At some point, discomfort stopped feeling like a warning sign and became a compass. Lately, I’ve been able to pause and reflect a bit to take stock of my life, and what I realized is that the vast majority of the good things in my life started with discomfort. Not excitement, certainly not confidence, and absolutely not a sense of certainty. It’s always been discomfort that quickly gave way to terror and self-doubt. The more I thought about it, that discomfort is truly the pr

BIG thanks to our pals over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re ready to be the partner your clients want – one that delivers unique, custom, and bespoke branded merch designed exclusively for them – reach out to Russ and his team at sales@sevensourcing.com. Buckle up, buttercup, because it’s time for Ep. 69 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. In the Opening Shot, a VERY fired up Bill talks about the lessons he learned t

When things go south, your reaction matters more than the problem. Whether they are minor inconveniences or catastrophic disruptions, bad things happen every day. AirPods run out of batteries in the middle of a run. Mayonnaise drips off your burger and onto your shirt before a client meeting. The WiFi drops out right before an important Zoom call. Your printer ink unexpectedly runs dry when printing a presentation. A flat tire greets you as you get in your car to pick someone

HUGE Thanks to our friends over at BEL Promo for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re looking for the lowest minimums, deepest inventory, 5-star and A+ service – you know you can BEL Promo that! Happy May Day! To celebrate, we are dropping Ep. 68 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week in the Opening Shot, Bill shares his thoughts about the passing and the lasting legacy of a true industry titan, ASI’s Chairman Emeritus, Norman Cohn. The

None of these are complicated. But in our industry, they make all the difference. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to learn from incredibly giving and smart people. I’ve also absorbed lessons the hard way, which, if I’m candid, is how they become ingrained. Looking back, a handful of themes have consistently shown up in every role and workplace. None are groundbreaking; most are deceptively simple, and perhaps, that’s the real key. However, I would suggest not to confuse '

This episode of Between Two Brands has been brought to you by the good people at CoasterStone – home of the original absorbent stone coaster. With that combination of stone-cold quality, striking decoration, low cost-per-impression, retail packaging, and unmatched value, David Glenn and his team at CoasterStone are ready to help you make a ROCK-SOLID impression with your clients. Email them at promo@coasterstone.com today! It’s absolutely time for Ep. 67 of the Between 2 Bran

The value isn't in the product; it's what it becomes. As you read this, I’m on my way to our nation’s capital to attend PPAI’s LEAD (Legislative Education and Action Day), something I’ve done for nine of the last ten years. No matter how many times I participate, the enormity of walking the halls of Congress never loses its impact on me. These are the rooms where decisions are made - decisions that directly impact our businesses, clients, and the industry as a whole. Yet, f

HUGE thanks to our pals over at SHEPENCO for sponsoring this fine broadcast. For 90 years – and four generations of family ownership – they have defined stability by caring about the success of their distributor partners. Head over to shepenco.com to start your next project today! It’s the Friday of Tax Week here in the USA, which means it’s time for a white hot episode of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! To kick off Ep. 66, Bill shares some of the

Originality is what's left after imitation, friction, and failure. Early in my career, I tried as hard as I could to sound like people I admired: business owners, marketers, writers, and some salespeople I was convinced had it all figured out. I’d listen (and model) how they framed ideas, told stories, even how they carried themselves, and then I’d try to do the same thing. Spoiler alert: It didn’t go well. Not because those people weren’t great - they were. But that was the

BIG thanks to our pals over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re ready to be the partner your clients want – one that delivers unique, custom, and bespoke branded merch designed exclusively for them – reach out to Russ and his team at sales@sevensourcing.com . Buckle up because it’s time for Ep. 65 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. In the Opening Shot, Bill talks about what one regional association is doing to complete