When Ashish Mittal joined ASI this spring as its new CEO, he embarked on “a listening tour” over several weeks, asking employees, members and industry thought leaders about where promo is headed.

“Everyone loves the role ASI plays in their business and the industry,” said Mittal. “They want us to continue to lead and build stuff that helps their businesses grow. That’s core to our mission. We shouldn’t break what works, and amplify what does.”

ASI Chairpersons Matthew Cohn and Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer spoke with CEO Ashish Mittal about his first few months in the industry.

In a video Q&A with ASI Chairpersons Matthew Cohn and Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer, Mittal discussed his experience so far, his impressions of the industry, why promo is powerful as a brand medium, and where he sees both ASI and the promo industry going in the future.

Before joining ASI, Mittal was generally familiar with the industry; his future mother-in-law was an ASI member, and while he was in high school, he purchased promotional products from her. But now that he’s fully immersed, Mittal said he’s struck by how powerful promo can be in eliciting emotional responses to a brand that “can’t be recreated in any other industry.” And he’s taking a hard look at how ASI fits long term into that unique connection.

“[ASI is] not only facilitating how that happens,” said Mittal. “We’re connecting the dots behind the scenes to ultimately drive this thing you can’t even put a value on, because it’s a consumer choosing to be loud and proud about this brand they’re connecting with. … That’s a big business and one I’m excited to be a part of.”

Mittal added that as ASI continues to build tools and resources for the industry, the company will be looking for feedback to continue improving.

His three months as CEO have been “the most fun” of his career.

“I’ve realized I want to be around smart people that I feel a natural connection with,” said Mittal. “The people really checked the box for me.”

When Matthew Cohn asked Mittal what drew him to ASI in particular, “the people” was first, followed by the power of promo.

“I got excited about physical products and what they mean to people,” he said. “We’re building the technology to build on those experiences. ASI is the leader in bringing people together. [This opportunity] came out of nowhere and just worked out, with a little bit of luck and timing.”

Cohn Schaeffer also asked Mittal for his insights on being not just the CEO of ASI, but also an industry thought leader.

“It’s a great honor,” he said. “There are so many amazing resources around me as I get up to speed. It’s exciting – we’re here to drive the industry forward and help people.”

When asked about his definition of success, Mittal kept it simple. “At the end of the day,” he said, “if we’ve helped the industry grow and made people’s lives better, their jobs easier and their business is growing, we’ll have won. ESP+ and ASI will be delivering that.”

Finally, Mittal concluded with his guiding philosophy for the coming years.

“I believe in being transparent and direct, making quick decisions and failing fast,” he said. “If we didn’t fail, we didn’t try hard enough. I want to push us to get out of our comfort zone.”