Wow! I'm here. DMIA's president. I've spent a lot of time thinking about this moment. It became all too clear to me last year in Philadelphia. I watched my good friend Mark Trumper deliver his superb speech. I admit it: I envied Mark. He had so much to say. He outlined a clear vision of where DMIA needed to go. He knew that achieving his vision would not be easy. I wondered: "If given the opportunity, will I be able to fill those shoes? What's my vision?" It was in Philadelphia when I began to worry. It was in Philadelphia when I started forming my DMIA vision.
This visioning thing is tough. So I came up with a brilliant idea: Why couldn't I simply deliver Mark's speech again? It's certainly worth a second run. With Mark and my considerable physical differences, I just might be able to pull it off. Who would know?
I found a copy of Mark's speech. I gave it a trial run. It sounded great! Well, it sounded great until I heard myself thanking my wonderful wife, Katie. That's when the first flaw in my speech-stealing strategy became apparent. Now, don't get me wrong. I agree that Katie Trumper is a wonderful person. But, as a spouse, she's not my type. I could thank Katie, but what I need to do is thank my wonderful husband, Paul Pitner.
Paul and I have been married for 17 years. During that time, we've attended more than 100 DMIA functions. He has done a fantastic job of being there for me. For that, and for so much more, I am forever grateful, and eternally in love with him. Thank you, Katie...I mean, Paul.
Several years ago, Paul and I increased our traveling show by one. Our daughter, Julia, attended her first DMIA meeting in California. She was just three weeks old. When Julia was three months old, she attended her first Spring Management Retreat in Asheville [N.C.]. Today, our 6-year-old daughter is attending her seventh annual conference. Julia, I love the joy that you bring into my world...wherever in the world we are.
I don't know if "who we are" is shaped by genetics or the environment. I do know I wouldn't be here, experiencing this moment of great honor, without the love and guidance of my parents, Ted and Marge O'Roke. Mom and Dad, I'm so fortunate to have this once-in-a-life-time opportunity. I would like to publicly acknowledge how grateful I am for all you have given me. I love you both.
OK, enough of thanking my family. I need to get back to Mark's speech. Let's pick it up right after the "Thank you, Katie" part.
Oops--that isn't going to work. Right after the Katie part, Mark spoke about his alma mater and career path. I'll call this "Speech Stealing Flaw No. 2." I don't have the same alma mater as Mark. In fact, I have none at all. When I fill out surveys that ask about my education level, I have to stop at the "some college" box. You see, my education and my career path progressed at the same time. My 19-year career is with the company I still work for. My education is with the association my company belongs to.
In 1982, my father resigned as an executive with Moore Business Forms. Along with a group of 11 other ex-Moore people, he founded the Independent Business Group [IBG]. I was living at home while attending "some college." IBG needed someone to do a little data entry work. Guess who got the part-time job? I had no idea that I was taking my first step down a very long road.
I worked hard at IBG. And I worked cheap. That is a good combination for a small company. The job wasn't intended to be permanent. So I began to look for a "real" job. I asked some IBG folks for letters of recommendation and received some great ones (refer back to "worked hard" and "cheap"). With those letters in hand, I took an unconventional step. I presented my recommendations to IBG's CFO, William E. Doty. I said, "Bill, if I'm this good, why don't you hire me?" And guess what...he did!
That was my start at IBG. As I continued the "hard work" thing, I was rewarded with increased responsibilities. I moved from administration to helping develop IBG's first telemarketing department. It was at this point that Ted, my dad, invited me to join him at a local NBFA roundtable. It was a great experience. Shortly afterward, I began attending the bimonthly meetings of NBFA's NorCal group. At one of NorCal's meetings, the group's leader said NorCal needed a new chairperson. I volunteered. I still remember my father's words of encouragement. He looked at me and said, "Sucker!"
After coordinating 14 local meetings, an NBFA staff member invited me to an upcoming planning conference, something called "Mid-Year" in San Diego. What a meeting! I vividly remember the session on sales compensation. I was a bit nervous, but participated in discussions. I carefully explained the generous compensation package IBG had for one of our business units. Afterward, NBFA member John Osborne confronted me. If you know John, you'll understand I can't repeat exactly what he said. (He used words such as "idiotic" and "the stupidest thing I've ever heard.") As often is true with John, his delivery could have used some work--but his assessment was correct. Shortly after that meeting, I changed the program. Today, 13 years later, it's still one of IBG's most profitable units. This is the first of many examples of association experiences that have improved my performance and value to IBG. I was hooked!
During the years, I've been fortunate to have been "suckered" into many roles with NBFA and now DMIA. Each role has helped me become a better manager, a better business planner and, in some cases, a better person. Each improvement I've made in my professional life has helped me become a better contributor to this association. It's an enriching cycle. I hope it continues. Because of my hard work and DMIA involvement, I'm now CEO of IBG. Not too bad for someone who started as a temp.
OK, back to stealing Mark Trumper's speech. We've established that my personal life differs from Mark's. We've established that my professional life differs from Mark's. This brings us to the third and most critical flaw in stealing Mark's speech...Mark's vision. If I steal Mark's speech, I need to steal his vision for DMIA, too. I share Mark's vision, but also have one of my own.
Do you remember the book Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten? In an interesting spin on that theme, much of my vision for DMIA I learned by sending Julia to kindergarten. Trust me, I'm not suggesting we turn Round Tables into Circle Time. Nor are we going to issue "time-outs" to unruly members.
My husband Paul and I spent many months reviewing Julia's kindergarten options. We decided on a unique environment, East Bay School for Girls. It's the only all-girl elementary school in the San Francisco area. It has the advantage of a very small student population. Last year, Julia's entire kindergarten class was composed of four girls. We believe this choice will give Julia the best opportunity to build a foundation for a life of learning. But when we enrolled her, little did we realize how much Paul and I would be learning about life by being a part of this close-knit school community. The 16 families at the school are a diverse group with different vocations, religions and lifestyles. But we have one thing in common: All 16 families passionately want our girls to have the opportunity to succeed in life. We believe education is the key to success.
This common goal of our children's future success brings us together. Each of us gives the school our special skills. One father has a fantastic speaking voice. He records books onto tape to help the younger girls learn to read. One of our mothers is an excellent cook. She caters many of the school functions. One of our families has a centrally located house. They welcome all of us into their home for meetings. All 16 families contribute to our children's goals however we can. These efforts, coupled with the amazing talents of the teachers and the endless energy and intelligence of the girls, have produced unbelievable results. My experiences at East Bay School for Girls have shown how common goals and diverse talents can come together in a cooperative spirit. That spirit can bring success without limits.
The same kind of cooperative spirit can apply to our association--and to each of you. Although it's becoming impossible to find two members who have the exact same business model, we do have a common goal. Each DMIA member wants the end user to be successful and his or her company to be profitable. Without strong, successful consumers of our products, there can be no strong and thriving print distribution supply chain.
At IBG, we've been using this cooperative model with companies we could otherwise view as competitors. Through the years, IBG has developed an office products distribution system that incorporates many elements of a professional forms management program. One challenge of marketing the program is that it must be presented to a client's top-level management. It's a long sales cycle. That's where our cooperation starts with other distributors. Our distributor allies bring their years of experience with their clients. They have relationships with the right people. By forming alliances with other distributors, IBG cuts months from the sales cycle. The client benefits by using our system. IBG benefits from increased volume and reduced sales overhead. Our distributor partners benefit with commissions and strengthened relationships with their satisfied clients. Everybody wins!
This is just one example of the way association members can, and in many cases do, work together. Some view our increasing diversity in product lines and business models as a wedge that will divide the industry. I view our diversity as an increased opportunity to bring new and better services to our industry's end users. By working together, each of us can increase our profitability and the value our channel brings to end users.
Currently, IBG is between a rock and a hard place. The rock is a recent evolution within our client base. Our profitable clients want a "single source." They need to drive down procurement costs. The hard place is an old but true adage: You can't be all things to all people.
Our ability to be an effective single source for end users leaves us with a limited number of possible solutions. One solution is to do nothing, to stay between the rock and the hard place. The best solution, though, is to become more than we currently are. We must seek out partners to add strength to our weaker areas. As DMIA members, we can move closer to the ideal of "all things to all people." To do so, we must be willing to form cooperative relationships.
DMIA is implementing strategies to encourage cooperation among all members of our supply chain. The first step already has begun. Special Interest Groups, or SIGs, are forming now. SIGs recognize our diverging market models. They offer an exciting way for members with similar interests and expertise to receive benefits of traditional networking and education through targeted programs, seminars, surveys and communication tools. SIGs also will serve as forums for members to develop cooperative relationships. As DMIA's SIG concept evolves, the association will continue to enhance it.
DMIA can take other steps to help members participate in cooperative relationships. As president, I'll work to help facilitate a DMIA cooperative community. By doing so, DMIA will be working to increase your company's profits. The association's focus for the coming year will be to encourage cooperation among members and to bring more needed products and services to each of you. That's my vision. And it's a vision that will help put more dollars into each of our pockets.
Thank you, Paul, Julia, Mom and Dad, for giving me the courage to be up here this afternoon. Thank you, Mark Trumper, for having a vision worth stealing, and for not allowing me to do so. Thank you, so many of my association friends, for helping me develop the confidence to form my own vision. And thanks to all of you, the DMIA membership, for the pride I feel at this moment as I start my term as DMIA president. You're a fantastic group. During the coming year, I promise I'll work hard. And I'll work cheap. I'll work to further strengthen this magnificent association.
Gail O'Roke, CDC, is CEO of distributorship Independent Business Group, based in Hayward, Calif., and president of DMIA.
