A Day in the Life of a Rep
Featuring Lauren Panella & Shawn Campbell: Two Opposites, One Mission
What happens when you follow two Spartan reps through a full day in the Carolinas? A little bit of chaos, a lot of knowledge, and a whole lot of personality!
Our latest video, A Day in the Life of a Spartan Rep, blends comedy with real behind-the-scenes insight into what our reps do every day. Lauren Panella and Shawn Campbell couldn’t be more different in their routines, but together, they show exactly what being a Spartan rep is all about: working with clients, solving problems, and selling flooring with energy and expertise.
6:00 AM – The Early Bird
At 6 AM, Lauren is awake, brushing her teeth and heading straight to the gym. She says a strong morning routine keeps her focused, grounded and mentally ready to tackle the day ahead! For Lauren self care is how she shows up as her best self for her clients!
8:00 AM – The Pickleball Pro
At 8 AM, Shawn is just waking up. His morning includes solitaire on his IPad, taking the dog out, a highly intense Peloton workout, stability ball crunches, and a dramatic slow-mo pickleball montage.
Two completely different mornings. Two Spartan reps, ready to deliver.
9:00 AM – Work Mode Activated
By 9 AM, Shawn is at his desk checking sales number on OneDrive. He gives us a quick office tour, complete with a silly cat calendar (a man of culture), and says goodbye to his dog for the day!
Meanwhile, Lauren arrives at the storage unit to prep for a designer meeting. She opens the door to a mountain of boxes, quickly explaining it doesn’t usually look like this, but restocking happens. With folders, samples and loose tile in hand, she gets everything organized for the upcoming client meeting.
Behind every polished presentation is a lot of digging, lifting, packing, and planning!
10:30 AM – The Client Call (DUN DUN DUUUUNN)
A client calls about a missing order. Lauren springs into action, calling coworkers and tracing the issue. She explains that as a rep, even when a problem isn’t your fault, it’s your responsibility to reassure the client and show you’re doing everything possible to help. That’s how relationships are strengthened and maintained!
11:30 AM – The blueprints
Next, we follow Lauren to a meeting where she reviews architectural plans. She discusses stone and quartz options, recommends performance appropriate materials and walks the client through which flooring makes sense for the space! Spartan reps aren’t just salespeople, they’re flooring experts and product knowledge is a huge part of the job!
1:00 PM – What’s the number one rule?
Rule number one of a product presentation: never show up empty-handed. Whether it’s cookies, lunch or a thoughtful gesture, Spartan reps go the extra mile to show appreciation.
While driving to the presentation Lauren explains how much of the job is planning your entire day around pickups, drop offs, meetings, traffic and logistics, all while staying on time!
2:00PM – Organized Chaos
Lauren meets up with Shawn before their presentation. She unloads the entire car while he relaxes in his. They chest bump and rush to set up the display!
Lauren organizes samples in a color coordinated, aesthetically pleasing way. Shawn? “Whatever I have with me works.”
They present UMORE to the design firm between tile solutions, project performance needs, and yes… pickle ball and Crumbl Cookies, the meeting flows effortlessly!
5:00 PM – Happy Hour!
Drinks, conversation, and catching up!
The day winds down with a well-earned happy hour! Full of laughter, updates, and conversation. It’s a reminder that strong partnerships don’t just come from overall products and meetings but by connecting with your clients on a personal level!
6:30 PM – final reflections
To close the day, Lauren and Shawn reflect on their experiences. Lauren calls out the chaos of the storage unit and Shawn gets war flashbacks of his morning pickleball rage.
Together they agree their day captures what it’s truly like to be a Spartan rep:
- Every day looks different
- Routines don’t need to match, as long as the work does
- Product knowledge matters
- Planning and logistics are constant
- Problem-solving never stops
- Relationships are the heart of everything
- Teamwork makes it all possible
Two opposite lifestyles. One shared mission. That’s a day in the life of a Spartan rep.
ABOUT SPARTAN
Spartan Surfaces is a specialty flooring supplier headquartered in Bel Air, MD. Employing over 250 team members, Spartan prides itself on taking a human-centered approach to business. We put people at the forefront of everything we do – our clients, our suppliers, our communities, our team, and our families. Spartan holds warehousing and offices in Maryland, Minnesota, and Upstate New York with showrooms in D.C., New York City, and Chicago. Its geography spans the contiguous United States with continued expansion on the horizon. We are great people dedicated to great products, great families, great friendships, and great happiness. Whatever you’re working on, we’ve got you covered!