Women in Print: Their Pathways and Drive to Move Forward

This article previously ran in the March 2020 issue of PS Magazine.

“Who are the women of PSDA?” is a question that arose in a recent editorial planning meeting for PS Magazine. While we as editors don’t aim to find stories based on gender, we couldn’t help but notice that a number of features and profiles, by nature of industry demographics, have given the spotlight to the men of PSDA.

There’s no doubt a cultural conversation is taking place around women in the world at large — from the 116th Congress that made history for its record-breaking number of women sworn in, to female directors like Lulu Wang and Greta Gerwig making box office strides. So, why not hand the megaphone over in PSDA’s corner of the world, to the women in the print industry?

This is what we aim to do here by profiling just a few of the spectacular women that drive our industry forward. What you’ll find are three stories from women across the country — the paths (traditional or not) that brought them to the industry, ways they’ve gone above and beyond for the clients they serve and what inspires them to come to work each day.

Driveway Desk Dreams That Led to a Corner Office
Amy Spychalla, Executive Director of Strategic Operations Support and Vertical Markets, American Solutions for Business

Think back to your childhood summers. Were they filled with bike rides, days at the pool and pretending to run a business with friends?

That last one may be less common, but for Amy Spychalla, playing “businesswoman” was the norm in her circle of friends.

“As a kid, my friends and I would spend our summer days in my parents’ driveway on blankets, setting up offices and pretending we were businesswomen. We created business cards for ourselves, developed forms for our loan business and wrote articles for our imaginary newspaper,” Spychalla says. “I have always loved print.”

Today, Spychalla’s childhood make-believe is reality, serving as the executive director of strategic operations support and vertical markets at American Solutions for Business (American). In this role, she manages the company’s strategic operations support and vertical market teams, working closely with sales associates, too.

Spychalla has spent over 17 years with the company, working her way up through various roles, but upon graduating college, she worked for a large insurance company in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her work there included developing a marketing program that targeted mortgage companies and credit unions to sell insurance products. “Print was very much a part of this initiative as we incorporated newsletters, buck slips, statement messaging, postcards and other direct mail pieces to drive sales,” Spychalla says, noting that this made for a natural stepping stone to her role at American. “I was used to working with print and promo and understood the dynamics of working with a large sales force.”

Today, Spychalla plays an essential role in helping sales associates ensure clients are getting the custom orders they need with ease. “Right now, I’m working on a project for a sales team to move a print and promo program from a third-party system to our proprietary platform,” she says. “This is a complex program, as user profiles and geographic location drive which print pieces, content and imagery are made available to each customer.” The technology allows her team to create pieces — like brochures, postcards and other marketing collateral — that the customer can then build online, proof and order to meet their needs.

With projects like this, the key to Spychalla’s success is team check-ins. Meetings are held regularly, so those building templates provide updates and communicate often with the team. “Our sales associates are happy with the process and appreciate our responsiveness and timeliness,” she says. “In the end, my team’s purpose is to make our sales associates’ lives easier by providing solid resources and processes to help them sell and implement customer programs of all shapes and sizes.”

This sentiment Spychalla holds on to is one that has been a guiding point throughout her career. Ultimately, she explains, it’s the relationships she’s formed that make her excited to come to work. “I get to collaborate with some of the most talented people in the industry,” she says. “From our solid leadership team, to internal departments and 600+ sales associates across the U.S., I’ve met some remarkable people that inspire me every single day.”

When asked about any gender imbalance within the industry, she doesn’t give it too much attention. “Sure, there are times when I’m the only woman at the table, but I haven’t let that affect the way I get the job done,” she says. “In the end it’s about people. Listening to what’s working, what’s not, and coming up with creative and timely solutions.”

Finding a Path from Pizza to Print
Rita Horstmeier, Sales and Marketing Manager, Badger Tag & Label

When asked how she found her way to the print industry, Rita Horstmeier, sales and marketing manager at Badger Tag & Label, will admit it’s an unconventional one. “My schooling was actually in restaurant management,” she recalls, noting her first job was as a restaurant manager at pizza and pasta franchise Rocky Rocco’s in Madison, Wisconsin.

Her husband’s job required their family of six to move frequently, so in the years leading up to her role at Badger Tag & Label, Horstmeier’s employment varied but tended to be in supervisory or management roles. It was her last job before Badger Tag & Label that helped her set foot in the world of print. Working as office manager for The Sounder, the local newspaper in Random Lake, Wisconsin, Horstmeier focused her efforts largely on ad creation.

After 12 years working with the publication, Horstmeier sought a change and was approached by the management team at Badger Tag & Label. She took the job and began working in prepress, learning more about the print industry and the company’s office positions. After two years, Horstmeier’s potential proved she was ready to step up as a sales and marketing manager. “I felt it was a great way to impact my career growth, as well as the sales growth at Badger Tag & Label,” she says.

While Horstmeier has pivoted from restaurant management, the common thread running through her career is clear: a passion for customer service. Her daily work at Badger Tag & Label involves regular phone calls or personal visits to customers and prospects. “We are a company committed to personal contact, so we are always available to help our customers resolve problems or work on new projects,” she says. “I see it as a daily challenge to help our existing customers gain a better knowledge of what we can offer at Badger, as well as introduce new prospects to what we can do for them.”

She’s proven to be a queen of all trades, too, spending time coordinating the company’s marketing efforts, updating its website, being available to office staff and plant employees for questions, and planning and working trade shows the company exhibits at yearly.

Reflecting on her career, Horstmeier doesn’t recall a challenge she couldn’t overcome, and sees her journey as one with few obstacles. “When I was younger and we were starting a family, I did wonder if I was out of the workforce for a number of years, would I be able to re-enter and get a meaningful job again. Thankfully, I had no problem when that time came,” she says. “At the time our kids were getting older, I was able to gradually increase my hours along with my responsibilities. The opportunity at Badger Tag & Label came along at a perfect time in my life.”

Building a Foundation at BCSI
Emily Myers, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, BCSI

Emily Myers began exploring the print industry as an undergrad student at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota. While studying for a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration, Myers was a graphic designer at the school’s publications office and frequently coordinated projects with the local print shop. During her college years, she also took advantage of an internship at Vision Design Group, a Winona-based marketing and design agency. Her combined passion and experience for all things print quickly led her to Business Card Service Inc. (BCSI) after graduation, and to date she has been with the company for 22 years.

Myers worked her way through the company ranks and now serves as vice president of sales and marketing. “On a daily basis, I help distributors with opportunities to sell our products by offering ideas to overcome sales objections, and by providing competitive pricing and product expertise,” she says.

She notes her moments of success come when she can get a distributor to overcome a challenge by offering tangible examples and creative thinking. “Printing samples and sending product idea kits are some ways that have led to success. Offering suggestions to help make designs more print-friendly or getting on the phone with distributors and their customers as a business card expert are other things I do to contribute,” she says, noting her goal is to play the role of helper when it comes to maintaining existing and securing new business.

“I like being a trustworthy sidekick, someone you immediately contact when you have an opportunity that fits our program. Like Robin or Chewbacca are to Batman and Hans Solo, BCSI (aka Print Force) cares about the success of your mission,” Myers says.

But her career has not been without challenges. “The consolidation of print manufacturers and distributors has been the biggest obstacle, which led to a sudden and significant loss of sales for BCSI in 2015-16,” she says. Ever the faithful sidekick, however, Myers knows how and when to step up to a difficult task. “I’m doing my part to help overcome this challenge by promoting our solutions to a wider audience of distributors. PSDA has helped fulfill our need to meet new friends, earn referrals and solidify partnerships.”

By Kristin Frankiewicz