“I came to Charlotte and never looked back.” Born and raised in the Myrtle Beach area, Brandon graduated high school in 1999 and knew the college path wasn’t for him. “A lot of my friends went off to college, but I knew that’s not where I was meant to go, so I enrolled in the military. I joined 2 days before 9/11.” Brandon was enlisted in the US Army from 2oo1 – 2006, with four of those years being stationed in Kuwait. “It was a time of a lot of fear and uncertainty.” When his tour ended, he chose not to re-enlist and return home to focus on his family and new opportunities in Charlotte. Brandon’s move sparked his entrepreneurial journey. “After I left the military, I came to Charlotte and never looked back.” His first event planning business was the result of an extravagant 30th birthday party. “People started asking me how I pulled it off, so I figured why not do it for other people?” In 2016, Brandon’s focus shifted from event planning to caring for his mom who was diagnosed with cancer. He moved back to Myrtle Beach to be with her until she passed away in 2018. “After her death, I went into a dark depression. I found that cooking helped me out of it, brought me peace, and made me feel closer to her. I’ve been cooking ever since.” What began as just an event planning business eventually morphed into event planning, décor, and catering. “One client had her caterer cancel, so I decided to cook for her, too.” As his passion for food grew, he enrolled in an online culinary program but faced a barrier with paying tuition. When he discovered a tuition-free, 14-week option, everything clicked. “The tuition-free aspect fit into my budget, and the 14-week program fit into my schedule.” After graduation, Brandon is excited to apply the skills learned in Class 82 to help grow his business and honor his mom’s legacy through cooking.