Education Speakers
 
  David Blaise, Top Secrets of Promotional Products Sales
   
Business-growth expert David Blaise has created some of the most recognized and successful training brands in the promotional products industry, including Top Secrets of Promotional Products Sales, Top Secrets of Customer Acquisition and SmartEQP.com. He is a cofounder of Blaise Drake and Company, which helps thousands of industry professionals each year to increase sales, improve profit margins and grow their businesses on a guaranteed basis. He is also an entrepreneur, author and business consultant who has been involved in the promotional products industry since 1988 as a sales representative, sales manager, marketing manager, business owner, sales trainer and coach.

  
 
  Jay Busselle, Printa Systems
   
Jay Busselle began his screen printing and graphics career reportedly sometime in the 80's in Mr. Perry's graphics class at East High School. Jay started printing “unofficial replica” T-shirts of his favorite surfing, skiing and skateboarding companies, as well as a few bands which will remain nameless. He landed his first industry job while in college as a cut-and-paste artist for a Yellow Pages publishing company. It didn't take long before he was working for a screen printer, and soon thereafter his family-owned promotional advertising agency. It's been over 25 years and Jay is still in the industry and still pretending to grow up! He has been ranked as high as #13 on the Stitches Power 75 list, and he’s a highly rated industry presenter and accomplished trainer. Jay is currently the Director of Sales and Marketing for Printa Systems.  

  
 
  Andy Cohen, ASI
   
Andy Cohen, BASI, is the editor of Counselor magazine. He previously was the editor of Incentive and Potentials magazines at The Nielsen Company in New York. While working for Nielsen, Andy's work received four Jesse H. Neal Awards, the highest honor in business journalism. Under Andy's leadership, Counselor has won Neal Awards in three consecutive years, most recently for Best Investigative Reporting.		  
 
  Michael D'Ottaviano, ASI
   
Michael D'Ottaviano, MASI, is a director of distributor services at ASI. He specializes in strategic solutions, helping ASI distributors members realize opportunity and grow their businesses by utilizing creative website design combined with innovative marketing campaigns. He also works with distributors to develop social media campaigns to increase web presence and grow their customer base. Michael is passionate about technology and implementing integrated solutions to help distributors streamline their business processes and grow their businesses.

  
 
  Josh Ellsworth, STAHLS’
   
With more than 15 years of industry experience, Josh Ellsworth is the manager and host at Stahls’ TV. In the U.S. market, he directs strategies, development, sales, marketing, and customer service for the CAD-CUT® line of heat transfer products, as well as education and training for everything heat printing. Presenting every month as host of the Stahls’ TV Morning Show, he has also provided the industry with more than 500 educational videos, reaching more than 10 million viewers worldwide. Josh has hosted education seminars at trade shows around the world, including ISS, NBM, SGIA, FESPA, NNEP, and more. His articles have been published in Impressions Magazine, Printwear, and the SGIA Journal. Josh can be followed on the Stahls’ TV Blog.


  
 
  Danny Friedman, DANNY, Inc.
   
Danny Friedman is the president of sales training company DANNY, Inc. A multimillion-dollar sales professional with over 25 years of experience, he has achieved success in the promotional products, office equipment, commercial real estate and sporting goods industries. He delivers a winning, energizing message to his audiences, and he’s a frequent speaker at national association trade shows and corporate functions both in the U.S. and abroad.		  
 
  Peter Knappenberger, ASI
   
Peter Knappenberger, MASI, is ASI's director of distributor services for the southeast region. Peter's expertise is in technology, sales and marketing, and has been helping ASI distributors to grow their sales since 2006. Before ASI, Peter spent 14 years with an import and export firm, where he was general manager. During his tenure, he grew the company sales from $7 million per year to over $24 million.		  
 
  Jake Krolick, ASI
   
Jake Krolick, BASI, is ASI's creative director. He's been with ASI for eight years, and was previously ASI's digital marketing manager. A born communicator with a deep love for the art and craft of advertising, Jake has extensive experience in video and new media and helped ASI launch a successful video program. Outside of his role at ASI, he has extensive experience working in the music industry doing photography, video and creative promotion for bands and venues across the U.S.		  
 
  Jimmy Lamb, Sawgrass Technologies
   
Award-winning author and international speaker Jimmy Lamb has over 20 years of apparel decoration business experience. Lamb has extensive knowledge in many facets of digital decorating and embellishing including business startup, applications, techniques, marketing, sales, mobile, digitizing, production and management. He has owned and operated a successful production facility, started a retail franchise operation and has provided production solutions to a variety of Fortune 500 corporations involved in customization, decoration and embellishment. He’s presently ranked as #26 on the list of the most powerful and influential people in the decorated products marketplace by Stitches magazine, published by ASI. Currently, he works with Sawgrass Technologies as the manager of communication and education.

  
 
  Ryan Law, ASI
   
Ryan Law, MASI, is an executive director of distributor sales at ASI. He has over 17 years of sales experience, with the last 12 years spent in the promotional products industry with Alphabroder and ASI. Ryan has worked with every type of distributor, and he specializes in growing national accounts and identifying opportunities at every level within an organization. His expertise is in developing strategies aimed at exceeding sales goals, and he has a deep understanding of how technology and marketing can support the growth of any business.

  
 
  Chris Lovell, ASI
   
Chris Lovell, MASI, is a senior vice president of supplier sales for ASI. During her 25-year career in the industry, she has been involved with distributor and supplier activities and has worked closely with the marketing and membership divisions at ASI. She has also consulted with several supplier and distributor companies to further define and develop their business and marketing plans. Chris has served on the PPAI Marketing Information and Research Committee, the Promotional Products College Education Foundation, the GCPPA board – ultimately holding the position of president – and the IMA board. In 2004 she was recognized as one of the Counselor Women of Distinction, and she was recently named one of the PPAI Fellows.

  
 
  Gary Michels, Southwestern Consulting
   
Gary Michels, a leading sales and motivational expert, has impacted thousands nationwide through his remarkable techniques for balancing career success and a thriving personal life. He has a unique ability to relate to any audience, inspiring them to reach for their personal best. His insight into having a positive mental attitude have been life-changing for many who have heard him speak. Gary has published numerous articles on achieving excellence in both personal life and his career, and is the author of Getting’ In and Getting’ Out, How to Get In Every Prospect’s Door and Get Out With a Sale.

  
 
  Joan Miracle, ASI
   
Joan Miracle, BASI, is a director in ASI’s distributor services division. She’s been providing business counseling to entrepreneurs for over 22 years, with seven years in the ad specialty industry. Her background includes successfully running a $46M operation, including the startup of numerous businesses from real estate development and acquisition to open profitable operations. Her main focus and passion has been in sales and sales training, assisting new business owners with startup marketing, and helping established businesses grow through strategic marketing plans that emphasize online marketing and improving operational efficiency.

  
 
  Greg Muzzillo, Proforma
   
Greg Muzzillo founded Proforma in 1978 as an industry distributor. Within five years, he grew the company to several million dollars in sales, and by the mid-1980s, Proforma had been recognized by Inc. magazine as an Inc. 500 fastest-growing company three years in a row. Today, Proforma has more than 750 members with more than $500 million in sales; more than 110 members in its Million Dollar Club; and more than 40 members in its Multi-Million Dollar Club (with sales ranging from $2 million to over $35 million). In addition, in 2015, 27 Proforma company owners qualified for the 2016 Inc. list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in North America.

  
 
  Steve Oswald, ASI
   
Steve Oswald, BASI, is ASI’s marketing art director, and has been creating in Adobe Illustrator for over 20 years. During his 26 years with ASI, Steve has helped to direct and shape the advertising for many of ASI’s first-class brands. He has extensive experience creating vector artwork for decorating promotional products, including screen-printing, embroidery and direct-to-garment printing.		  
 
  Lisa Peskin, Business Development University
   
Lisa Peskin is the co-founder and CEO of Business Development University (BDU), a results-driven sales training, coaching and consulting company. She has more than 25 years of experience in sales performance and management, and has helped thousands of selling and non-selling professionals dramatically improve their business development efforts and results through training, just-in-time support and programs designed to maximize opportunities and drive ROI.

 
 
  Sean Roark, PromoPros, Inc.
   
Sean Roark, along with his wife Leslie, is the owner of Houston-based distributor PromoPros, Inc. (asi/300654). In 2005, responding to a client request, Sean wrote his first incentive program. Since then, he’s earned the Incentive Marketing Association’s (IMA) designation of CPIM (Certified Professional of Incentive Management) and oversees PromoPros’ incentive and engagement subsidiary, IncentPros. As a nationally recognized authority on Safety Incentive Programs, he speaks regularly to groups such as the National Safety Council and the American Society of Safety Engineers. 

In 2015, Sean was honored by IMA as an Incentives Fellow, and he was the inaugural recipient of IMA’s Karen Renk Fellowship Award. Representing IMA, Sean was a keynote speaker in 2016 at international incentive symposiums in Brazil and China, and was also installed as a Promotional Products Fellow as part of the inaugural class of Fellows honored by the Promotional Products Association International. At the annual IMA Executive Summit in July 2016, he was elected President of IMA, and also serves as treasurer of the Incentive Federation and on the education committee of the Incentive Research Foundation; he is also active in local civic organizations in the Houston, Texas area.

  
 
  Bob Robinson, STAHLS’
   
Bob Robinson has been educating apparel decorators for the past 18 years on new ways to improve their business. His knowledge extends well beyond production management, sales, and technical counsel. From small custom orders to high-volume decoration through embroidery, heat seal applications, even direct-to-garment printing and dye sublimation, he has helped countless customers reduce costs and increase productivity. Through educational seminars at trade shows, published articles, and educational video site StahlsTV.com, Bob values any opportunity to educate apparel decorators.


  
 
  Marki Lemons Ryhal, Marki Lemons Unlimited
   
With over 25 years of marketing experience, Marki Lemons Ryhal is a fifth-generation entrepreneur, third-generation restaurateur and first-generation infopreneur. She has established herself as an award-winning social media speaker and course author. In a market where change is the only constant factor, Marki has used her dynamic, professional attitude and experience to become one of the top speakers in the U.S.		  
 
  Jenna Sackett, STAHLS’
   
With a passion for sales and marketing, Jenna Sackett has spent countless hours studying and learning apparel decorator’s businesses in order to suggest new and creative approaches to reach new markets using heat printing products. As an educator for STAHLS’, she uses this experience to provide innovative ways for decorators to improve the growth of their business sales and increase productivity. She looks forward to continually providing apparel decorators with educational seminars at trade shows and through the industry’s dedicated video site, StahlsTV.com.

  
 
  Mary Sells, ASI
   
Mary Sells, MASI, is a vice president of supplier services for ASI. An industry executive for over 30 years, she joined ASI in 2004 and specializes in media sales. Her experience includes strategic marketing and sales plans, sales training and management, client development and retention, public speaking, and more. Prior to joining ASI, she held high-level sales and marketing positons for leading industry suppliers and distributors.		  
 
  Jamie Tumas, ASI
   
Jamie Tumas, BASI, is director of the east coast sales team for distributor services at ASI. In addition to leading a team of account executives, he manages a large base of his own accounts. His extensive experience in e-commerce, customer service and sales management enables him to help distributors utilize ASI's tools and services and find unique solutions for their businesses.		  
 
  Amanda Johns Vaden, Southwestern Consulting
   
Amanda Johns Vaden is a founding partner at Southwestern Consulting, a multimillion-dollar sales consulting organization that has helped more than 7,000 sales teams in 35 countries. She personally produces over $1 million in revenue every year in an effort to lead by example for her company and her clients. Her personal clients include companies like Bridgestone, AT&T/ DIRECTV, Verizon Cellular Sales and Budget Blinds. She’s also an in-demand sales trainer, and the author of two popular online training courses in maximizing social media to grow your business.		  
 
  Chris Vanderzyden, Chris Vanderzyden Global
   
Chris Vanderzyden is an entrepreneur, media personality, speaker, guest lecturer for Harvard's entrepreneurial program and author of 7 Steps to Entrepreneurial Victory. She was previously a CPA for Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC), and was president of a national advertising specialty company, where she grew sales into the millions. Her unique experience in the financial and marketing disciplines, coupled with her action-oriented approach, guides business owners to increase margins and create a business of sustained success. In addition, she provides education for privately held business owners on increasing the value of their organization in preparation to extract and preserve their wealth through a well-planned exit strategy.