15 Minutes

Julie Pritchard, vice president, sales and marketing of Norcross, Georgia-based DemandBridge had no intentions of entering the printing industry; it was an accident. Armed with a degree in accounting, Pritchard was initially hired by a software company to implement accounting software programs.

"A forms distributor moved into our office space, and through that affiliation, we learned that it was an industry starving for a strong, multi-user accounting application," she remarked. "We took all of our experience in developing distribution and accounting software and built TopForm, which was later rebranded as DemandBridge."

Here, Pritchard explains more about herself, the business and its future.

Print Professional (PP): Tell us about your background. Where did you grow up?

Julie Pritchard (JP): I grew up in the city of New Orleans, which probably couldn't have been more different than the rest of the country. We had our own cuisine, Creole and Cajun, our own law, the Napoleonic Code, and our own language. Sidewalks were banquettes, a median (that patch of land that divides a roadway) was called a neutral ground and lagniappe meant a little something extra thrown in, like artwork in a print job. Of course, we never thought of ourselves being that different. I believe I was probably 15 before I learned that Mardi Gras wasn't a national holiday.

PP: Describe your business style.

JP: I am a degreed accountant with an occupation in sales. They tell me that makes me an accountant with a personality.

PP: What is the best business advice you have ever received?

JP: Stop and think. If what you are about to do doesn't have the potential of either generating revenue or helping someone, don't do it. Certainly don't waste your time complaining or looking back.