Beyond her work and successes, Cindy Jorgenson, 42, senior director of client services for BDA and Counselor's 2014 Woman of Distinction, is an adventure junkie who swam with sharks and trekked Mt. Kilimanjaro. Get to know more about her by reading about her challenges, interests, career advice, favorite promotional products and more.
SGR: What does an average day look like for you? What are your main responsibilities? Cindy Jorgenson: I oversee a handful of BDA accounts, so the account team rolls up to me whenever they have questions. I focus on strategy and driving the team to get proactive and creative. I work really hard with our clients to reach their goals. My average day varies: I could be with clients strategizing, I could be with my team, I could be with suppliers, or I could be developing solutions or rushing orders. I don’t think I have an average day ever.
SGR: What drew you to the industry?
CJ: I was recruited, actually. I was an assistant at a direct-mail company, and the salesperson I worked for just randomly called me. I started as an entry-level admin and got hooked on the industry. The products are phenomenal, and it’s fun to be creative. People get excited about branded merch. It’s really fun to watch television or randomly search through social media and see one of the products you designed in the hands of a consumer.
SGR: What has been your biggest success? CJ: It would just be my career trajectory in general. When I say entry level, I was data processing entry orders. I was 21 years old doing data entry. Every keystroke, the more money they would pay me. Fast forward to now, I'm working for arguably the largest company in the industry with really cool brands.
SGR: What has been your biggest challenge? CJ: Prior to BDA, I worked for a traditional business distributor's model. I had fewer resources and I didn't have a big team. It was difficult. With BDA, however, we have a large team. Full disclosure: I'm a control freak. There are some really smart people here, and I can tap into them. Coming from a more traditional distributor, it's a big shift.
SGR: What are your hobbies/interests? What's something unique that many people don't know about you? CJ: My hobby is adventure travel. I've gone scuba diving, explored jungles, swam with megafauna – whales, whale sharks, mantas and even sharks. I also go mountain climbing; I've summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and much more.
SGR: What have you learned from BDA? CJ: I think the biggest thing I learned is the power created when a collection of highly talented people work toward a common goal. BDA is really great at hiring smart people, and when you're in a room surrounded by all of that massive creativity, knowledge and experience, we will make mistakes, but what we can accomplish with this spirit and amazing pool of talent is really cool. Smaller distributors can sometimes be shortsighted when they move people around and put them into positions they might not be qualified for. BDA is really good at putting the perfect person in the perfect position.
SGR: What's your favorite thing about working at BDA? What makes BDA unique? CJ: We're a global company. We have offices in Asia, Canada and the U.S. We are truly global, but at the heart of who we are, we're still a family-owned business. The family is strongly involved. They know who we are. There's a lot of heart and soul in this company from the top down and bottom up, and I think as companies get bigger and bigger, that sometimes gets lost. BDA is really good at keeping that. Our reputation really is powerful. We get to work with some of the greatest brands in the world. They call us and say really good things about our products.
SGR: What's the best career advice you can give? CJ: Learn everything you can from as many people as possible. I have mentors, friends and people I call on. We lost a couple of them, such as my friend and mentor Fran Ford. But understanding that there are a lot of really great people doing things in this industry, and none are perfect and none are terribly wrong, but the more people you talk to, the better you can craft what's right for you.
SGR: What's your favorite promotional product? CJ: I have two. Business-wise, a five-in-one power cord because I travel a lot and typically between my cellphone, my wireless internet hotspot and my laptop, I need everything. Personally, a stainless-steel water bottle that I carry everywhere I go. I've seen what plastic has done to this planet, and I want to do everything I can to eliminate plastic waste.
