Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Merchant.
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?
My first job was in high school. I was a valet attendant at what was once known as the Denver Marriott City Center, now converted into a Hilton. I met amazing individuals working in hospitality and became familiar with a ton of celebrities. This being my first job in high school, driving all the cool cars, collecting tips, and bragging to my friends was awesome. I worked this gig through college and saw amazing opportunities to advance my career within the Valet industry. It took me a while, but I eventually made it to an Account & Project Manager position. I learned the business, managed a team of over 30 employees, and worked closely with clients to ensure business success.
I’ve always enjoyed music. I never had the talent to create music, besides learning to play the guitar at an early age, but because I was gaining so much experience with financials, business metrics and communication through my role in hospitality, I felt that I had enough experience to create my own brand and help artists, promoters and many more in the Denver area who wanted to grow in the music industry, but didn’t know-how.
I eventually started my own company, Top Shelf Luxury. I worked closely with many artists to ensure roles on local and nationwide shows. I helped them get paid by selling tickets for them. I booked shows. I created promotional material to make ticket sales easier and to also expand my own brand. I helped the top promotional companies in the Denver area with promotions for upcoming shows and I got to meet and become very close with numerous artists and celebrities.
After five successful years, helping so many individuals with their music careers, I decided to take a break from Top Shelf Luxury. I wanted to do more but felt like I should take a break and re-evaluate how I could help others and still be successful.
After COVID struck, I was lost, as many in the world were. But I took the time to learn another skill. I attended a software development Bootcamp in Miami, FL to learn how to design websites and mobile applications. I fell in love. It was a new beginning. I learned that I could still help others but through software! So, I studied aggressively, learning programs, attended virtual meet-ups with designers, and soaked in everything I could to be the best that I could be. After the rigorous 3-month course, I searched for my new role as a User Experience & User Interface Designer.
After many interviews, I found a company that wanted to hire me. It was in the gaming industry (I’ve always loved video games.) I went through an aggressive week-long interview and was eventually offered the position as the mobile lead UX/UI designer for Omnislash, Inc., a social network and gaming analytics start-up based in San Diego. Two years since COVID, this is where I’m at today. I love it!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t always been smooth. But when is the road ever smooth when chasing success? I had my first child when I was in the middle of my endeavor with Top Shelf Luxury. My mother had a stroke a year later and it completely turned my life upside down. I never really had a family to reach out to, so watching her struggle was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through. Since her stroke, almost five years ago, she can no longer speak. It’s been tough, but she has high spirits and that’s all I can ask for. COVID actually hit only a few years later and as if times were already tough, it just became tougher. This is when I began to truly find who I was.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a User Experience & User Interface designer, I don’t just focus on designs and making things look “good.” I find problems to solve, then I work end to end to solve those problems. I ask questions. I conduct massive research. I make mistakes. I learn from those mistakes. I work with an agile team. Since we’re a startup, our team is small, so communication is critical! I make usability happen so users can gain the best experience when using our mobile app and website. Overall, I’m helping people – something I’ve always loved to do.
I’m most proud of the experience I have outside of being a User Experience & User Interface designer as business knowledge, communication and everything I once did outside of the design industry had a huge impact on my success today. Work is important, sure, but I have a family too and those who play both roles understand that life is truly a blessing. We never stop learning. And that’s the beauty of life. I’m working on revamping my portfolio, but as far as my current work experience goes, check me out! www.BrandonMerchant.com
What makes you happy?
My family. Those who know me, know that family comes first. I also love sports and entertainment. I tend to go to a lot of sporting events as well as concerts. I love cars and video games too! The older I get, the more these grow on me. The games I once played when I was younger have only gotten better and the same goes with cars!
Contact Info:
- Email: www.brandonmerchant1991@gmail.com
- Website: www.BrandonMerchant.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/mr.bmerchant
- Twitter: www.Twitter.com/1bmerchant
- Other: www.Instagram.com/topshelfluxury
