Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane Carson.
Hi Diane, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was downsized twice in my corporate life. Once by Margaret Thatcher when she closed the British Consulate in St. Louis, where I was the British Pro Consul, and again when I was downsized by a major department store for whom I was the Special Events/Wedding Registry Director for eighteen years. I decided that I wouldn’t let anyone be in charge of my future career, and I would be responsible for my destiny! I had a background in PR and events, so after meeting another downsized ex-corporate executive through our children, we decided to form our own full-service outsourced marketing company. My business partner was responsible for assisting our clients with the sales side. At the same time, I concentrated on helping them with PR, events (trade shows, conferences, etc), and branding with promotional products. We formed the company in 1997 and focused on assisting manufacturers as an outsourced marketing company since they needed websites (the World Wide Web was beginning to be used as a marketing tool!), brochures, tri-folds, trade show assistance, PR, and full-service marketing initiatives. Fast forward twenty years, and my business partner decided to retire. I, on the other hand, wasn’t ready (and I am still not ready to retire LOL!), so in October 2015, I formed my Promotional Product Distribution Company, Promo Xpertz LLC.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being a solopreneur is a roller coaster ride. There were times when I was at the top of my game and others when I wondered where I would find clients to pay the bills. I’m very much the glass-half-full personality type, so I never became discouraged. I am lucky enough to have an extremely supportive spouse, which is very important. When I was sure I needed to throw in the towel and “get a real job,” my husband was always there to cheer me on. The pandemic was a huge setback in the promotional products industry. Companies weren’t attending trade shows. Since I had PR as one of my business offerings, I helped clients with writing press releases about their products and services to keep their names top of mind. Networking plays a huge part in gaining new customers so that I couldn’t get my face into the business community. However, I developed a blog and posted it on social media platforms like LinkedIn. Some of my clients had funds in their marketing budgets that had yet to be used, so I contacted them to chat about other ways to use their marketing budgets and not lose them when companies eventually opened up and returned to the office.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Certified Marketing Consultant, so I come to the promotional item table from a consultative and creative background. I team up with my clients to help them decide what promotional items would suit their trade show conference or client marketing campaign. They need thousands of items, such as a pen or a koozie. I don’t want them to have a stash of those items in a closet and be upset because I didn’t consult them about whether they needed to purchase that many. I also act as their concierge. I spend the time to research products and make suggestions so that they don’t spend hours on the internet. When the items are ready, I have them shipped to me so I can QA each one to be sure the logo isn’t upside down, or the PMS color needs to be corrected. Then, I deliver them to my client. If my client still needs a backdrop, table throw, or retractable banner, I work with them to advise them on what should be included to get their story across. I have a graphic designer on staff with whom I work closely on the design before I send it to my client for approval. Usually, we nail it every time, and my customer is pleased.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I have learned that you cannot put all your eggs in one basket. You must have a strong background in several areas to keep you afloat. In my case, I have a PR background, so I was able to write press releases and get them published, in addition to securing media interviews for my clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.promoxpertz.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/promoxpertz
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianethepromoexpert/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@promoxpertz3257
- Other: http://www.gopromoxpertz.com
Image Credits
Karen Jenkins (for the two headshots)
