Anthony St. Peter, 29
President
Stellar Lanyards
Mexico City, Mexico
How has working in promotional products made you better, more professional or more confident?
Working with distributors has made me more responsible because I’m making sure that everything ships out on time and comes out perfectly. It takes a lot of discipline to make sure everything goes right.
What is the biggest challenge for you in your career?
Being 29 and the co-owner of a company and coming to events in what’s typically an older industry and making sure that people realize I’m not just a sales rep. I’m someone who’s building a company in the U.S. and that we’re here to stay.
What does the industry need to do to attract and retain more young leaders?
More people need to be aware of the industry. I fell into it by accident by walking into an interview at a mall in 2013. There needs to be more outreach to colleges and universities for people who are in graphic design. I know a lot of people in product design who don’t even know about the promotional products industry, but they design mugs and other items.
How have you been able to grow your company?
Social media. Stellar grew really quickly through private Facebook and LinkedIn groups. We’ve been able to grow by being on these platforms and speaking to people who needed a rush order for an emergency, and we were there to take care of it.
Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
Stellar’s main office is in Mexico City. We just bought an office in Miami, and I hope to one day have a lot more offices and a whole team. Right now, a lot of customers know Stellar Lanyards as Anthony St. Peter. They come to me directly even though we’re a team of 20-plus people. I hope to one day have a team of at least 50 and be much more structured with regional reps.
