Perks of the Job
Huffman, the recipient of the School of Business MBA Scholarship, attributes a lot of his networking success to Brown.
“As a fellow student body president when we were undergraduates, we immediately clicked,” says Huffman. “He’s such an asset to the program; he’s like the unofficial mayor of Charleston. He connects everyone both while in school and after. The opportunities just keep coming.”
One connection Brown forged for Huffman was a mentorship with Charles Wonderlic, former CEO and current executive chairman of a software company. The experience proved transformative.
“Charlie introduced me to the tech industry and how to leverage my skills and experience to transition my career into the tech startup world,” explains Huffman, who landed a job post-graduation as director of customer success with Good United, a tech company that helps nonprofits connect with supporters on social media. “I still have the nonprofit angle, which gives meaning, but I am also helping build a business.”
Huffman’s job with Good United ticked all the boxes but one. Behind a computer all day speaking with clients across the country, he had no interaction with the local community. He spoke with his wife about his post-retirement dream – selling coffee from the back of an El Camino, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who sold tomatoes from the back of his El Camino.
After his wife convinced him that there’s no time like the present, Huffman found the perfect 1986 El Camino and traveled to Florida to pick it up. He then built a stand in the back of the flatbed for his coffee. In November 2023, Camino Caffeino gave out its first cups of coffee at Folly Beach. The experience confirmed his wife’s words.
“Camino Caffeino gave me a chance to meet people and tell my story and hear theirs,” says Huffman, who believes serving and drinking good coffee is the best way to build relationships. “I have finally built a community and feel like a part of the small-business growth in the area. Other small-business owners have been really supportive and have helped guide me through what it takes to succeed. I try to keep everything I do local by partnering with local coffee roasters, local designers and local manufacturers to help build up and support the small-business community here in Charleston.”
As a new father, Huffman realizes the value of having his son see him pursuing his dreams. “I want my son to know that no dream is too silly to pursue and that it is possible to have a career for pay and something that fills your soul in other ways.”