Follow your bliss and success will come An interview with Gary Hudoff

Leonard Ravenhill once said that “the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity,” and Gary Hudoff did just that four years ago when the bank he initially interviewed for a bank teller’s position offered him a marketing role instead.While studying marketing at his local community college, Gary wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He used his cash-handling experience gained in the retail industry to apply for teller positions at banks near his home.He got the job at one bank, but the recruiter at another bank was crafty enough to recognize that Gary studied marketing at Lake-Sumter State College at the time and proposed their open marketing associate position to him.Gary seized the opportunity, gladly accepted, and has worked in marketing since.I first crossed paths with Gary while attending UF CJC Online, where he studied advertising. We took some of the same courses, and he was always one of the first to participate in group discussions. I recognized his drive and hunger to succeed right away.After graduation, while in between jobs, Gary utilized his entrepreneurial mindset to open his marketing and design agency, Hudoff Design. Shortly thereafter, he started a new full-time job as a Marketing Specialist at Townley Engineering & Manufacturing Co.Gary always wanted to work in the creative field. As a young boy, he used to do arts and crafts and create greeting cards while spending his summers at his dad’s office. However, he didn’t know how deep his passion for marketing was until he started working in the field.He credits his current marketing position to his time working while attending school. He advises students still pursuing their degree to work in their desired field while going to college.“If you can do both, go to school and work in the field, you’ll have a huge leg up on your competition when it comes time to getting your first full-time job after graduation,” he said.One of the first things he had to learn quickly, as he went full-force in his marketing career after graduation, was the importance of independence and self-reliance when working on a small team.Most importantly, “don’t be afraid to ask questions,” he said.If you’re not given specific instructions or a manual on how to do something, ask how things were done in the past and make the position your own. You may get overwhelmed, but if you take baby steps forward, things will get better over time, and you’ll get more comfortable as you gain experience.So, if you recently graduated, or thinking about a career change, move boldly in the direction of your dream, ask questions, and trust in your creative spirit to take you from where you are to where you want to be.To learn more about Gary, follow and connect with him here on LinkedIn and reach out to him for any design-related projects or questions and be sure to follow his agency, Hudoff Design.