Contributed by Matt Regoli, R.S. Hughes Regional Sales Manager, 14 years

Finding My Start

I’ve been with R.S. Hughes for 14 years, starting out in the SDR program. I got my start in the LA office, hired by Jon Baeder, who was the operations manager there at the time.

Funny enough, I only became aware of R.S. Hughes through a chance encounter with an old friend, Jeff Taylor. We had worked together at Enterprise Rent-A-Car right after college, and I ran into him at a restaurant a few years later.

As we caught up, he mentioned he was now working at a company called R.S. Hughes and suggested I check it out, saying I might be a good fit for the outside sales team.

He passed along the contact info for a local recruiter who helped him get hired, and after reaching out, I landed an interview—and the job shortly after.

Creating New Opportunities

A few short months after being hired, I was gearing up to pursue new territory work that was open in LA. But I’ll never forget the day the rep for the LA territory I really wanted came in and put in his two weeks. That same day, I went to Baeder and said, “I’ll do whatever it takes. Just tell me what I need to do to get a shot at that territory, and I’ll make it happen!”

He appreciated the initiative and drive. That’s something I’ve always found true at R.S. Hughes—if you work hard and put yourself out there, you can create your own opportunities. You have the power to shape your future here.

So, I took the shot at the outside sales role and started growing the territory rapidly. It was a game-changer for my career.

Making the Most of Where I’m At

After three years of working for R.S. Hughes, I was already being considered for sales management positions in different divisions across the country. But, being born and raised in Southern California, with all my friends and family here, I wasn’t eager to move.

I noticed we had another rep in our division who had been with the company for 20 years and was doing well financially while staying in the same role.

Seeing that, I thought, “I’m okay where I am.” I knew staying put might limit my chances of moving up, but I felt confident I could grow my territory enough to be in a good spot financially. I was content with that.

Finally Making Management

Around year five at the company, an unexpected opportunity arose. At the time, Martin Knight, the sales manager in LA—which was one of the largest divisions in the company—was considering stepping back.

It was almost unheard of for a rep to jump straight into a sales management role in such a big division without first managing smaller ones. Typically, you’d have to climb the ranks through smaller and mid-sized divisions before getting a shot at managing a territory as big as LA.

But after discussions with Martin Knight, he was open to taking a step back, and the company offered me his position.

Making Even More Opportunities

Around year eight or nine, things took an even more exciting turn. Both John Mathis and I had been proving ourselves in our sales management roles, and as the company often does, it recognized our hard work and opened up new opportunities.

I received a call to attend a dinner in Orange County, and when I learned Mathis was going as well, I had a feeling something big was happening. When I arrived at the dinner, I met with a handful of important people from the company, including Pete Biocini, Bob Defusco and Jon Baeder.

Pete kicked off the evening and shared the news: both John and I were being promoted to regional sales managers. Bob was ready to pass the torch to me for the Pacific Southwest, and Mathis would take on the Pacific Northwest. It was a really special moment, a culmination of years of hard work and dedication.

For me, working at R.S. Hughes has always been about opportunities arising through hard work. If you’re willing to put in the effort and prove your capabilities, the sky’s the limit here.

That’s something I’ve always found to be really special about this company.