December 2021, Issue 33

Dear cbsi Friends:

Glad to see holiday sales have been brisk both online and in retail brick and mortar stores through Thanksgiving and as we are approaching the Christmas holiday.

In this edition, cbsi colleagues Pete Alter and Jack Hojnar provide a breakdown of the strong sales results and also the cbsi benefit products and services that draw transactions to covered accounts and credit cards.

In November we attended the DMCNY Gala Awards banquet in NYC and recorded video of the event and the acceptances by the extraordinary honorees.

We also enjoyed talks with brand communications agency CEO Larry Woodard from GSA Digital on key trends and his work supporting the Jimmy V Foundation, and new author hospitality exec Margie McCartney, Director Global Sales at The DMC Network.

In my advocation of veterans support media covered the 122nd Army-Navy Game held this year at the Meadowlands in NJ as a tribute to the 20th Anniversary of 9-11. Before the game we spoke with retired Admiral John Bird, SVP Military Affairs, of USAA the financial services company dedicated to serving military families.

Seven or eight years ago when I did an interview with Admiral Bird, something registered that this was a business interview, now consider that talk the first episode of our 650 edition #cbsiTalkingBusiness podcast series.

Proudly, we were thrilled on December 3rd, to receive the "Founders Award" from the Hudson Valley Direct Marketing Association at their luncheon in Greenwich, CT an event which invited a dozen area college students to attend.

Happy Holidays to you!

Respectfully,

Ken

Kenneth G. Kraetzer
Vice President
@KenKraetzer
914-450-9554