#LifeatNutrabolt: Controlling Your Controllables with Catherine Mathews
Tags: Careers, Hiring, Sales, Women In Business

Catherine Mathews — Regional Manager, Beverage — Texas

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Catherine Mathews moved to Texas on a leap of faith to continue her professional career in a new city.

Just a few years later, combining her experience in sports and beverage, Catherine now leads the Texas team as a Regional Manager for Nutrabolt’s growing Beverage division, overseeing the company’s portfolio in the Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio regions.

Describe your role and the impact you make at Nutrabolt.

Catherine Mathews: I am the Regional Manager for the Beverage team in Texas. I work alongside our six Area Sales Managers and our DSD partners as we grow distribution and brand awareness.

What influenced you to choose your career path?

CM: Growing up I always enjoyed playing and watching sports, so naturally, I thought my career would be in Athletic Training. After realizing the medical side wasn’t for me, I went to business school for Sports Marketing and jump-started my career working in the NFL.

From sports, I transitioned into the beer industry, which eventually brought me to Austin, TX. It was a bit of a leap of faith moving to a new city without knowing anyone!

What attracted you to Nutrabolt?

CM: Upon learning about Nutrabolt, it felt like the perfect hybrid for me because of my background in sports and beverage. I love working on the consumer goods side and building a brand, and I feel fortunate to have been offered a position on the team.

What has your experience been like working in the sports and beverage industry?

CM: Fast-paced! Both sports and beverage entail unconventional hours on the job, and no day is ever dull. But that’s the fun in it! You get to meet amazing people and at times visit places you might not have otherwise.

Also, both industries are very male-dominated, so it is common to be the only woman in the room. Although that can be seen as a challenge, it’s one that I’ve embraced and continue to work on improving for not only myself but for other women.

What impact do you strive to make as a leader?

CM: Managers can’t (and don’t!) have all of the right answers, but they can help their team reach their goals together. I strive to have that coaching mentality and empower my team to “bring their whole selves to work” (as Brene Brown would say). You spend a lot of your life working, and you should feel that “work you” is the same as the real you!

I’m also very passionate about women’s equality and see a ton of opportunities for more women to join the beverage industry. Whether thru hiring or mentoring opportunities, it’s something that I would love to impact where possible.

What advice would you give someone starting out?

CM: Depending on the area that you work in, a lot of the distributors are family owned and have a legacy built from within. Coming into a new position, I would encourage them to focus on relationship building. Without a doubt, that’s number one.

Spend time in your market and establish trust by rolling your sleeves up and getting out there with your partners. The more face time that you have, the more it will reflect in your sales and ultimately your business.

What’s been your proudest professional accomplishment?

CM: My proudest professional accomplishment was winning “Key Account Representative of the Year” within 6 months of being in a new role. I had just moved to Texas and was working hard to build new professional relationships that hadn’t existed before. It was exciting to see the hard work pay off!

What motivates you professionally?

CM: I am motivated to feel fulfilled in my work, to be able to travel and see the world, and to be a successful role model for my future family.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

CM: Control your controllables!