It’s time for September’s Partner Meet & Greet!
This month we talked to Indoff Partner, Angus Garfield. Angus is a part of our Promotional and Business Products divisions. Here is what he had to say!
If you could live anywhere in the world, no strings attached, where would you live? Why?
Back in the mid 80s, after I studied in Paris, I really loved living and working in the UK and would love to return there someday, probably back in London or maybe a move to the countryside would be in order. The British culture is highly advanced though they temper it all with wit and a sense of humor, and the right balance. They welcome all types of people and don’t pre-judge you based on what you do for a living (in fact they rarely ask the question: “what do you do for a living”?). I met more fun people there in three years and from all walks of life.
What is your favorite movie?
“Cat People”, which was filmed in New Orleans, at the Zoo, across from Tulane University, my Alma Mater.
What would you do with a million dollars?
That is not a lot of money today, but I would probably build a more sustainable house, as energy costs are killing everyone, and try and get off the grid using every technology available, and grow my own food 12 months of the year since I love to cook and it is crazy to be buying food from all over the world when we can do it for ourselves. With the money I save, I could travel the world with my children over several years, and put money aside for their advanced education while giving money to some favorite charities and programs. I might also start or buy a restaurant as I am lifelong cook and will be attending Culinary School.
How long have you been in the business?
Probably too long, but it is a hard business to leave! I started a home based team sporting goods business in 1990 selling to schools, teams, recreation departments, and then the business morphed into more of a corporate sportswear and ASI promotional products distributorship, since my background before that was in corporate sales, . I had a retail store for about two years which was full of sample uniforms and some equipment, and I had giant open topped free standing file cabinets holding thousands of catalogs, never seeming to be able to keep them updated. We even had all the ASI catalogs on a Micro Fiche machine, which gladly we sent back to ASI when that technology became obsolete. The retail concept wasn’t for me, so I changed to an office Showroom concept for several years, and then with technology changing the way it did, I am back to a home based model. I’ve had to constantly change my business over the years to keep it competitive and to keep me interested. It seems I have to reinvent myself every few years. So, to answer your question, 22 years.
What is one thing you are most proud of?
Raising two girls (with my now ex-wife) to be the great ladies that they are, at the ages of 13 & 15. They are the joy of my life.
What is your favorite quote?
“The heart has its reasons of which Reason knows nothing.”
From the French Philosopher, Blaise Pascal
If you could have any super power, which one would you choose?
To be able to read someone’s mind
What made you decide to join Indoff?
After being self employed, a franchisee with AIA, and an Independent 1099 Sales Rep with Boundless Network, I was looking for a business model that would set me free from the drudgery of running my own business, filing sales tax reports, dealing with quarterly tax payments, etc so that I could just focus on selling while Indoff pays the vendors, invoices the customers, puts money in my retirement account, gives me access to disability, health, and dental insurance if I want it, and gives me a clean W-2 at the end of the year.
What do you enjoy most about working at Indoff?
Complete independence to run my business as a W-2 employee, however I want, within the conservative and reasonable guidelines provided by Indoff, without excessive management oversight while at the same time benefiting from the product and sales expertise of all of the Indoff Sales Partners.
What is the farthest you have been from home?
Probably Cairo, Egypt. where I went on a business trip in the mid 80’s trying to help a British manufacturer who wanted to find a local distributorship through which to sell his haberdashery products. Those were the days before the internet!
Indoff corporate blog has moved 