Under 40: Stephanie Page, Regency360

Stephanie Page, 31
District Sales Manager, Dallas
Regency360, Raleigh, N.C.

In July, Stephanie Page will be celebrating her seventh anniversary with Regency360, and she couldn’t be more excited. However, like many college students, she didn’t know with certainty where her career path would take her.

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in economics, the University of Texas at Austin graduate became a recruiter for a national recruiting firm. “There, I learned a lot about myself and made some amazing contacts,” she enthused.

Through those contacts, she was introduced to several employees at Regency360. Their excitement and passion for their company left an impression on Page, who was a young professional in search of her own purpose. So, when the distributorship posted an opening for a sales representative, she quickly applied, and the rest is history.

Why she loves the industry: What I love most about our industry is that each customer and project is unique. It’s a constant (and fun) challenge to develop unique and innovative solutions for our customers.

Age roadblocks and advantages: Being a millennial in the print and promo industry has definitely been challenging at times. The products and services I sell are directly related to a customer’s brand; it’s a huge responsibility. People often correlate someone’s capabilities with their age. Participating in industry events, such as the PSDA Young Innovators Conference, and building relationships with other leaders in the industry have given me the confidence and credibility to overcome those challenges. I do feel like my age provides some advantages, as well. Growing up in a social and digital age, [I think] it seems like the only constant is change. I think that background has given me the ability to quickly adapt to our changing landscape.

Her biggest career influence: Pete Redondo, vice president of sales at Regency360, has had a tremendous impact on my professional development. The things I admire most about Pete are his strong work ethic, unwavering honesty and constant strive to better himself. Pete has a unique gift that sparks a fire in those around him. I consider myself lucky to have learned from his leadership over the past seven years.

Her most meaningful business accomplishment: Being promoted to district sales manager in 2015 was definitely a highlight in my career. At the time of my promotion, I became the first female sales manager at Regency. I’d never had a goal of being in sales management in the early years, but through the personal development and opportunities that Regency provided, I uncovered a passion for management. Seeing young business professionals develop and succeed under my leadership is what motivates me daily—there’s no better feeling!

Her differentiating factor: The changes in the industry have definitely had an impact on my go-to-market strategy over the years. First and foremost, I credit Regency360’s leadership in making technology a focus. Having such a robust e-commerce platform allows for me to remain relevant in the changing industry landscape. Secondly, I strive to be a partner versus a vendor to my customers. There are so many options for customers nowadays. If you are simply providing them a commodity product, you will not bring any competitive advantage to the table. Understanding why they are purchasing an item (i.e., Who is the intended audience? What is their intended outcome? Why that product?), and coming up with a creative and unique solution to help them achieve their goals are what set us apart from the competition. And it’s also what makes my job rewarding and exciting!

What she does for fun: During my time away from work, I enjoy traveling, spending time with friends and family, and spoiling my Australian Shephard, Cooper.

Read the complete list of Print+Promo Under 40 honorees here.