Jeff Solomon, MAS

Jeff Solomon, MAS

Jeff Solomon, MAS is the creator of FreePromoTips.com, the industry’s most popular business resource program. Jeff’s Rant will touch on topics with his straightforward approach to life and business.

The Best PPAI Expo Ever … Really?

The branding for this year’s Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Expo was “The Best Expo Ever,” which is a big claim, considering the Expo is always a great event. The Expo is the largest industry event of the year. It’s a busy, productive week that, for many, goes beyond being a trade show—it’s more like…

Is Being Smarter Than Your Competitors Important?

Through the years, I have attended a variety of education classes that have had a positive impact on my business. I persevered and with my eye on a goal, I obtained my Master Advertising Specialist (MAS) designation. This is an accomplishment that very few people in our industry have achieved. We all have the opportunity…

Concubines, Coffee and Change

"Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number; but my dove, my perfect one, is unique..." (Song of Solomon 6:8-9). This Old Testament verse, interestingly written by one of my very distant relatives (Solomon), beautifully makes a point that modern day language can’t quite convey. Every business must have a unique…

The Industry “Disruptors"—How Do They Affect You?

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect of on all the things we are thankful for. I'm thankful for my family, my health, my business and the opportunity to have a positive impact on the community around me. Recently, I was blessed to be able to attend the ASI Power Summit, which is a gathering of…

What Opportunities Are You Missing?

I am writing this piece on a business trip like I've never taken before. In the past, I've traveled a bit, presenting education sessions at trade shows and regional associations. I've attended amazing conferences, like the PPAI North American Leadership Conference. This year, I'm attending the ASI Power Summit. The relationships that are nurtured and…

A Personal Reflection on Life and Loss

Life has its ups and downs. We can all rejoice about the good things we have experienced in life. As a kid, you may have done special things in sports or celebrated academic accomplishments.

Let's Drink to Success

Perhaps this title grabbed your attention? Business is done through building relationships that we build through personal connections. These connections happen when being involved in our community and in our industry. They are created by being engaged with others. Relationships can be built while drinking the beverage of your choice.

Are You Too Old to Rock?

I love music. From the days of 4-track and 8-track tapes, music has played a key role throughout my life. For those of you who wonder what those are, I have added Wikipedia reference links.

What Makes Our Industry Great?

I’ve been traveling lately and have a few more trips coming in the next month. Travel can be grueling, but it is how business gets done. The personal relationships that are nurtured in face-to-face meetings are just one of the things that make our industry great.

Why Is This Important?

I see the industry from many sides, both in my role as publisher of the PPAI-award winning FreePromoTips.com and as a distributor. My perspective is different from most, and that enables me to publish content that is of interest to our industry.

Colliding Worlds: Does This Scare You?

In building our PPAI-award winning FreePromoTips.com program into a valuable resource for the industry, we have always made a conscious effort to keep it out of the radar of the non-industry online community. This is a program with content that specifically is focused on the promotional marketing industry.

Goofus and Gallant … A Tale of Two Businesses

Some of you may recall the classic characters Goofus and Gallant from Highlights Magazine for Children. As you might guess, Goofus did things wrong … and Gallant, as the name implies, was gallant and did things right.


In doing some research on this, I learned that the Goofus and Gallant feature never offers direct lessons or shows consequences. Highlights CEO Garry Cleveland Myers III notes, "It simply shows a wrong way and a right way of doing things, that's all."

What Do You and Your Company Represent?

I’ve recently had a revelation. For many years, I have worked to build up a significant online presence for my PPAI-award winning, content-driven program, FreePromoTips.com. Our industry database for our e-newsletter is 50,000 and we have a strong social media reach. I’ve shared about this before, but that isn’t the point of this commentary.

Evolving Trends to Reach Buyers

An everchanging marketplace is something we all ponder. Our ability to thrive will depend on how well we keep adjusting to these changes and evolving communication trends.