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A Gidget Hopf
Gidget is the CEO of ABVI (Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired) Goodwill, a non-profit based in Rochester whose mission is “To prepare and empower people who are blind or visually impaired to be self-sufficient and contribute to their families and communities.” This comprehensive not-for-profit agency provides employment to people blind or visually impaired in manufacturing, food services, retail and call center occupations. Gidget has contributed immensely to the Western NY community, and recently sat down with us and hashed out advice to people in Western NY.
Please give this incredible woman some of your time!
BI: What is your advice to Western NY?
We always talk about innovation. When you are in an organization you have to innovate, innovate, innovate, and I think that starts with the individual. Take some time to think about how you can be innovative in your own career path. Maybe the path you are planning is not open to you right now because of the economy. So, how can you innovate? How can you think about yourself and your organization? What are your core competencies? What are you good at? And then, what does the economy or the community need?
Right now the environment is a popular topic; green is big. Has anyone in your age range looked at the stimulus package to see where the government is planning to spend its money? Sometimes you need to take a step back in order to move two steps forward. Most young people right now are in a holding pattern. My daughter has been in the working world for two years. She thought two years ago that at this point she would be moving up and moving on. But she has to wait as her company is experiencing layoffs.
You need to be open to a different spin than what you anticipated. Think of it as a positive innovation.
BI: I know many people in our community who have been laid off after years devoted to a company. What is your advice to those who are experiencing that?
There was an article in the Democrat and Chronicle about a man who was laid off from Kodak and decided to start a guitar store. He decided to take a love of music and follow his heart after decades of Kodak. There is life after Kodak.
I don’t know if you have heard of the “Generation G” thing. We were in a generation of greed, and now we are moving to a generation of generosity. Generation Generosity is where people are looking for more meaning. It is all about helping the community and helping your neighbor. A lot of that greed was generated by people who did not truly love their job. They were doing fourteen and sixteen hour days, for what? I think this crisis is causing people to self reflect and think of what is more meaningful. Do we have to have a five or six hundred thousand dollar home? Nope.
The federal government is having such a turn over right now which is creating a big opportunity. There are tens of thousands of jobs opening up in the government .If people are interested, check out government websites. Baby boomers are retiring, leaving in droves, opening up jobs in the government.
Right now there is a big exodus from the state and federal government. The IRS is in desperate need of tax advisers. We need contract management people.
BI: It seems like you strike a nice balance between family life and work? How do you define success in that framework?
I have been very fortunate. I have a spouse (editor’s note: a power lifter) who is able to help me balance my professional life. He was able to take care of the family and help me do what I loved to do, to build an organization. I could have been part of a big company and probably made three times what I have made over my lifetime. However, that was not for me. It’s not about the money, but getting up in the morning and looking forward to going to work.
Simplicity is important. I have always lived by the no-debt principal, always paying off credit cards every month. I never liked to be worried about making my house payments. And even on a not-for-profit executive’s salary, I was able to put two kids through private school. My husband still drives a fourteen year old truck. It is about choices; delaying some gratification. A piece of advice is to pay yourself first. You don’t know how good it feels to have that little nest egg that is yours. You have to ask yourself, “Is it a want or a need?”
Exercise is also very important. I work out every single day. So, you need to be innovative. You need to save. You need to use physical exercise. Also, you need to network. A lot of the ways you network have nothing to do with work. When you start volunteering you meet a lot of people. And when you take on leadership opportunities you build your resume. If all you have ever done is work at McDonalds, but have a huge resume filled with volunteer opportunities, you will get a job!
BI: What did you want to be when you were a kid?
An actress. I grew up in Brooklyn and Staten Island and went to the school for performing arts. When I got out of high school I figured out that I was not going to be an actress, and did not know what careers were available to me. I did not want to become a teacher, or a nurse. I remembered when I was in first grade I had worked with a speech therapist. I decided I could be a speech therapist. I looked in a state school directory for where they had that degree and major, and decided I needed to go far away from where I grew up. I grew up very poor and wanted to get away from it all. The furthest school away was Fredonia, but I liked the name of Geneseo better so I decided to go there!
I ended up transferring in as a junior, and met my husband who had just graduated. He was doing research here on campus. We met, started dating, and the rest is history. We decided to stay here. I lucked out getting a job because the school speech therapist at the Genesee-Wyoming County BOCES had passed away in a car accident visiting her family. It was very sad, but it was my chance. They were in desperate need for a speech therapist the week I came out of school in December 1972.
After that my husband, who was a musician, wanted to see if he could make a move to Staten Island to see if he could break into the market. After two years we moved back to Geneseo and have been here ever since. He has been here since 1966 and I have been here since 1970.
BI: What are your plans with ABVI – Goodwill going into the future?
We are fortunate to have a very unique economic model based on social enterprises. Our Goodwill stores are truly our future. It helps us drive our economic engine. We had a good strategic planning session yesterday. We have the chance to be innovative and serve our community. Our call center has lots of potential.
BI: We have been thinking a lot about tactics of leadership lately. What would you say is a tactic that you use? Do you have a more command approach, or more of a focus on innovation and entrepreneurism?
Leadership has got to be a way of thinking. You have to think as an entrepreneur. You have to leverage across the organization. You need to realize the talents and skills and build them into something bigger. I like to say “Nothing changes until the leader changes.” And, that only happens with self reflection.
I sort of try to watch myself leading, from the balcony. Am I engaging everyone, am I respectful? Do you know the WAIT principal? Why Am I Talking? I am a talker, so I try and step back and fight those things. We all have a thing that we overdo. You can not work on something until you understand yourself. If you are in a leadership position, there is this position of power that you must remember. Whether you think you are an easy going person or not, people who report to you will know the power differential. So, you need to be aware of all of that.
BI: Do you think you have changed a lot in your role over the years?
There has been a huge transformation. I was doing very well technically. I am a great problem solver and I’m great at technical issues, but I had never focused on people the way I do now. The fact of the matter is that we all have an effect upon people. We need to be aware of it and make it the most positive effect it can be. I used to just want to get the work done.
Once you satisfy people’s basic needs, you need to do more. They might have the job, the salary, or the benefits, but there is a need for association and to be part of something bigger than themselves. If you are not tapping into that as a leader, you are missing out.
Another piece of advice; do not let yourself get stuck in an environment just because it is safe and the benefits are good. You do not want to look back thirty five years from now and ask; “What could I have done?”
BI: What do you do in your free time?
Gosh, I need to relax after work! I do like to work out and to run. I like to read. The last great book I read was The Glass Castle, Which is a true story. I have a ton of new books that I got for Christmas. I am about to start in on The Yiddish Policemen's Union. It’s about what if Israel had been put in Alaska as opposed to the Middle East.
BI: There is a very strong network of Goodwill organizations. How many are there?
There are one hundred and seventy five. We cover Rochester and Syracuse. We were able to join together ABVI and Goodwill because no one else was taking this opportunity. Another piece of advice; be a satellite. Always keep your eye open for opportunities, for connections. There are so many opportunities that will come up.
Further biographic information from the Geneseo.edu website
She earned her B.S. degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from the State University of New York at Geneseo and her M.A. degree in Audiology and Communication Science from Kean College. Dr. Hopf earned her Ed.D degree from George Washington University in March, 2005. Her research interests are leadership, executive coaching, and organizational studies. She conducts workshops and makes presentations on leadership locally and around the country.
Gidget serves as a board member of the National Association for the Employment of People who are Blind, where she was recently elected to the role of Vice President of Public Policy; She serves as President of the Board of Chances and Changes, a rural domestic violence program and shelter in Western NY. Gidget sits on both the Advisory Board of the Pamela York Klainer Center for Women and Business in the Jones School of Business and the Alumni Board at the State University of New York at Geneseo, NY. She used to be the Associate Executive Director of ARC Monroe County.
Gidget is married to John, her husband of 37 years; they have two daughters, Courtney and Maggie.
Email: ghopf@abvi-goodwill.com
