Kaitlyn Layne

I think it's good communication. I'm very good at follow-up and follow-through and over-communicating what's going on with an account. I apologize to customers more often than I probably should, just like, hey, I'm sorry you're getting so many emails from me and so many updates. But it's better that you get these updates than being in the dark. And I think that people, even though it may come across as annoying, I think that people enjoy or appreciate the over-communication, because there's no mystery, there's no secrets, it's all out in the open.

Just do it. If you feel like make the jump, if you feel like in your heart that's what you want to do, do it. Don't hesitate. Don't - if your intuition is saying do it, do it. I would have never went into packaging had I not just done it. Don't be afraid to fail, because if you fail, that's a lesson that you can take with you the next go-around. You can only fail so many times before you find success. Don't be afraid of failure, don't be afraid of a no. A yes will eventually come, but you gotta keep track.

Enjoy it. This is a very fun career. It can be stressful, but enjoy it. Enjoy the people around you, because I think that if your colleagues and the people that you're servicing see the joy and the light in your eyes because of what you're doing for them and what you're providing, it really goes a long way. So enjoy it. Enjoy the ride.

The biggest challenges that I'm facing right now are the economic conditions. With the cost of oil, oil's tied to everything, including your plastic and your glass pricing. It has been a challenge having to explain to the customer, hey, I know I quoted you for example 10 cents a bottle earlier this month, but because the prices of resin has went up exponentially, it's now 15 cents. And that's a really hard conversation to have with people from just a human perspective. It almost makes me feel like I'm a liar, because I'm not, but it's a very hard thing to have to raise it in the middle of before it should be raised, but it's because of the economic challenges. Another example is now that the Strait of Gomez is blocked - hey, Mr. Customer, I am so sorry, the trigger sprayers that you ordered from China, they're supposed to be here today, it's actually going to take 30 more days because they now have to go around. Those have been some challenges, but we've gotten through it, and I think that because I over-communicate, it's really helped make it easier, not just on me, but also on the customer. They know what's to expect, there are no surprises, and that's the best way that I can handle it, is being as upfront and honest with them as humanly possible.

In my personal life, my family is most important. My one-year-old son is the absolute light of my life. I can't say anything more about how much I adore him. He's just the best. In my work, it has to be the way that I fight for my customers - maybe tenacity is the word for it. I think sometimes when you're a brand owner, you get a little nervous about things, especially growth. And I'm always there trying to advocate for them, and hey, you can do this. Like, I'm a cheerleader, and I'm an advocate. Like, we're gonna get you the best deal, we're gonna get you the best package. But also, you're going to do amazing, you're going to take off, this is going to lift up. And I think that that encouragement really helps people go a long way.