Rising Stars: Meet Brandon Mathews of Ferndale, MI

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Mathews

Hi Brandon, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area. I was always a social and creative guy. I grew up with a strong love for art class and began picking up painting and photography along the way. I used to make my own music videos and post them on YouTube as well. I always loved exploring and pushing my creative side. I also was very good at math and science so I eventually went away to Michigan State University to study engineering with a minor in supply chain. After college I worked in the automotive industry, but it wasn’t always my favorite environment. I made it a point to look for jobs outside of the automotive industry. I explored a couple opportunities before I got to where I’m at now. Today I currently work in the food industry as a purchasing analyst. I have finally found a healthy environment for me, and I am planning to grow within the company.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road. I have had a few career identity crisis’ along the way. I’ve always been a naturally creative person so I started to wonder if I chose the right field. One day I landed a dream job in the creative marketing world as a social media manager. I worked in this role for about a year and quickly learned that it wasn’t everything I hoped it would be. Marketing agencies aren’t always the most secure job, and it takes a hardworking and intelligent CEO to be able to successfully run an agency. I have learned that sometimes it is best to keep your passions as hobbies. It is much more freeing for me to be able to paint, photograph, and create in my own time with my own preferences. After this experience I decided to go back and utilize my degree, and I found a job in the food industry doing what I used to do in the automotive industry. Sometimes you need to take risks and explore your options so that you can make the best decision for yourself. The risks and pay cuts that I have taken for the years only helped me have a clearer direction of where I really want to go with my career.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work in the food industry as a purchasing analyst. My department specifically sells and distributes food to K-12 schools across the nation. I work with our largest vendor that helps create our applesauce, hummus, and fruit cup products. I work with our sales teams on customer orders, plan the vendor’s production schedules, and make sure that all shortages are addressed and communicated in a timely manner. I am most proud of my communication skills that I bring to the table. I make sure that I build a healthy relationship with everyone that I am involved with. My technical degree along with my social and creative personality sets me apart. I feel like I have the best of both worlds and offer a very unique mindset.

What are your plans for the future?
I am planning to work towards promotions within my company. I would like to stay in the food industry and keep learning more about food production and processes. Eventually I would like to be a manager and lead a team of hardworking and excited individuals. It would be rewarding for me to have a successful team under me. My end goal is to end up in New York City one day working within the supply chain of New York restaurants.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Brandonmathews.portfoliobox.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdmathews?igsh=MTJqdXhjOThhdGl4cg==
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/brandon-mathews-bb7751129
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brandonpaints1501