March 19, 2025 • 36 mins
In this episode of TMSA On the Move, we chat with Jennifer Shaffer, VP of Marketing and Public Relations at IMC Logistics, about the latest trends shaping the transportation and logistics industry. Jennifer also shares valuable self-care strategies for introverts navigating the fast-paced world of PR and marketing. Plus, she gives us a sneak peek into what she’s most excited about at the upcoming 2025 TMSA ELEVATE Conference in Austin, Texas.
Check out the Transportation Sales and Marketing Association (TMSA) website or engage with us on LinkedIn.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everybody and thank you for tuning in to
today's episode of On the Move.
I am Jennifer Karpis-Romain,executive Director at TMSA, and
we are featuring JenniferSchaefer, vice President of
Marketing and Public Relationsat IMC Logistics.
Unfortunately, the day that werecorded this episode, my
computer did not want to workwell.
(00:21):
We still went through with theinterview and were able to save
the audio, but we're not able tosave the video, unfortunately.
But we loved this interviewwith Jennifer.
She had a lot of great thingsto say, so we wanted to still
bring you the audio content forthe episode.
So thank you for tuning in.
I have since fixed my computer,so hopefully this will never
(00:41):
happen again, but thank you,jennifer, for appearing on the
show and everyone for tuning in.
I hope you enjoy this episode.
Hello everyone, welcome to Onthe Move, a show where we share
transportation, sales andmarketing success stories.
I am Jennifer Karpis-Romain,executive Director at the
(01:03):
Transportation Marketing andSales Association.
Executive Director at theTransportation Marketing and
Sales Association, which is atrade nonprofit educating and
connecting marketing and salesprofessionals in transportation
and logistics.
And today I'm excited to haveon the show a fellow Jennifer,
jennifer Schaefer, vp ofMarketing and PR at IMC
Logistics.
How are you doing, jennifer?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I'm good, jennifer.
This is going to be funnyhaving this podcast, jennifer
and Jennifer, so I'm glad to behere today.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Thank you, so you've had a pretty long journey in
marketing PR, and then I'm justcurious how you got here, how
you started at IMC and whereyou're looking to go.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Oh, gosh, I was thinking when you asked that
question earlier.
It's been such a long road.
I am from a small town inKentucky and I got my education
at a local state college and outof college I was like, okay,
let's hit the ground running.
I was like, ok, let's hit theground running.
(02:02):
And there were no agencies inthis small town and no, no PR,
no marketing.
Everybody knows that everybodythere's that's not really need
it.
They don't need that there.
(02:26):
So I did a little bit on theside with things that you know.
I work an admin job and do alittle bit on the side until my
husband and I relocated to theMemphis community, which does
have a lot of agencies,unfortunately, you know.
You got to really network withthem, you got to know people,
and this was a long time ago.
So I, you know, at the end ofthe day, needed a job and so I
ended up going to work for a 3PLand um there, started as an
(02:51):
admin and did you know what?
I think maybe some people dostart out unless they get an
internship, they start anadministrative position and they
just start doing a little bitof, you know, creativity and
marketing and buildingrelationships while you're there
and got the attention of theCEO there and she ended up
(03:12):
slowly promoting me over theyears and I ended up working
with their VP of sales andworked for her and over the
years we built the sales andmarketing department at that 3PO
and I ended up spending 15years there.
So if you've done the math youcould tell quickly how old I am.
(03:34):
But you know, after 15 years Ihappened to have lunch with my
boss, who is the CMO here andhave known IMC for years as a
longstanding drainage providerin the Memphis community and
nationwide.
And I've just known her because, you know, the logistics
industry is large but it's small.
(03:54):
It's the same people.
You see the same people, youmeet the same people and we just
sort of stayed in contact overyears and she, you know, invited
me to lunch and next thing Iknow I'm here and so I've been
here almost four years now.
So I've definitely had exposureto all aspects of
(04:14):
transportation.
And I will say this I think overthe years, like I don't even
know that people get intologistics on purpose.
I'm sure there are, but I thinka lot of people just sort of
fall into it and it like it getsinto your skin.
You know like you startthinking the intricacies and
moving things from A to B andand how that goes and how you're
(04:34):
marketing and positioning thatto your customers and selling it
and getting you know, buildingrelationships with those
journalists, and I think it'sjust, I think it's here.
I think where am I going to go?
I'm going to be here and Ithink I'm going to stay in this
industry and I don't think I'llever leave.
(04:55):
I think I love it too much.
It's something new every dayand, as you know, I've spoke to
a couple like high school kidsand stuff like that, when you go
speak to their classes and it'ssomewhat recession proof in a
way, and so I think you know, Ithink I will always be in this
industry and so I enjoy it.
I don't see myself goinganywhere.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
I think it definitely like.
Once you're here, it becomes apart of your blood and you don't
want to leave.
Yeah for sure.
So that's great.
I loved hearing that story.
I do think so many people hereend up here because of luck.
I guess you could say and soyeah.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I'm not sure what logistics was.
I don't even know that.
I knew what logistics was incollege, but you know you, you
end up in it and yeah thing, youknow you're talking about all
aspects of the supply chain.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
So absolutely any aspects of the supply chain, and
we're rounding out the end ofq1 already here in 2025, which
seems crazy.
But what kinds of trends areyou seeing that are shaping the
industry right now?
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Well, of course, everybody's talking about AI,
and I feel like AI is sort of adirty word, like people don't
want to talk about it, and Ithink that, as a trend, I think
there's a place for it.
I think you have to figure outwhere it is in your toolbox.
For us, we have used it forsome inspiration, for creative,
(06:29):
like we are trying to come upwith this really complicated
image and we're trying to figureout how we could get it
photographed with, you know, adepot and a truck and maybe a
train beside it.
We need oh, we need a lift inthere and you put AI in it, or
you put it in AI, rather, andit'll spit the image out.
Is it what we're going to use?
No, but is it enough that I can, like, hand a photographer or
(06:52):
hand somebody on a creative team?
This is what I need.
Only, I don't need it to lookfake, right?
So, I think that there's a.
I think there's a place, Ithink I think we use it on
social media a little bit forsome content inspiration.
It's never a hundred percent.
It's it for us.
It's never going to replace,you know, traditional writers
(07:16):
who they write for the logisticsindustry and they know their
stuff.
There's no replacement for usin for us in that regard.
There's no replacement fortraditional journalism and
working and having thoserelationships with you know,
having that PR relationship withthe journalist.
But I think if you could find aplace in your toolbox for it, I
(07:40):
think that I don't think peoplehave to worry about it.
I think it's not somethingthat's going to take over jobs.
I think maybe it'll just makeyou a little more efficient.
But I think that I don't thinkpeople have to worry about it.
I think it's not somethingthat's going to take over jobs.
I think maybe it'll just makeyou a little more efficient.
But I think I think that you'realways going to need writers.
I think you're always going toneed PR people.
You're going to needjournalists and so forth.
The other thing I'm seeing isthe use of a lot of influencers
(08:04):
and I don't know, I think thejury's still out.
We have definitely worked withan influencer or two at IMC and
it was some success.
But I know there was a storyrecently where a publication
went in and replaced some oftheir journalism team with
influencers, and I'm not sure, Idon't know.
(08:25):
I feel like traditionalupstanding journalism that is
going to do all the factchecking, is going to do all the
homework to make sure that thestory that they're putting out
is correct and legit, just can'tbe replaced with an influencer.
So I'm not sure the jury'sstill out on that one and I'd be
(08:46):
interested what other memberswould say, be curious how
they're using them and if theyhave any success too.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
I appreciate your importance of traditional
journalism and those pieces thatare put together.
I'm a trained journalist.
That's where I started mycareer, that's what I went to
college for and also why I lovedoing this podcast, because I
don't get to do that kind ofstuff as much.
So, like the interview piecereally keeps that part of my
(09:17):
brain going.
But I do think I was actuallytalking to someone recently that
anyone can write on theinternet, but there's still
value in being able to find theplaces you can trust.
That is doing those fact checks, that you know that the
information is being there.
And I had something that hasstayed with me.
One of my editors in the pastsaid it can take you like years,
(09:40):
decades, to build up yourreputation.
It can take one thing to tearit down, and so cause I always
wanted to move fast, I wanted toconfirm the stories and get
them out there, and that hasreally stayed with me is really
like thinking through, like yes,of course you want to beat
everybody else to the story, butyou want to make sure that
story is correct, and there'sthen places in between that you
(10:00):
can do like, oh, this is adeveloping story, this is the
information that we have Staytuned and so like that's where
we would work on that, but Ithink that's incredibly
important to consider for sure.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, I mean, when it comes to influencers,
ultimately they're paid to saywhat you want them to say, Right
?
And so I think that there'sstill value in that traditional
journalism and I hope that theystill see value in like
traditional PR.
Because, you know, like we hada situation where, you know,
(10:32):
maybe something changed just alittle bit in a comment, that
was something changed in thelandscape We'll talk about
sustainability for a minute butand I followed up with a
journalist and was like hey, Ijust want you to know, like this
is what's happened, this iswhat's changed, and they
appreciate it so much because weprobably could have just
(10:53):
avoided it.
But I wanted them to know like,hey, you know, what we said
last week is not necessarilywhat we're saying this week
because of X, you know, and andI think that I I don't know that
you would get that follow upfrom an influencer, and I don't
know you'd even have thatrelationship with a journalist
and an influencer.
So there's a place, probablylike AI, there's a place for for
(11:15):
influencers, um, you know, andit's just very customer focused,
and so I don't know, the jury'sstill out, We'll see.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Yeah, I think there's something to be said to have
multiple tools in your tool belt, but you don't want to get rid
of the ones that you had and theones that are tried and true.
And building thoserelationships with media
partners, knowing you can trustwhat you can do, and then
bringing in some kind of new agethings or what you can do to
grow upon, I think is justexpanding your reach, but I
(11:47):
don't abandon that have workedreally well, right, exactly, and
then so I'm excited to alsoannounce that you'll be one of
our speakers at Elevate thisyear and your topic will be
talking about sustainability.
Talk about it.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Well, it's ever changing and you know you have
to have your head on a swivelbecause things, things in the
sustainability landscape, arechanging.
I mean, we at IMC invested init years ago.
We said this is somethingimportant, something we're going
to do.
And so, from a marketing and PRstandpoint, we've been
marketing and, you know, workingwith journalists on sustainable
(12:28):
or sustainability topics foryears now.
But it changes all the time.
You know, even the most latestadministration has changed some
of the rules and some of thetechnology has changed.
And so you know, when I sentthat over, I called it the highs
and lows of marketingsustainability, because it is,
(12:48):
it's constantly changing.
Everybody wants to say thatthey're green, but really are
they going to put their moneywhere their mouth is?
And as the rules change, youhave to know, from a marketing
standpoint, like what are therules today and what do we need
(13:09):
to be telling customers?
What do we need to be telling?
You know the industry when dowe stand on it?
And you know, and, and it'sjust, you have to have that when
you have to be able to ridethat a lot of idioms here.
I, you know, little girl fromKentucky, I cannot help it with
my sayings, but we, you justit's not as easy as saying we're
(13:35):
sustainable.
It's a you know you are makinginvestments.
Do you know the rules?
Do you have a partner who is upto date on the rules?
We're getting calls fromcustomers saying, ok, the clean
fleets rule has dialed back.
So what are you doing aboutyour hydrogen fleet?
Well, you still have theindirect sourcing rule, and then
they're going what's that?
Well, you have to be able toexplain that to them and you
(13:58):
have to be able to you knowarticulate that, that to them.
And you have to be able to youknow articulate that.
And you have to be able to,like, present the data and say,
hey, here's the data on howwe're cutting that down carbon
emissions.
These are things people didn'teven think about three years ago
when they bought electrictrucks.
They were just like we've gotan electric truck.
Well, now let's talk about,really, the effect that it's
(14:19):
making on the environment andand I think that you know you
just have to be able to ridethat wave if you will.
And so when we're talking aboutthat, the other thing that I
wanted to share is that whenyou're talking about
environmental topics, people arevery passionate about it.
Ok, they are very passionate,whether they're pro electric,
(14:40):
they're very passionate whetherthey're pro-electric, they're
very passionate whether they'repro-hydrogen.
And and you have to be able totemper those people who are
passionate and be able to handle, you know, when people are
saying, well, what colorhydrogen do you guys use?
Because it's not friendly, orif you you know, this is why
electric is better.
I was at a conference last week.
(15:00):
You guys spent 30 minutestelling me why electric was the
wave of the future, overhydrogen and.
And you just have to be able tohave those conversations because
everybody thinks they're rightand you have to be able to.
You know how are you going toposition yourself as a company,
as a sustainable provider, andbe able to say that.
(15:22):
You know, this is one of ourcore values, is we want to be a
sustainable provider.
Here's the why and here's however-changing we're.
We have the most recentinformation, we're the expert in
it and you know this is howyou're going to sell it to your
customers.
And so it's a lot and it takes,like I said, you have to have
(15:45):
your head on a swivel to be ableto make those changes, as the
sustainability and the ruleschange and the states change and
stuff like that, and so that'swhy I called it the highs and
lows.
And so, yeah, we can, wehopefully, we'll speak to that,
and people need to know what todo in this situations when all
the things are ever changing.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Absolutely.
I think it's definitely anevolving area.
It's something that people arereally paying attention to and
you need to pay attention tobecause it is changing.
It'll say at the federal level,it'll change at the state level
, it'll change at theinternational level, and so if
you're participating in thesepractices or just needing to
know what you need to be doingat any given time, paying
(16:30):
attention to those trends isincredibly important.
And then I loved thinking aboutit from like a marketing side,
or even a sales side.
How do we then educate ourcustomers, our prospective
customers, on what's going onright now and how are we
reflecting our businesspractices because of it?
So I think it's going to be areally great session, excited to
have you at Elevate talkingabout it.
(16:51):
If people are looking toregister for conference.
I'm going to pop up a QR codefor them.
Hopefully they can see it.
I hope my internet seems to bea little choppy today, but I can
still hear you talking, so I'mhoping that everything is
working great for everybody thatis listening or watching the
show.
I'm curious, so you've been toElevate in the past.
(17:13):
Is there anything that you'relooking forward to this year in
Austin, while we go there thisyear?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Well, I haven't been in a couple of years because it
didn't line up with some otherthings that I had going on.
But I will say, as far as anetworking and just getting
other peers in the industry, Ihave found vendors there, I have
found great resources there,just in like being able to email
someone and say, hey, we met.
(17:39):
I want to ask you a questionabout something you said.
I think from just building thatnetwork it's great and I think
that the education is there thatyou know you guys do a great
job in putting together a greatagenda.
I think I always come back withfresh new ideas to share with
the team and then, like I said,just really making those
(18:04):
contacts that can't be replaced,that you're meeting those
people in person.
Last time I attended, I thinkwas probably two years ago.
We signed a vendor right afterthat and I love her and I don't
know that I'll ever let her gobecause we've been able to work
with them since then and I don'tknow that I would have, and I
don't know that I would haveever.
I don't know that I would haveever found them on my own and I
(18:26):
don't know that I would have.
You know, you can't tell a lotof people by the website, but
talking to someone in personit's just different and I think
that it really attracts a greatgroup of people.
So I'm looking to see whateverybody else is dealing with
in the industry and what thelatest technology and what
(18:47):
everybody else think is thedisruptors then, and obviously
learn something new.
So I'm pretty excited.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Absolutely, and we kind of come.
Our show is in June, so we'vecome at the end of trade show
season, but I would say we'reright smack dab in the middle of
it now, from a PR perspective,what do you think are the best
techniques companies could andshould be leveraging for that
pre-at and post-show conferenceseason?
What should they be doing whenthey're at shows?
(19:14):
What should they be releasing?
What should they be talkingabout?
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Well, from a PR standpoint, it's always helpful
if you have some big news torelease at the, at a show, but
that you know you don't alwayshave that luxury.
I would say if you couldposition yourself months in
advance and I think it's alwaysthe best option is to get
yourself on a panel as a speakerI don't mean me personally, but
(19:41):
I mean any of your executiveswithin a company.
Anytime that your company canbe on a panel, you're
automatically viewed as anexpert for any of those people
who are attending.
So I think if you could pitchyour PR efforts probably six,
eight months in advance, thinkabout that planning as much as a
year in advance, and talk aboutthat while you're there, even
(20:01):
if you don't, you know there'sjournalists who are always
attending these trade shows.
I think it's great to even justtry to have meetings with them
as far as just to build thatrelationship, try to be meeting
with the organization.
So you, you know next year whenthey are putting their agenda
together, they're looking foryou as the expert, because all
(20:23):
those things are just validatingyour company.
And then you know this is goingto sound dumb, but I think
anything that you can do thatcan attract attention to if you
have a booth there.
So you know, I've seen stufflike puppies and one of my
favorite things was a candy barthat they had all kinds of candy
(20:46):
and so it sounds silly, butthose things get traffic there
and it opens up the conversation.
The previous, where I was lastweekend, I was out in LA and we
hada churro bar and it sounds.
It sounds a little ridiculous,but we literally had people
approach our booth because theysmelled them and so they were
(21:08):
like we smell the churros, comeover here and then who's IMC?
While we're talking, you know,so we got to tell them about it.
While they're cooking, you knowmaking their little churro and
put the sauces and all thatstuff on it and it's just
anything that you think willdraw people in to those.
And so that to me, is kind ofthe fun stuff, where you're
talking about what's going toget people to our booth and then
(21:28):
post.
You always have to follow up.
I mean, you have to follow upand that may not be the favorite
thing, but you have to followup with everybody who came by,
send them a thank you note, putthem in your CRM and just you
know, continuing thatconversation even if you're
handing it off to a salesperson,just the follow up is key.
Otherwise, you know why do youeven go Right?
(21:50):
Because you know you'reeverybody's wanting to get
customers.
So you have to just follow upon that.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
I agree, I um with all of those points.
I think um, having a speaker,having a panelist, having
something to promote that you'reat the show, definitely helps
in your pre-show promotionsbecause it stands easier to grow
like, oh, like, come watch thispanel or come do this, come
engage with us here.
Um, as opposed to be like, oh,I'm going to the show, who wants
(22:21):
to hang out?
Like you can do those posts,posts.
But it's more impactful if youhave something like really
specific to point to.
I love how you were talkingabout the smell of the churro
bar, because I always find thepopcorn booth hands down.
Um, my kiddo is obsessed withpopcorn, so that smell just like
naturally appeals to me becauseI'm so used to it.
(22:42):
But um, so I I would say, yeahfor sure, anything that um think
of all of the senses, like whatyou know, um, interest people,
but that smell would be reallyimportant.
Um, I was at a trade show acouple weeks months ago at this
point, um, but they had littlemacaroons, like the really fancy
cookies, and I loved, oh, yeah,and I straight walked past the
(23:07):
booth, turned around, camearound, went down the aisle and
back around to just be like tellme, yeah, tell me what you do.
Give me your cookie.
Yeah, I love this and it wassomething like different that I
don't see at a lot of tradeshows or at a lot of booths, so
anything that like kind of setsyou apart there.
And yeah, I agree, and theywere so visually appealing to
(23:31):
their booth it was like a lightsage and a pink and the
macaroons matched the booth,which I was very, very
interested.
Are they attending?
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Elevator.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
I'm trying, I am doing my post-show follow-up
with them, but yeah, it wassomething that was really cool
and like that really stood outto me, especially those brands.
I don't even know if they meantto do that, but that was
something.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
I definitely noticed, as like a marketing person,
that their branding matched soyeah, I don't know if anybody
else does this, but always, likethe last day of the show, maybe
the last two or three hours,where it's probably just all our
, all us marketing people left.
Anyway, I walk around to everysingle booth and I scope out
what they've done, just in caseI didn't see it, because there's
(24:19):
some people doing some reallycool things, you know, and I go
through and I even talk to himand I even say what's the
coolest thing you've seen?
here, and and sometimes it isit's like oh, this guy was like
they were giving away a littlecardboard container full of
Lindt chocolates.
Well, I was too late for that,but I could get the.
You know, I get it.
You know, and I saw and I knowthat they're going to be at
(24:42):
Elevate one of our members.
They were there.
They had a deck of cards thatwas customized to all modes of
transportation.
I thought that was really cool,but it's just, it's kind of
like you need this shtick right.
You have to figure out what'sgoing to attract people to your
booth, because everybody'sstanding there smiling, they've
got their little brochures out,but it's got to be something you
(25:03):
know, something that's going tobring people in.
And figuring out what that is.
And so I'm always open to ideasand I go out looking for it.
At the end I go out.
People are packing things up.
What's the coolest thing you'veseen?
And a lot of times they'd loveto tell you about it.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Especially at that end of show.
I remember when I was back inmy booth days and when people
would come and try to sell mestuff, like when the show opened
.
I'm like, can you come back onday three when you know business
is slower, like you said, thoselast couple hours of show when
you're like then you'remonetized, it's just the
marketing people left.
But yeah, I always getinspiration.
(25:37):
I do the same thing, but at ashow level.
I walk around and I thinkthere's some things in the huge
shows that will just never beapplicable to TMSA.
But some things like yeah, likewe have a sustainability
sponsor this year at Elevate,it's E Mission Advisory and
she's going to have waterbottles by our water stations,
and that was something that Ipicked up from another show.
I was like, oh, like we couldtotally do that.
(25:58):
I make sure that there's watereverywhere, but I don't have a
water bottle sponsor.
So things like that likegetting your inspiration from
things that are already there,and how can you make it
applicable to you I think it'sreally important when you're at
trade shows for sure?
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Yeah, completely agree.
I actually like that ideabecause the trade show I was at
they had these tiny little cupsand we kept saying, wish we just
had a bottle to refill.
So I think that's a great idea.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Well, I'm really excited for that to come around
as well.
Yeah, cause I, we should allhydrate more, cause I know I I'm
always drinking coffee at tradeshows, so if there's water
there, that will only help me inmy hydration.
So, and we've also talked abouthow stressful trade shows can
be and being on all the time,and I do think it's really
(26:47):
important to find strategies toget through them, especially for
people who are a little bitmore introverted.
So I always say, like I'm anextroverted introvert, like I
can turn it on when I need it,but then I need so much time to
decompress.
What are your best tips, beststrategies for people who might
get a little bit moreoverwhelmed at a show?
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Yeah, it's funny you say that because it's like I
feel I feel the exact same way,like, even when you're like, oh,
I want to interview, I was like, why me?
And because I'm, I am, I feellike I'm the introverted
extrovert and it is, it's like aswitch right.
You get through the show andyou're like, okay, let's do this
.
You know, honestly, if there'stime, I think at the end of the
(27:32):
night, I think, retreating toyour room and door, dashing food
and and just settling intowhatever you want to watch, that
is totally okay.
I think that settling intowhatever you want to watch, that
is totally okay.
I think that, you know, I liketo call it shaking hands,
kissing babies.
You know, all day it can be alot for some people, especially
when you're talking about likethe show.
Is that last weekend or lastweek was 4,500 people, that's, I
(27:53):
mean, that's, it's a lot.
And and then there wassomething going every night and
I think I think it's okay totake time for yourself.
I have a colleague who she willgo and get a blowout after
everything's done because shejust wants to go and make her
hair look great, and then Ithink that just, you know,
taking that time for yourself.
(28:15):
I've been known to most of theconferences I attended in LA.
I've been known to take a fewdays and go to Disneyland.
Now, granted, that's not,that's not necessarily, you know
, applicable for everybody inthe industry, but find out what.
What is for you?
For me, maybe it's rollercoasters, I don't know.
And, and, to be honest, it'sprobably more that than anything
(28:43):
, because when I go to a tradeshow, I don't, I could, I
couldn't even tell you the TVworks most of the time, because
I don't even turn the TV on.
I don't need something elsetalking to me, I just want to
return to the room and be quietand door, dash my feet and read,
or something like that, orlisten to a podcast, but it's, I
think it's, you know, going tovary depending on what people
(29:05):
like, but I think it's justfinding that thing that allows
you to decompress.
Maybe it's just a quiet call toyour loved ones at the end of
the day, um, maybe it's just,you know, walking next door and
buying yourself a steak, I don'tknow, um, but I think that when
you are on like that and you'reintroverted, just factor in a
(29:26):
tiny bit of time and and takethat time for yourself and use
it However.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
I think that's all really great advice.
I typically do at least once aconference door dash, like I
will go out sometimes.
But sometimes I don't want todo that and I love that the
people I go to shows with mostoften know the difference.
Like, if I say I'm going backto my room, there's no
convincing me to go out.
If I'm going out, I will do it.
I'm like I can make thosedecisions.
But I do think that's reallyimportant.
(29:51):
Sometimes I just want like goodfood, like the food that, like,
my husband doesn't like to eat,and so let me just order that
while I'm gone and be able toenjoy that.
I always schedule a massage whenI get back home within the days
following a trade show.
Oh, that's a great idea.
I like that 90-minute deeptissue or like hot stone massage
(30:15):
and it helps so much because II mean, I don't know about you,
but like I'm always carryinglike my laptop and like 800
other things on my back and soit is painful when I return home
so like that's something I'vestarted doing and I I suggested
to everyone that can can do thatbecause it really is helpful.
(30:36):
And then one thing that TMSAhas started doing, which so I
know you weren't at Elevate lastyear, but we have a wellness
room now that is designed kindof for this like moment of peace
, and so last year is the firstyear we did it and there's like
lavender spray in there.
We have we tried to do lowerlighting this year we'll do it.
Last year it didn't work out theway we wanted it to.
But we have like coloring pagesand stress balls and like putty
(31:00):
you can play with and it's alldesigned for people who just
like kind of just need a minuteto themselves, and I definitely
utilize it, even as the eventplanner.
I would go in there likesometimes you just need that
minute to like decompress andtake a minute to just do
something else or be quiet ormeditate.
We did pull like a workout balland a yoga mat in there as well
(31:21):
, so people got to just liketake that minute to decompress
and that was something I wasreally proud of that we
incorporated into the show,because, yeah, sometimes you
just need a minute and I know ifI go to my room in the middle
of the trade show I'm not comingback out, um, at least for a
long time.
So I like to.
You know, I thought about thatand was like, okay, let's give
them a space where they can havethat moment of calm and then go
(31:43):
right back in withoutretreating to their room.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
So I think that's great.
I'm sure you'll find me inthere, because I think when
you're introverted a little bitand you have to flip that switch
and be extroverted, it's yeah,you just.
You just need something.
Maybe it's just 10 minutes, youknow Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Well, thank you so much for coming on the show.
Absolutely Well, thank you somuch for coming on the show.
I have one last question foryou, something I ask everyone,
and that's if you could go backin time and advise a younger
Jennifer anything, and thiscould be personally or
professionally.
When would you go back to andwhat would you tell her?
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Gosh, I would probably go back to I don't know
, post-college Jennifer maybenew to the industry, jennifer
and I would say, try to find amentor really.
And the reason why I say thatis because I didn't necessarily
(32:39):
have a mentor.
I was new to the industry andeven new to the town, new to the
industry and even new to thetown, and it was hard to find
that.
But when I did find that person, she made me uncomfortable,
like she pushed me to do things,to be the extrovert and to turn
things on and do things thatmade me uncomfortable, which I
(32:59):
think has made me successful inmy career.
And I would be an introvertthat I am.
I would have never done them, Iwould have never done this
podcast, I would have never, youknow, considered speaking
before.
I would have never done manythings throughout my career,
even probably attending tradeshows.
I don't know that I would havebeen comfortable doing that if
she had not championed me and bysay, champion me, pushed me to
(33:24):
do things that made meuncomfortable.
And I sometimes think you needthat.
I think you need that mentorthat is going to like, guide you
through the industry and, youknow, push you outside your
comfort zone to do things thatin the end will, you know, maybe
make you uncomfortable, butthey're going to make you more
successful in your careerbecause you know, oh, you can do
(33:45):
xyz or I talk to her at thislocation she really knows her
stuff or she has this history inthis, in the industry.
But if I was just sitting backat my desk, punched away at a
computer for the last 19 years Idon't know how long it's been,
but, um, you know you wouldn'tget that as many career
(34:06):
opportunities as I have now, andso I'm thankful for her.
Um, she'll know who she is ifshe listens to this.
I'll make sure she does, um,but I I think you need that
person who's going to force youto be a little bit uncomfortable
, um, and do the hard things, aswe would tell our kids, because
(34:28):
it's going to lead to moresuccess in the future, I think.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Absolutely.
I think that's really greatadvice.
Mentorship is such a huge partof how we can move forward and
also, like, if you are in thesecond, third, fourth stage of
your career, like be open tomentoring and ushering the next
generations in so love that.
Um.
Thank you so much for coming onthe show, excited to see you at
(34:53):
elevate.
A few things going on at tmsa.
In case people don't know, wehave our recognition program for
our purpose awards,trailblazers awards and rising
stars category open now throughthe end of the month.
So those will.
Submission areas will closemarch 28th.
So if you have a purpose drivenor sustainability driven
program, submit by march 28th.
(35:14):
Same with best of marketingsales campaigns.
Rising stars is for peoplewho've been in the industry five
years or less, so really,really excited about that.
And then join us next week onthe Move, next Wednesday, march
26, we'll have Eileen Dabrowskion the show, who has been in the
industry for a long time, butwe just recently announced her
(35:34):
as the new Programs andMembership Director here at TMSA
.
So we're really excited to divein and talk about all of the
things that we hope to achievetogether now that she is at TMSA
headquarters.
But thank you, jennifer, forcoming on the show.
It's been a pleasure to talk toyou and look forward to seeing
your session at Elevate.
Thanks for coming on.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, thank you so much for having me, and we'll
see you in June.
Hello everybody and thank you for tuning in to
today's episode of On the Move.
I am Jennifer Karpis-Romain,executive Director at TMSA, and
we are featuring JenniferSchaefer, vice President of
Marketing and Public Relationsat IMC Logistics.
Unfortunately, the day that werecorded this episode, my
computer did not want to workwell.
(00:21):
We still went through with theinterview and were able to save
the audio, but we're not able tosave the video, unfortunately.
But we loved this interviewwith Jennifer.
She had a lot of great thingsto say, so we wanted to still
bring you the audio content forthe episode.
So thank you for tuning in.
I have since fixed my computer,so hopefully this will never
(00:41):
happen again, but thank you,jennifer, for appearing on the
show and everyone for tuning in.
I hope you enjoy this episode.
Hello everyone, welcome to Onthe Move, a show where we share
transportation, sales andmarketing success stories.
I am Jennifer Karpis-Romain,executive Director at the
(01:03):
Transportation Marketing andSales Association.
Executive Director at theTransportation Marketing and
Sales Association, which is atrade nonprofit educating and
connecting marketing and salesprofessionals in transportation
and logistics.
And today I'm excited to haveon the show a fellow Jennifer,
jennifer Schaefer, vp ofMarketing and PR at IMC
Logistics.
How are you doing, jennifer?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I'm good, jennifer.
This is going to be funnyhaving this podcast, jennifer
and Jennifer, so I'm glad to behere today.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Thank you, so you've had a pretty long journey in
marketing PR, and then I'm justcurious how you got here, how
you started at IMC and whereyou're looking to go.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Oh, gosh, I was thinking when you asked that
question earlier.
It's been such a long road.
I am from a small town inKentucky and I got my education
at a local state college and outof college I was like, okay,
let's hit the ground running.
I was like, ok, let's hit theground running.
(02:02):
And there were no agencies inthis small town and no, no PR,
no marketing.
Everybody knows that everybodythere's that's not really need
it.
They don't need that there.
(02:26):
So I did a little bit on theside with things that you know.
I work an admin job and do alittle bit on the side until my
husband and I relocated to theMemphis community, which does
have a lot of agencies,unfortunately, you know.
You got to really network withthem, you got to know people,
and this was a long time ago.
So I, you know, at the end ofthe day, needed a job and so I
ended up going to work for a 3PLand um there, started as an
(02:51):
admin and did you know what?
I think maybe some people dostart out unless they get an
internship, they start anadministrative position and they
just start doing a little bitof, you know, creativity and
marketing and buildingrelationships while you're there
and got the attention of theCEO there and she ended up
(03:12):
slowly promoting me over theyears and I ended up working
with their VP of sales andworked for her and over the
years we built the sales andmarketing department at that 3PO
and I ended up spending 15years there.
So if you've done the math youcould tell quickly how old I am.
(03:34):
But you know, after 15 years Ihappened to have lunch with my
boss, who is the CMO here andhave known IMC for years as a
longstanding drainage providerin the Memphis community and
nationwide.
And I've just known her because, you know, the logistics
industry is large but it's small.
(03:54):
It's the same people.
You see the same people, youmeet the same people and we just
sort of stayed in contact overyears and she, you know, invited
me to lunch and next thing Iknow I'm here and so I've been
here almost four years now.
So I've definitely had exposureto all aspects of
(04:14):
transportation.
And I will say this I think overthe years, like I don't even
know that people get intologistics on purpose.
I'm sure there are, but I thinka lot of people just sort of
fall into it and it like it getsinto your skin.
You know like you startthinking the intricacies and
moving things from A to B andand how that goes and how you're
(04:34):
marketing and positioning thatto your customers and selling it
and getting you know, buildingrelationships with those
journalists, and I think it'sjust, I think it's here.
I think where am I going to go?
I'm going to be here and Ithink I'm going to stay in this
industry and I don't think I'llever leave.
(04:55):
I think I love it too much.
It's something new every dayand, as you know, I've spoke to
a couple like high school kidsand stuff like that, when you go
speak to their classes and it'ssomewhat recession proof in a
way, and so I think you know, Ithink I will always be in this
industry and so I enjoy it.
I don't see myself goinganywhere.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
I think it definitely like.
Once you're here, it becomes apart of your blood and you don't
want to leave.
Yeah for sure.
So that's great.
I loved hearing that story.
I do think so many people hereend up here because of luck.
I guess you could say and soyeah.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I'm not sure what logistics was.
I don't even know that.
I knew what logistics was incollege, but you know you, you
end up in it and yeah thing, youknow you're talking about all
aspects of the supply chain.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
So absolutely any aspects of the supply chain, and
we're rounding out the end ofq1 already here in 2025, which
seems crazy.
But what kinds of trends areyou seeing that are shaping the
industry right now?
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Well, of course, everybody's talking about AI,
and I feel like AI is sort of adirty word, like people don't
want to talk about it, and Ithink that, as a trend, I think
there's a place for it.
I think you have to figure outwhere it is in your toolbox.
For us, we have used it forsome inspiration, for creative,
(06:29):
like we are trying to come upwith this really complicated
image and we're trying to figureout how we could get it
photographed with, you know, adepot and a truck and maybe a
train beside it.
We need oh, we need a lift inthere and you put AI in it, or
you put it in AI, rather, andit'll spit the image out.
Is it what we're going to use?
No, but is it enough that I can, like, hand a photographer or
(06:52):
hand somebody on a creative team?
This is what I need.
Only, I don't need it to lookfake, right?
So, I think that there's a.
I think there's a place, Ithink I think we use it on
social media a little bit forsome content inspiration.
It's never a hundred percent.
It's it for us.
It's never going to replace,you know, traditional writers
(07:16):
who they write for the logisticsindustry and they know their
stuff.
There's no replacement for usin for us in that regard.
There's no replacement fortraditional journalism and
working and having thoserelationships with you know,
having that PR relationship withthe journalist.
But I think if you could find aplace in your toolbox for it, I
(07:40):
think that I don't think peoplehave to worry about it.
I think it's not somethingthat's going to take over jobs.
I think maybe it'll just makeyou a little more efficient.
But I think that I don't thinkpeople have to worry about it.
I think it's not somethingthat's going to take over jobs.
I think maybe it'll just makeyou a little more efficient.
But I think I think that you'realways going to need writers.
I think you're always going toneed PR people.
You're going to needjournalists and so forth.
The other thing I'm seeing isthe use of a lot of influencers
(08:04):
and I don't know, I think thejury's still out.
We have definitely worked withan influencer or two at IMC and
it was some success.
But I know there was a storyrecently where a publication
went in and replaced some oftheir journalism team with
influencers, and I'm not sure, Idon't know.
(08:25):
I feel like traditionalupstanding journalism that is
going to do all the factchecking, is going to do all the
homework to make sure that thestory that they're putting out
is correct and legit, just can'tbe replaced with an influencer.
So I'm not sure the jury'sstill out on that one and I'd be
(08:46):
interested what other memberswould say, be curious how
they're using them and if theyhave any success too.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
I appreciate your importance of traditional
journalism and those pieces thatare put together.
I'm a trained journalist.
That's where I started mycareer, that's what I went to
college for and also why I lovedoing this podcast, because I
don't get to do that kind ofstuff as much.
So, like the interview piecereally keeps that part of my
(09:17):
brain going.
But I do think I was actuallytalking to someone recently that
anyone can write on theinternet, but there's still
value in being able to find theplaces you can trust.
That is doing those fact checks, that you know that the
information is being there.
And I had something that hasstayed with me.
One of my editors in the pastsaid it can take you like years,
(09:40):
decades, to build up yourreputation.
It can take one thing to tearit down, and so cause I always
wanted to move fast, I wanted toconfirm the stories and get
them out there, and that hasreally stayed with me is really
like thinking through, like yes,of course you want to beat
everybody else to the story, butyou want to make sure that
story is correct, and there'sthen places in between that you
(10:00):
can do like, oh, this is adeveloping story, this is the
information that we have Staytuned and so like that's where
we would work on that, but Ithink that's incredibly
important to consider for sure.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, I mean, when it comes to influencers,
ultimately they're paid to saywhat you want them to say, Right
?
And so I think that there'sstill value in that traditional
journalism and I hope that theystill see value in like
traditional PR.
Because, you know, like we hada situation where, you know,
(10:32):
maybe something changed just alittle bit in a comment, that
was something changed in thelandscape We'll talk about
sustainability for a minute butand I followed up with a
journalist and was like hey, Ijust want you to know, like this
is what's happened, this iswhat's changed, and they
appreciate it so much because weprobably could have just
(10:53):
avoided it.
But I wanted them to know like,hey, you know, what we said
last week is not necessarilywhat we're saying this week
because of X, you know, and andI think that I I don't know that
you would get that follow upfrom an influencer, and I don't
know you'd even have thatrelationship with a journalist
and an influencer.
So there's a place, probablylike AI, there's a place for for
(11:15):
influencers, um, you know, andit's just very customer focused,
and so I don't know, the jury'sstill out, We'll see.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Yeah, I think there's something to be said to have
multiple tools in your tool belt, but you don't want to get rid
of the ones that you had and theones that are tried and true.
And building thoserelationships with media
partners, knowing you can trustwhat you can do, and then
bringing in some kind of new agethings or what you can do to
grow upon, I think is justexpanding your reach, but I
(11:47):
don't abandon that have workedreally well, right, exactly, and
then so I'm excited to alsoannounce that you'll be one of
our speakers at Elevate thisyear and your topic will be
talking about sustainability.
Talk about it.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Well, it's ever changing and you know you have
to have your head on a swivelbecause things, things in the
sustainability landscape, arechanging.
I mean, we at IMC invested init years ago.
We said this is somethingimportant, something we're going
to do.
And so, from a marketing and PRstandpoint, we've been
marketing and, you know, workingwith journalists on sustainable
(12:28):
or sustainability topics foryears now.
But it changes all the time.
You know, even the most latestadministration has changed some
of the rules and some of thetechnology has changed.
And so you know, when I sentthat over, I called it the highs
and lows of marketingsustainability, because it is,
(12:48):
it's constantly changing.
Everybody wants to say thatthey're green, but really are
they going to put their moneywhere their mouth is?
And as the rules change, youhave to know, from a marketing
standpoint, like what are therules today and what do we need
(13:09):
to be telling customers?
What do we need to be telling?
You know the industry when dowe stand on it?
And you know, and, and it'sjust, you have to have that when
you have to be able to ridethat a lot of idioms here.
I, you know, little girl fromKentucky, I cannot help it with
my sayings, but we, you justit's not as easy as saying we're
(13:35):
sustainable.
It's a you know you are makinginvestments.
Do you know the rules?
Do you have a partner who is upto date on the rules?
We're getting calls fromcustomers saying, ok, the clean
fleets rule has dialed back.
So what are you doing aboutyour hydrogen fleet?
Well, you still have theindirect sourcing rule, and then
they're going what's that?
Well, you have to be able toexplain that to them and you
(13:58):
have to be able to you knowarticulate that, that to them.
And you have to be able to youknow articulate that.
And you have to be able to,like, present the data and say,
hey, here's the data on howwe're cutting that down carbon
emissions.
These are things people didn'teven think about three years ago
when they bought electrictrucks.
They were just like we've gotan electric truck.
Well, now let's talk about,really, the effect that it's
(14:19):
making on the environment andand I think that you know you
just have to be able to ridethat wave if you will.
And so when we're talking aboutthat, the other thing that I
wanted to share is that whenyou're talking about
environmental topics, people arevery passionate about it.
Ok, they are very passionate,whether they're pro electric,
(14:40):
they're very passionate whetherthey're pro-electric, they're
very passionate whether they'repro-hydrogen.
And and you have to be able totemper those people who are
passionate and be able to handle, you know, when people are
saying, well, what colorhydrogen do you guys use?
Because it's not friendly, orif you you know, this is why
electric is better.
I was at a conference last week.
(15:00):
You guys spent 30 minutestelling me why electric was the
wave of the future, overhydrogen and.
And you just have to be able tohave those conversations because
everybody thinks they're rightand you have to be able to.
You know how are you going toposition yourself as a company,
as a sustainable provider, andbe able to say that.
(15:22):
You know, this is one of ourcore values, is we want to be a
sustainable provider.
Here's the why and here's however-changing we're.
We have the most recentinformation, we're the expert in
it and you know this is howyou're going to sell it to your
customers.
And so it's a lot and it takes,like I said, you have to have
(15:45):
your head on a swivel to be ableto make those changes, as the
sustainability and the ruleschange and the states change and
stuff like that, and so that'swhy I called it the highs and
lows.
And so, yeah, we can, wehopefully, we'll speak to that,
and people need to know what todo in this situations when all
the things are ever changing.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Absolutely.
I think it's definitely anevolving area.
It's something that people arereally paying attention to and
you need to pay attention tobecause it is changing.
It'll say at the federal level,it'll change at the state level
, it'll change at theinternational level, and so if
you're participating in thesepractices or just needing to
know what you need to be doingat any given time, paying
(16:30):
attention to those trends isincredibly important.
And then I loved thinking aboutit from like a marketing side,
or even a sales side.
How do we then educate ourcustomers, our prospective
customers, on what's going onright now and how are we
reflecting our businesspractices because of it?
So I think it's going to be areally great session, excited to
have you at Elevate talkingabout it.
(16:51):
If people are looking toregister for conference.
I'm going to pop up a QR codefor them.
Hopefully they can see it.
I hope my internet seems to bea little choppy today, but I can
still hear you talking, so I'mhoping that everything is
working great for everybody thatis listening or watching the
show.
I'm curious, so you've been toElevate in the past.
(17:13):
Is there anything that you'relooking forward to this year in
Austin, while we go there thisyear?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Well, I haven't been in a couple of years because it
didn't line up with some otherthings that I had going on.
But I will say, as far as anetworking and just getting
other peers in the industry, Ihave found vendors there, I have
found great resources there,just in like being able to email
someone and say, hey, we met.
(17:39):
I want to ask you a questionabout something you said.
I think from just building thatnetwork it's great and I think
that the education is there thatyou know you guys do a great
job in putting together a greatagenda.
I think I always come back withfresh new ideas to share with
the team and then, like I said,just really making those
(18:04):
contacts that can't be replaced,that you're meeting those
people in person.
Last time I attended, I thinkwas probably two years ago.
We signed a vendor right afterthat and I love her and I don't
know that I'll ever let her gobecause we've been able to work
with them since then and I don'tknow that I would have, and I
don't know that I would haveever.
I don't know that I would haveever found them on my own and I
(18:26):
don't know that I would have.
You know, you can't tell a lotof people by the website, but
talking to someone in personit's just different and I think
that it really attracts a greatgroup of people.
So I'm looking to see whateverybody else is dealing with
in the industry and what thelatest technology and what
(18:47):
everybody else think is thedisruptors then, and obviously
learn something new.
So I'm pretty excited.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Absolutely, and we kind of come.
Our show is in June, so we'vecome at the end of trade show
season, but I would say we'reright smack dab in the middle of
it now, from a PR perspective,what do you think are the best
techniques companies could andshould be leveraging for that
pre-at and post-show conferenceseason?
What should they be doing whenthey're at shows?
(19:14):
What should they be releasing?
What should they be talkingabout?
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Well, from a PR standpoint, it's always helpful
if you have some big news torelease at the, at a show, but
that you know you don't alwayshave that luxury.
I would say if you couldposition yourself months in
advance and I think it's alwaysthe best option is to get
yourself on a panel as a speakerI don't mean me personally, but
(19:41):
I mean any of your executiveswithin a company.
Anytime that your company canbe on a panel, you're
automatically viewed as anexpert for any of those people
who are attending.
So I think if you could pitchyour PR efforts probably six,
eight months in advance, thinkabout that planning as much as a
year in advance, and talk aboutthat while you're there, even
(20:01):
if you don't, you know there'sjournalists who are always
attending these trade shows.
I think it's great to even justtry to have meetings with them
as far as just to build thatrelationship, try to be meeting
with the organization.
So you, you know next year whenthey are putting their agenda
together, they're looking foryou as the expert, because all
(20:23):
those things are just validatingyour company.
And then you know this is goingto sound dumb, but I think
anything that you can do thatcan attract attention to if you
have a booth there.
So you know, I've seen stufflike puppies and one of my
favorite things was a candy barthat they had all kinds of candy
(20:46):
and so it sounds silly, butthose things get traffic there
and it opens up the conversation.
The previous, where I was lastweekend, I was out in LA and we
hada churro bar and it sounds.
It sounds a little ridiculous,but we literally had people
approach our booth because theysmelled them and so they were
(21:08):
like we smell the churros, comeover here and then who's IMC?
While we're talking, you know,so we got to tell them about it.
While they're cooking, you knowmaking their little churro and
put the sauces and all thatstuff on it and it's just
anything that you think willdraw people in to those.
And so that to me, is kind ofthe fun stuff, where you're
talking about what's going toget people to our booth and then
(21:28):
post.
You always have to follow up.
I mean, you have to follow upand that may not be the favorite
thing, but you have to followup with everybody who came by,
send them a thank you note, putthem in your CRM and just you
know, continuing thatconversation even if you're
handing it off to a salesperson,just the follow up is key.
Otherwise, you know why do youeven go Right?
(21:50):
Because you know you'reeverybody's wanting to get
customers.
So you have to just follow upon that.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
I agree, I um with all of those points.
I think um, having a speaker,having a panelist, having
something to promote that you'reat the show, definitely helps
in your pre-show promotionsbecause it stands easier to grow
like, oh, like, come watch thispanel or come do this, come
engage with us here.
Um, as opposed to be like, oh,I'm going to the show, who wants
(22:21):
to hang out?
Like you can do those posts,posts.
But it's more impactful if youhave something like really
specific to point to.
I love how you were talkingabout the smell of the churro
bar, because I always find thepopcorn booth hands down.
Um, my kiddo is obsessed withpopcorn, so that smell just like
naturally appeals to me becauseI'm so used to it.
(22:42):
But um, so I I would say, yeahfor sure, anything that um think
of all of the senses, like whatyou know, um, interest people,
but that smell would be reallyimportant.
Um, I was at a trade show acouple weeks months ago at this
point, um, but they had littlemacaroons, like the really fancy
cookies, and I loved, oh, yeah,and I straight walked past the
(23:07):
booth, turned around, camearound, went down the aisle and
back around to just be like tellme, yeah, tell me what you do.
Give me your cookie.
Yeah, I love this and it wassomething like different that I
don't see at a lot of tradeshows or at a lot of booths, so
anything that like kind of setsyou apart there.
And yeah, I agree, and theywere so visually appealing to
(23:31):
their booth it was like a lightsage and a pink and the
macaroons matched the booth,which I was very, very
interested.
Are they attending?
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Elevator.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
I'm trying, I am doing my post-show follow-up
with them, but yeah, it wassomething that was really cool
and like that really stood outto me, especially those brands.
I don't even know if they meantto do that, but that was
something.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
I definitely noticed, as like a marketing person,
that their branding matched soyeah, I don't know if anybody
else does this, but always, likethe last day of the show, maybe
the last two or three hours,where it's probably just all our
, all us marketing people left.
Anyway, I walk around to everysingle booth and I scope out
what they've done, just in caseI didn't see it, because there's
(24:19):
some people doing some reallycool things, you know, and I go
through and I even talk to himand I even say what's the
coolest thing you've seen?
here, and and sometimes it isit's like oh, this guy was like
they were giving away a littlecardboard container full of
Lindt chocolates.
Well, I was too late for that,but I could get the.
You know, I get it.
You know, and I saw and I knowthat they're going to be at
(24:42):
Elevate one of our members.
They were there.
They had a deck of cards thatwas customized to all modes of
transportation.
I thought that was really cool,but it's just, it's kind of
like you need this shtick right.
You have to figure out what'sgoing to attract people to your
booth, because everybody'sstanding there smiling, they've
got their little brochures out,but it's got to be something you
(25:03):
know, something that's going tobring people in.
And figuring out what that is.
And so I'm always open to ideasand I go out looking for it.
At the end I go out.
People are packing things up.
What's the coolest thing you'veseen?
And a lot of times they'd loveto tell you about it.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Especially at that end of show.
I remember when I was back inmy booth days and when people
would come and try to sell mestuff, like when the show opened
.
I'm like, can you come back onday three when you know business
is slower, like you said, thoselast couple hours of show when
you're like then you'remonetized, it's just the
marketing people left.
But yeah, I always getinspiration.
(25:37):
I do the same thing, but at ashow level.
I walk around and I thinkthere's some things in the huge
shows that will just never beapplicable to TMSA.
But some things like yeah, likewe have a sustainability
sponsor this year at Elevate,it's E Mission Advisory and
she's going to have waterbottles by our water stations,
and that was something that Ipicked up from another show.
I was like, oh, like we couldtotally do that.
(25:58):
I make sure that there's watereverywhere, but I don't have a
water bottle sponsor.
So things like that likegetting your inspiration from
things that are already there,and how can you make it
applicable to you I think it'sreally important when you're at
trade shows for sure?
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Yeah, completely agree.
I actually like that ideabecause the trade show I was at
they had these tiny little cupsand we kept saying, wish we just
had a bottle to refill.
So I think that's a great idea.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Well, I'm really excited for that to come around
as well.
Yeah, cause I, we should allhydrate more, cause I know I I'm
always drinking coffee at tradeshows, so if there's water
there, that will only help me inmy hydration.
So, and we've also talked abouthow stressful trade shows can
be and being on all the time,and I do think it's really
(26:47):
important to find strategies toget through them, especially for
people who are a little bitmore introverted.
So I always say, like I'm anextroverted introvert, like I
can turn it on when I need it,but then I need so much time to
decompress.
What are your best tips, beststrategies for people who might
get a little bit moreoverwhelmed at a show?
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Yeah, it's funny you say that because it's like I
feel I feel the exact same way,like, even when you're like, oh,
I want to interview, I was like, why me?
And because I'm, I am, I feellike I'm the introverted
extrovert and it is, it's like aswitch right.
You get through the show andyou're like, okay, let's do this
.
You know, honestly, if there'stime, I think at the end of the
(27:32):
night, I think, retreating toyour room and door, dashing food
and and just settling intowhatever you want to watch, that
is totally okay.
I think that settling intowhatever you want to watch, that
is totally okay.
I think that, you know, I liketo call it shaking hands,
kissing babies.
You know, all day it can be alot for some people, especially
when you're talking about likethe show.
Is that last weekend or lastweek was 4,500 people, that's, I
(27:53):
mean, that's, it's a lot.
And and then there wassomething going every night and
I think I think it's okay totake time for yourself.
I have a colleague who she willgo and get a blowout after
everything's done because shejust wants to go and make her
hair look great, and then Ithink that just, you know,
taking that time for yourself.
(28:15):
I've been known to most of theconferences I attended in LA.
I've been known to take a fewdays and go to Disneyland.
Now, granted, that's not,that's not necessarily, you know
, applicable for everybody inthe industry, but find out what.
What is for you?
For me, maybe it's rollercoasters, I don't know.
And, and, to be honest, it'sprobably more that than anything
(28:43):
, because when I go to a tradeshow, I don't, I could, I
couldn't even tell you the TVworks most of the time, because
I don't even turn the TV on.
I don't need something elsetalking to me, I just want to
return to the room and be quietand door, dash my feet and read,
or something like that, orlisten to a podcast, but it's, I
think it's, you know, going tovary depending on what people
(29:05):
like, but I think it's justfinding that thing that allows
you to decompress.
Maybe it's just a quiet call toyour loved ones at the end of
the day, um, maybe it's just,you know, walking next door and
buying yourself a steak, I don'tknow, um, but I think that when
you are on like that and you'reintroverted, just factor in a
(29:26):
tiny bit of time and and takethat time for yourself and use
it However.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
I think that's all really great advice.
I typically do at least once aconference door dash, like I
will go out sometimes.
But sometimes I don't want todo that and I love that the
people I go to shows with mostoften know the difference.
Like, if I say I'm going backto my room, there's no
convincing me to go out.
If I'm going out, I will do it.
I'm like I can make thosedecisions.
But I do think that's reallyimportant.
(29:51):
Sometimes I just want like goodfood, like the food that, like,
my husband doesn't like to eat,and so let me just order that
while I'm gone and be able toenjoy that.
I always schedule a massage whenI get back home within the days
following a trade show.
Oh, that's a great idea.
I like that 90-minute deeptissue or like hot stone massage
(30:15):
and it helps so much because II mean, I don't know about you,
but like I'm always carryinglike my laptop and like 800
other things on my back and soit is painful when I return home
so like that's something I'vestarted doing and I I suggested
to everyone that can can do thatbecause it really is helpful.
(30:36):
And then one thing that TMSAhas started doing, which so I
know you weren't at Elevate lastyear, but we have a wellness
room now that is designed kindof for this like moment of peace
, and so last year is the firstyear we did it and there's like
lavender spray in there.
We have we tried to do lowerlighting this year we'll do it.
Last year it didn't work out theway we wanted it to.
But we have like coloring pagesand stress balls and like putty
(31:00):
you can play with and it's alldesigned for people who just
like kind of just need a minuteto themselves, and I definitely
utilize it, even as the eventplanner.
I would go in there likesometimes you just need that
minute to like decompress andtake a minute to just do
something else or be quiet ormeditate.
We did pull like a workout balland a yoga mat in there as well
(31:21):
, so people got to just liketake that minute to decompress
and that was something I wasreally proud of that we
incorporated into the show,because, yeah, sometimes you
just need a minute and I know ifI go to my room in the middle
of the trade show I'm not comingback out, um, at least for a
long time.
So I like to.
You know, I thought about thatand was like, okay, let's give
them a space where they can havethat moment of calm and then go
(31:43):
right back in withoutretreating to their room.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
So I think that's great.
I'm sure you'll find me inthere, because I think when
you're introverted a little bitand you have to flip that switch
and be extroverted, it's yeah,you just.
You just need something.
Maybe it's just 10 minutes, youknow Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Well, thank you so much for coming on the show.
Absolutely Well, thank you somuch for coming on the show.
I have one last question foryou, something I ask everyone,
and that's if you could go backin time and advise a younger
Jennifer anything, and thiscould be personally or
professionally.
When would you go back to andwhat would you tell her?
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Gosh, I would probably go back to I don't know
, post-college Jennifer maybenew to the industry, jennifer
and I would say, try to find amentor really.
And the reason why I say thatis because I didn't necessarily
(32:39):
have a mentor.
I was new to the industry andeven new to the town, new to the
industry and even new to thetown, and it was hard to find
that.
But when I did find that person, she made me uncomfortable,
like she pushed me to do things,to be the extrovert and to turn
things on and do things thatmade me uncomfortable, which I
(32:59):
think has made me successful inmy career.
And I would be an introvertthat I am.
I would have never done them, Iwould have never done this
podcast, I would have never, youknow, considered speaking
before.
I would have never done manythings throughout my career,
even probably attending tradeshows.
I don't know that I would havebeen comfortable doing that if
she had not championed me and bysay, champion me, pushed me to
(33:24):
do things that made meuncomfortable.
And I sometimes think you needthat.
I think you need that mentorthat is going to like, guide you
through the industry and, youknow, push you outside your
comfort zone to do things thatin the end will, you know, maybe
make you uncomfortable, butthey're going to make you more
successful in your careerbecause you know, oh, you can do
(33:45):
xyz or I talk to her at thislocation she really knows her
stuff or she has this history inthis, in the industry.
But if I was just sitting backat my desk, punched away at a
computer for the last 19 years Idon't know how long it's been,
but, um, you know you wouldn'tget that as many career
(34:06):
opportunities as I have now, andso I'm thankful for her.
Um, she'll know who she is ifshe listens to this.
I'll make sure she does, um,but I I think you need that
person who's going to force youto be a little bit uncomfortable
, um, and do the hard things, aswe would tell our kids, because
(34:28):
it's going to lead to moresuccess in the future, I think.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Absolutely.
I think that's really greatadvice.
Mentorship is such a huge partof how we can move forward and
also, like, if you are in thesecond, third, fourth stage of
your career, like be open tomentoring and ushering the next
generations in so love that.
Um.
Thank you so much for coming onthe show, excited to see you at
(34:53):
elevate.
A few things going on at tmsa.
In case people don't know, wehave our recognition program for
our purpose awards,trailblazers awards and rising
stars category open now throughthe end of the month.
So those will.
Submission areas will closemarch 28th.
So if you have a purpose drivenor sustainability driven
program, submit by march 28th.
(35:14):
Same with best of marketingsales campaigns.
Rising stars is for peoplewho've been in the industry five
years or less, so really,really excited about that.
And then join us next week onthe Move, next Wednesday, march
26, we'll have Eileen Dabrowskion the show, who has been in the
industry for a long time, butwe just recently announced her
(35:34):
as the new Programs andMembership Director here at TMSA
.
So we're really excited to divein and talk about all of the
things that we hope to achievetogether now that she is at TMSA
headquarters.
But thank you, jennifer, forcoming on the show.
It's been a pleasure to talk toyou and look forward to seeing
your session at Elevate.
Thanks for coming on.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, thank you so much for having me, and we'll
see you in June.
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