AMA Member Spotlight: You Name It Specialties CEO Josh King Builds People-First Culture, National Recognition
Growing up in San Antonio, Josh King was always hustling. As an elementary schooler, he went door to door selling his sister’s Girl Scout Cookies. When he wasn’t tempting neighbors with sweet treats, he was selling newspaper subscriptions.
“I was like 11 years old making $300 a week in commissions,” King recalled.
Decades later, King says not much has changed—he’s still a salesperson at heart.
“It’s just in my blood, and marketing was a natural progression for me,” he said.
That passion has fueled King’s 30-year career and today drives his work as CEO of You Name It Specialties (YNIS), a San Antonio-based company founded in 1990 that specializes in promotional products and branding solutions. YNIS helps businesses elevate their name, logo, and reputation through a wide variety of customizable items.
King joined the company in 2005 as a sales rep after dabbling in college coursework at the University of Texas at San Antonio and a local community college. But he never finished a degree.
“The whole purpose of education is to further your career and provide for your family. But in my early 20s, I already had a full-time career and knew exactly what I wanted to do. College just wasn’t ready for me,” he joked.
About a decade into his tenure at YNIS, opportunity came knocking. In 2017, the founder and owner announced her retirement, and King—along with his wife, Faith, and fellow sales rep Jan Meuth—purchased the company. King stepped into the CEO role.
That transition wasn’t easy.
“I went from being responsible for just my family to being responsible for about 40 families,” he said. “I was suddenly charting the course for the entire company. I started questioning whether I was making the right decisions.”
At times, King wrestled with “imposter syndrome,” wondering if he truly belonged in the CEO seat.
Joining the American Marketing Association (AMA) San Antonio three years ago helped him push through those doubts.
“Imposter syndrome really prompted me to join the AMA,” King said. “I wanted to elevate our organization’s marketing, and what better way to do that than to learn from fellow marketers across the city. The networking at lunches, award banquets, and other events is great, but I’m also being exposed to creative minds and figuring out how to harness that creativity.”
Whatever he’s doing is working. YNIS continues to expand and earn national recognition. Last year, the Advertising Specialty Institute named YNIS the number-one workplace in the $26.1 billion promotional products industry, citing the company’s people-first ethos, diverse culture, and close-knit, family-like atmosphere. YNIS has also been recognized by the Promotional Products Association International and the San Antonio Business Journal.
“I’m really proud that we’ve been recognized nationally,” King said. “It means I’m achieving my goal of providing a workplace where people can reach their full potential. The purpose behind this company is to provide our employees with opportunities to grow and flourish.”