ASI Canada: What were your career expectations before entering the promo market?

Melanie Sibbitt: I was in the hospitality industry, managing restaurants and hotels, and I loved it. Then in 1986 I was in a head-on car accident that halted my career ambitions. After a long recovery and short stint in the restaurant business, I noticed something my sister Kim was working on. She’s an artist and the other original “Crazy Lady,” and she had created the “Doodle Mug” that you could write messages on with write-on/wipe-off markers. She had six different messages along the top and space for a company logo along the bottom. I asked her what it was and when she told me, I said, “Let’s make it and take it to a tradeshow.” Two months later, in the fall of 1988, we were exhibiting at the Premium & Incentive Show in Toronto. There would be no Two Crazy Ladies Inc. without Kim and the Doodle Mug and I’m eternally grateful to Kim for her creativity all those years ago. We’ll actually be giving out special 30^th anniversary edition mugs to clients as gifts this year.

Melanie Sibbitt (far right) started her distributorship in 1988 with a single product.

AC: Did you have any experience with promotional products before that first tradeshow?

MS: I had no idea what the promotional products industry was. But at that first show, people stopped and laughed at our company name and then asked if we could do hats, pens and bags. Of course we said yes. We had no idea where to find anything but that didn’t stop us! I would use the Yellow Pages to find suppliers and then drive my artwork to them. I’m honored to still have my first client whom I met at that show in 1988.

AC: How have you expanded since your first tradeshow?

MS: I operated out of my kitchen for the first five years, and then I opened office space and hired staff. My dad was my mentor and a good guy. We found this perfect spot in Toronto, and it was $600 a month. I was a little nervous and didn’t think I could afford it, but my dad said, “If you can’t afford $600 a month, you can’t afford to be in business.” So I went for it! I was there for seven years and then moved to a bigger place. The team of women I have now are incredible; Sabina and Giorgia have been with me for 19 years and Ashley for 12. They learned so much through osmosis and education seminars, since they didn’t have any industry experience when they started. I’m really proud of my fabulous team.  They’re incredible ambassadors of the Two Crazy Ladies Inc. brand.

AC: What’s one of your favorite projects you’ve worked on?

MS: I knew the owner of the company that imported [yellow tail] wine into Canada when the product was first introduced.  I had actually worked with him when I was 19 in the hospitality industry. When they started selling their wine in Canada in 2002, we did all their promo products. We created a wallaby-shaped wine stopper as a value-add product for liquor store promotions. Then we created luggage tags that doubled as bottle hangers that we tied into a contest to win a trip to Australia. It was a really fun product line to create new promo products for. We sourced some of the products from our preferred suppliers and when we couldn’t find the product we created it. If you can’t find it, you make it!

AC: What are the most important lessons you’ve learned?

MS: Never give up. Keep your head down and keep going. Be respectful of your team, including suppliers and clients. Our suppliers will pull rabbits out of a hat for us. They don’t get enough appreciation, and we’re only as good as they are. Relationships with employees, suppliers, clients, your entire support network are all very important. I believe you have to be honest—I’ll tell you when something can’t be done, and when I say I’ll do something, I do it. I remember one time my dad and I drove to Pennsylvania to pick up an order and bring it back across the border so it would get to the client’s event on time. The very first time I ordered from China, the keel on the ship broke and everything had to be drydocked and transferred to another ship. The product was tied to an event date so I flew from Toronto to Vancouver to retrieve everything and distribute it from there, otherwise it wouldn’t have been received on time.

AC: What was your experience being a woman in this business?

MS: I never really thought about it. My mother was an entrepreneur and she started a sporting goods business the year before I was born, so it’s in my blood. I always worked in the family business. Some men have looked at me strangely when I told them the name of my company, but for the most part gender has never made a difference to my business. I always provide great service to our clients and are respectful of my suppliers. As women, we pay special attention to detail and I believe that has helped me a lot in business. My goal is to make sure my clients are super-happy and that leads to referrals and garners more business. While I was a member of the Women Entrepreneurs of Canada, I was nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year a couple times. I’ve been in really good company with the other women in our industry, who have taught me a lot. There are lots of women in this industry and I feel very blessed to be part of such an amazing group of people.  The Women’s Empowerment Event in Canada that will be celebrating its 10^th anniversary in 2019 has been an amazing platform to bring the women of our industry together to learn from one another as well as from incredible speakers and to form close bonds of friendships and support. I’ve attended the event for many years and learn something new every time I go.

AC: What is your favorite thing about the industry?

MS: No two days are the same. I love all the opportunities to learn. I love the people I’ve met. Some of them have retired from the business and we’re still good friends. I’ve loved having the same clients for years and years, some for well over 20. I love that we have a very good reputation. My team gives me a hard time because I never say no; however, at the end of the day, people just want to be taken care of, and if we can do that, that makes me a very happy lady. We have a genuine desire to take care of people, because it keeps them coming back. You can trust me and my team. When our clients move to a new company, they take us with them. It’s an organic build, and because of that most of our advertising has been doing a tradeshow. We created a new website for our 30^th anniversary this year and do Picks of the Week to keep our clients informed of new products and good ideas. 

AC: How has the industry changed since 1988?

MS: The internet has certainly changed things. It’s actually made it easier and harder at the same time. It certainly has sped up getting artwork and orders to suppliers. I used to drive my artwork and orders to a supplier or use snail mail and hope it would get there! I would go see my clients, and then for a period of time that changed because people got too busy. But now they like one-on-one visits again, even if it’s just for 15 or 20 minutes. I love the personalization of a one-on-one meeting, learning more about their project and being able to thank them for their business, show they’re appreciated and offer ideas. I also love all the new products that have been developed over the last 30 years and the new decorating methods that are available now.  The industry continues to fascinate me and I love the opportunity to learn new things all the time.

AC: What advice would you give to your peers looking to celebrate 30 years eventually?

MS: Take good care of your clients, your team and your suppliers. I’m delighted to say that I have developed some great friendships with quite a few of my clients and suppliers over the years.

Listen to your team and empower them to make decisions without feeling like they are risking their job. And stand behind their decisions; they’re an extension of you and you hired them.

Take good care of your clients, listen to them, learn what they need and how they like to be treated, and let them know how much you appreciate them as people.

Know that there are lots of people who are very well intentioned with their advice. Listen to it or don’t, take what works for you and leave the rest.

Make sure you take care of yourself in the process. Make yourself your priority, then you can take care of others. Take time for your own happiness, your family, your health and your passions.

Trust yourself, stay true to who you are and your vision, follow your dreams and listen to your instincts, because they know the way.

Most of all, have fun!