For the 11th year in a row, Print & Promo Marketing is proud to present its annual “Women in Print and Promo” feature. In honor of Women’s History Month — and every month — we are sharing the transformative paths these women have taken to help drive the industry forward. Find out what motivates them, where they’ve succeeded, and how companies can advance female talent. Stay tuned throughout the month for more profiles, and check out the March issue of Print & Promo Marketing for the full feature.
This mother-daughter duo details their journey as business partners and what they’ve taken away as their greatest accomplishments since joining forces.
As account executives for American Solutions for Business, Amy Kovach and Lauren Kovach have been business partners for 13 years. Since joining forces, their three-year average from 2021-23 increased 85% growth over 2017-2020. In that growth, they’ve been able to add several customer service support people to their team, which has allowed them to elevate their impact, according to their nominator. Part of their success can be attributed to their strong communication skills, which isn’t surprising because they have been communicating since Lauren could talk.
This mother-daughter duo is proud of the business they’ve built. They each bring a unique perspective that sets their clients up for success, earning them a place in ASB’s Million Dollar Club and President’s Club. A lifetime of shared experiences is another key to their success.
They never thought they’d end up here, but their “unofficial” print introduction dates back to their respective childhoods. At 8 years old, Amy went door to door, with greeting cards in hand, to raise money for UNICEF. In the 5th grade, Lauren collated binders for her mom. That number reached the thousands when Lauren and her entire soccer team participated in a huge fundraising project that ultimately led them to a soccer tournament in Hawaii.
So, how did it become official? After several years as a stay-at-home mom, Amy took a part-time sales job for a multi-line rep in a different industry. When she was ready to move into a full-time position, she felt her previous experience in publishing and direct mail would nicely complement a sales role in the print world. During her time at a business forms manufacturer, Amy learned to sell business forms and stock paper, in addition to commercial print and direct mail.
When stock paper and forms declined, Amy shifted her focus on commercial print and added some promotional products before moving to the distributor side, where she stayed for 14 years. In 2008, Amy joined the ASB team as a senior account representative. There, she found a culture she loved and a home in promo.
Lauren took a different path. She had a long-standing career in the wine and spirits department of a mid-sized, family-owned grocery store chain based on the East Coast for 13 years. She oversaw 10 stores in the area, trained countless new employees, and assisted in opening over 15 new wine and spirits departments during her tenure.
After a move to Philadelphia to pursue a food marketing degree, a pandemic and many talks with Amy (who Lauren has jokingly nicknamed her “Mom-tor”), Lauren put her customer service skills to good use and partnered with her mom in 2021.
Lauren had a lot to learn, but with the help of Amy and a core group of other women of similar ages and experiences, she found her footing fast. “It has been a wonderful adventure working together,” Amy says. “Lauren brings so many skills I don’t have. She is a wonderful complement in ways I never foresaw when we first discussed the idea. Her sense of current style and trends has been so helpful in presenting ideas to clients, and she is second to none with a spreadsheet!”
Their Proudest Career Achievement
Amy Kovach: “I am most proud of the relationships I have built with long-time customers and the contributions I have made to their success. We rebate a percentage of sales to one of our healthcare accounts, and we have been able to make some key donations as a part of that. We have gifted some Little Libraries on the property, as well as a bench in their Healing Garden and some other things as well. It is important to me to be more than a vendor, but a true partner. These long-standing relationships mean the world to me. When a client changes jobs and brings me with them to their new position, it is the ultimate compliment and something I am very proud of.
“A specific project that is pretty cool — I provided the design and installation of a big donor wall at a local hospital. It recognized donors for a capital campaign. When I go to that hospital occasionally for my own healthcare needs, it is always exciting to see it. I also follow my customers on social media, and I love seeing events where they are handing out products we provided or wearing our apparel. We did some superhero capes for a kids’ fun run and the videos of the kids running with the capes streaming out behind them were awesome.”
Lauren Kovach: “Within eight weeks of me joining Amy, we had to tackle a large client employee appreciation project. The client wanted to ‘gift’ an embroidered fleece jacket to some 6,000 employees. As green as I was, Amy and I were able to brainstorm and streamline an efficient way to manage gathering employee sizes, tracking duplicate orders, monitoring inventory and stock, and coordinating dropships to the various regional locations and home addresses. It was a huge task and I felt like I was flailing in the deep end with no swimmies, but in the end we managed to successfully complete the task at hand. I look back on that now and cannot believe the scope of the project in tandem with how new I was!”
How Failure Taught Them Resiliency
AK: “Several years ago, we produced and installed the street signage for a large outdoor public event in Philadelphia. Some of the very large displays had to be assembled on-site just before the event began. When it came time to do so, with a very tight time frame, some of the pieces of 10-foot-high displays did not assemble. They could not be used at all. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the mayor cutting the ribbon to start the event surrounded by the press as we sat on the sidewalk struggling to fit the pieces together. I swear my life flashed before my eyes at that moment. There was nothing we could do but carry on the best we could. It was a very long and stressful day, and I dreaded the meeting with the client. We worked it out afterwards, but it was very hard for me to get over. I learned to test/assemble/disassemble everything ahead of time, not to trust the vendor who said it would all fit together.”
LK: “I am an extremely detail-oriented person and always try to triple check my work. Recently during an extremely busy week, I massively misquoted a client on an embroidered blanket project. I received the proof and balked at the stitch count — I had not included that many stitches in the budget. Ultimately, I came up with several other options that the client was able to choose from. But it did teach me not to assume anything in this job and always check with a vendor when quoting complex projects. My main goal is for my client to be happy with the product they receive, on time, and at or under budget. I continue to learn the steps I need to take to achieve that simple mission.”
Their Most Significant Barrier as Female Leaders
AK: “When I worked in the print world in the ’90s, it was very male dominated. Women were fairly rare. I remember going to a presentation at an existing client for a large additional piece of business. One of the staff there told me that the man I was presenting to ‘likes his sales reps tall and blonde.’ I am not that tall and definitely not blonde. I felt very humiliated that the decision could be made on those external factors. However, I persevered and won the business and still have that client today. That guy is long gone, and I am glad to say the culture there is very different now. Also, when I came to America in 2008, I was glad to see a lot more women represented among the associates and that they were treated with a high level of respect.”
LK: “I’ve been fortunate to come into the industry more recently where people like my mom have blazed more of a trail for young(ish!) women like myself. Thankfully I haven’t faced that many barriers and I’m so grateful for that.”
How They Think Companies Can Attract and Retain Female Talent
AK: “I think historically women have received cultural messaging to be risk-averse and to make safer choices. That has translated into avoiding careers with compensation based on production. However, I know there is huge opportunity — in terms of income as well as a flexible lifestyle — which fits very well with raising a family for those who choose to do so. I always say I never missed any of my girls’ soccer or volleyball games. As women model that success and encourage younger women in the beginnings of their careers and offering mentoring and support along the way, it can give others the confidence to try something they might otherwise have passed by.”
LK: “The main thing I think companies can do to attract and retain more female talent is to live those values themselves! Seeing so many female leaders and distributors at ASB lead me to believe this company is committed to hiring and growing their female associates. I also think it is so important to connect women with women. I have met so many amazing women at ASB in all types of roles, ages, and stages of their careers. Even though we are all across the country, we are still a connected group of women, helping, supporting, and cheering for each other.”
Their Job Advice to Women
AK: “It is a fun and exciting world! You are working with products that — for the most part — are there to make people happy. It is a chance to use your creativity and imagination, which many women have a lot of. Attention to detail is key and if they are that kind of person, they will excel. I think if they are contemplating it, shadowing someone (or several people), and asking lots of questions would be very helpful.”
LK: “Thankfully, I was able to connect with several people in the industry (not just my mom!) before jumping in. Getting a sense of someone’s life — both career and personal — while working a job in print and promo was really instrumental in helping me envision what my life would look like on this career path. … Part of the fun and excitement of this job is that you never know what each day, client, project, or email will bring.”
Their Upcoming Goals
AK: “I have been working in this industry for a long time. I want to move away from managing individual orders to working on programs and larger projects. I enjoy the challenges and want to continue, but at a bit more of a relaxed pace. I would like to continue to invest in Lauren’s growth and step back a little and let her shine. Personally, I want to have a bit more time for hiking and travel a little more. One of the benefits of this industry is that I can retire in a phased, not abrupt way, which I am excited about. Baby steps.”
LK: “I am looking to continue to add mid-level clients to my book of business. I would like to learn more about the print industry. (I hear it’s not going anywhere anytime soon!) I would like to take some time to focus on product and industry trends. It can be so easy to bury yourself in your current projects, but you have to come up for air sometimes and look around. I am also excited to support Amy in her steps toward retirement. She’s my mom for goodness sake! She’s worked so hard for so long, it’s time for her to take a load off. Personally, I’m hoping to learn to sew. I recently signed up to take some strength and weightlifting classes. And I’d love to get a few international trips in before Amy’s fully retired and it’s just me.”
