Every path is optional. Last Friday, while I was on my morning run, something I see all the time suddenly jumped out at me: every sidewalk that I ran on was a suggestion, not a rule. Some are smooth, some are covered in wet leaves, and some are cracked. From a directional standpoint, some take you exactly where you want to go, while others dead-end into a greenbelt. And, every once in a while, the sidewalk you think you're supposed to take turns into a frustrating detour that

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 time to drop Ep. 47 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with Bill Petrie. This week Bill shares his thoughts on the potential end of social listening brought on by AI bots. After that, he’s joine

It's time to look at being tired through the lens of gratitude. Like most people, I really looked forward to taking a few days off during the Thanksgiving holiday to recharge. For me, those four days represent the filling of a chaos sandwich that tends to be November and December – and one I fully took advantage of. I spent time with family, watched a lot of football, took in a few movies, and even read a little. However, as I was taking a breather from work, there was someth

A 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 . If it’s the blackest of all Fridays, then you know it’s time for Ep. 46 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with Bill Petrie! This week, Bill shares the things he’s grateful for from the pe

Sometimes the person you owe the biggest "thank you" to, is you. In the United States, it's Thanksgiving week, which means this Thursday we will spend time with family and friends, carve up a turkey, and watch a little football. Given the holiday's name, it's also an opportunity to show sincere appreciation for the people who have supported you, given you opportunities, or loved you unconditionally. For the first time in a long time, our empty nest will be full, as both our

This episode of Between 2 Brands is 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 Friday and time for a VERY special edition of the Betwe

Growth doesn't happen by talking louder I've been in the promotional products industry for a long time – 26 years to be exact. To put that number in perspective, I've lasted longer in this industry than the average career of a Major League Baseball player (6 years), longer than the average marriage in the United States (8 years), and even longer than David Lee Roth fronted the mighty Van Halen (14 years). That's a long time to be in one industry. For the first 13 years, I h

BIG thanks to our pals over at PPAI . NOW is the time to register for the SUPER BOWL of Promo – the PPAI EXPO! With over one million square feet of exhibit space, over 900 exhibiting suppliers, and unmatched networking opportunities, this is the one industry event you can’t afford to miss. Register today at ppai.org/expo ! It’s Friday and time for Ep. 44 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill shares a peek behind the scenes about plannin

The best things you'll ever build will also be the hardest. As I write this, I'm less than 24 hours removed from co-hosting the most recent PromoCruise. For those unfamiliar, it's an event where we take sixty branded merchandise suppliers and distributors – along with their plus ones – on a cruise, aiming not only to change how we network in the promotional products industry but also to elevate it by emphasizing the importance of relationships. This is where I would typical

This episode of Between 2 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 the first Friday of November which means it’s tim