Written by Danielle Di Stefano, soprano; OVI’s VP of Communications and Marketing,
Director of Website Administration and Brand Curation

 

Note from Danielle: Thank you again to Judy and Houston Grand Opera Guild (HGO) for this inspiring and valuable interview; it was a pleasure!  
If you or your organization have further questions for Judy or HGO, or would like a follow-up article/resource with more specific information on how Judy and HGO revitalized their Boutique, write to oviquestions@gmail.com 

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A day of volunteering at the rodeo nearly twenty years ago would lead to managing the Boutique of one of the country’s premier opera houses: this is the story of Judy McDill, current Vice President of the HGO Guild's Boutique. In addition to being an active member of her community, she’s a devoted grandmother and, most importantly, is responsible for all operations in the Boutique.

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Over the prior year she has increased sales by a whopping 40%, taking a struggling shop whose footprint had shrunk almost 75% to becoming a vibrant mainstay of the Guild’s income. Her secret? Unique merchandise to attract patrons, sourced from a variety of vendors and independent artists. She uses Faire, a wholesale online marketplace that connects vendors with artists and companies, for sourcing many of her pieces. Many of them are exclusive to the Houston Grand Opera Boutique, including a new line of scarf designs by Allan Virgo. 

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“I looked for things that fit a wide range of prices, not just the expensive things for people that have more disposable income,” Judy said. “[Especially] the lower priced items for when the young kids come in or the high schoolers. They can find a memento to have from their trip to the opera.”

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She also ties in the season’s repertoire to her merchandise choices, for a personalized touch. “One of the operas we produced was Silent Night, which, as you know, has to do with the Christmas truce during World War I. I found some silver coins that had a picture of the Christmas tree, and they sold out like that! [she snapped her fingers while speaking to me over the phone].” 

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The Boutique uses word of mouth and free samples for their marketing, especially during HGO events such as Family Day, Heritage days, or annual Pride Night. They often decorate to fit the theme of the event for extra visibility.

“[For] Military Day, we have flags out and little pins we distribute to veterans or those who serve our Country,” Judy said. “It cost us maybe $0.35 for the pin or ballpoint pen or whatever, but they love it. And they come in and look around after they’ve gotten their freebie.”

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What started as a bid to attract more customers has become an annual tradition that staff and customers look forward to. “For Hispanic Heritage celebrations, we wore the big puffy flowers in our hair. Everyone wore something relevant to stay in-theme. I wore a little Hispanic dress; I took it off halfway through the day, but people missed seeing it. They even asked me to wear it the following year, and that’s how that started!”

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But merchandise neither sells itself nor keeps the Boutique running. The true treasures aren’t always in the display cases, but in the volunteers themselves behind the tables. Judy credits a big part of her team’s success to developing an onboarding process that defined clear volunteer roles and outlined staff protocols, fostering flexibility and quick-thinking among team members.

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“I devised ‘Welcome to the Boutique’ handouts that explained each person's duties: who managers are, what they [the managers and team members] should be doing. Our volunteer team changes from season to season, sometimes night to night. The written instructions, constant communication, and getting our processes down to a science are so important.” And they certainly have: Judy and her team can set up the Boutique and all its merchandise in twenty minutes or less, if need be!

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Before each sales session, Judy sets a team goal for the night. “I don’t try to push it on them,” she said, “but we have fun with it. Usually when I discuss goals, they exceed them.” Gamifying the goal process gets volunteers actively invested in the outcomes, bringing the team together in an enjoyable, communal goal.

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“[In 2024,] we had The Sound of Music, which sold outrageously well,” Judy said. “I mentioned it to my team as a goal to pass. They thought I was joking. ‘There’s no way we’re going to do better than Sound of Music,’ they said. I was like, ‘oh yeah, we are!’ And we broke that record.”

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What about volunteer teams who’ve become unmotivated or complacent in their roles? When Judy stepped into her position, she faced a team who’d been disenchanted by previous management, burnt out or even walking out from frustration. Her first order of business was ensuring each member felt supported and valued, their needs heard and met so they were willing to work together and try again. Active listening, creative problem solving and collaboration with team members helped her bridge the gaps.

“Alter the workload, if you need to,” she said. “I try to be accommodating to them. It circles back to being adaptable and meeting people where they are.”

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That ability to go with the flow, solving problems with professionalism while maintaining a friendly and approachable attitude, is key to a good Boutique leader. “Not everything’s gonna be perfect. They’re going to hit some bumps in the road,” Judy said. “How you handle those bumps, especially if your volunteers are there, says a lot.” 

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Staying organized (especially during time crunches) and the ability to create a support network with other staff is also crucial. The rodeo and opera seasons run simultaneously, so an already busy time of year becomes ultra hectic for Judy, especially around the Holidays and Winter. There have been times when she goes from the rodeo straight to the opera house. How does she keep everything organized?

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“Write everything down,” she said, “I also like making a calendar of deadlines and color-coding my schedule, so I know what’s when.” 

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Thanks to her team being well-onboarded and communicating, Judy doesn’t need to be present for the volunteers to set up the Boutique correctly. “If I can’t make it to the opera one night, or I’m running late, I can call my managers and they will take care of things for me,” she said. “I know it’s in good hands.”

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How does the Boutique handle the Intermission Rush of patrons? “We plan beforehand, while the opera’s still going,” Judy shared. “Everyone knows exactly what to do before the doors open. Once the customers come, we watch out for each other and make sure no one person gets overwhelmed or swamped.”

   

Good observation skills and learning from everywhere, especially retail displays, is another hallmark of a good Boutique leader. “Even just going to the grocery store and studying the displays can be helpful,” Judy said. “Notice things like product placement, stock rotation, pricing changes in relation to the time of year. Department store displays are really good for this kind of thing; I’ve gotten a few tricks from them.”

 

Judy takes those observation skills further by noticing details about her customers so she and her team can suggest merchandise that fit their personal style or needs. But the most important application of those observation skills is with her own team. She takes the time to get to know her volunteers as people, not just employees, and it has helped her forge a family of friends that go beyond the opera house.

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The bonds and friendships created in service to our beloved artform can be some of the most meaningful and enduring connections we can make. They all share a common thread: a sense of belonging and stewardship as we work together to enrich our communities and make a lasting difference. And for volunteers, that is truly music to our ears!