Influential Woman · Promotional Product Industry

Megan Larson

Account Executive, HALO Branded Solutions

Olympia, WA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's degree in Public Relations with minor in Advertising Degree Graduated 2016

Her Story

About Megan

I've been in the promotional product industry for nearly 10 years, and I absolutely love what I do. I graduated with my bachelor's degree in 2016, majoring in public relations and minoring in advertising. I actually had no idea about the promotional product industry until I worked with a recruiter towards the end of my college career. I interviewed at the company I'm still at today, and I realized I really loved working with clients and client relations. That's how I fell into it and realized that was the route I wanted to go rather than PR or advertising. I walked graduation on a Saturday and started on a Monday, so I jumped right into it and have been working my way up at my company ever since. I work in the Seattle area creating branded merchandise for major companies, handling everything from getting products created to managing all the logistics and distribution to end customers and users. One of my most notable achievements is growing my account from 1 million to 10 million and watching the business flourish. What's personally satisfying to me is that the clients I work with have become friends as well. I'm really big on work-life balance and making sure you still enjoy life while working and being in your career, because you only have one life. I just had a baby girl who's 7 months old, so I'm taking on the new work-life balance of being a mom, which is really fun and rewarding. I also love traveling with my husband, and I have 3 dogs who were my first babies. Family and friends are so important to me, including my parents, my sister, and my husband's family. I feel like I've really lucked out with my career and how it all worked out, and now I'm helping mentor someone younger who's getting into her career field and trying to get a job at my company, Halo.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Megan

01What do you attribute your success to?

I think enjoying what you do is key to success. I can say with confidence that I love my job and I love what I do, so I think that's also why I've been successful, because I really enjoy and genuinely enjoy what I do. I like my job, and I've been doing it for 10 years. I feel like a lot of people my age can't say that they've been in the same role or same company right out of college. I hope to do another 10 years!

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I ever received was about work-life balance. When I was interning at an ad agency in college, an older gentleman told me something that really stuck with me. He said to make sure that while you're going to work your whole life, you also really travel and get out there and do things you want to do as well, because jobs are always going to be there, or someone can always replace you at the end of the day, but experiences you can never get back. That always really stuck with me. I know it's not totally career-related, it's kind of personal too, but it's just about making sure you're filling your cup so you can be the best self in your career too. Maybe it's because I love traveling and stuff, but that advice has guided me throughout my career.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say really network and get out of your shell, because there's so many different aspects of this industry. Be really open to change as well, because in our industry, it's all about what's trending and what's new. I would say just keep up with the trends and be open that the world is changing and evolving, and so are products and trends. That's kind of what we do - we're telling our clients and advising our clients what will best suit them for all of their projects.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I would say staying on top of the trends is important. There's also so many different companies that people can work with, so you just have to figure out what sets you apart, what kind of customer service you can bring to the table, and what other features or capabilities your company can bring. I'd say just really figuring out what sets you apart and really honing in on that is key.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I would say always putting your best foot forward. The biggest thing I remind myself is that people work with people that are enjoyable and that they like, so I would just say always be personable and bring your personality as well, let that shine too. You work all day long and every week as well, so you're going to be more successful when people want to work with you, at least when you're in a client field. They can go out and find anyone else to work with in your industry, but if they like you, they're going to want to work with you and bring you more business. Even with personal life too, treat people how you want to be treated. That is a golden rule.

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