The Connector
PPB talks with Teresa Moisant, MAS, winner of the 2016 PPAI Distinguished Service Award
By Julie Richie
After working in sales in the corporate world for many years, Teresa Moisant—a self-proclaimed workaholic—started to question whether she was in a place where her talents were going to be valued long-term.
“I knew some women in the promotional products industry, and I saw what they were doing and knew I could be successful,” she says. Plus, she says, her late husband, Bill, pointed out that if she was going to be a workaholic, she should work for herself. The two combined forces to start Moisant Promotional Products in 1990.
While Bill focused on the financial details—“he had a form to design a form”—Teresa brought her sales skills and big-picture thinking to the table. It was a great match. Bill passed away suddenly in 2007, but Moisant continued to run the business and now both of her daughters, Christi and Shelly, work with her and manage the company.
“I love sales and I’m a huge sports fanatic,” Moisant says, having grown up with four brothers. “I grew up being very athletic and very competitive. Sales is very competitive. You can measure whether you’re getting a bunch of first downs, or a touchdown or a championship or a national title. I’d probably be a good coach. I know how to motivate and I’m passionate. Those are the qualities of a good CEO as well as a good coach.”
They Call Her Mom
Moisant was brought up with the adage, always do something nice for someone every day. And, she says, it came very easily to her. “I just can’t not help people,” she says.
Mentoring others is one of the ways she helps. She observes young people in the industry and watches who takes the time to care about others. “Those are the people I help. There are a lot of 40-ish guys—and some women—in the industry whom I have mentored that call me Mom,” she says. And she’s serious.
“The reason mentoring is so important to me is because I was mentored. I had great mentors early in my career. They took the time to share with me and it made me feel a deep commitment to mentoring.” She even mentors her 9- and 11-year-old grandsons, Fletcher and Hudson, imparting life lessons with every outing to a sporting event. Once she was even brought in for show-and-tell in Fletcher’s kindergarten class. She taught the class how to shake hands and look someone in the eye. “Some of those kids still come up to me and shake my hand,” she laughs.
Three Rules
In 2010, Moisant had the opportunity to hear famed football coach Lou Holtz speak, an experience she says changed her life. “I used to spend hours thinking about ways to beat the system,” she says. But in his speech, she recalls, Holtz said you should live by three simple rules: 1) Do the right thing; 2) If you’re going to do something, give it 100 percent; 3) Treat all people with respect.
“Living by those three rules has simplified my life,” she says. “When you’re always doing the right thing, you never have to spend time worrying about how to beat the system.”
Connecting Others
With her outgoing personality and enthusiasm, Moisant is a natural connector. She’s constantly helping others find people who can meet their needs. “Even my grandsons know it. When their school needed some fencing donated, Hudson stood up and said, ‘Call my Nana. She knows people.’”
And receiving the Distinguished Service Award leaves her feeling flattered. “To be honored in the industry and to be recognized by your peers is so important. This award is really about taking the time to do something nice for someone and ask, ‘Who can I connect to make their lives better today?’”
Coming to Expo every year is a great opportunity, Moisant says. “Some people like to go shopping. I like to go to Expo because I love [promotional] products. It’s the ultimate shopping experience for me. I can’t imagine not going to Expo if you’re in this industry.”
