In this episode, I have a great chat with Jeremy Lott, Owner and President of Seattle based SanMar. Family-owned since 1971, SanMar is an award-winning supplier of retail and private brands of printable apparel and accessories. Jeremy and I discuss taking the family T-shirt business to one of the largest apparel business in the United States while transforming into a sustainability leader that played an instrumental role in providing PPE equipment as the COVID-19 crisis took hold across the country and around the world. Don’t miss his insights into how you balance growing your business while making a meaningful impact on people and planet.
Jeremy Lott
A picture on SanMar’s very first catalog cover with a two-year-old peddling a big wheel proves it — Jeremy has worked at SanMar for nearly his entire life.
Over the years Jeremy learned the business from the inside out, from pulling orders to purchasing. After college and a stint studying in Hong Kong, he launched his career as an analyst for investment bank Piper Jaffray’s technology team. Jeremy moved to Chicago in 2001 to earn his MBA, and then joined SanMar full-time. He continues to steward the company toward long-term growth and health inspired by the vision of creating a Canvas for Good and the mantra that Business is Personal.
The father of six children, Jeremy discovered that a work/life balance holds the key to maximum productivity. He enjoys spending time outdoors — skiing, hiking and generally staying active. Go-to Inspiration: “Peter Drucker said, ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ We spend a lot of time building a workplace where people are happy to come every day because they take great care of our customers.”
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration, Emory University, Goizueta Business School; Master of Business Administration, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
This episode of Lead With We was produced and edited by Goal 17 Media and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
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