What’s the difference between building an audience and cultivating a community? Join Jay Busselle, Renya Nelson, and Roger Burnett as they explore the power of community, trust, and purpose-driven branding in the promo industry. Featuring the story behind the "We Make the Future" mural — and why being nice is punk rock.
The future of the print, promo, and apparel industry is shaped by the next generation and the leaders who embrace them. In this special episode of Meet Us in the Kitchen, Kate Alavez, President of PromoShop, hosts a candid conversation on how to recruit, nurture, and empower emerging talent. Joined by Victoria Ramos from PromoShop and Chris Perry from University Tees, the discussion dives into shifting values, workplace expectations, and what it takes to create an environment where young profess...
If there’s one harder than a Monday morning without coffee, it’s learning to say no. But according to the brilliant minds of Robert Fiveash (Brand Fuel), Brenda Speirs (Buzztag), and Denise Taschereau (Fairware), mastering the art of the well-placed ‘no’ is a game-changer in business and life. PromoKitchen’s latest conversation, led by Jay Busselle, dove into why saying no isn’t about rejection; it’s about strategy, values, and survival in the promotional products and branded merch industry.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Us in the Kitchen, PromoKitchen’s vibrant hub for serving up the freshest ideas in the promo industry! In this episode, we dove into the spicy topic of work-life balance—or, as our guests prefer to call it, work-life harmony. We gathered an inspiring group of leaders—Kate Alavez, Jodie Schillinger, and Kenny Ved—to share their recipes for fostering happiness and engagement in the workplace. Spoiler alert: it’s not just about balance—it’s about flavor!
Join us for part 2 of this episode of Meet Us In The Kitchen Episode! Jay Busselle is joined by Carson Roncketto, Bobby Lehew, and Cola Henderson. This episode guarantees a blend of expertise, insight and fresh perspectives on brands, branding and when is the right time for a re-brand.
Branding Insights: When Is It Time to Rebrand? Part 1 by PromoKitchen
In this episode of Meet Us in the Kitchen, our panel of “Promo Pros” dives deep into the relevance of trade shows. Are trade shows still relevant in the age of Zoom meetings and virtual events? Are in-person events still worth the investment of time and money? What are the biggest benefits? As one guest puts it, "Trade shows aren’t just about products anymore—they’re about relationships. You can’t replace face-to-face experiences with a Zoom call." Hear from industry experts as they share their ...
Ready to spice things up? Welcome to "MEET US IN THE KITCHEN," PromoKitchen’s new bi-weekly educational series where we whip up fresh discussions, simmer on diverse ideas, and share custom recipes for success! Every 20-30 minute episode is packed with surprise ingredients, secret sauces, and a mix of seasoned chefs. We’re cooking up actionable strategies, stirring lively chats with fresh voices, and sprinkling in a few surprise guests in the kitchen. Join us for a flavorful experience that’ll le...
Join Jenna Quaranta & Johanna Gottlieb for the latest episode of the JQ & JO Show.
Join Jenna Quaranta & Johanna Gottlieb on the latest episode of the JQ & JO Show.
Join JQ & JO on the newest episode of the JQ & JO Show
This month Johanna Gottlieb and Jenna Quaranta touch on Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: How to shake off self-doubt and confidently present your value in prospecting.
In this month's episode, Jenna Quaranta & Johanna Gottlieb chat about how to handle burnout during the prospecting process.
Ever had a client ghost you? If so check out the series premiere of the JQ & JO Show, Jenna Quaranta (HPG) and Johanna Gottlieb (Genumark) share their inspiration for starting this new series, and all their tips and tricks for responding to a client ghosting.
Dave Jacobs started The Positive Side in honor of his late father, he works with his sister Marian who is the founder of Logo Droppers a distributorship located in Las Vegas. See how they intertwine promos & positivity in this podcast episode hosted by PromoKitchens Executive Chair Ashley Colautti!
In this third episode of the PromoKitchen Podcast Mentorship Series, Jay Busselle connects with Ashley Colautti and Bill Petrie about their experience with the PK Mentorship Program. They discuss the pairing, what worked for them and what didn’t, and what a good mentorship relationship looks like.
Welcome to the Mentorship Series of the PK Podcast! In this series we will be talking about one of our core pillars and share success stories from mentors and mentees that have been through the program. In today's episode PK Chef Jay Busselle connects with colleagues and chefs Carson Roncketto and Robert Fiveash. Both Carson and Robert have played pivotal roles with PromoKitchen, with Carson serving as chair of the Mentorship Committee and Robert as founding member and past president. These two ...
Welcome to the Mentorship Series of the PK Podcast! In this series we will be talking about one of our core pillars and share success stories from mentors and mentees that have been through the program. In today's episode Jay Busselle connects with Russell Bird and Tyler Merriam about their experience with the program. Listen in! Ready to become part of the mentorship program yourself - either as a mentor or mentee? Visit promokitchen.org and click on mentorship to get started today!
What does Sustainability mean to you and what steps are you and your organization taking around it? In this episode Kate Plummer, Clearmount and Johanna Gottlieb, HALO, talk to Matt Hare, with HIT Promotional about how HIT, Matt and his colleague Natalie Sheffey are all in on Sustainability. We learn about their reporting, how they got started and where they are headed. As a major industry supplier it is a fascinating listen to hear how a company of this size is committed and open to change.
So far PromoCares has created two different '4 Good Fundraisers' that have raised close to 90K to date. This episode of the PromoKitchen podcast talks about the newest campaign in collaboration with Planet Water and the Water4Good campaign centered around World Water Day. Listen in to learn about why PromoCares has taken on the challenge of providing clean water and how our industry effects has an effect on water sources around the world. You'll also hear how you can get involved as a supplier, ...
Join Denise Taschereu of Fairware and Alex Symms of PowerStick for a discussion on sustainable packaging. Brought to by PromoKitchen + Promo Cares with the support of Hit! Promotional. Editors note: At the time of recording Alex was working with Chamelon Like. He has since switched roles and is now working at PowerStick. The intro was not re-recorded to reflect this change so we wanted to advise here to avoid any confusion. Thank you for listening!
Just as we promised, a follow up to our interview with Dale Denham, President of PPAI, in August 2021. This was initially intended to be an update after Dale’s first 100 days as PPAI’s new President and CEO, but unfortunately Omicron put Expo into all-hands-on-deck crisis mode. Fast forward to today, with 5 months on the job, Chefs Mark Graham and Kate Plummer had their chance to sit down with Dale to discuss how he navigated the twists and turns of a new position, the leadup to Expo, and what h...
Ever wonder how a product comes to market? So did we! Chef Kate Plummer sits down with Brandon Mackay and Brittany David of Snugz to talk about how product development moves from idea, to production, to market. In part two of this two part series, we cover how you market a product, what contributes to Snugz's success and what happens when it's in the salespeople's hands.
Ever wonder how a product comes to market? So did we! Chef Kate Plummer sits down with Brandon Mackay and Brittany David of Snugz to talk about how product development moves from idea, to production, to market. In part one of this two part series, we cover how you figure out trends, how you fit it into your factory and what you have to consider for production.
In the latest PromoKitchen x PromoCares collaboration podcast, sous chef Amanda Delaney, Key Account Manager at High Caliber Line, and Denise Taschereau, co-founder and CEO at Fairware, sat down with Traci Tarquino of Hit Promotional Products as she breaks down the behind-the-scenes process(es) of designing for sustainability in the promotional product industry, and how sustainability goes far beyond just the product itself.
In this episode, Kate Plummer talks with Nel Mihan from Promotional Resource Group - PRG about how the role of the multi-line is changing. Neil shares his experience in building an agency, supporting US companies in Canada, and how to market in the new world.
In this episode we talk with Wil Cormier from Staples Promotional Products about how to look for new talent and how to foster it. Wil breaks down why internships matter for the diversity and success of the promotional products industry. He also talks about how he uses mentorship for successful team building and how to work with a cross country team.
As entrepreneurs and business owners there are so many parts of business that we don’t realize are necessary, available or even options. In this podcast we are sitting down with Scott Edidin of Xactly and 6AM Sourcing and CJ Ritterbusch of Concord Marketing Solutions to talk about various options of financing from start up to established business and what those options entail.
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." In this bonus PromoKitchen podcast, PromoCares board members Meg Erber with S&S Activewear and Mandi Rudd, owner of Brand Energy Marketing, join chef Johanna Gottlieb and sous chef Amanda Delaney for an emotional and powerful conversation about Sleep In 4 Good; an incredible fundraising event designed to bring awareness to the direct correlation between sleep deprivation and mental health. Mandi and Meg share some behind...
As part of our on-going series on mergers and acquisitions Chef Kate Plummer and Sous-Chef Andrea Pereira talk with Chris Anderson, CEO of HPG. Chris talks about his 5 key areas that need to be satisfied for a business to be a smart buy. He also breaks down how launching Batch and Bodega worked and how HPG views the market.
