Candace Matthews is a retired C-Suite Executive and now full time board member who ensures representation on those boards can serve as a catalyst for change. She is very active in community and making sure children get exposure to the arts and more. She joins us for today’s Powerful Women: Let’s Talk!
Full Transcript:
Jennifer Moss: Hello and welcome to Powerful Women Let's Talk. I'm Jennifer Moss, host and reporter here at WGVU. And joining me today is Candice Matthews. Candice is a recently retired C-suite executive. We'll get to that in a moment, but don't let the word retired fool you. She's jumped right into being a full-time board member and she has extensive experience in board governance and works tirelessly in our communities. Thanks so much for joining us today, Candice.
Candice Matthews: Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.
JM: So let's start with C-suite Executive. That's where you kind of help lead a company's operations and or strategies, right? So you recently retired in 2023 from Amway. You were their chief reputation officer. So tell us about that.
CM: Yes, I spent 15 years at Amway and I had three major roles. The first one was their global chief marketing officer, where I set up their global marketing strategies for around the world, and I did that for seven years. And then I became region president of the Americas, where I ran the business from Canada to Argentina. And I did that for about six years. And then the last two years, I was the chief reputation officer. And it was really around making sure that the company and the world understood what Amway stood for. And we knew what our global positioning was. We knew that we wanted to get in front of who we were and help people to understand who we were from our perspective. So it was really around the global strategies and the global reputation of the company, making sure that we were putting the right message out through our SEO search or anything like that, making sure that the distributors truly understood who they were and how they represented Amway and how they did their business as well. So it was a big conglomerate of everything, I would say all things Amway.
JM: All things Amway. And again, you were there for quite a long time. Did you enjoy that experience because it's very vast and varied in what you were able to do and accomplish a lot there.
CM: It was an amazing experience. To spend 15 years at one company, especially as the last company in your career, for me was amazing, because I hadn't spent 15 years at any one company at that point. And so it was wonderful because the owners and the family were just great people to work for. And the exposure that you got to the world by working for that company was amazing. I probably went to over 30 countries while I worked there in the course of the time, and I became a student of world cultures. It became very important to me to go to the countries and get a lesson in their culture before talking to them about what we did. And it was just a wonderful experience.
JM: I was going to say that a lot of life lessons there and an invaluable experience. I would imagine being able to be exposed, like you said, to so many cultures.
CM: Yes. And it was very important for me to get a lesson in the culture with each of the countries that I went to. So I learned so much about the different cultures around the world. I also learned that it was important that you really need to go to a country and immerse yourself in them before you impose your values on them.
JM: So I had a different question. I was gonna go in another direction, but I wanna peg off of that. So when you do that and jump into the culture and learn that before you take your initiatives there, what did you learn along the way in doing that? How did that help you or allow you to grow as a person seeing so many different 30 countries or more people?
CM: Absolutely. I think that it's really important as you're learning about the cultures, understanding how they operate. Sometimes it was exciting to learn and sometimes it was hard to learn. I'll give you an example. When I went to Brazil, one of the things that they showed me was a paper that they used for census and they had five different skin tones. And you actually had to pick which skin tone was closest to yours. And so my reaction was, okay, wait a minute, you know, when I'm going on stage in Brazil with a very dark skin tone, how is that going to be? And the next thing I learned was that actual position over, you know, outranked anything. And so it was really fascinating to learn that. I would never have learned that had I not asked for that cultural immersion.
JM: And that's in this day and age. I mean, that's how they operate there. I mean, that is how that country works.
CM: Yes. Still today.
JM: Wow. That's amazing. So when you look at that and completing part of our backdrop on work, you've worked at multiple Fortune 500 companies, Coca-Cola, L'Oreal, of course, Amway, vast and varied career there but I would also imagine as you reached different areas and levels of working at different companies, that it wasn't always easy.
CM: No, not at all. Not always easy. And I felt like many times I was being a trailblazer, especially being an African American woman. Many of your times you're the only person in the room and you have to learn how to live and adapt in a world like that.
JM: And navigate that.
CM: And oh, absolutely. But I was very fortunate because when I graduated business school in 1985, a woman recruited me and she said that she would teach me everything I needed to know about business and life. And all she asked in return is that I teach someone else. Her name was Ann Fudd. She became one of the highest ranking African-American females in corporate America, and she was there to guide my entire career. So any time I had challenges or issues, I could literally call her and just become unplugged and talk to her and she would say, okay, let it out. We're gonna talk about it, we're gonna strategize and I'm going to put you right back out there. And so having that type of guidance every step of the way was remarkable and incredibly impactful to my career.
JM: Wow, that is a tremendous blessing for someone to pull you in such as that. And it's such a, and to, such a difficult position in the companies in which you were working, in the structures there, right? I mean, I would imagine it's not easy to go to the higher levels and become C-suite type executives in any of those companies.
CM: Right. And the other thing that I learned is that it's important to have a mentor. It's also important to have a sponsor. And the difference is that the sponsor is in the company and in the room where the conversations happen. A mentor doesn't necessarily have to be in your company, but they talk to you about kind of what you need to know about yourself. The sponsor talks to you about what others need to know about you. And so I had also had sponsors in different companies that I knew they were in the room pulling for me. But in order to have a sponsor, you really have to show and demonstrate that you're worthy of having someone stick their neck out for you.
JM: I was going to say to back you up.
CM: Absolutely. And so, you know, having a little bit of both was very important, but that still doesn't make it easy. I mean, it doesn't mean that you're not going to hit obstacles. It just means that there's going to be someone to help guide you through them, because obstacles are going to come.
JM: Absolutely. But learning and having that knowledge helps you make it through those obstacles when you are confronted with them, right?
CM: Yes. Yes.
JM: I read also that you are the youngest of 18 children. Yes, absolutely. Born and raised where?
CM: I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania, a little town called New Brighton, Pennsylvania. It's about 35 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. And my father was a minister and my mother was a homemaker. And they built their family really on prayer and education. That is what they did. And so my father passed away when I was 10. And my mother raised this entire family by herself, even though she did not birth the first five. But she was one big happy family.
JM: Wow, that is amazing. 18 children. So what do you think are your life lessons, though, from growing up that you may have applied to your growth and ultimate success? I mean, I would imagine that mom had to have as your foundational rock. I know my mother was.
CM: Absolutely, she was my rock. She taught me three main things that I lived by my entire life. The first one was where there's a will, there's a way. So in essence, no matter what. You don't have to accept no for an answer. You don't have to think that because you didn't have the resources or whatever that things wouldn't happen. Where there's a will, there's a way. In other words, God was going to provide. The second one was when the Lord closes a door, He opens a window. So when you...have a challenge in a career or if you get downsized or something like that, you have to realize there's going to be a window that's going to open that's going to be even better than what you're leaving. And then the third thing was unto whom much is given, much is required. And that's the one that, as I became more successful, it was making sure that you took care of others. Lift as you climb and make sure that you find organizations that you can support and mentor people or give to that organization, take your skills to that organization, and that's what I've done.
JM: Our moms must have known each other. That sounds like some of the similar things that I grew up with. So, okay, this one I found interesting here. You have a degree in metallurgical engineering and administrative science from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Stanford School of Business. Okay, the metallurgical engineering. How did that help you in all that you were doing, whether it be at L'Oreal or Coca-Cola, and thus eventually Amway. Did that kind of weave in there in product development or something?
CM: So there were a few key skills that comes from being an engineer, and particularly a metallurgical engineer. You become very analytical. And so you don't take a problem in and of itself as a big problem. You know how to take them apart and put them back together. And the other thing, because I spent so much time in manufacturing facilities, I understood how operations physically worked. So when I would be in a role and we would be talking about something or the cost of a product or how a product is made, I could actually ask questions from the perspective of manufacturing that they were not used to. People usually with a marketing background being able to understand that. But because I lived and spent so much time in manufacturing facilities, I could actually get underneath the product development or the cost of the materials or how they were being priced or any of that came from that strong engineering background.
JM: So you were in depth, you really had that in depth knowledge and they probably took a few people by surprise, I would imagine, as you worked through certain elements of whatever you were working on.
CM: Oh yes, there was a rumor around Amway that you should never put a number in front of me because I could see through anything. I just had that analytical mind but it was a great background to have.
JM: So as we look at your career, at the heart of all that you've accomplished and all that you're doing, it's your passion for giving back and you've spoken to that, but you have a love of community. Tell us why it's important to reinvest, if you will, in community. Because a lot of people may or may not think that's necessary, but it is, isn't it?
CM: I think that the most important thing never to forget is if someone hadn't invested in me, I would never have become who I am today. And so because of that, it's really important to say, let me go back and talk to young kids in high school and let them know it's not about your beginning, it is about where you can be and helping them understand that you can become anything don't let anyone tell you that your lack of whatever they may say is going to stop you from becoming who you can be and your God-given potential. And I think it was that basic foundation or those extremely humble beginnings, or as my husband likes to say, I was Po. It was like extremely humble beginnings and people encouraging me and telling me, no, yes, you can go here, there's a scholarship available, let me help you, made me realize how important it was to do that for somebody else.
JM: And being on boards, this the second half of your of your journey, that actually can serve as a catalyst for change because you're in on the ground level as the decisions for whatever company are being made, right?
CM: Right. And that works both ways. It works for nonprofit boards, and it works for corporate boards. So you get to engage and impact the company or the organization's strategy. You help them figure out how to grow. You help them understand whether or not doing the right things, and strategically, and also for the people that they serve. And so you can ask the questions, the tough questions, and make them think about, mmm, is this direction the right direction we want to be going in?
JM: Okay, and you can also have them pause on things that maybe it's not a great direction and maybe they didn't quite see it that way and you add a different sense of, you know, whatever like encouragement and or pulling back.
CM: Exactly. Let's think about this before we take this step, right? I mean, you can do that.
JM: So in addition to your board work, you stay busy with family, kids, grandkids, no time to slow down in retirement. What are we doing here, Candace? There is no time. The word retired is very, you know.
CM: I know, that is such a euphemism for me. It's not working for you. No, no, it really is a euphemism. I am enjoying the fact that I get to choose where my time goes. I think that's the biggest difference between having a job where I was going to it every single day and now where I'm choosing to spend my time. So in addition to the boards, I mean, one of the biggest things for me is I'm raising my granddaughter. She is seven. We pretty much had her since birth. And she is going to keep me young forever. Because it's very different being the age that I am and having a little one. But I enjoy it so much taking her to school and to dance and to musical theater, all the things that are her passions and trying to create her passions and help her understand. I think during COVID she spent so much time under my desk when I was at meetings that she things that she’s a little boss-lady now and I have to talk to her teacher often about okay we don't want to kill this because she'll need it when she's older we just have to quell it and make sure that it's at the second grade level.
JM: Right and it stays in its little place. That's so fun. So Candace you've received numerous awards if we've talked about throughout your career like the Crain's business notable nonprofit board leaders, Black Enterprise, most powerful women in business, thus powerful women let’s talk today - So does being recognized as such perhaps fuel your desire to do even more, especially if you think or thought that young women are watching you seeking to aspire in a similar fashion?
CM: I think that's probably the most important part about being recognized is that someone can say, oh, she looks like me or she has interests like me. Maybe I can do the same thing. Maybe I can achieve the same level. Maybe I can go to the school that I desire. Maybe I can have the career that I desire. Because people look for people who are successful, that makes them feel like they can be successful too. And so I think that's probably the best part about recognition is that there might be a child out there that says, I wanna be like that, and I wanna learn what it takes.
JM: And so your message there with this incredible career, the retired part as a LOL kind of thing, like really not. But what's your message again to those who are currently in the stages, the early stages of their journey? Any of those actual words of encouragement like your mom gave you?
CM: First of all, remember that it is a journey. You cannot expect everything to happen on day one. The wonderful thing about a career is that it expands a long period of time and it's a journey, so enjoy the journey, always learn, always grow, and always share. That's very important because without that you're just chasing some dream constantly. Part of it is really enjoying and learning from what you're doing so that you can then teach and help somebody else.
JM: Absolutely. One of my favorite quotes is, enjoy where you're at on the way to where you're going. I love that. Candace, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your story and all that you do in the community. We really appreciate you. And of course, I want to thank all of you for listening and joining us for this edition of Powerful Women. Let's Talk.
