The Career Accelerator: Why Leaders Choose TMSA

In “The Career Accelerator: Why Leaders Choose TMSA”, Joe Lynch and Jennifer Karpus-Romain, Executive Director at the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA), discuss how specialized community and education drive logistics success. Growth follows connection.

About Jennifer Karpus-Romain

Jennifer serves as the Executive Director at the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA) and as an adjunct professor at Cuyahoga Community College teaching social media. Previously, she was Director of Marketing for Faye, a software integration firm, and has also held roles in the publishing and marketing industries, and managed her own content and publishing firm. Karpus-Romain has her Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Ohio University and received her MBA from Capella University.

About Transportation Marketing and Sales Association (TMSA)

Sales and marketing professionals in the logistics and transportation industry come to the Transportation Marketing and Sales Association (TMSA)as the place to learn, to grow, to have fun together and to make lasting connections. Members enjoy access to live events, virtual forums and exclusive member-only benefits. The association was founded in 1924 and has gone through many names and iterations throughout the years, but it’s mission to be the resource for its members has never changed.

Key Takeaways: The Career Accelerator: Why Leaders Choose TMSA

In “The Career Accelerator: Why Leaders Choose TMSA”, Joe Lynch and Jennifer Karpus-Romain, Executive Director at the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA), discuss how specialized community and education drive logistics success. Growth follows connection.
A Century of Evolution: The TMSA isn’t a “new kid on the block.” Founded in 1924 (originally focused on railroad advertising), the association has spent over 102 years evolving alongside the industry. While the name has changed to reflect modern logistics, its core mission—to be the premier resource for sales and marketing professionals—has remained constant.
The New “Track-Based” Educational Model: To provide better ROI, the TMSA has moved away from a one-size-fits-all approach. They now offer five distinct tracks: 1. Company Leader, 2. Sales Leader, 3. Sales Practitioner, 4. Marketing Leader, 5. Marketing Practitioner
The Track-Based approach ensures that whether you are a solo marketer or a VP of Sales, you are networking and learning with peers facing your specific daily challenges.
“Human First” Leadership in an AI World: Jennifer emphasizes that while tools like ChatGPT (which she humorously calls “Atlas”) are vital for efficiency—especially for small teams—the human element is the true differentiator. In an era of automated emails and AI-generated content, leaders choose TMSA to learn how to keep their brand voice authentic and human.
The “Tech Mic Drop” & AI Showdown: Rather than traditional, dry keynotes, the upcoming Elevate Conference (June 7–9 in Denver) features a technology showdown. Competitors must present real-world results and efficiencies rather than just sales pitches. This helps members cut through the “noise” of the saturated logistics tech market.
Bridging the Sales and Marketing Gap: A major theme of the interview is the “merger” of sales and marketing (or “Smarketing”). Jennifer points out that marketing should be creating “sales enablement” content—like simple infographics—that salespeople actually use, while sales should be providing feedback on lead quality to create a unified revenue-generating engine.
Real Insights from Shipper Panels: One of the highest-value segments of their events is the Shipper Panel. Jennifer explains that they bring in actual big-name shippers who give “brutally honest” feedback. This is a rare opportunity for sales and marketing teams to hear exactly how shippers want to be approached—and more importantly, what “cringe-worthy” tactics to avoid.
Professional Development as a “Career Accelerator”: For “teams of one” or those in “flyover states,” TMSA provides a sense of community. Beyond just learning, it offers leadership opportunities through committee work that professionals might not get at their day jobs. Jennifer views the association as a place to “sharpen the sword” so members are ready when market conditions (like the recent freight recession) finally turn around.