It’s Friday AND Independence Day so you know there will be fireworks galore on Ep. 25 of the Between 2 Brand Podcast! This week your host, Bill Petrie, shares some thoughts on what being an American means to him before welcoming the one, the only, Tennessee Alex Moltz to the podcast. In a reversal of format, Alex asks Bill “Three Easy Questions” before Bill regains control and shoots some Roman Candle-style questions right back at him. When we say the Fourth of July episode will bring fireworks,...
Jul 04, 2025•29 min
It’s Friday and absolutely time for Ep. 24 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! Today Bill shares the results about a marketing survey regarding both the uses and efficacy of AI in marketing before welcoming his guest, Danny Rosin from Brand Fuel! The two marketing mavens talk about presentation skills salespeople can immediately employ to help them close more business. Afterwards, Bill asks Danny “Five Easy Questions” and they get a bit deep. There are some really good ...
Jun 27, 2025•37 min
It’s Friday and absolutely time for Ep. 23 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! Today Bill talks about prospecting for new business when you ARE a new business before welcoming his guest, Jeremy Picker from AMB3R Creative! During an insightful discussion, they talk about music (specifically the recent death of Brian Wilson) and what needs to change in the branded merchandise industry before Jeremy is asked “Five Easy Questions.” They get a little deep here and this is on...
Jun 20, 2025•44 min
It’s Friday which can only mean that it’s time for Ep. 22 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! Today Bill kicks off the podcast with some promo industry quick hits before welcoming his guest (and friend), Terry McGuire of HALO. The main topic – before “5 Easy Questions” anyway – is tariffs where Terry has some fantastic advice for any businessperson trying to navigate these very muddy waters. Then, of course, Bill poses some very fun questions to Terry where we learn abo...
Jun 13, 2025•41 min
It’s Friday and most assuredly time for Ep. 21 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. To start things off, Bill shares his thoughts on his weekend in Kansas City supporting Children’s Mercy Hospital and Big Slick through the lens of the power of branded merchandise to drive engagement and donations. After that, he is joined by Ashely Colautti from Spector & Co. where they take a deeper dive into Big Slick before Bill asks her five (very) easy questions that end in a ro...
Jun 06, 2025•26 min
It’s the final Friday of May and time for Ep. 20 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week is all about lists. To kick off the episode, Bill shares his thoughts on why we all love lists so much before sharing a David Letterman-inspired Top 10 list. Then Bill welcomes back his former partner-in-crime, Kirby Hasseman, to discuss, debate, and dissect the entire PPAI 100 list. There might even be a list-themed rapid fire – who could possibly say? Thank you to our friend...
May 30, 2025•37 min
You bet it’s Friday and time for Ep. 19 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. Today Bill talks about the downside of AI in the workplace – especially as it relates to HR and hiring practices. Soon thereafter, he’s joined by Jade Crider of Hasseman Marketing where they discuss how to really leverage and humanize AI before she springs a round of “Rapid Fire” on Bill! Of course that’s followed by “Five Easy Questions” that, according to Jade, slapped. BIG thanks to our pals ...
May 23, 2025•31 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 18 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill talks about the evolution of the CMO role and the different challenges they face today. After that bit of pontificating is out of the way, Bill is joined by Natalie O’Leary from BAMKO where they chat about who inspired them when they grew up and what drinkware best describes their brand. Afterwards, Bill asks Natalie “Five Easy Questions” to get to know her a bit bitter. Trust us, you do...
May 16, 2025•32 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 17 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill talks about the challenge of being sick and taking time off as a solopreneur. After that, it’s the dramatic return of the one and only Meg Erber, now of The Bark & Buoy, where they talk about her transition out of the world of branded merch and following her passions. Afterwards, Bill asks Meg “Five Easy Questions” so we can all get to know her a little better. Don’t worry, there’s p...
May 09, 2025•39 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 16 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill shares his thoughts on Amazon considering adding tariffs as a line item to the total product cost as a marketing tool and the value of volunteerism. Once that bit of business is out of the way, Bill is joined by Josh Robbins from Vault Promotions/Promocations where they discuss taking an “Amazon approach” to adding a tariff line item for promotional products and a fun discussion about th...
May 02, 2025•42 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 15 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill shares his thoughts on the AMAZING Gen-X End User research from ASI. After that bit of fun, he is joined by the social media legend himself, Dana Zezzo, where they talk about how they would build their ideal distributor and supplier if they stared from scratch. Afterwards, Bill asks Dana “Five Easy Questions” so we can all get to know him a little better. Heck, he might even share his se...
Apr 25, 2025•39 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 14 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill discusses a tradition unlike any other – Masters merch (and what we can learn from it)! After that bit of fun, he is joined by the Branding Badass herself, Joelly Goodson, where she flips the script and grills Bill like a cheese sandwich by asking him some direct questions! Afterwards, Bill reclaims control of the podcast and asks Joelly “Five Easy Questions” so we can all get to know he...
Apr 18, 2025•35 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 13 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill shares his thoughts on how the branded merchandise industry is reacting to the tariffs (hint – it’s not with a lot of grace). After that bit of volatility, he is joined by the Chief Excitement Officer of Taco ‘Bout Pins, Hillary Morris, where they chat about how to avoid epic fails and, instead, experience triumphant success when it comes to a rebranding and play a little branding game. ...
Apr 11, 2025•37 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 12 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill shares a passionate “Billitorial” on why April Fools’ Day is a garbage holiday. After that bit of business, he is joined by the new President and CEO of PPAI, Drew Holmgreen, where they chat about the branding (and rivalry) of their alma maters and marketing the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) to the industry. Afterwards, Bill asks Drew “Five Easy Questions” to get to kn...
Apr 02, 2025•40 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 11 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill shares his Spring Break experience with one of his sons and why it’s finally time for Adult Spring Break. After that bit of nonsense, he is joined by the one and only Mandi Rudd from Genumark where they talk about what gives them the most career joy before diving into those pesky “Five Easy Questions” – and we mean NO disrespect! A BIG thanks to the good strongs over at Coasterstone for ...
Mar 26, 2025•37 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 10 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill takes a look at the bizarre merch drop from New Era and Major League Baseball – and the lesson we can learn from it. After that, he is joined by Travis Powell from Blue Phoenix Branding where they take a deep dive into the branding of movies and the overall movie-going experience before Travis is subjected to “Five Easy Questions” that you do NOT want to miss! A BIG thanks to our pals ov...
Mar 18, 2025•40 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 9 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill is joined by the one and only Kirby Hasseman where they unveil the 2025 PowerHouse Women of Promo list! This is easily the favorite podcast of the year and the most fun to record. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this episode. A BIG thanks to our friends over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine podcast. When you're ready to elevate yourself from just a "promotional products distrib...
Mar 12, 2025•40 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 8 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill talks about brand loyalty when the product you seek is experiencing scarcity and no longer a premium due to insane pricing. Afterwards, Bill is joined by Dana Geiger from The Premier Group where they talk about common challenges brands face, the biggest hurdle that distributors have to overcome to successfully market their businesses, and Bill’s “dream guest!” As is our custom, Bill asks ...
Mar 05, 2025•39 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 7 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill does a quick industry news roundup where he discusses the “Stanley vs. Stanley” lawsuit and the fact that PPAI Expo was officially a waste-free event! Afterwards, Bill is joined by David Shultz from commonsku where they talk about how the promotional products industry is handling tariff uncertainty and what inspired Bill to take up (gulp) running. As is our custom, Bill asks David some aw...
Feb 26, 2025•38 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 6 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. This week, Bill goes on a rant about specific social posts that slam branded merchandise suppliers and why those posts accomplish nothing. After that, Bill is joined by Alex Paschal from Warwick where they talk about specific professional lessons they’ve learned that have helped them in their personal lives and what they have learned from role models (and what they hope to teach). Plus, Bill asks Alex so...
Feb 19, 2025•30 min
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 5 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. This week, Bill shares his thoughts on DOGE as it relates to the promotional products industry why this makes LEAD from PPAI more important than ever. After that, Bill is joined by Lindsay Bons from IDLine to talk about the importance of building strong business relationships and tactfully bridging the age gap. Plus, as always, Bill asks Lindsay “Five Easy Questions” to get to know her a bit better. A BI...
Feb 12, 2025•37 min
Time for Ep. 4 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. This week, Bill shares some thoughts on tariffs and how toxic the conversation has become and how the fact that Super Bowl ads come out make the gameday experience “less than.” After that, Bill is joined by Brett Schaffer from Soapbox to talk about the most memorable Super Bowl ads – both good and bad and how each of them is integrating AI into their everyday businesses. Plus, as always, Bill asks Brett “Five Easy Quest...
Feb 05, 2025•40 min
Time for Ep. 3 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. This week, Bill shares his thoughts on the passing of Fred Albrecht and some very questionable (and irritating) email marketing practices before being joined by Brittany Frase from HIRSCH where they discuss shedding bad industry energy and who Bill’s promo grandpa (i.e., mentor) is in the industry. Plus, as always, Bill asks Brittany “Five Easy Questions” to get to know her a bit better. A HUGE thanks to our friends at ...
Jan 29, 2025•34 min
Time for Ep. 2 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. This week, Bill shares the best and worst parts of his week in Las Vegas before being joined by Josh Ellis from PPAI where they discuss the value of consumer branding on children’s toys and how one might handle the first week in a new job. Plus, as always, Bill asks Josh “Five Easy Questions” which were…uncomfortable. A HUGE thanks to our friends at BEL Promo for sponsoring this fine broadcast. Beyond the deep inventory...
Jan 23, 2025•45 min
That’s right, it’s Ep. 236 and the FINAL Promo UPFront #podcast…EVER! This week, hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie share the reasons why they decided to end their run – as well as their podcasting plans for the future, discuss one more Promotional Products Professionals post on Facebook that was anything but professional, Kirby surprises Bill with some questions that might surprise you, Bill rounds up one last “rapid fire” so he can tell Kirby he’s wrong, and so much more! A HUGE thanks to ou...
Jan 08, 2025•52 min
And here we go with Ep. 1 of the Between 2 Brands podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. This week Bill shares some thoughts on the end of the Promo UPFront podcast and his plans for this new piece of content before being joined by the one and only Nick Lateur from Merch.ai discussing topics that range from rebranding the Gulf of Mexico to how restaurant branding influences eating habits on the road. Plus, as always, Bill asks Nick “Five Easy Questions” which you do NOT want to miss. A HUGE thanks...
Jan 06, 2025•38 min
It’s Ep. 235 and the first episode of the Promo UPFront #podcast in 2025! This week, hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the education available at PPAI Expo, discuss the 2024 most overrated marketing trends according to CMO’s, grade Netflix on their NFL broadcast debut, bring back “rapid fire” with a battle of restaurant chains you might frequent when you travel, and so much more! A BIG thanks to our friends over at AWS. If you’re looking for a trusted partner that will transform yo...
Dec 27, 2024•34 min
It’s time for Ep. 234 of the Promo UPFront #podcast and it’s also the final episode of the year! This week, hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the biggest stories of 2024, share end of the year book recommendations, applaud a fantastic feel-good story from Kaeser & Blair, discuss planning big events around big games, and so much more! A BIG thanks to our pals over at BEL Promo for sponsoring this fine broadcast. They have something HUGE in the works and can’t wait to share with ...
Dec 24, 2024•29 min
It’s the final Friday before the holidays so you know it’s time to drop Ep. 233 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week, hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the hiring of Drew Holmgren as the new President and CEO of PPAI, ASI shares the 2024 Product of the Year, Knoss Apparel announces that it will close by the end of the year, and they share some “Santa Dad Jokes” to get everyone in the holiday spirit! A HUGE thanks to our friends over at PPAI for sponsoring this award-winning pod...
Dec 18, 2024•28 min
If it’s Friday, then it’s time to drop Ep. 232 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week, hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the Pantone Color of the Year and the surrounding hoopla on the annual reveal, the efficacy of Amazon getting into the automobile sales business, KFC “rocks” a new promotion on their famous chicken bucket, Kirby gets quizzed on how long he could survive only drinking certain beverages, and so much more! A BIG thanks to our friends at ArtworkServicesUSA (AWS). F...
Dec 13, 2024•31 min
