By Bob Lilly, Jr. | Published: April 2, 2026 | Bob Lilly Promotions
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 65% of businesses fail within their first ten years. By year fifteen, three out of four are gone. Make it to twenty-seven years and you’re in rare territory.
This year, Bob Lilly Promotions turns 27. And when hundreds of people across my LinkedIn network reached out to congratulate us on the milestone, I was grateful. But I also found myself reflecting on something deeper than the number itself.
Twenty-seven years doesn’t happen because you’re lucky. It happens because you survived things that could have ended you. And every one of those survival moments taught you something you couldn’t learn any other way.
The Stomach-Drop Moments
I founded BLP in 1999. Within two years, the world changed forever.
If you’ve ever run a business through a crisis, you know the feeling. It’s that moment on the rollercoaster when gravity disappears and your stomach catches up a half-second later. Your brain is processing what’s happening, but your body already knows: this is serious.
I’ve felt that exact sensation more times than I’d like to count. The uncertainty of Y2K, when nobody knew if the systems holding the economy together would actually hold. The morning of September 11, 2001, when the world stopped and nobody knew when it would start again. The Great Recession of 2008, when clients froze budgets overnight and the phone stopped ringing. We lost 50% of our revenue in 90 days. The spring of 2020, when a pandemic shut down industries, canceled events, and turned business plans into wishful thinking. And right now, in 2026, tariff volatility is reshaping supply chains and forcing every company in our industry to rethink how and where they source products.
Each of these moments was different. Different causes, different industries hit hardest, different timelines. But they all shared one thing: that stomach-drop moment when the severity of the situation becomes real.
What the Hard Seasons Taught Me
Early in my career, I thought the leader’s job was to have answers. Fix the problem. Project confidence. Keep the machine running.
I was wrong about most of that. Or at least, I had the emphasis in the wrong place.
The leader’s job in a crisis isn’t to have all the answers. It’s to be the most calm, cool, and collected voice in the room. Not because you aren’t scared. You are. But because your people are looking for something they can hold on to. They need to know there’s a plan, or at least a person who will find one. They need to know they can count on you to stay steady when everything else is moving like the spin cycle.
That realization didn’t come to me in a business book or a seminar. It came from living through the early trials of building something from scratch, and then watching the world change on a Tuesday morning in September.
The Shift That Changed Everything
September 11, 2001 was a centering moment for our company, and for me personally. BLP was barely two years old. We were still in startup mode, still proving ourselves, still figuring out who we were going to be.
And then, in one morning, none of that mattered.
What I watched happen in the weeks and months after 9/11 reshaped how I thought about business forever. People stopped caring about the things that didn’t matter. They got rid of the noise. They focused on what was real: faith, family (at home and at work), and genuine friendships. Being present. Being intentional. Showing up for the people around you, not because there was a transaction at the end of it, but because it was the right thing to do.
That season taught me something I’ll never forget: if you stop chasing revenue and start building relationships, the business takes care of itself.
I know that might sound idealistic. But I’ve watched it play out over and over for more than two decades. When you engage with your clients and partners at a higher level, when you genuinely care about their challenges and show up as a real partner, the revenue follows. But the framing of the relationship is different. It’s purer. It’s more meaningful. And it lasts.
The One Lesson That’s Never Let Us Down
We became a company that creates relationships, not transactions. That decision wasn’t a marketing strategy. It was a conviction, forged in the hardest season of our early existence. And twenty-seven years later, it’s still the foundation of everything we do.
Relationships outlast every market cycle. Every single one.
The clients who’ve been with us for 10, 15, 20+ years didn’t stay because we had the lowest price. They stayed because we showed up when it mattered. Because we treated their brand like our own. Because when things got complicated, we didn’t disappear; we got to work.
The team members who’ve built their careers here didn’t stay because of a paycheck. They stayed because we built a culture rooted in trust, and that trust held even when the economy didn’t. There’s a reason BLP has been named one of the industry’s Best Places to Work 12 times. That kind of recognition doesn’t come from perks. It comes from people who feel valued and seen, in the good seasons and the hard ones.
And the suppliers and industry partners who’ve stood by us through supply chain chaos, tariff shifts, and pandemic shutdowns? Those relationships were built on years of showing up, keeping our word, and treating every partnership like it mattered. Because it does.
Why This Matters Right Now
We’re in another uncertain season. Tariff volatility and global instability is creating real planning challenges for companies that rely on branded merchandise and promotional products. Budgets are tightening. Decision-makers are being asked to do more with less. The temptation is to pull back, play it safe, and wait for clarity.
I’ve seen that playbook before. Multiple times. And the companies that pull back on their brand investment during downturns almost always lose ground they struggle to recover.
The ones who keep showing up, who keep investing in their people, their clients, and their brand, are the ones who come out stronger on the other side. Every time.
That’s not optimism talking. That’s 27 years of watching it happen.
Here’s to the Renaissance
Our theme for 2026 is “Renaissance,” a season of renewal and growth. It feels right. After 27 years of building, surviving, adapting, and growing, we’re not slowing down. We’re leaning in.
To every client who trusts us with their brand. To every team member who brings their best every day. To every partner, supplier, and friend who’s been part of this journey. Thank you.
And to anyone building something right now, whether you’re in year one or year thirty: the lesson is the same. Invest in your relationships. Build trust when it’s easy so it holds when it’s hard. Show up as a partner, not a vendor. And when the rollercoaster drops, take a deep breath and remember that you’ve survived hard seasons before.
You’ll survive this one too. And you’ll be stronger for it.
Ready to build a branded merchandise program with a partner who’s been doing this for 27 years?We’d love to hear what you’re working on. Reach out at freshideas@boblillypromo.com or visit boblillypromo.com to start the conversation.