Joel Miller

Joel Miller Partner Button It Up Member since 2017

How did you get started in the industry?
Well, it was only 2.5 years ago. My father in-law wanted to retire so I took his spot as the Button It Up tech wiz. For most of my career I worked at NCR in a number of different consulting, product, and sales roles. My skills prepared me well for my new role, but my mother in-law, Sharon Hochdorf, really taught me everything I know about the industry that’s enabled me to be successful.

What’s it like working with your mother-in-law?
People ask me this all the time. I know for some people it could be their worst nightmare; however, I am fortunate to have Sharon as my mother-in-law. She is so supportive and really cares about my success.

If I wasn’t in the hospitality industry:
I might be an engineer… All of the males in my family are engineers. After two years in college I realized it wasn’t the right fit. Perhaps it was the midnight study sessions in the physics lab.

I joined MPI because...
I attended a couple of MPI events as a guest and then as a sponsor. Every event was a great combination of seeing my existing industry friends, and also connecting with really amazing people that I didn’t know. The caliber of people in our chapter is very impressive. As a result, I have really enjoyed being a part of these great events. 

I hear you are chairing the upcoming Fall Classic...
I got involved because I wanted to meet more people, and I’m always looking for new people to join me for a round. I tend to get jealous of the sales people that take their clients out to play golf all the time. I’m always looking for an opportunity to “work” on the golf course.

I love golf because…
It’s a chance for me to truly relax. I like to play around 7:00 AM during the summer so I can beat the heat. It’s so beautiful on the course in the early morning. Also, my cell phone sits in the cart the whole round… I really try to leave work at the office.

Tell us about your volunteer activities…
It’s great having the opportunity to donate our services for causes that are important to us and our friends and family. Last year, we provided in-kind donations to Childrens’ Healthcare of Atlanta, Special Olympics of Georgia, Creating Collaborative Communities, The Jewish Fertility Foundation, Save a Childs Heart, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and more. We can’t always say yes, but it’s one of my favorite things to be able to do as a small business.

I’m proud to call Atlanta home for nearly 20 years. I’m a South Florida native, but came to Atlanta to attend Georgia Tech and never looked back. I love being a part of all the amazing things going on in the city, and I’m proud that so much of the transformation of midtown and downtown Atlanta is driven by our industry.

I also enjoy connecting people and companies through referrals. Unfortunately, our services are typically the last thing booked so we don’t have the opportunity to refer people very often. I get excited when someone asks for a referral, because we know so many great people in the industry that we have worked with at countless events. It’s a pleasure being able to send them to someone we know will take amazing care of them.

People don’t know that I’m a huge nerd, but that description definitely is applicable. I love video games even though I rarely have time to play them. I also love Sci-Fi books, movies, and shows. I’m always down for a good game of Settlers of Catan or any number of other board games.

My wife, Meryl Miller, is an extremely talented audiologist who works for a local private practice. We are blessed with two daughters, Naomi (5) and Tali (3). We also have a live in au pair, so it’s me and four women in the household. I may run operations at Button It Up, but at home I just do what I’m told.

Did I mention I enjoy golf?