Her Story of Hollister

The Hollister Group has differentiated itself from other staffing firms through our ability to connect differently. At The Hollister Group, we understand what makes a good company great: culture – without culture, we have nothing.

The daughter of a preacher, Kip Hollister was one of five children. Growing up in New England, Kip graduated college and moved to Boston, MA where she was hired at a temporary staffing agency. Though it was just a job she fell into, it was “a revelation.” Kip moved from firm to firm before finding someone who was excited to take a leap into faith with her – a former boss contacted her about starting a business. Kip was enamored with the opportunity, and they quickly incorporated. Kip said “I didn’t know how to balance my checkbook” but her colleague told her “It doesn’t matter, just lean on your skills.” At 25, Kip Hollister prepared to open her own business. In this whirlwind of excitement, adversity struck. While on vacation, Kip received a call to the tune of “You might not want to come back – they just changed the office locks.” Having discovered carpet samples and the iconic Hollister H logo in the drawer of Kip’s desk, the other partners at the firm threatened to quit if the owner continued with his plan to fund Kip. Just like that, she was out of a job and out of funding.

Kip founded Hollister Staffing in 1988, at a time when women couldn’t get a loan by themselves. Her partner who had backed out co-signed a loan for $50,000. Though it wasn’t enough to pay for the office space they’d planned, it was what she had. She opened an office at 262 Washington Street in downtown Boston and hired three employees. Kip focused on finding business to push to her employees – though she didn’t yet know how to lead, she thought “What’s the worst that can happen? If I fail, I’m 26 – there’s plenty of time to start over.” That mindset quickly passed as life continued. After getting married and having two children, the first recession hit. The enormity of what this could mean hung over Kip’s head. Living off of Kraft macaroni and cheese to pay her staff, Kip came to a realization that sometimes things must be believed to be seen. What did she do when the chips were down? Kip threw a party. Clients came, believed that Hollister Staffing was thriving, and the business began to pour in. Clearly Hollister had a secret to success, but no one guessed the secret was manifestation.

When Hollister Staffing began to recover from the first recession, Kip realized what kind of work environment she wanted to foster. “I wanted people to come to this company who care about people but are also accountable and driven to create excellence and success.” She realized that she had been caught up in hierarchical thinking and chose instead to show vulnerability. Her vulnerability unified the team around her, and acted as a showcase of the values that The Hollister Group still holds today: open communication, passion, integrity, and community. As Hollister Staffing continued to grow, it expanded into more divisions, including broadening our contract presence. Then, the second recession hit. Business dwindled as clients began to press pause, and Hollister Staffing was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. As the bank closed in, Hollister was almost $1,000,000 dollars in the red. Despite discouragement from those close to her, Kip buckled down and went to work. When revenues had dropped by 30%, a meeting was called. Kip shared “We’re in it deep. If you are worth your paycheck – if you can look me in the eyes and tell me you’re in it to win it, that you’re going to work on your mindset, I’ll pay you.” Some people took the opportunity to leave, and Kip took out a home equity line to pay those who remained. Things started moving again, but slowly – so what did Kip do? Threw another party! While the clients mingled in the other room, she rallied her employees around her, declaring “Okay guys, no Eeyores are allowed to walk in this door. We have to fake it until we become it, and part of this is who we be, while we do. This has to be from our hearts. None of us are making money, but we’re going to survive.” Survive they did, though Kip was quickly losing steam. She vowed to herself that she was going to sell the company before ever leading the company through another recession. Things turned around, however. As Hollister’s value systems developed, people were entrenched in the community that had been created and people were bringing their whole selves to work. In cultivating this vibrant work culture, Kip realized she had almost lost herself in the pressure of it all – “I didn’t feel like a good wife, a good mother, a good leader – I vowed to sell or do it differently.” When the third recession hit, Kip lead Hollister Staffing through.

She could feel the tension rising and held another company-wide meeting. She realized that there had to be a shift in how people measured their identities. There’s so much more to each of us than what we can produce at work – what she knew to be true was that "if we focus on our own inner world and inner enough-ness, then the doing becomes effortless." Kip’s role as a leader shifted from trying to motivate her employees to inspiring them. She recognized that surrendering to fear would solve nothing and instead decided to bring in a transformation coach. Together, they led an optional mindset roundtable – and the turnout was remarkable. Once again, people asked themselves, “What is Hollister’s secret to success?” The notable change in participants caught the attention of others, and Kip began to mandate this training for all members of leadership. Some were not receptive, but Kip’s commitment to finding people who care about people, excellence, and success made the choice obvious. She affirmed, “I will lose half my team to gain integrity for myself, what I’m about, and what I want to model for this company.” In losing members of leadership, Kip gained the awareness that she’d been splitting herself. “I separated energy work from business, but then I realized I am one person. I’m not afraid to admit who I am and who I am not.” This led Kip to further exploration of mindfulness, and eventually the opening of the Hollister Institute. When Kip heard that 85-90% of our daily thoughts are negative, it dawned on her: “If we could get ahead of this, what would be possible?” She returned from studying with Deepak Chopra and built a meditation room in the office at 75 State Street where she held weekly meditations for everyone. It was important to her because it was all about rewriting a script of worthiness, of enough-ness – because we are born in our greatness. This is the essence of what the Hollister Institute did, and what the Cultures division does today.

Then tragedy struck - while attending a conference in Arizona, Kip received a phone call that shattered her life. Her son Chase had passed away suddenly, at the age of 23. In the wake of this catastrophe, Kip was faced with a choice: “Do I pull the covers over my face every day and cave? Or do I surrender and make something out of this? I still have 3 beautiful daughters and a husband.” It was then that she realized that she’d “been dimming [her] light, playing it small.” The cornerstone programs of our Cultures division, Chase Your Dreams and Unlocking the Mind, are the result of this difficult time.

Kip was inspired to step into her own space and create a company where people can be happy and thrive, and not have negative thoughts and voices in their heads – a company where people can run their show, get rid of their saboteurs, and build something greater than anything. When the advisory board tried to brush the Hollister Institute under the rug, Kip decided to put it front and center. This led to Hollister Staffing and the Hollister Institute joining to become The Hollister Group. Enter the COVID-19 pandemic, and The Hollister Group doesn’t skip a beat. Through the tumultuous times that we’d already weathered, it became obvious that what was needed was to act fiercely, boldly, and with certainty as a leader. We believe in leaders who care, have heart and soul, and are ignited by a common vision and mission.