Stephanie Lyndon-Wheeler
NATIONAL ACCOUNT DIRECTOR
Boundless
A sales career wasn’t necessarily on the drawing board for Lyndon-Wheeler, who studied communications with an emphasis in public relations at San Diego State University. “Since age three I would tell my mom and dad, “Hey, I’ve got an idea!” Always creative, in college she put those skills to work whenever her sorority ordered promotional products, usually t-shirts and bags, for its events. After college, her role as a brand manager was an opportunity to continue using her imagination and resourcefulness.
Now 34 and expecting her first child as this issue went to press, Lyndon-Wheeler still calls the creative part of her job her favorite. “Creativity is a daily requirement, whether it’s creative challenge solving (never a problem, just a challenge), new ideas needed or creative marketing initiatives, there’s so much fun in the creative process of branded merchandise.”
Lyndon-Wheeler’s talents as a savvy innovator and sales dynamo have made her a double asset within the Boundless team, and influenced Pat Barry, senior VP of sales, to nominate her as a Rising Star. “Stephanie is passionate about the promotional products industry—she’s a professional driven by creating solutions and delivering results,” he says. “She has seen substantial growth and has doubled her business consistently throughout the past few years. What makes this even more impressive is the fact that she has done this with half a dozen accounts that are working with her and doing significant volumes—and is well on her way to a multi-million-dollar year, having qualified for multiple incentive trips within the company.” Barry also describes Lyndon-Wheeler as incredibly versatile.
“She adapts herself to different buyers, aligning with their goals and working styles as well as understanding their approach so she can create a custom promotion that ensures her clients get the most out of it.” He also notes that she has mastered the fundamentals of the business—creativity, providing excellent service, partnering with clients and sourcing. She tailors her approach to each client, whether they are younger buyers or more senior managers and, in this way, earns their trust. As a result, clients bring her in during the early stages of marketing campaigns. He’s amazed at the phenomenal relationships she’s able to build with her clients.
“She is quick to leverage new technology to ease the process and offer creative solutions, and is always willing to lend a helping hand to peers, but is also aware of when she may need help and is unafraid to reach out,” he adds. “These traits have primed her for continued success.”
Self-confidence comes easy for Lyndon-Wheeler now, but that wasn’t always the case. In 2008, she developed severe allergies that made her face swell. “I couldn’t wear makeup for a full year while doctors tried to figure out what was wrong with me,” she says. “When you’re in outside client-facing sales meetings and sales calls wearing no makeup—it was a scary thing for me to do. But I had no choice, I had to pay bills so I kept pushing on.” Not surprisingly, her clients were supportive and many appreciated her vulnerability. “Sharing my story took some of our relationships a bit deeper and my clients often related the adversities they had struggled with. That year became my best sales year to date back then,” she says.
For others wanting to follow Lyndon-Wheeler’s success, she offers simple advice: “Just go for it. There are a lot of skeptical people in this industry who are fighting change and the ‘Millennial takeover’ but I say just get up, put on a good outfit and a good attitude, and work at your to-do list. There is so much opportunity out there.”
HER INSPIRATION
Lyndon-Wheeler says she has always been self-motivated to achieve personal success. “I’ve got this inner drive and voice that motivates me to design a life I love. I’ve had plenty of life challenges but I just keep at it and feel blessed to do a job I enjoy and I work hard at not sweating the small stuff. That said, my husband and daughter are huge new motivators for me.”
THE INDUSTRY IN FIVE YEARS
She wants printed catalogs eliminated and to see suppliers spend the money on personal visits and samples. “I also want to see a path to get more young blood thriving in our industry and see more long-standing industry programs established to support the growth of young, creative minds.” She also believes in the importance of transparency for supply lines and channels. “I applaud our CEO Henrik Johansson in his efforts and am excited to see what kind of programs we begin to offer our clients.”
ON HER TO-DO LIST NOW
With a baby on the way, she’s searching for a traveling nanny.
