When Brandi first stepped into the Dot Foods warehouse as an 18-year-old college student, all she knew was that it was an opportunity to hang up the fast food apron and still make some extra cash in between classes. She had no idea just how far this first step would take her.
Pretty much anything you could be interested in, they have to offer here at Dot Foods,” she said.
Working weekend overnights, Brandi got her feet wet in the light pick zone of Mt. Sterling’s dry warehouse where packages maxed out at 35 pounds. Before too long, Brandi took an opportunity on the main floor where the packages can weigh, in some instances, almost twice as much.
“I had to do the physicality test just to make sure I was up for the challenge,” she said. “Not every package is heavy, but the test is a good way to show you how much weight you might have to lift.”
After a summer internship with warehouse operations, Brandi realized just how far she could grow within warehouse leadership. In the years to come, she was promoted to a warehouse lead followed by a warehouse supervisor and eventually a warehouse shift manager–all within her first ten years at Dot.
Throughout her Dot experience, Brandi has been an outspoken and active advocate for women in the warehouse. She is a member of the company-wide Women’s Leadership Group as well as Mt. Sterling’s popular “Women of the Warehouse” (WOW) employee resource group.
“WOW has done a lot in recent years,” she said. “We got protective bibs for the frozen warehouse that fit women better and we also established a mother’s room on that side of the warehouse for new moms.”
Brandi knows that the warehouse might be kind of intimidating for women just starting out, but to anyone remotely interested in the field, Brandi says to just go for it.
“Even though it looks intimidating because of the physicality and heavy machinery, you get used to it. We provide a lot of support to every new hire to get them ready. No experience is necessary because we teach you everything you need to know,” she said.
Brandi has always preferred Dot’s 3 x 12 night shift (i.e. three 12-hour night shifts per week) which allows her extra time to spend with her friends and family. In her free time, she enjoys baking, photography, and gardening.
“Dot’s flexible schedule options make it really easy for me to do what I love,” she said. “I like to find fun things to spend my time on.”
Dot has allowed Brandi to pursue her interests and grow into new opportunities multiple times over her career. While she’s not sure exactly what’s in store next, she is always keeping her eyes open for a new challenge within the company that gave her her big break.
“There are lots of opportunities within operations; some physical, some not. If you ever think there’s a better opportunity within the company, Dot is happy to work with you to get there. I’m not sure where I’ll be in five years, but I do know two things. I’ll be here at Dot and I’ll be happy.”