Printing's Alive

Welcome to Printing's Alive—the podcast that explores everything print and beyond! From traditional techniques to modern innovations, we dive into how print shapes industries, businesses, and our everyday lives

Charity Gibson on Promo Evolution, Sustainability, and Balancing Business with Humanity

S1 E83 • Aug 18, 2026 • 56 mins

In this episode of Printing's Alive, Warren Werbitt and Charity Gibson explore the evolution of promotional products in the print industry. Charity shares her journey to the supplier side and discusses balancing multiple roles. They cover the importance of quality, branding, and effective promo items for relationship building. Topics include sustainability, costs, certifications, and balancing business growth with quality. They also touch on generational differences, AI, and emphasize human interaction, work-life balance, and learning from younger generations. The episode wraps up with reflections on kindness and future industry discussions.

Key Points

Promo products should be high-quality and useful to ensure they are valued and not discarded.
Sustainability in promo products means choosing items that will be used long-term, regardless of the material they are made from.
AI is a powerful tool that can save time and increase efficiency, but it should be used thoughtfully and not as a crutch for knowledge or creativity.

Speakers

Warren Werbitt

Host • 35%

Charity Gibson

Guest • 65%

Chapters

0:00	Introduction and Charity Gibson’s background in promo
1:55	Transition to supplier side and current roles
3:56	Balancing multiple roles and staying energized
5:14	Evolution of promo products in print
7:55	Importance of quality and branding in promo
10:28	Value of curating good promo items
14:05	Using promo items for relationship building
20:14	Gary Vaynerchuk’s innovative promo strategy
23:10	The rise of sustainability in promo products
25:19	Costs and certifications in sustainability
27:06	FSC certification and the cost of audits
30:17	Quality vs. cheap promotional products
32:11	Balancing business growth and quality
34:23	The mindset of promotional product sellers
36:09	ASI's approach to selling services
37:31	Changes in leadership and industry evolution
40:07	The importance of being proactive in business
42:22	Generational differences and technology use
45:07	The role of AI as a tool in business
48:23	The importance of human interaction in the age of AI
49:35	Life is short: Making the most of your time
51:50	The value of work-life balance
53:11	Learning from younger generations
54:20	Cross-generational learning and open-mindedness
54:32	The impact of kindness in business
54:53	Closing remarks and future conversations

Transcript

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