Finding My Passion in Mentorship

Contributed by Brandi Hopper, Inside Sales Operations Lead, 26 years.

A Blank Slate

My story with R.S. Hughes is different than most. Twenty-five years ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do professionally. While a receptionist at a physical therapy office for Kathy Steege, wife of Jeff Steege, Jeff would come in to work out and would always chat with me. After several times chatting, he asked me to work for R.S. Hughes.

When he told me about the company, I doubted I could do sales. My perception of sales was a used car salesman or today’s solar panel door-to-door salespeople—that was not me. But, somehow, he finally convinced me to come on board. He told me about the ESOP program and said I should start before the end of the year.

The Early Years of My Journey

My first day with R.S. Hughes was December 28, 1998. I was so nervous and overwhelmed. There was much to learn. But I was up for the challenge. I remember sitting at the trainee desk with Bruce Jones behind me saying, “You got this!”

At that time, Mike Page was a regional manager based out of Orlando. I was so impressed with his work ethic and go-get-’em attitude. His relationship with customers was different than I expected–they depended on him and were like friends. Jeff was the same—he was always in the office earlier than everybody else before he went out to make sales calls. I feel fortunate that my career started with the leadership of Mike and Jeff. I owe them for how my career with R.S. Hughes has progressed.  

I can’t say I loved my first year, but I quickly took ownership in Orlando. I knew how my decisions and conversations with customers would affect everything, and I embraced having that influence. I also learned that I could sell! I didn’t have to be pushy–I could just be honest and friendly. If I did what I said I would do, customers would come back to buy again.

Two years into my tenure, Pete Biocini came to visit Orlando, and I was impressed by his down-to-earth leadership style. I was asked to take an inside sales management position shortly after that visit. I turned out to love it, and it was a gratifying role. While in that position, I worked to get my former PT clinic co-worker, Lisa Forbes, to join R.S. Hughes. It took a bit, but she too finally came over and has played a pivotal role in the Orlando team’s growth. She is now with our operations management team (OMT) group. I am pretty sure Jeff’s wife was not happy at that point, having lost two people to her husband’s office.  

Shifting Priorities and Doing Whatever It Takes

In 2003, I started my family. It was a season to focus on being a mom, so management was not something I wanted to shift into. R.S. Hughes was so supportive of my decision. Things didn’t change much, as I always took such pride in my work and maintained a do-whatever-it-takes attitude.

When someone asks me what I do, I’ve always answered, “Whatever it takes to get it done.” I would do callouts, purchase payables, receivables, work the warehouse, clean the office and label material. At one point, our biggest customer was United Space Alliance, and working on that contract was one of the most incredible things I’ve done with R.S. Hughes. I was able to visit the Kennedy Space Center several times, get behind-the-scenes tours and was once invited to the VIP area, which is the closest you can be during a space shuttle launch.

Finding My Passion

I’ve gone through ups and downs with the company, as well as slow times and busy times. I’ve worked with only two people in the office and one warehouse person, and I’ve worked with ten people in the office and three warehouse people. I’ve seen a lot over the years, and I have some stories—some of which make me feel old.  

Through all of this, I’ve learned that training and guiding new employees is my passion. I have loved watching people start in Orlando and helping them decide if outside or inside sales is ideal for them. Anytime someone was offered an outside position or an opportunity to move to run another branch on the inside, I always felt like I had done something right and that it was a personal accomplishment.  It’s funny, I knew I might be training my future boss every time someone started, so I wanted to ensure I taught them everything. 

Mentorship Memories

I remember when Ali Myers started. Jeff had me talk to her after he interviewed her, and I could see her confidence. I knew within weeks of her training that she would be an excellent outside sales representative. It’s been fun watching her take her own territory and grow from an Orlando sales manager to now a regional sales manager. I’d like to think I am a good judge of character, and I’ve never been afraid to voice my opinions. I think that’s because I genuinely care about our company’s representation. 

When Jordan Smith started, I remember thinking after a few weeks that he was someone we needed to keep in Orlando. As a training branch, we would get new hires trained with the goal of them moving to the outside or to another branch to manage.  I knew Jordan had my same work ethic of doing whatever it takes. I took a lot of pride in teaching him. I’m pretty sure I told him early on that he would be my boss one day, and he did, in fact, become my boss.

I hope I made some kind of impact on the many other team members I’ve worked with, whether they are still here at R.S. Hughes or have moved on to other companies. I have many friends and memories here, both with co-workers and customers. After all, my entire adult life has been with R.S. Hughes.

Reflections and What’s to Come

When I was asked to do this story, I thought, “I’m not a good person to do this. My goals have been so different compared to those who have been promoted or moved to other roles. I’ve just stayed in Orlando.” The more I thought about it, though, in no way do I feel like I haven’t moved up or had growth. The growth and accomplishments I have had with R.S. Hughes have far exceeded what I could even imagine when I started 25 years ago.

I hope I am someone’s Mike Page or Jeff Steege one day. I continue to do what I love and help others do the same as our Orlando office grows faster than ever. With many more years to look forward to, I’m excited to continue training and teaching existing and new employees.

I also have a second generation working for the company now. That baby I had in 2003 has been an R.S. Hughes employee for two years. I can’t wait to grow with all the new changes our company is making and continue to make an impact.