Embracing Change to Thrive

What Van Halen taught us about succeeding after an unplanned exit.

Change.

Just saying the word out loud makes people in the promotional products industry squeeze their branded stress ball a little tighter. It's messy, unpredictable, and - more often than not - entirely out of our control. But here's the thing: resisting change is like trying to stop me from talking when I have a microphone and a captive audience - it won't happen.

As we all know, fear is the biggest roadblock to progress. It's not the change itself - it's our reaction to it. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the promotional products industry, where the landscape shifts faster than we could have imagined. However, change isn't always a death sentence. To help illustrate this, let me draw an analogy to music or, more specifically, the mighty Van Halen.

When David Lee Roth left the band in 1985, people lost their collective minds - myself included. Many thought it was the end of the band as they couldn't fathom a future without "Diamond Dave." But then along came Sammy Hagar. Love him or hate him, Van Halen with Hagar outsold Van Halen with Roth. The sound evolved, the audience grew, and the band thrived because they leaned into change instead of fighting it.

The same logic applies to any industry - including branded merchandise. Technology, client expectations, and supply chain realities change at breakneck speed. The businesses that adapt - those willing to swap out a lead singer (or two) when necessary - are the ones that not only survive but thrive.

Let's be honest: change is uncomfortable. It forces us out of our groove and into uncharted territory. I've reinvented myself many times in my career, sometimes by choice and sometimes because, well, the universe decided I needed a push. And every time, after the initial panic wore off, I realized something: the change I feared was usually the best thing that could have happened.

In life, you can either evolve or get left behind. Sticking with the same stale marketing approach, refusing to embrace new platforms, or ignoring how clients' needs are shifting is the equivalent of still insisting Betamax is the future. Spoiler alert: it's not.

Here's the kicker - change isn't optional, although many act as if it is. It's coming whether we like it or not. But what is optional is how we respond to it. Instead of treating change like a hostile takeover, what if we treated it like an opportunity? That's what successful businesses do, regardless of industry. They find the cracks where others see walls. They see Instagram Reels as a marketing tool, not just a place where teenagers lip-sync. They explore AI-driven personalization instead of assuming it's a fad. Or, to put it in Van Halen terms, they don't just scream, "Jump!" - they actually jump. I'm almost sorry for that last analogy - almost.

The branded merchandise space isn't static. Neither is success. If we're clinging to the past just because it's comfortable, we're missing the chance to build something even better. Embrace the new. Try the things that scare you a little. And remember, Van Halen didn't die when they changed lead singers - they just found another way to rock.

So, what's your next big change? Because it's coming. It's up to you to determine whether you make it work for you.