Lorie Shapiro, Business OwnerAt LJS Promotions, every project starts with two simple questions: What’s the budget, and what is this being used for? For owner Lorie Shapiro, that clarity comes before anything else. Promotional products are not giveaways in her view. They are strategic marketing tools meant to create real visibility, and the only way they work is if they serve the purpose for which they were designed.
That is why she does not send out generic catalogs. Every client receives a personalized presentation built around their event, meeting or internal initiative. The products themselves may exist elsewhere in the market, but the way they are selected, refined and presented is specific to the relationship.
And for Shapiro, the relationship is the work.
She describes LJS Promotions as a relationship-based company where responsiveness, availability and follow-through matter as much as the merchandise itself. “People like working with me because I’m always available,” she says. “We work together as a team. It is never just a transaction. We’re building something together.”
This relationship-driven, budget-aware approach defines LJS Promotions’ recognition as Top Promotional Products Provider 2026.
A Founder’s Reinvention
How did personal reinvention shape the company’s business philosophy?
Shapiro’s entry into the promotional products industry came during a period of personal transition. After working in financial services, she stepped away from the corporate world to raise her children. A cancer diagnosis during that time prompted her to reassess what came next. While recovering, she began helping a neighbor run a small promotional products business from her basement.
What started as a way to stay busy quickly became something more. “I realized I had a real talent for it, and more importantly, I loved it,” says Shapiro.
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We work together as a team. It is never just a transaction. We’re building something together.
As she learned the systems, designed apparel and managed client relationships, she recognized that her corporate background in sales and business discipline translated naturally into this field.
Within a year, she launched LJS Promotions. Seven years later, she oversees sales, creative development and production, applying structure and business awareness to an industry often approached purely from a creative standpoint.
Today, whether sourcing a product she has never sold before or creating a fully customized item from scratch, she approaches each request with openness. “I’ll never say no,” she explains. If it requires research, she researches. If it requires customization, she finds a way to make it happen. That mindset is what keeps clients coming back.
Continuous Research and Practical Creativity
How does ongoing research inform product selection and customization?
Shapiro is constantly researching new products, reading about developments in the industry and identifying products clients may not initially consider. That ongoing attention allows her to introduce ideas that feel timely and relevant.
Today, her business is split evenly between event planning and corporate work. Approximately 50 percent of her portfolio supports event planners, while the other half focuses on corporate gifting, internal meetings and branded merchandise programs. Working across both segments gives her insight into how products function in different environments.
When pickleball began gaining popularity and related merchandise was still limited, Shapiro sourced soft paddle covers for AMC Networks. The item was timely and distinctive, becoming an immediate success. In another project, she sourced a raised metallic emblem mimicking the logo seen on Alo-branded sweatshirts. The emblem was customized to match the client’s desired design. This highlights Shapiro’s keen eye for detail and her ability to deliver visually striking merchandise that perfectly aligns with a client’s vision.
In addition to event-based projects, LJS Promotions also develops online merchandise stores for companies, sporting teams and private clubs, extending brand visibility beyond a single moment.
Why are promotional products considered powerful long-term marketing tools?
For Shapiro, promotional products are powerful because they are used. “They’re one of the most powerful marketing tools out there,” she says. “It’s just as good as having an ad on a board somewhere.” When selected with purpose and guided by relationship, branded merchandise becomes part of everyday interaction.
“Anything is possible,” Shapiro reiterates. With partnership at the center of every engagement, Shapiro approaches each client not as a sale, but as a collaboration — and that continues to define the growth of LJS Promotions.
