We are excited to continue our Faces of Dogwood Hill blog series this week with our Wholesale Director, Buddy Hunt! Buddy joined his wife, Jennifer, at the helm of Dogwood Hill’s Wholesale Division in the fall of 2018. After spending two decades in the financial industry, honing his sales and relationship-building skills in Minneapolis, Dallas and then back home in Birmingham, he connects Dixie with retail shops around the country and maintains valuable relationships with each new and existing Dixie account. His free time is spent with Jennifer and their two young boys, coaching soccer and basketball, watching Alabama and San Francisco 49ers football, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Read on to learn more about Buddy’s role at Dogwood Hill, how he and Jennifer met, and the history of his 49ers fandom.
Hometown
Birmingham, Alabama
Alma Mater
University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa
How did you and Jennifer meet/how long have you been married?
A friend of mine suggested we meet, so he called and invited her to my fraternity initiation party on February 11th, 1995. I learned later she also had a friend who wanted to introduce us, so I guess it was obvious we would make a good match. That night at the party, it took me about 2 hours to say hello. I was nervous. She still makes me nervous and we have been married 14 years. Feels like yesterday.
Career Path leading up to Dogwood Hill
I served and still serve in the Financial Services industry. I spent 20 years in the Investments Wholesale industry and now have the daily opportunity to serve a select group of individual clients.
Describe a day in the life of Dogwood Hill’s Wholesale Director
I simply try to do my job which is to put our stationery product in front of retailers across the country. Most of my efforts center around the use of phone calls, emails and handwritten notes. This gives me an opportunity to stay in touch with retailers who are considering or are already carrying our products.
What is it like working side by side with Jennifer
For many people, it can be a big challenge to work with one’s spouse. For me it is a blessing. One of the reasons we get along is because we are both so focused on our daily Dogwood Hill activities. She focuses on the retail side of the business while I focus on the wholesale side. We are accessible to each other but because we have very different skillsets and roles, we rarely talk during the work day.
Favorite way to spend a weekend out in Birmingham
We like food, so we love great restaurants and Birmingham has plenty of them. I also have the opportunity to coach my sons (9 and 6 years of age) in soccer which is such a great outlet for me. I love watching them learn, play and mature from season to season. I will also be coaching basketball this fall. So many evenings are either filled with practices or games.
The most meaningful father/son(s) time is spent when we…
Get the opportunity to talk about the day in retrospect. I like to ask our sons if they learned anything throughout the day. I always ask them what they liked most and what they liked least about the day. They usually like anything educational the least and they love P.E., recess, and sports the most.
Favorite travel destination
That’s a hard one. I think my most challenging, memorable and enjoyable trips have been explorative in nature. I’m a homebody, but Jennifer makes me get out and do challenging things. So our most memorable and exciting trips have been a four-day hike along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, an exploration of Mayan ruins and other adventure activities in the Mexican jungle near the Belize border, and a three-day self-driven boat tour in the Burgundy, France region. But I must say that I probably loved the Mexico trip the most.
Your Crimson Tide fandom is self-explanatory as an alumnus, but why the 49ers?
There is nothing like the history of the San Francisco 49ers. The legendary players like Jerry Rice (pictured below) and Joe Montana and so many others. The Joe Montana interaction in the huddle talking about and pointing to John Candy in the stands before the winning Super Bowl drive. I also grew up a big L.A. Lakers fan. The best players were playing for San Fransisco and for the Lakers during my childhood, and I watched a bunch of those games with my Dad. Jennifer surprised me a couple of years ago with a trip to Levi’s Stadium for a 49ers game with sideline passes. I got to meet Jerry Rice, see Joe Montana and slap hands with some Bama boys who play for the 49ers. It’s a really fun memory. On top of all that, Jennifer and I got engaged in San Francisco, so it’s a special place for a lot of reasons.
Favorite read
When I get the chance to sit and read (which is rare – I am not the most committed reader for pleasure, to say the most) I have found that I love historical fiction. Otherwise, I am looking at a stock chart or reading about the economy and stock market.
Retailers can shop these wholesale products as well as more beautiful options on our website here.