Traditional Meets New Age: Relationship Managers Rely on the Personal Touches

Author: Adrienne Putrow

In a world that’s increasingly high-tech, with so many impersonal interactions taking place via email, text messages and social media, it’s nice to take a step back and connect with people on a personal level. Alpha Factor’s relationship managers do just that.

One of the things that really differentiates us from other organizations—not only in our industry, but in many others—is our focus on offering that personal touch. We really get to know our customers, we pride ourselves in serving as their advocates and we absolutely love being there to brainstorm new ideas with them. Each customer is unique and we take pride in helping each of them to achieve their objectives.

Competitive gymnasts need that perfect combination of style and performance when it comes to the apparel they choose. We get that and we’ll work with you to understand your needs, your team and your objectives. That understanding, combined with our thorough knowledge of the products we offer—and the insights we’ve gained from working with a wide range of clients—helps you and your team achieve perfection.

There are a myriad of choices that coaches are faced with as they prepare for a competition. We know that sometimes you just want someone to bounce some ideas around with and to confirm that the choices you’re considering will meet your needs and the needs of your gymnasts. Our goal is to remove at least a portion of the anxiety you feel as we help you select the best products for the moment. It’s about both performance and perception and with our background as gymnasts ourselves, we are in a unique position to understand your needs.

While you’ll benefit from a single point of contact, we work as a team to ensure the best experiences for our clients from selecting the right apparel to ensuring that every event or competition is a success. And because we’ve worked with clients all around the country for 45 years, we’re able to bring you best practice ideas and emerging examples of what we’ve seen work for others.

Our relationship managers are all about the personal touch so once you’ve browsed through our leotard options—in one of our exquisite hard copy catalogs, or online—we love to brainstorm with you about how we can help make your next competition memorable. We’ll work with you to make sure that no details are left to chance, that your deadlines are met and that your order is exactly as you expected. From warm-ups, to performance attire, to garment bags to help protect and transport your attire, we have what you need to succeed in the field, gym or studio.

After your event, we want to hear from you. We want to hear about your performance and how we can improve ours! These follow-up calls are where we often learn the most about your needs and how we can deliver even more value the next time around.

We’re passionate about the sport of gymnastics and we hope that passion shows through as we work with you to make every competition a success.

If you’re one of our customers, and are comfortable sharing a story, please do. Even if you’re not a customer yet, we’d love to hear from you! Share your comments below, or give us a call. We’re here to help. It’s what we love to do!

Feel free to take some time to learn more about our Relationship Managers.

About Me: Adrienne Putrow - Region 8 Relationship Manager

Adrienne Putrow
Alpha Factor Relationship Manager
Region 8

I was a mediocre gymnast. Headstrong and opinionated, I did things my own way. I lacked that certain “coachability” and single-minded drive that most, if not all accomplished gymnasts possess. But from the moment I first stepped into the gym at 4 years old I fell in love. Since then, I have always in some way or another been involved with the sport of gymnastics.

Growing up I was proud to call myself a gymnast. I loved being able to back handspring on the playground and impress the kids in gym class with the amount of pull-ups I could do. I loved deciding what leo I would wear to practice each day, standing in front of the mirror, my arms extended in “high V” pretending I was saluting the judges. I loved walking into the gym each night, buzzing with energy. Being in such a lively, positive environment makes you, well, alive with positivity. But mostly, I loved the physical challenge that learning a new skill provided. I can still remember the feeling of accomplishment that getting my kip for the first time gave me. I craved that feeling, there’s nothing else in the world like it.

Eventually however, I got burnt out. I broke my tailbone and I wanted to try new things. After a decade in the gym, I quit. I was able to play volleyball year round and went on to play club in college. I graduated from Loyola University of Chicago with a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies, and have been fortunate enough to travel to Africa and throughout Europe on several occasions, developing a love for travel and adventure. It is my goal to travel to all 50 states, each of the 7 continents, all of our National Parks, and possibly space. I’ve got some work to do on the parks, continents, and space department, but I’m down to 14 remaining states!

As a gymnast I didn’t win any national titles. I didn’t go to college on an athletic scholarship, or compete any further than level 6. But the sport of gymnastics gave me so much more than titles or scholarships; I developed a love and passion for something as a child that I still carry with me today, and it is my goal as your Relationship Manager to bring that same love and passion for the sport of gymnastics to my interactions and dealings with you and your team. 

I look forward to developing a great working relationship with you!

-Adrienne Putrow

You can contact Adrienne via email at aputrow@alphafactor.com.

About Me: Danielle Blasser - Region 7 Relationship Manager

Danielle Blasser
Alpha Factor Relationship Manager
Region 7

I can remember everything about the night I fell in love with gymnastics. I was sitting on the floor in my parents’ TV room with my eyes glued to the television. The Magnificent Seven were marching in. Dominique Moceanu became my idol in a matter of seconds. Watching her was like watching a version of myself I didn’t know existed yet. I immediately screamed to my mother “I WANT TO DO THAT.” My parents hesitated to put me in yet another sport as I hated soccer and swimming after the first few practices. They finally got sick of me flipping over the arms of the couches and using them as my own personal vault, and they signed me up at Gymnastics of York. I quickly blazed through the classes and made it onto team level. After competing for a few years I knew that if I wanted to excel at gymnastics, I needed to switch gyms. I transferred to Prestige Gymnastics in Lancaster, PA, and immediately knew it was home. I loved the coaches and my teammates; they really pushed me to be the best version of myself that I could be. Unfortunately, while I was in high school, I broke my tailbone after falling off beam (or, should I say, directly onto the beam). It took me almost nine months to fully heal and recover, and by that time, I had lost a lot of my strength and skills. I bawled my eyes out the day I knew that was the end of the road for me. I always had hopes of following in my older teammates’ footsteps and becoming a college gymnast. I played other sports in high school, but my heart never forgot its first love. I decided to join Penn State’s Club College team while I attended school there, so I did eventually fulfill my dream somewhat.

I always loved gymnastics because I felt like I could get away from the world and just do what made me happy. No matter what kind of day I was having, my floor music would start and I could get lost in the dance and tumbling and forget about all my problems. Gymnastics gave me the confidence and tough skin I needed later in life. I loved all of the relationships that the world of gymnastics brought me. I still hold tightly to those relationships today.

Working for Alpha Factor has allowed me to bring my childhood love of gymnastics into my adult career path. My goal as a Relationship Manager is to partner with gyms and help them feel and look their best. Growing up in the same town as the corporate office and manufacturing plant, I always wore Alpha Factor. I knew that part of my confidence out on the floor was due to the amazing look that I had from our warm ups and our leotards. I hope to give gyms the same type of confidence that I had when I was young.

I am excited for this season and look forward to working with you!
-Danielle Blasser

You can contact Danielle via email at dblasser@performgroupllc.com.

About Me: Shelby Prunty - Region 5 Relationship Manager

Shelby Prunty
Alpha Factor Relationship Manager
Region 5

Gymnastics has been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember.  I am excited to be able to continue using my gymnastics expertise while working for such a great company. Joining the Alpha Factor family in January 2014 has been a true blessing and I am very thankful to be a part of a company that matches my love and passion for the sport.

When I stepped foot into my very first gymnastics class in 1995, I had no idea that my life path was beginning to take shape at such a young age. Gymnastics immediately became a part of me, and a few years later, it defined me. After many years of training, friendships, and memories, I was blessed to be able to earn a gymnastics scholarship to Louisiana State University. My years at LSU are a time in my life that I will remember forever.  Unfortunately, I was forced to retire following my junior year due to several unfortunate injuries and surgeries. For many gymnasts, early retirement causes a lot of emotional pain, resulting in complete removal from the sport.  However, that was not the case for me, I took on the role of team manager my senior year and remained a part of my team.  To this day, I still cherish gymnastics as much as I did the day that I fell in love with the sport. It will forever hold a home in my heart.

I graduated from LSU in May of 2013 and for the first time in my life I felt a sense of freedom that I had never felt before.  I didn’t have to wake up for morning weights at 5am.  I didn’t have a class to race to right after practice when I was sweaty and exhausted.  For the first time in my life I was free to do what I wanted.  My sister had just moved to Nashville, TN and needed a roommate.  I thought to myself, there will never be a better time than now.  So I packed up my car, floor to ceiling, and drove 9 hours to a foreign city to start a new chapter of my life.  Although my days no longer revolved around the sport of gymnastics, I was able to appreciate the determination, self-confidence and relentless need to succeed that gymnastics provided me with and apply them to my future.  

   

Gymnastics has made me the person I am today and I can’t picture my life without it.  It has taught me many lessons; including commitment, responsibility, and teamwork.  I have gratefully been able to take those lessons and transition into my role at Alpha Factor.  As your Relationship Manager, my goal is to use my love and passion for gymnastics to connect with you and your team.  I want to help make your team’s vision come to life so they can feel confident while they compete.  

I can't wait for the opportunity to work with you!

-Shelby Prunty

You can contact Shelby via email at sprunty@alphafactor.com. 

About Me: Samantha Engle - Region 3 Alpha Factor Relationship Manager

Samantha Engle
Alpha Factor Relationship Manager
Region 3

I have been involved with the sport of gymnastics since before I was born.  My mother was a gymnast, a gymnastics coach, and has been judging the sport for over 25 years.  Gymnastics is the only sports I have ever done.  The sport is in my blood and it is a true passion of mine.  I started competing at the age of 6 at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano, TX, home of two Olympic champions, Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin.  I had lost my love of the sport around the age of 14, and made the difficult decision to leave my current gym to join a new club.  This decision turned out to be the best decision of my club gymnastics career.  My new coaches helped me find my love for the sport.  My gymnastics improved, my confidence grew, and soon I was on my way up the level 10 USAG ladder.  In 2005 I became the Junior D All-Around and Beam national champion.  It was at that moment that I realized just how far I had come in my sport.  Shortly after my victory in 2005, I began to receive recruiting letters from NCAA colleges.  After speaking with over 20 colleges I accepted a full athletic scholarship to Louisiana State University.  I competed my full four years with LSU (2008-2011).  During this time, our team qualified to two Super Six Championships and I achieved All-American status on the uneven bars.

Like stated earlier, gymnastics is my passion.  Gymnastics taught me confidence, strength, time management, and responsibility…just to name a few!  The sport has brought me to life time mentors and friends.  Every influential person in my life as come from this sport.  Gymnastics is an extremely tight-knit community and I feel blessed to be a part of this wonderful sport.

Alpha Factor has allowed me to stay involved with the sport I love.  I not only work with the best staff and the most supportive company, but I get to work with the most amazing and loyal customers of any industry!  Many of my customers are those I have known from my previous gymnastics career including teammates and coaches.  My goal as an Alpha Factor Relationship Manager is to reach out to as many gyms as I can and help them look and feel their best.  A gymnast can perform well in any leotard, but a gymnast will perform her best when she is feeling her best!  I strive to have each customer feeling confident going into every competition and give them that extra boost of confidence before each competition. 

I can't wait to help outfit your team!
-Sam Engle

You can contact Sam via email at sengle@alphafactor.com.

About Me: Tia Orlando - Region 1 Alpha Factor Relationship Manager

Tia Orlando
Alpha Factor Relationship Manager
Region 1

At the age of 2 I started dancing at my mother’s studio, Pennsport School of Dance, located in South Philadelphia. I absolutely loved it, until we started incorporating gymnastics into the class and realized that I no longer wanted to be a ballerina, I wanted to be a gymnast. At the age of 3 my parents brought me to a gym in New Jersey called Cherry Hill Gymnastics, and I became absolutely obsessed with the sport. Competing in level 5 was not what I had hoped for however, and I was not this superstar I imagined myself to be. I was lucky to even receive a medal, but I still craved and loved competing. The summer of 1998 I attended a gymnastics camp in Allentown, Pennsylvania at Parkettes Gymnastics and it was there that my Olympic dream was born.

I was 10 years old, and when I returned home from camp I sat down with my parents and let them know that I had to train at Parkettes. If that meant moving to Pennsylvania, then that is what I had to do. Deep down I knew I could make the Olympic Team if I just got the opportunity. After many discussions, I packed my bags and moved to Pennsylvania with my grandmother. Eventually, my parents wanted the family to be together, and so they uprooted my sister and brother and moved to Pennsylvania so I could follow my dream.

Once at Parkettes, I moved up the ranks quickly, and before I knew it I was a home-schooled, elite gymnast on the National Team. I competed for the USA from 2000- 2004, and traveled the world. I brought home medals, and was even congratulated by the President for helping the team win gold in Santo Domingo. My Olympic dream was shattered in 2004 when I broke my foot at Olympic Trials, and I realized that all the years of hard work had come to an end. I sometimes still wonder what my life would be like if I had been able to compete in the 2004 Olympics, but I know through my beliefs there was a different path laid out for me.

I continued on to compete for Arizona State University and graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in communication. I sit here now as working professional and know that gymnastics gave me so much more than my medals, it made me the person I am today. I still have fans let me know that I have made an impact on their daughter’s lives, and that is something that means the world to me. As your Relationship Manager I not only want to help create the perfect leotard for you and your team, but I also strive to share the love of the sport with you and your athletes. 

I look forward to working with you!

- Tia Orlando

You can contact Tia via email at torlando@alphafactor.com.

The New Alpha Factor®

We are so excited to announce that our new 2015 Competitive Catalog is now available! This season, we’re

2014-2015
Competitive Catalog

feeling more confident than ever. You can still expect the same honesty, integrity and confidence you are used to, but we are introducing some exciting new features for the 2014-2015 season that we think you’re going to love.

Our new, exclusive performance lace is a glamorous, sophisticated fabric for the most refined gymnasts and will be a showstopper on the floor! Lace is available in 4 colors and offered on 14 stunning styles. Additionally, we now have a sparkle mystique fabric that will keep all eyes on you.

We are so excited that our Platinum Collection now features sparkling Swarovski crystals for ultimate brilliance. Our basics, are anything but basic! These styles can now be embellished with 25 new, exclusive glitz options, available in a variety of colors.

Alpha Factor is proud to be the official distributor of adidas® gymnastics in the U.S.A. and Canada. We’re delighted to now offer adidas Men’s in our new catalog. adidas men’s newest jerseys contain the highest-performing climalite mesh fabrics. The ultra-thin, super lightweight and breathable fabric pulls sweat away from the skin to the outer fabric surface for quick evaporation, thus enhancing the body’s natural temperature regulation.

Need a leotard or warm-up fast? Our Quick Ship® line has expanded to offer a large variety of styles in a variety of colors to fit any team’s apparel needs.  

For over 30 years, teams worldwide have been putting their trust in Alpha Factor to provide great fitting, quality gymnastics apparel, exceptional customer service, and the reliability of on-time delivery. Our commitment to our customers is enhanced by our growing Relationship Manager team who are excited to provide our customers with the level of service they deserve!

It’s time for a change. Discover your confidence with Alpha Factor. Browse our new 2015 Competitive Catalog.

Alpha Factor® Welcomes New Team Members Tia Orlando, Shelby Prunty, and Adrienne Putrow

Perform Group, LLC® is excited to introduce three new members of the Alpha Factor® Relationship Manager team to the gymnastics community.  The company proudly announces Tia Orlando, Shelby Prunty, and Adrienne Putrow, as their new Relationship Managers for regions 1, 5, and 8, respectively.  Tia, Shelby, and Adrienne join Samantha Engle, the Alpha Factor® region 3 Relationship Manager.  All four of the Alpha Factor® Relationship Managers have extensive gymnastics experience and are experts in their field, providing them insight into the needs and expectations of coaches and their athletes.

“We are delighted to have these experienced gymnasts join our relationship management team, and are confident that they will continue Alpha Factor’s tradition of extraordinary customer service with integrity,” expressed John Misner, President and Chief Operations Officer of Perform Group, LLC.

About the New Relationship Managers
Tia Orlando – Relationship Manager, Region 1 (California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona):
Tia hails from Arizona and was a member of the US National Team from 2000-2004. She attended the Olympic Trials in 2004, but was sidelined due to injury. Tia attended Arizona State University on a full athletic scholarship as a member of their women’s gymnastics team, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. While Tia now resides in Arizona, her roots are in Pennsylvania where she trained at Parkettes, located in Allentown. 

Shelby Prunty – Relationship Manager, Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio): 
Shelby is a proud Louisiana State University alum where she was a member of their women’s gymnastics team and a three-time All-American. Shelby received her Bachelor’s degree in Sport Administration Commerce in May 2013. She worked as a Marketing and Promotions Intern for LSU Athletics and came highly recommended by DD Breaux, LSU’s well respected Head Coach of gymnastics. Shelby currently lives in Tennessee, but her hometown is in Illinois. She will manage Region 5 along with the state of Tennessee.

Adrienne Putrow – Relationship Manager, Region 8 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina): Adrienne is the team director at the highly respected Brown’s Gymnastics in Florida. She has been involved in all aspects of gymnastics for over twenty years, as a competitive gymnast herself and then moving into the coaching world. Adrienne brings a wealth of knowledge about what coaches and athletes need. She is also an Alpha Factor® customer and is very excited to be joining a company that she admires and respects. Adrienne graduated from Loyola University of Chicago with a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies. 

Please continue to contact customer service at 800-825-7428 or shop online, www.alphafactor.com, while our new Relationship Managers undergo training. They will reach out to their regions directly within the next few weeks. 

NEW YEAR. NEW STYLES. NEW LOGO.

NEW YEAR. NEW STYLES. NEW LOGO.

AERIALS BY ALPHA FACTOR IS NOW SPORTING NEW LOGO!

New year, new styles, new logo.  Aerials by Alpha Factor will be sporting a new logo in 2014.  Aerials by Alpha Factor which features fashion forward workout leotards and accessories and Alpha Factor featuring competitive team apparel will be united by one significant symbol. The Alpha Factor logo, which the gymnastics community has come to recognize and trust, will now represent both competitive and practice wear collections.  

“We are thrilled to roll out our Alpha Factor logo to our Aerials brand; we have world class products whether it is workout or competitive apparel.  Both of our lines embrace the same exceptional quality, fit, and styling and are manufactured using high level sewing and fabric standards, therefore, should be represented by one strong logo which conveys that commitment to excellence” states director of marketing and design, Sara Murphy. 

As a major participant in the world of gymnastics for over 30 years, Perform Group LLC® now has one emblem that represents their gymnastics division as a whole that coaches and gymnasts associate with commitment, quality, and confidence.

The new logo will appear on all new Aerials workout apparel beginning January 2014.

The new Aerials Winter 2014 Collection is available online now https://www.aerialsbyalphafactor.com/winter-2014/1.