Between 2 Brands Podcast

It’s time for Ep. 52 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill’s uses his “Opening Shot” to chat about the industry gauntlet that is the first two weeks of January every year and, perhaps, a way to make it a bit easier for the road warriors out there! After that little preamble, Bill is joined by the President and CEO of PPAI, Drew Holmgreen. During a fantastic conversation, they talk about his first year on the job, getting ready for a new board chair, his love of PPEF, and, of course, they could NOT avoid discussing PPAI Expo as the industry heads to Las Vegas!

HUGE Thanks to our friends over at BEL Promo for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re looking for the lowest minimums, deepest inventory, 5-star and A+ service – you know you can BEL Promo that!

It’s time to drop the first Between 2 Brands episode of 2026! This week Bill shares his thoughts on goals for the coming year and a sneak peek of what he will share in his Introspective Candor blog coming Monday, January 5th. After that, he’s joined by current PPAI Board Chair and CEO of Fairware, Denise Tascherau and they talk all things service, sustainability, and advice she has for the incoming board chair, Danny Rosin. There are really some fantastic insights in this episode.

This episode of Between 2 Brands is brought to you by the good people at CoasterStone – home of the original absorbent stone coaster. With that combination of stone-cold quality, striking decoration, low cost-per-impression, retail packaging, and unmatched value, David Glenn and his team at CoasterStone are ready to help you make a ROCK-SOLID impression with your clients. Email them at [email protected] today!

It’s the Friday after Christmas and time for Ep. 50 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill’s “Opening Shot” takes on the how much work needs to be done in the promotional products industry prior to the holidays to enjoy time off DURING the holidays. After that little preamble, Bill is joined by author, teacher, and speaker extraordinaire, David Rendall. They have a great conversation about making your weaknesses your strengths, how best to stand out, the way branded merchandise can help companies differentiate, and they even talk about their biggest speaking fails – and you really don’t want to miss that!

BIG thanks to our pals over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this rose-gold level broadcast. When you’re ready to be the partner your clients want – one that delivers unique, custom, and bespoke branded merch designed exclusively for them – reach out to Russ and his team at [email protected].

It’s time to drop Ep. 49 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with Bill Petrie. This week, Bill shares how the podcast has evolved in the past year and what his vision is for it moving forward. After that, he is joined by the one and only Mark Graham from commonsku and they have a truly deep conversation coving entrepreneurship, the efficacy of branded merchandise, and being a truly nice guy in a very competitive business. This is much more a conversation than an interview, and we are here for it – we think you will really dig it.

HUGE Thanks to our friends over at BEL Promo for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re looking for the lowest minimums, deepest inventory, 5-star and A+ service – you know you can BEL Promo that!

It’s Friday and time for Ep. 48 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill starts off the podcast with his “Opening Shot” where he takes on the absurdity of the Pantone Color of the Year. After that little preamble, Bill is joined by the “other” industry BP, Brian Porter from Starline! During a conversation that weaves back and forth, they talk about the importance of relationships, the rising event costs for suppliers, industry volunteerism, and a little college football roundtable. Trust us, this is one conversation you don’t want to miss.

BIG thanks to our pals over at PPAI. The schedule for Conference Day at PPAI Expo has officially dropped and you won’t believe the truly AMAZING speakers ready to help you level up your 2026! Check out the lineup at ppai.org/schedule!

It’s time to drop Ep. 47 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with Bill Petrie. This week Bill shares his thoughts on the potential end of social listening brought on by AI bots. After that, he’s joined by Lisa Bibb, the Executive Director of both GAPPP and VAPPA where they discuss her journey in the promotional products industry as well as have a robust chat about the regional association community. Plus, we can’t have Lisa on without taking a deep dive into the (in)famous Promotional Products Professionals page on Facebook. You really don’t want to miss this one!

HUGE thanks to our pals over at SHEPENCO for sponsoring this fine broadcast. For 90 years – and four generations of family ownership – they have defined stability by caring about the success of their distributor partners. Head over to shepenco.com to start your next project today!

If it’s the blackest of all Fridays, then you know it’s time for Ep. 46 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with Bill Petrie! This week, Bill shares the things he’s grateful for from the perspective of a solopreneur before a Promo UPFront REUNION with the one and only, Kirby Hasseman. Without getting into specifics (you’ll have to listen), the topics are wide-ranging, insightful, and always have a dash of humor. Plus, there might be a little rapid fire at the end of the podcast.

A BIG thanks to our pals over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re ready to be the partner your clients want – one that delivers unique, custom, and bespoke branded merch designed exclusively for them – reach out to Russ and his team at [email protected].

It’s Friday and time for a VERY special edition of the Between 2 Brands #podast with Bill Petrie! Why is it special? We’re glad you silently asked – it’s special because today we are having a conversation with the soon-to-be retiring President and CEO of ASI, Tim Andrews. It’s a fantastic dialog where Tim reflects on his journey before working in the promotional products industry, lessons he’s learned, what has meant the most to him, and what will miss when he’s sipping on an Aperol Spritz in Positano this summer. Tim has left an indelible imprint on this industry, and this interview is one you truly don’t want to miss.

This episode of Between 2 Brands has been brought to you by the good people at CoasterStone – home of the original absorbent stone coaster. With that combination of stone-cold quality, striking decoration, low cost-per-impression, retail packaging, and unmatched value, David Glenn and his team at CoasterStone are ready to help you make a ROCK-SOLID impression with your clients. Email them at [email protected] today!

It’s Friday and time for Ep. 44 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! This week, Bill shares a peek behind the scenes about planning for the PromoCruise and the work it takes during the event to give it every chance to be a resounding success. After that little preamble, Bill is joined by Jill Stirnkorb from California Tattoos and she asks a bit about the “why” of Promocations and the reasons it matters before she is grilled with “Five Easy Questions” discussing joining a new company after 30 years, advice for maximizing networking events, and how sales in the promotional products industry has changed in the past several decades!

BIG thanks to our pals over at PPAI. NOW is the time to register for the SUPER BOWL of Promo – the PPAI EXPO! With over one million square feet of exhibit space, over 900 exhibiting suppliers, and unmatched networking opportunities, this is the one industry event you can’t afford to miss. Register today at ppai.org/expo!

It’s the first Friday of November which means it’s time for Ep. 43 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with Bill Petrie! This week, Bill shares his biggest concern about the proliferation of AI and how best to mitigate it. After that, he is joined by Matt Shucart of APS Promos where they talk about the Van Halen of merch, the bad karaoke of branding, and what piece of promo might best fit Ozzy Osbourne. Before long, Matt is subjected to five easy questions from Bill, and they get deep about what it’s like to take over for a family business and discuss why jam bands even exist. You don’t want to miss this episode.

This episode of Between Two Brands has been brought to you by the good people at CoasterStone – home of the original absorbent stone coaster. With that combination of stone-cold quality, striking decoration, low cost-per-impression, retail packaging, and unmatched value, David Glenn and his team at CoasterStone are ready to help you make a ROCK-SOLID impression with your clients. Email them at [email protected] today!