Had fate not put its thumb on the scale, CJ Schmidt would have been a Jerry Maguire-esque sports agent, and reveled in every second of it. “I’ve always loved sports – I’ve played on teams since I was a kid, and through college was considering going into a career in business and sports management and being an agent,” says the CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125). “At one time, I definitely could have envisioned living that life.”

Perhaps, had he not grown up with one of the most well-known last names in the promo industry, at one of the most storied companies in the business that his parents grew and cultivated into the multifaceted behemoth it is today.

But for Schmidt – now so identifiable in his own right that the promo world literally recognizes him by his two-initial first name alone – he’s become the catalyst and change agent the company, and the industry, never could have expected.

In this Promo Insiders episode, ASI Senior Vice President Michele Bell interviews Schmidt, the 2024 Counselor Person of the Year, on his successes, big strategy swings, some notable misses and why he’s in it for the long haul.