executive perspectives: Problem Solving

A lot has changed since the 1980s. Computers, for example: Back then, they were big, clunky boxes used by young Matthew Broderick to almost blow up the world; now, they're pocket-sized multi-tasking tools used by an older Matthew Broderick to play Flappy Bird, probably.

Still, some things have remained the same—and Jill Varricchio is proof. After getting her start in the promotional products industry in the '80s, she saw economic ups and downs, the rise of Internet marketing and a slew of industry shake-ups. But while the products and markets might have changed along the way, her consultative sales approach did not. Listen to clients and sell them solutions, Varricchio believed, and you'll be successful. Now, as president of Concept Promotions, Daphne, Ala., and account executive for The Vernon Company, Newton, Iowa, it's clear Varricchio was onto something. The '80s are long gone, but she has never stopped solving problems for clients—or expanding her business.