Came across this old school vending machine at a Chicago brewery.

It had been retrofitted to no longer offer spider rings in a clear plastic ball (remember those!) but instead to offer some inspiration in the form of a poem from a local poet.

Attention HR Folks, business leaders and entrepreneurs:

Are you the World’s Best Boss? (tip of the cap to Michael Scott).

I certainly cannot claim to be the World’s Best Boss, but here are 7 things I learned about “managing” folks over the past 25 years (yes, I’m that old!)

Do your quieter team members have a voice in your organization?

Last year the Printable team visited "The Office Experience" where the world of the TV show comes to life.

Check out this super cool graphic of total lines spoken by each character:

Question: For all the Creeds, Merediths and Stanleys in our organizations, how can we do a better job of giving them a voice?

Everyone talks about R.O.I. But what about R.O.E.?

In my swag world, R.O.I. means Return on Investment.

As in, what type of “return” will I get back from the amount of money I invest in swag.

But what about R.O.E. – Return on Engagement?

A few years ago, I visited Las Vegas with my teenage daughter to celebrate her acceptance into college. Being a teenager, she has a pretty typical sweet tooth.

So when we passed by a store called I Love Sugar...we just had to go in.

“I just need something cheap to giveaway at an event”.
 
I scratch my head when a client says this to me.
 
I have to remind them that their reputation is on the product we choose to represent their brand. 

HR Folks: Is it possible to stem the tide of “quiet quitting” with high-end branded merch?
 
In the age of quiet quitting, connecting with disengaged employees is a top priority.
 

HR Professionals: Please don’t give cash or gift cards to employees during Q4!

I think we all can agree that in this current economic climate it’s harder than ever to find and retain top talent.

So, it’s easy to think that a gift card or cash appreciation gift would be part of the retention elixir.

Procrastinators raise your hand!

If you find yourself behind the 8-Ball when it comes to year-end gifting to employees, clients, prospects and referral sources, I have some good news!

We’re currently operating on standard lead time including orders with embroidery.

Have you done anything embarrassing lately that you’ve shared with your team to show personal responsibility/ show your vulnerability?

Recently, I had one of my biggest Doh! moments while on vacation.

Hey, HR managers: Branded merch can be part of the solution to the 3 “R’s” that keep you up at night.

1️⃣ Recruitment of talent
2️⃣ Retention of employees
3️⃣ Rewarding and appreciating existing team members

Hey, marketers…talk about knowing your target audience!

I stopped into this Potbelly Sandwich Works restaurant in Chicago on what happened to be the first day of school for Chicago Public Schools students.

Lane Technical College Prep High School high school is around the corner from this particular Potbelly. From the pic, can you guess what their main school color is?

I’ve never actually thrown a boomerang before and managed to bring it back!

Regardless, a boomerang is a good metaphor for employees coming back to your organization after they have left to “explore other options”.

No matter how hard we as managers work to build a culture that is fit for a Best Places to Work Award, some employees are inevitably going to leave our teams.

If only the whole world was as nice as the people you meet on a hiking trail…

I recently went hiking with one of my oldest friends Bob Eisendrath and our wives in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The scenery was out of this world.

The hiking was challenging but exhilarating.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of joining “TACOS with Jay and Jeff” hosts Jay Busselle and Jeff Solomon for a spicy marketing fiesta!

To quote Bonnie Tyler of 1980s fame who undoubtedly was writing about hard-shell tacos, "Every now and then I fall apart"!

Growing up I was a huge fan of the Canadian-progressive-rock trio, Rush

Oh, the guitars, the synthesizers, the lyrics, the drums (RIP, Neal Peart)!

So, you could imagine my excitement when I visited the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas and saw that a new Rush pinball machine had just been added to their collection!

In late April, I was asked to talk about QR codes on a podcast conducted by Vincent Driscoll from ASI.

On that podcast, I shared industry case studies of several successful promotions that incorporate QR codes.

The Advertising Specialty Institute recently released its Top 10 Feature Stories of 2021. Number 9 on the list was “Deciphering the Complex Puzzle of Fulfillment”.

One of Printable's major business pivots during the pandemic was to offer fulfillment and home delivery services to our clients.

Back in December, while the Printable team was gathered in Chicago, we went to see The Office Experience exhibit, where the world of the TV Show, The Office comes to life.

“What's hot in branded merchandise these days?”

I get this question a lot from family, friends and clients. I think they want to hear what the latest widget, gadget or do-dad is.