The MacCast Unconventional — Will Hodgekiss

The unconventional journey from real estate to hot dog cart mogul

Will Hodgeiss (’85) started with just a single hot dog cart

When Will Hodgekiss started at Mac, he was in his late 20s and had already started to grow a successful career in real estate. For him, going to university was about achieving a personal goal. What to take when he got there, however, wasn’t quite as easy to figure out. After trying out a few classes, Will settled into sociology, which he says helped him become a more disciplined person.

“Sociology really does promote thinking,” says Will. “If I had gotten an MBA, I might have been a bit too inside the box and maybe not as successful. Sociology has become extremely useful for my career.”

Now the CEO and owner of Willy Dog, a multimillion-dollar manufacturing business making hot dog carts, kiosks, food trucks and more. Most recently, Willy Dog, has also started manufacturing medical units for remote applications, such as mobile COVID-19 test units.

“You have to remain relevant,” says Will. “It’s been good fun and very profitable.”

McMaster has more than 210,000 alumni living in 140 countries around the world, and they are some of the most amazing people you would ever want to meet. The Unconventional podcast will introduce some of our alumni who are working — in the arts, as cutting-edge entrepreneurs, leading the way in health, education, technology and more — to make our world a brighter place in their own unique way. Download the latest episode, or catch up if you’ve missed one, on Apple, Spotify, or Soundcloud.