![\"\"](\"http:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/images\/ME2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDistributor Stephanie Jackson is usually up and out of the house by 5 a.m. six days a week to work out. But on quiet Sunday mornings, this serious athlete has made it a habit to relax, coffee in hand, and take classes in ASI\u2019s Online Learning Center.<\/p>\n
After taking a few courses and \u201cactually learning important information about the industry and our products, I got even more committed,\u201d says Stephanie (at right), who went on to earn her Bachelor of Advertising Specialty Information<\/a>.<\/span> What\u2019s more, she has the distinction of being the first distributor to complete her certification requirements and pass her final exam on ASI\u2019s brand-new Online Learning Center platform.<\/p>\n It\u2019s because of dedicated industry pros like Stephanie that I\u2019m so proud of the major upgrade we\u2019ve made to ASI\u2019s education hub. The revamped site, powered by the latest in learning technology, is designed to help distributors, suppliers, decorators and screen printers quickly and easily access more free classes, additional resource tools and new social media sharing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe best part of achieving my BASI is the confidence it provides,\u201d says Stephanie. \u201cI\u2019ve been in this industry a little over a year and what I\u2019ve learned via actual experience, coupled with my ASI Education training, has provided me a firm foundation. I\u2019ve always been a fan of continuing education, and would wholeheartedly recommend it to both industry newbies and veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n Super-motivated Jackson describes the ad specialty industry as a hard business due to online competitors and price wars. But her fun job title \u2013 The Inquisitive Marketing Advisor at Signature Services & Promotional Products \u2013 reflects her commitment to really listening to her clients and delivering top-notch marketing campaigns for them. \u201cI\u2019ve won a lot of business that would have gone to an online competitor,\u201d she says. \u201cThe deciding factor for my new clients was the service I delivered and my quick response to their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n To better serve dedicated pros like Stephanie, the ASI Education Team and I focused on creating an entirely new, user-focused learning experience for our members via this upgraded Online Learning Center platform, which features:<\/p>\n ASI\u2019s Online Learning Center houses more than 350 on-demand courses in a variety of industry-specific curriculums, such as sales, marketing, wearables and decorating, which are free to members and automatically tracked electronically. Courses range from introductory to executive level, making them ideal for both newcomers and industry veterans.<\/p>\n Finally, I\u2019m happy to say that, to date, 1,151 professionals (including Stephanie) have been certified through the ASI Education Certification Program<\/a>, with nearly 30,000 enrolled in ASI\u2019s free Online Learning Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stephanie, who can\u2019t wait to receive her BASI pin from ASI President and CEO Timothy M. Andrews at the ASI Show in Orlando, plans to continue taking courses to keep her competitive edge. \u201cI love that I get tested on the material I learn and that there are always new courses being added,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Please login to our new Online Learning Center soon at www.asicentral.com\/onlinelearning<\/a> and experience it for yourself. I welcome your feedback, so drop me a line anytime at nrollender@asicentral.com<\/a>. Happy learning!<\/p>\n\n