Background: Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, I have always been passionate about negotiating goods and services. Early on, I learned the invaluable lesson that preparation and knowledge are key to successful deals.
Early Experience: In high school, I began buying and selling cars, boats, and motorcycles to fund my college education. Initially, I faced challenges negotiating with more experienced individuals. Seeking guidance, I turned to a family member in the auto industry, who imparted crucial knowledge that honed my negotiation skills. These skills seamlessly transitioned into my career as a Trade Show Consultant.
Professional Experience: With nearly 40 years in the Trade Show and F2F Marketing industry, I spent 24 years at one of the nation’s top firms, serving as Divisional Vice President for 17 years. In this role, I managed Sales, Design, and Estimating, and oversaw day-to-day operations for the Dallas Division. My primary focus was assisting the Sales Team with Trade Show Consulting, engaging in customer discussions to establish marketing objectives, and overseeing pricing and proposals.
Client Relations: I pride myself on being a good listener, ensuring clients work with a reliable team of Trade Show Consultants dedicated to their best interests. This approach helped retain long-standing relationships with many Fortune 500 companies, some for over 20 years.
Expertise: I led RFP responses and customer contract negotiations, including MSA’s. My extensive background in estimating and production, coupled with strict financial accountability, enables me to quickly and accurately assess costs. I also managed divisional P&L performance, reporting monthly on sales revenue, cost of sales, budget to actuals, and net profit.
Strategic Planning: I prepared annual sales forecasts, business plans, market risk analyses, headcount analyses, and operating budgets. Bi-annually, I presented divisional performance and sales revenue to our Executive Management Team and Ownership.
Current Role: My passion for the Trade Show and F2F Marketing industry remains strong. As an Independent Trade Show Consultant, I now provide financial insight to F2F Marketers, aiming to analyze and optimize your marketing strategies for cost-effectiveness.
Goal: To assist clients in analyzing their current program and developing a more cost-effective strategy for all their marketing efforts.