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Introspective Candor - 2019 Edition

To become the best version of myself, this annual reflection is a critical building block to the person I continually aspire to be.

1/6/2020 | Bill Petrie, Petrie's Perspective

In 2014 I wrote a blog on the old brandivate site titled, “New Year’s Reflections” where I asked myself some questions as I attempted to reflect on the end of the year. Three years ago, I started publicly answering those questions as I shared the daily struggle to find my true self – something I think many are in search of. I’ve found that this annual reflection is a critical component as I strive to be the best version of myself – especially when it’s honest, raw, and candid which allows anyone who happens to read this blog to see some of the deep inner thoughts and workings of my Bill brain.

I always aspire to be authentic. In my mind, that means I am the same person whether I’m writing this blog, recording a podcast, presenting to a group of people, working with the team here at PromoCorner, or having a quiet cocktail with a friend. To my way of thinking, a huge part of that authenticity is to be open as I answer those questions and sharing my introspective candor for all to read.

Professionally, where was I this time last year?

Last year at this time, I had been at PromoCorner for almost two years. With a great team, we had been able to shift the conversation about PromoCorner in the industry and roll out new supplier products and services that we hoped would be well-received. While revenues were up, we were still lagging behind my plan that I presented to ownership when I was hired. Even so, things were looking up so I was very optimistic rolling into 2019.

Did I accomplish my goals for 2019 – why and/or why not?

Goals I accomplished:

  • Find three additional revenue streams for PromoCorner – with a ton of hard work and effort from a truly fabulous team, we did add the additional revenue streams as we continue to diversify. I’m incredibly proud of this goal being accomplished.
  • Have the company produce two new pieces of consistent video content – again, this meant a lot of hard work, especially from PromoCorner’s Digital Media Director, Brandon Pecharich, who either shoots the video content or edits it.
  • Mentor two people in the promotional products industry – During my career in the industry, I’ve had so many people take time out of their lives to help me which is why mentoring others is a passion. I’m happy to report that I was able to accomplish this goal through PromoKitchen’s mentoring program (you can learn more about that here).

Goals I did not achieve:

This is where this blog gets a little tricky and candid, but here it goes:

  • Increase PromoCorner’s revenue by 25% - damn we were close on this one, but we didn’t make it. While we achieved double-digit growth and hit some seemingly insurmountable milestones in 2019, we didn’t hit that 25% growth I wanted. However, I’m very pleased with the revenue growth we had in 2019 and believe we will continue to trend upward in 2020.
  • Have lunch with each of my sons once a month – knowing that I didn’t achieve this goal guts me because it was all in my control and I let “busy” get in the way of those lunches. My twin sons are 17 and have about 18 months at home before they go off to college and I squandered this opportunity in 2019. Yes, we had some intermittent lunches, but not the scheduled and dedicated ones I committed to having with them.
  • Work out (30 minutes on treadmill/elliptical plus a weightlifting rotation) five times a week – another goal that I didn’t achieve that disappoints me…especially after I went to the doctor yesterday and saw my weight. To be candid, I’m a stress eater and this fall was extremely stressful both personally and professionally. Add the stress eating (I’m looking at you, Pringles – why do you have to be so delicious?) and the fact that I allowed that stress to prevent me from doing something I like in working out, and you have someone who is heavier than he wants or needs to be. No big declaration, no false New Year’s resolution, it’s just time for me to get back to the gym as it’s not only going to keep me healthy, it’s one hell of a stress reliever.
  • Only say “yes” when it’s a “hell yes” – I’d say that I’ve done a much better job of this in 2019 than I have in previous years. As a born pleaser, it’s very difficult for me to say no. However, I’ve had to learn to do exactly that and, for the most part, have said no to the things that either didn’t excite me or didn’t benefit my overall goals for the year.

What are my motivations and how have they changed in the past year?

For the first time in a long time, there has been a shift in this answer (except for the first two)

  • Providing for my family
  • Doing work at PromoCorner that matters
  • Developing the next generation of industry leaders
  • Helping others grow so that the entire industry benefits

What do I need to do more of in 2020?

I need to work smarter and not harder as there were way too many weeks (months) in 2019 where I worked from 6:30 AM until 8:00 PM. I need to do more selfish things like learning the guitar or working out to relieve stress – some of it self-induced. I need to work more collaboratively with my team – something I’ve been working very hard on in 2019. I’m blessed with a talented, fun group of people who truly care about Promo Corner…and you can’t teach care. I need to continue to let them fly as that will help achieve some of the goals below. I need to relish the victories – large and small – and not just rush past them to get to the next item on the agenda. That’s a bad habit and one I intend to break. Last, I need to make more time for my boys. As I said last year, time with them is fleeting and it’s damn near impossible to get their attention for more than a moment at a time. I want to seize more of those moments so I can enjoy them for who they are.

What do I need to do less of in 2020?

I need to not be so ambitious with projects – and it kills me to write this. Over the past two years, I have allowed things to draw my attention from PromoCorner and that’s just not good for the company, our associates, or our clients. In October of 2018, I spoke seven times in six different cities which meant I was out of the office WAY too much doing things that, while good for organizational visibility, didn’t exactly produce revenue. In 2019, I spent an inordinate amount of time launching PromoMBA – a distributor-focused education event. Anyone who has ever produced a brand-new event will likely relate as there are seemingly countless details that need attention. While the event was a modest success, I’ve had to make the difficult decision to put future PromoMBA events on hold for 2020. Frankly, we just don’t have the resources to do the event the way it needs to be done. Also, much like last year, I need to slow down as I tend to move very fast when it comes to my desire to move the company forward. I need to remember the old African proverb I learned from Danny Rosin, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I’d much rather go far than fast.

Last, and it pains me to write this, but I need to give less of myself in 2020 as it relates to volunteering. While the time I have spent sitting on and leading various boards has been tremendously rewarding, the personal cost associated with giving too much of myself at the same time has left me frazzled and scrambling for time. This means I decided to resign as a PromoKitchen chef as of January 13, 2020, decline several opportunities to sit on boards, step away from PromoCares board (and hosting the PromoCares Radio podcast) and only focus my volunteering on being the immediate past president of the RAC board. In 2019, I learned that by giving so much of myself, I was igniting the conflagraion of my burnout. This is something that no one ever seems to talk (or, in this case, write) about: how volunteering too much can be detrimental – both personally and to the organization where the volunteering happens. During the second half of 2019, I wasn’t a very good servant at all as I felt that the volunteering activities were demanding too much of my time. I wasn’t an attentive PromoKitchen chef as I allowed two critical projects I was leading languish: the launch of PromoKitchen Australia and the Sous Chef program. As President of the RAC board, I became easily and visibly frustrated with the lack of velocity on a project and took that frustration out on the PPAI staff liaison – a person who is also a very close friend. That’s just not right and I still feel bad about it to this day. I wish I could be less harsh (and honest) about it, but that wouldn't be congruent to what this blog is about.

I will still volunteer and give back as it’s something I fervently believe in, but I just need to be more judicious with the time I do give.

What am I grateful for in 2019?

I truly a very lucky human as I have a core circle of friends and family that accept, love, and encourage me despite my seemingly countless failings. I’m so grateful that I work for a company that not only allows me to execute my vision the way I want but also allows me to fail – something I feel is so critical to overall growth. I’m grateful for my team here at PromoCorner as they give me the courage to try new things and support me endlessly. I'm also thankful for the life-changing relationships I’ve made in the industry that continue to lift me on a daily, if not hourly, basis. As this pirate looks at 50, I’m very grateful for the life I’m living and recognize that I can't do it alone. 

How did I serve others in 2019?

Well, I think I covered that above in detail, so I’ll just write this: while I am stepping away from some of my volunteer activities, it remains vitally important for me to give back.

What are my goals for 2020?

  • Increase PromoCorner revenue by 20%
  • Increase PromoCorner profitability by 20%
  • Find two additional revenue streams for PromoCorner
  • Be a better commuincator with my team at PromoCorner
  • Have lunch with my sons once a month – just the two of us
  • Work out (30 minutes on the treadmill/elliptical plus a weightlifting rotation) five times a week
  • Meal prep my lunches every week when not traveling
  • Mentor two people in the promotional products industry
  • Be present in the moment with people I love
  • Allow the joyful moments to linger and not simply move forward to the next task

Am I who I want to be?

I still loathe this question because it’s incredibly difficult to answer if done so honestly. Candidly, I’m not the person I want to be but feel I took great strides in 2019. I don’t think I’ll ever 100% be the person I aspire to be because I will always be a work in progress: I can be a better father, husband, friend, employee, boss, mentor, industry advocate, etc. I do feel that I have moved closer to that person I want to be in 2019 which gives both a sense of joy for today and purpose for the future. 2019 was a great year and I think 2020 will be even better.

I truly do find this annual exercise cleansing and know that it centers me as I move into the new year. By sharing this I sincerely hope that it will encourage you to take a hard look in the mirror as you candidly assess where you are in your life journey.

Last, I wish each of you the very best 2020 has to offer and hope you make it the year you want it to be.

Bill is president of PromoCorner, a digital marketing, media, and advertising agency, and has over 20 years working in executive leadership positions at leading promotional products distributorships. A featured speaker at numerous industry events, a serial creator of content marketing, and immediate past president of the Regional Association Council (RAC) board, Bill has extensive experience coaching sales teams, creating successful marketing campaigns, and developing branding that resonates with a target audience. He can be reached at bill@promocorner.com.

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