ROBERT FIVEASH

Creative mind, frustrated inventor, behind-the-scenes operator, professional creature artist. Grew up in coastal Virginia, went to the same school from 1st – 12th grade, with by bestie (and now business partner) Danny Rosin. I spent summers as a child at Camp Virginia and Nags Head, NC, and as a teen kayaking the San Juans, backpacking the Olympic Peninsula, rafting the Deschutes River, and hiking through Yellowstone, Glacier, and Teton National Parks. Summited Mt. Rainier with crampons and an ice axe, roped in with my buddies and crossing crevasses on aluminum ladders. Spent several years in Colorado after college skiing, a few years as a stockbroker, got my MBA at William & Mary, and started this crazy company called Brand Fuel in 1998 with Dr. Rosin.

Fortunate enough to have been a Big Brother, board member, volunteer, mentor, and donor to many worthy causes. Met my wonderful wife Amy in 2000 and am blessed with two amazing daughters, Grayson and Anne Burns. This year (2026) marks the 33rd annual canoe/kayak/beer-around-the-campfire-and-tell-the same-stories trip with my friend Rob – good times every year since 1994. I’m grateful for the love and support of my parents, enjoy a group of close friends, and have a dog named Tanner who thinks I am the man I’m striving to be. I’m a lucky guy.

Favorite promotional product: Rolling Stones “lips” coin purse

Favorite Musician/Band: Drive-By Truckers…..and/or any artist that writes his or her own music and plays it passionately and fearlessly to strangers.

Year started: 1998

Profession before: MBA Student, Stockbroker

First promo sold: No idea – umbrella maybe?

Where do you live: Virginia Beach, VA

Favorite vacation spots: Kiawah, Vail, Nags Head, Jamaica, Italy

Hobbies: Running, skiing, coaching, traveling, canoeing, kayaking, reading, and learning

Favorite alt word for “promo product”: Can we all please move away from this anachronistic nomenclature? “Branded merch” works for me.

Favorite quote:  “So if what you have is working for you, or you think that it stands a reasonable chance, and whatever's broken seems fixable and nothing's beyond repair. Remember, it ain't too late to take a deep breath and throw yourself into it with everything you've got. It's great to be alive.”  - Patterson Hood, Drive-By Truckers

Most overused word: Where to start? There’s so much marketing-speak and techno-babble flying around. I do worry that words and themes like “authenticity” and “trust” are beginning to be hijacked for marketing purposes – and that bothers me.