Advertising Specialty Institute

The senior account executive from Digital Marketing and Print Solutions traces her company's growth from catering to the restaurant industry to managing e-commerce for financial institutions.

In this mini-episode, co-hosts Theresa Hegel and Cassie Green chat about some of the biggest trends they're seeing in the industry right now.

ASI CEO Tim Andrews in candid conversation with Sophia, the world's most famous humanoid robot, previewing her keynote at the ASI Power Summit 2025, Oct. 12–14 in Scottsdale, AZ. Watch the conversation on AI's promise, peril and future role in business. Learn more: https://members.asicentral.com/events/asi-power-summit/

In this episode of Promo Insiders, Simon Croom, a speaker at the upcoming ASI Power Summit, discusses how to build agile supply chains, navigate tariffs and cost challenges and why sustainability can't be an afterthought.

Freet also discusses print on demand in retail and promo, the role of AI in operation, supply chain challenges and his company's commitment to sustainability.

CDP vice president Dean Manzetti explains how he incorporated promo into his print business over the years, and remembers one case study that created customer engagement that yielded enormous growth for his customer.

BELLA+CANVAS (/39590) is committed to even more than creating the premium apparel you know and love. This iconic supplier is also leading the charge on sustainability and environmentally friendly practices, allowing you to provide your customers with clothing that's both fashionable and good for our planet. On today's podcast, we're joined by Jenny Huynh, global sustainability manager at BELLA+CANVAS, who's sharing everything you need to know about how BELLA+CANVAS compares to alternatives in the industry and why they should be your top choice when clients come looking for sustainable and high-end apparel styles.

Jay Deutsch, CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor BDA (asi/137616), and Harper + Scott (asi/220052) co-founders Michael Scott Cohen and Jon Alagem join Promo Insiders to share why BDA's recent acquisition of Harper + Scott meant “1+1=3” for both companies, as well their big aspirations for future growth.

Jason McCracken of Eagle Promotions (asi/185320) and an ASI Media 2025 Distributor Salesperson Finalist, offers tips for saving time and closing more sales by starting this important conversation early in the process.

Ashley Coulatti and Halle Moore, both “Chefs” on PromoKitchen's board, join Promo Insiders to discuss the importance of mentorship in promo ahead of the industry nonprofit's 15th birthday.

Dan Lunoe and Matthew Whitely from BAMKO discuss how the Counselor Top 40 distributor has expanded into commercial print, and how it incorporated its print side for a campaign for Dude Wipes.

In this episode of Promo Insiders, ASI's president and CEO teams up with the president of PRINTING United Alliance to talk about the continued convergence of print and promo as well as why trade shows are so important for both professionals from both industries to attend.

ASI Media's editors discuss the biggest topics from Counselor's annual promo industry report, including tariffs, Q2 sales and top markets & products.

In this episode of Promo Insiders, CJ Schmidt and Jeff Roberts also weigh in on tariffs, tech, print on demand and other industry trends.

Maddy Alcala, president of Gooten, discusses the rise of print on demand and gives her best advice for print and promo professionals who want to implement the technology.

Get ready to learn everything you need to know to become a direct-to-film decoration expert. On today's podcast, we're joined by Jennifer Johnson, strategic account executive at STAHLS' (asi/88984). We'll discuss what direct-to-film decoration is, what sets it apart from other common techniques, how to ensure the best application results and how simple it is to get started.

The Grossman Marketing Group co-president discusses his company's growth into promo from print, and how color is everything when it comes to brand cohesion.

ASI Media's editors recount their top takeaways and product finds from the signature promo tradeshow of the summer.

Mandi Rudd, director of new markets at Genumark (asi/204588), joins Promo Insiders to share where her dedication to service grew from – and how it shapes her life today, from involvement in both industry and non-industry nonprofit efforts to her commitment to using promo to make a difference.

Carleen Gray, CEO of GroupeSTAHL (asi/88984), shares her 35-year journey from customer service to the C suite and how she helped transform Stahls' into a global leader in print on demand and other apparel decoration technology.

Justin Zavadil, president of American Solutions For Business (ASB, asi/120075), has earned industry-wide acclaim for his superb leadership and genuine Midwest nice approach to business.

ASI's Michele Bell and Sara Lavenduski discuss the new online education platform available to ASI members, featuring tracks on sales, marketing, AI, ESP+ and more.

Billy Snyder, owner of Big Frog Custom T-shirts & More in Cumming, GA, offers valuable advice for budding industry professionals.

Brewery Branding Co. founder Jeremy Wood details how his distributor grew alongside the craft beer boom, leading to where they are now bringing a majority of their decoration in-house.

MediaTree, a supplier focused on selling branded gift cards, has recorded year-over-year sales growth of more than 80% so far in 2025. General manager Brian Duran attributes the substantial uptick, in part, to promo distributors having to get creative for campaigns where original plans were disrupted thanks to tariffs and other supply chain issues.

Olivia Borgula, a student at the University of Maryland and current intern with ASI Media, talks about promo-heavy events she's attended lately and gives the inside scoop on what giveaways are popular on and off campus.

Help your clients tell their brand story with unique styles that are iconic from the start. We're talking about the new Washed Collection from BELLA+CANVAS (asi/39590). In today's podcast, we're joined by Cassie Stanczyk, Sr. Director of Sales at BELLA+CANVAS. We'll discuss everything you need to know to sell the most premium garment dye collection in the industry, including on-trend styles, thoughtfully curated colors and precision-crafted construction details.

In this month's episode, we chat with Lindsey Reid of emblm who bought her parents' company Direct Printing and Graphics in March of 2020 and underwent a full rebrand last year.

ASI Media Editors Theresa Hegel, Sara Lavenduski and Hannah Rosenberger – plus Editorial Intern Chris Bao – discuss summer and back-to-school sales tips, and take turns trying sweet and savory eats to celebrate the new season.

ASI's Michelle Bell and Nate Kucsma share key stats and analysis from the groundbreaking report that holds relevance for promotional products companies everywhere.

Ikey Bensimhon, CEO of Merch.com, discusses his past in print and promo, and how he got to where he is providing branded merchandise and print to some of the most recognizable brands in the world.

Tim Behling and Patrick Noonan, executives at Gemline and SanMar respectively, share insights every distributor needs to know regarding industry stock and how to navigate sourcing turmoil.

The vice president of sales for BrandCo. Marketing (asi/455385) delves into that and much more when it comes to having success in the worlds of branded merch and printing.

In this episode of Promo Insiders, Cheng of Redwood Classics Apparel (asi/81627) discusses the opportunities and challenges of upcycling in the promotional products industry.

The Native American woman-owned business combines print and promotional products together for campaigns that go much deeper than the ink on the surface.

In this month's episode, we chat with Koell Collins of STBL Strategies about switching between the promo and signage/graphics industries and how to succeed in both.

Jackson Williams of Counselor Top 40 distributor American Solutions for Business (asi/120075) discusses the power of learning, holding a full-time job in college and what it's like to work with his twin brother.

The Heavyweight Collection by BELLA+CANVAS (asi/39590) is bold and on trend. Today we're joined by Cassie Stanczyk, Sr. Director of Sales at BELLA+CANVAS, who is sharing everything you need to know to sell these fashion-forward, retail-quality styles. We'll discuss how the Heavyweight collection speaks to current consumer trends, how it fits and feels when worn and all of the decoration techniques you can use for your client's next project.

ASI Media Editors C.J. Mittica and Christopher Ruvo and ASI Senior Research Director Nate Kucsma discuss exclusive sales data from ASI's latest surveys, and the outlook for the promo industry in Q2 and beyond.

As e-commerce and customer buying habits evolve, it's important to stay nimble to keep your business as profitable as possible. In today's podcast, we're joined by Dave Conner, Content Director at STAHLS' (asi/88984), who will teach you how heat printing technology is empowering decorators and distributors to profit from orders from any quantity and to produce more than just T-shirts on demand. We'll discuss tips for leveraging automation and how certain tools can make it possible to ensure strong profit margins at any quantity for a diverse array of finishes.

The CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier World Emblem (asi/98262), whose business has a multi-continent footprint, gets candid on tariffs – and what his firm is doing about them.

Katie Kailik, national account manager at Peerless Umbrella (asi/76730) joins Promo Insiders to talk through why trust, communication and non-product driven conversations are key for building strong relationships and ultimately making sales.

The BAMKO (asi/131431) merch pro, who generated $18.5 million in 2024 sales, shared strategies for building up a customer base, benchmarking sales and more.

Lindsey Cole of Ethix Merch explains why sustainability initiatives ring hollow without a focus on the workers who produce products and building ethical supply chains.

Ben Grossman of SwagCycle and Mel Lay of Allmade Apparel talk about the progress the print and promo industry have made when it comes to sustainability – and where the biggest challenges still lie.

Dryvve and Bold Promo share their best advice and explain why rebranding was a necessary and welcome change.

Enrique Perez, president and founder of Hitex Marketing Group (asi/515762), tells the story of the company's journey into print as a result of following opportunity, and using its staff's imagination to create out-of-the-box packaging ideas.

ASI Media editors Sara Lavenduski and Hannah Rosenberger discuss the informational sessions on tariffs, classroom education with business experts, energizing keynote and trends from the bustling show floor.

Jodie Schillinger, Joelle Stahlecker and Jamie Johnson have all built careers at the Wisconsin-based Maple Ridge Farms (asi/68680) – inspired by their mother, Virginia Lemmer, who introduced her children to promo when she started her own career there nearly 40 years ago.

Oliver Kimberley, Quad's general manager of managed services, talks about the company's entrance into the promotional products market – and how the firm aims to succeed in the space.

Dr. Mary Kelly, a renowned economist and U.S. Navy veteran, delivers data-backed insights to bring the economic picture into focus – and there's better news that some may expect.