On the subject of career turning points, BTA Executive Director Brent Hoskins has much in common with veteran Genesis prog rock drummer and solo musician Phil Collins. Consider this common denominator of knowledge and opportunity.
In 1970, Collins auditioned for the band’s drummer role. The group was, at that point, in search of its fourth musician behind the kit, and Collins was one of several to answer the audition advertisement.
Collins arrived before his scheduled time, so lead singer Peter Gabriel suggested that he take a dip in the swimming pool while awaiting his turn. While in the pool, Collins could hear all the notes and songs being played in the auditions, and picked up on all the strengths and missteps of the other drummers. When Collins took his turn, he had the material down cold and blew away all of the band members with his skilled performance. It was the beginning of what would become a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career.
Fast forward to 2006. Hoskins had been with the Business Technology Association (BTA) for nearly 20 years, serving as a reporter for, then editor of, BTA’s magazine, Office Technology. During his tenure, Hoskins worked with seven previous executive directors. As such, he had the unique vantage point of having seen the strengths and weaknesses of each director. Hoskins knew he could leverage that knowledge if given the opportunity, so he approached a couple of BTA board members and requested to be considered for the position of executive director should it become available.
“I knew that what I had learned during the prior nearly 20 years, through involvement and observation, would help strengthen BTA in the future,” he observed.
When the post opened, Hoskins passed his “audition” and, like Collins, he hasn’t missed a beat since.
“I love interacting with and supporting in any way I can the dealer channel,” said Hoskins, a 2020 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “I have met so many wonderful people through the years. Their entrepreneurial spirit and drive to succeed has always been inspiring to me. That inspiration is what drives me.”
Industry Fixture
A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Hoskins will celebrate his 34th anniversary with BTA next month. During his tenure, Hoskins has established himself as an industry fixture, attending association, dealer and manufacturer events all across the country. His eye on trends and technology, reflected in his articles for Office Technology, reflect his desire to stay closely attuned to the variables and individuals who are driving the evolution of the industry.
To what does he attribute his work ethic? Hoskins said he draws upon his experience during his high school and college years, when he worked for six summers with his high school’s carpentry teacher to build homes, toiling 40 hours a week in the blazing heat. “Doing manual labor in the summer sun raised the bar and set the pace in terms of my work ethic,” he said. “During these nearly 34 years with the association, I have never hesitated to work as many hours as it takes each week to get the job done.”
Having joined the industry following a nearly two-year stint as a newspaper reporter, Hoskins gleaned the teachings of many office technology professionals along the way in building the foundation for his font of knowledge. Current and past BTA volunteers provided leadership and guidance in optimizing the value of BTA to its members, and Hoskins has been emboldened by their selfless dedication. BTA General Counsel Bob Goldberg reinforced his belief that success comes with hard work, commitment and a passion for the job. And it was a former BTA executive director, Frank Fonteyn, who struck Hoskins with his manner in interacting with other people.
“Plus, I often heard Frank refer to someone approvingly as an ‘affable chap,’ which has always motivated me to strive to be an affable chap as well,” Hoskins observed.
Serving Dealers
The past year has been one of great challenges. However, what 2020 has provided BTA is the opportunity to mobilize and provide dealer members with direction and resources to navigate their businesses through the pandemic. Whether it was the BTA COVID-19 Member Resources page on the association’s website, Goldberg’s counsel, webinars or FAQs that helped bring clarity to commonly-experienced challenges, BTA’s value proposition has never wavered during the year.
Looking back at the past 10 years or so, Hoskins said he is very pleased with the success of BTA’s five educational and networking events, which he chalks up to the team effort provided by the association’s volunteer leaders and staff. As the new year approaches, the association is mapping out its return to hosting in-person events.
Meanwhile, Hoskins said his goal is to further BTA’s original mission of facilitating ways for dealers to assist their fellow colleagues. The pandemic brought video conferencing to the foreground and gave rise to BTA’s Dealers Helping Dealers Discussion Groups, which meets every two weeks via Zoom. There are two such groups, with plans to add more.
“The purpose is for non-competing dealers to share ideas and ask questions of one another to help optimize each participant’s level of success as business slowly returns to normal,” he said. “This experience has reminded me that BTA’s efforts to facilitate ways for dealers to help their fellow dealers is ever-evolving. Watch for our future strides in fulfilling this important purpose.”
On the personal front, Hoskins and his wife, Beth, have been married for nearly 35 years and have two adult sons. They’re currently focused on updating their home, and look forward to being able to travel again in the not-too-distant future. Outside of enjoying many of America’s treasures, the Hoskins have also particularly enjoyed visits to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Canada, as well as Iceland.
