Starting a Business During the Pandemic
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In this episode we talk to Bill Petrie, brandivate and Alina Rubinshteyn, LiV2. We hear about their experiences in starting a business during 2020, a historically and challenging year. We learn about what has worked for them and how they are persevering.
Bill has over 20 years working in executive leadership positions at leading promotional products companies, always working collaboratively to achieve the “wow” desired by the target audience. A Managing Partner at brandivate, a full-service marketing services and advertising agency, Bill is featured speaker at numerous national and international events, a serial creator of content marketing, and co-host of the industry-leading podcast, Promo UPFront. Bill has extensive experience defining brand strategy, developing wildly successful marketing campaigns, creating and developing winning RFP responses, and presenting winning promotional products solutions to Fortune 500 clients.
A fierce advocate for the Promotional Products Industry, he is a past president of the Promotional Products Association of the Mid-South (PPAMS), a past president of the Regional Association Council (RAC) board, former chef in PromoKitchen, and has worked closely with senior leadership at Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) on many committees and work groups. In appreciation of his years of service to the promotional products industry, Bill was named as an inaugural PPAI Fellow – a program designed to recognize influential individuals who have actively supported the industry through personal involvement.
Bill lives in Franklin, TN with his wife of 26 years, Sandy, and their 18-year-old twin boys, Drew and Mitch.
Alina Rubinshteyn is the co-founder of LiV2. Alina has been a part of the Promotional Products industry since 2009. She resides in St. Louis, MO with her husband, Marc, their daughter, Olivia, son, Brooks and the easy child, their white lab, Maia.
Alina has had an avid love for branding and advertising since studying to get her undergraduate degree from University of Missouri Columbia Journalism School with the emphasis on Advertising. In 2014, she received an MBA in International Business from St. Louis University to have a more rounded education.
The quarantine of 2020 has forced Alina and her husband to get a taste of “balance” at home as both have been traveling almost weekly for work. After making a difficult decision to leave her position as a Regional Sales Manager at PCNA, she has found a gift of courage along with her partner, Scott Anderson, to pursue a dream that’s been tagging at her for years and that’s to bring value, education all while re-igniting a fire in the life of the Promotional Products Sales Distributor.
In the midst of the craziness of 2020, LiV2 was born, incredible connections have been made and Alina and Scott have been a part of some amazing journeys with their customers! Alina has learned a true meaning of “when you know your why, you can endure any how” (John O’Leary) and can’t wait to continue to serve the Promotional Products Industry!