Meet Amanda Hopper! Getting to know Amanda Hopper over the last several years has truly been a blessing. I am always calmed by her gentle sprit. Amanda is extremely hard working with much on her plate, however, she remains calm and level headed at all times. Amanda co-owns two businesses with her husband, Mark, and she is an involved, loving mother. Even though Amanda has much of her own to care for, she is always volunteering and giving back to our Greer community. Amanda is small but mighty!! (Introduction written by Eugenia Bentley)
Please tell us a little bit about your family. Mark and I have been married for 13 years. We have a 12 year old son named Hudson and a 4 year old German Shorthaired Pointer mix named Ellie.
Please tell us about your current business/career. What do you love most about what you do? My husband, Mark, and I own Abbott’s Frozen Custard and Hopper Financial, both in Downtown Greer. Each provides its own unique opportunity to serve our clients/customers. With Abbott’s, our favorite thing is seeing families come in, sit around the table minus their cell phones and have fun together. At Hopper Financial, we really enjoy giving our clients a different experience than what they’ve ever had with their financial adviser or insurance agent and watching them as they begin to trust our process and realize how different we are than traditional planners they’ve worked with in the past.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in Greer?
A: Too many to list and I’m sure I will forget some but we love The Clock and Southern Palate for a more casual dining experience as a family. We enjoy both Roma Invicta, Great Bay Oyster House, and Strip Club 104 when we want a less causal meal for just the two of us. Of course we also enjoy Chick-fil-A and Zaxby’s when we want to support local but need a super quick meal!
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
A: We’ve lived in Greer for just over 10 years. We opened Hopper Financial in Greer in July 2015, although our practice had been focused on serving Greer since early 2013. We opened Abbott’s in August 2019.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
A: There are so many interesting people here but I’d have to say Cliff Harpst, a WWII veteran who used to hang out at Stomping Grounds. He’s since moved back to Illinois to be closer to family but he just turned 94 years old. We still keep up with him via a private Facebook group. He always had a story and loved anyone who loved him. There’s a special sandwich named after him at Stomping Grounds that you should try sometime!
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A: We have many places on our bucket list but I’d settle for just about anything tropical right now!
Q: What is your favorite movies? TV shows?
A: I don’t watch a lot of either but Footloose will always be a favorite movie (and that soundtrack is amazing)! I never miss an episode of This Is Us, although it’s never made me cry.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
A: Always be the hardest worker in the room. I live by that and it’s served me well.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: To own another business- but don’t tell my husband or my mom!
Q: What is go-to band or favorite music when you can’t decide what to listen to?
A: I can’t pick. I can’t imagine a life without music!
Q: What current / former local business makes you the most nostalgic about Greer?
A: Smith & James, Bullocks Barber Shop, Millers Car Care, and also Stomping Grounds. Although Stomping Grounds hasn’t been around long it’s the first place where we were welcomed into the Greer business community. Before we opened an office here we even had clients who would check to see if we were there and called it our “office.”
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would you take them for lunch?
A: Wow, this is hard. I truly have no idea!
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about Greer?
A: The way we love each other is something I’ll never get over. It was what drew us in. I’ve told many people to be careful about coming to Greer because you might never want to leave.
Q: (Even for friends and family) What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: There is really nothing interesting about me. I’m pretty boring and normal. Even though a lot of people already know this, I’ll tell it anyway. I am terrified of pigeons. If you ever hear a blood chilling scream in Downtown Greer, it’s probably me when a pigeon flies from one of the business awnings into my face. I will hit the ground. No lie.
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
A: Colorado was absolutely breathtaking.
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
A: My favorite month is November. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. The best single day on the calendar is New Years Day, which is also my birthday!
Q:Who inspires you to be better?
A: My son. I want him to understand the value of hard work. I want him to understand that a college degree can’t replace a strong work ethic and integrity can’t be replaced by anything. What he sees modeled in me is what he will become.
Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: Family, animals (never want a home without them), and Greer. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
