Behind the Brand/People: Anita Emoff, President - Boost Rewards

Boost Rewards™, an award winning WBENC-Certified Women’s Business Enterprise, is a trusted partner for organizations committed to achieving total workforce engagement.  As the President of Boost Rewards, Anita oversees the operations of the company to create smooth client implementations of employee performance programs, and has been a critical leader in designing new technology solutions that have given Boost Rewards a competitive edge.  Her sales and management experience from prior work along with her driven personality have guided Boost Rewards to become one of the Fastest Growing 50 Woman Owned Businesses.

Last year you were named a 'Rising Star' by Promotional Products Business Magazine.  Congratulations! You were recognized for the changes you instituted at Boost Rewards, correct?  Please tell us about this. 

As a relative newcomer to the Incentive industry, I quickly understood the value immersing myself into the industry through association involvement, developing relationships with industry superstars and being bold with our approach to designing performance based solutions that were relevant, fresh and highly scalable. Our rapid growth, enabled by our vision and leadership team, has been catching the eye of many industry analysts.

What’s new with Boost Rewards since? 

In 2009 I became the majority shareholder in Boost Rewards and we achieved our WBE certification shortly thereafter. Our focus on process and technology led us to the development and release of our latest platform—Boost 7.0—enhancing our client experience, reporting suite and reward options. We’ve also built a very tight implementation process for on boarding new clients with built-in communications to all involved in the process. I’ve lead a major investment in R & D and will be launching a patent pending and innovative market solution in the first quarter of 2012 that will enhance consumer to employee recognition like nothing ever seen in the industry before.

What changes are you seeing in the marketplace today? What should our readers we be aware of?

My observation is that there are two major changes emerging in the market. The first is a technological evolution—primarily on the provider side, which includes integration with social media, ease-of-use, mobile apps, advanced communication, measurable data tracking and award integration. My opinion is that if you are not engaged with leading technology you will likely earn new business through price cutting. Secondly, there is demographic evolution of the typical consumer and employee which means that careful consideration of trends, especially in the choice of rewards, may make your program much more relevant to the emerging younger audience in the workforce. Positioning yourself with relevant, sexy and high demand items that appeal to multi-generational workforce will prove the most effective motivator to modify behavior in today’s market space.

What do you believe is key in building the ideal employee relationship?

Creating a trusting and caring culture is paramount. Showing your employees that you truly care builds trust—trust however must be earned. My advice to any business owner is to understand that your employees must have clearly defined expectations of their role in the organization.

How do you view the relationship between employee and the customer? 

The consumer is the ultimate boss of the employee—my view is that the customer is in fact, always right. An organization will have rules and procedures, however, I am a firm believer that the employee should be empowered to make decisions at the moment of truth to satisfy the customer. Unfortunately, in our society today, human interactions are being hindered by voice mail, email and text messages. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to get back to developing personal relationships with the customer?

What would you like to see change in the market’s approach to employee experience, engagement and loyalty?

I would like to see the market embrace an approach to recognition that evolves as employees do. There are simply too many outdated solutions in the marketplace. Without the constant infusion of bold and innovative solutions that challenge the status quo,  the incentive industry is at risk of appearing ineffective.

What is your personal motto?

I have a favorite Maya Angelou quote that I think sums up how I approach everything that I do.  
“Love life, engage in it, give it all you’ve got, love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it.”

I live my business and personal life in this manner. With that said, I have become very involved with the  “Pay It Forward Foundation”—www.payitforwardfoundation.org/wristbands. The foundation believes that we are a community of hope-focused individuals whose mission is to inspire, promote and celebrate the practice of pay it forward principles.

Who has had the most influence on your professional life, and why?

My inspiration comes from my husband and business partner Michael.  He’s been in the industry for 30 years—his vision, advice and belief in me has been the fuel for my professional growth.

What can we expect from Boost Rewards in 2012?

There are some amazing, unique and innovative solutions on the horizon! Some of these solutions you would not expect from the typical incentive platform. We are committed to provide fascinating on demand solutions to both large and small organizations. You can expect to see new solutions focused on the consumer loyalty market.

We like to end these interviews with some words of wisdom. Would you please share one or two key lessons you’ve learned over the years that could help?

From a personal perspective, keep people that you love close to you and do things that you are passionate about. I love my family, Zumba, traveling and experiencing other cultures—My personal life keeps me vibrant.
From a professional perspective, engaging in a structured and strategic process, surrounded by strong team players, is the key to success—I have a fantastic team!

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