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Close Up: Daryll H. Griffin
By: Staff
Issue: 2009nov
Her career began with chalkboards and homework assignments as a public school teacher, but these days Daryll H. Griffin is developing campaigns and consulting with clients. She’s president of Norcross, Georgia-based distributor Accolades, Inc. (UPIC: ACCINC), which she founded in 1990. Last year, Griffin’s son, Michael, joined the business as marketing manager, which she says is one of her proudest moments.
Adept at building her business while still carving out time for industry volunteering, Griffin has served on PPAI’s Membership Services Committee and was a Women’s Leadership Conference panelist and committee member. She’s also a member of the Georgia Association of Promotional Products Professionals (GAPPP).
Entrepreneurship has served Griffin well—she’s raked in a number of awards during the years, ranging from the Outstanding Minority Business Award from the Georgia Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (GAME) to being recognized as one of the Top 100 Black Women of Influence by the Atlanta Business League. Most recently, Accolades, Inc. was named one of three Minority Businesses of 2009 by The Atlanta Tribune.
How do you like to spend your leisure time?
Coming from a family of educators, I love to read. So reading, playing UNO and Clue with family and friends, and watching classic black-and-white movies and comedies are my favorite things to do.
What is a little known fact about you?
I always wanted to be a backup singer and/or a member of The Supremes, even though I cannot sing.
What person, living or dead, would you most like to meet and why?
I would love to have a cup of coffee with Abraham Lincoln. He was a common man with the common touch used to change the course of history. He suffered personal losses and overcame adversity several times to rise like a phoenix to the pinnacle of his career.
When did you know you wanted to work in this industry?
In my former career as a regional manager with Xerox Corporation, a promotional consultant called on me. I was in awe with the many items available for purchase to recognize my staff of 13. As my travel responsibilities soon covered seven states concurrent with raising my young son, I knew it was time for a change. I went to the Premium Show in New York and entering the tradeshow floor confirmed my decision to enter the industry. Nineteen years later, this is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
What promotional product do you wish you had invented and why?
While not a promotional product per se, I wish I had invented Technologo. This tool allows our clients to see their brands on a promotional product and how their target audience will see it before they make the purchase. This tool has made our proposals more professional and enabled us to close sales.
If you had a motto, what would it be?“Today is the best day of my life!”
What’s your dream vacation destination and have you been there?
I am a student of history and my dream vacation is clearly outlined in my bucket list. This vacation—over a period of time—includes visiting several historical places: Egypt to see the Nile; Paris to experience the Louvre; Rome to visit the Vatican; Jerusalem to experience the Wailing Wall; Athens to see the Acropolis; China to view the Great Wall, and the list goes on and on.
Where do you get creative inspiration?
I have read just about every book about how a company was founded, including Coca-Cola, Chick-fil-A, Home Depot, The Ritz-Carlton, ESPN, Krispy Kreme, Mary Kay, Avon, and the list goes on. Getting a peek into how they did it, how they are still doing it, how they go to market, how they manage their resources, how they have succeeded and how they have failed enables me to stretch my imagination.
I love reading industry publications and learning from colleagues in this fascinating industry. I love observing how companies market themselves using various media, and especially their creative use of promotional products. I love how they create positive client experiences. Reading gets the juices flowing. Of course, really stoking the creative fires means I will be driving from client to client with a great cup of coffee and my gospel CDs playing. For some reason, these songs of praise are positive and uplifting and enable me to develop ideas and think outside the box. Singing them helps, too.
If you had to choose a different career, what would it be?
I would like to return to my previous teaching career and become a marketing professor. Or, I would like to make/have enough money to become an anonymous philanthropist. I would like to continue my volunteer work in the community as giving back/paying it forward is the foundation of my bucket list. Of course, whatever I do will need to include fun and family time.
What actor would play you in a movie about the promotional products industry and why?
Mary Kay Ash or Oprah Winfrey. These women have a sense of humor, built businesses from the ground up, are good salespeople and know how to hire good marketing people. Both involved their family, shared their resources as humanitarians, inspired and encouraged others as formal or informal role models and mentors, and earned their lifestyles and legacy versus inheriting them. Neither came from wealth or fame, but both possessed a strong work ethic and value system.
If your typical day was a song, what would it be?
As I love music, (oh, there’s a title right there!) depending on the day, or time of day in this industry, it could be “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” or “Going in Circles” or on a really perfect day it would be “The Impossible Dream.” Whatever the day and no matter what is going on in my world, it will never be “Without a Song.”
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