Eric Turney
President
I’m Eric Turney, President and Sales & Marketing Director of The Monterey Company, where we’ve been creating custom merchandise since 1989. I started here as a sales rep in 2017 and worked my way up, using my passion for SEO, branding, and digital marketing to help grow the company’s reach and revenue. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with brands like Google, Amazon, and Target to deliver custom patches, pins, apparel, and promotional products. When I’m not building the business, you’ll find me with my wife Nichole and our three kids, or cheering on the Seattle Seahawks and Oregon State Beavers.
Dec. 5, 2025
Why Quality Merch Beats Trash Trinkets with Eric Turney
Former bartender and opiate addict Eric Turney hit multiple rock bottoms, including jail and failed treatment attempts, before a surprise wake up call changed everything. When he and his partner learned they were expecting their first child, Eric decided he was done burning bridges. He got serious about 12 step recovery and took a chance on a new life as an entry level sales rep at a small promotional products company.Today, Eric is the President and Sales and Marketing Director of The Monterey Company, a custom branded merch company founded in 1989 that creates premium challenge coins, lapel pins, belt buckles, hats, apparel, and more for brands like Google, Amazon, Target, Bentley, Lions Clubs, military units, and local organizations. After the founder offered employees the chance to buy the business, Eric and his partners stepped up and took it over.In this conversation, Eric and I dig into his journey through addiction and recovery, how he rebuilt his life and career, and …
Guest: Eric Turney