenture Products |
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