Creative Advertising Alumnus, Sam Derian’s, Ambitious and Versatile Path to Success
From Mindfulness App creator to General Motors designer, Derian has harnessed his degree for maximum success and impact
By: Thomas Emery
Sam Derian’s career at General Motors has been nothing short of impressive. As a creative advertising major at Michigan State University, Derian applied his knowledge through the vast variety of fields in which he has worked. From roles as an IT intern at Gold Star Financial Group to a graphic designer for Asset Health, Derian found several ways to make an impact.
Derian began his journey at MSU as a human biology major, but soon realized it wasn’t for him.
“I pivoted my sophomore year to creative advertising and that kind of set me off on a path of design. I did a lot of freelance, I did a lot of branding, (and) did some free internships at a faith magazine,” said Derian.
Derian says after gaining a wealth of in- and out-of-class experience, he had his sights set on one Detroit agency: Donor Advertising. However, opportunities continued to creep up on Derian. Derian held part-time positions with Boon Health and Shift_Up before ending up at his current employer, General Motors.
Derian’s longevity at General Motors aided his upward mobility within the company. MSU offered many opportunities to work on his graphic design and software skills. The differing experiences with each role post-graduation provided unique challenges to showcase his strong work ethic and commitment to being the best.
“The majority of my early career at GM for the first two or three years, I was a solo designer. I told myself I don’t care about my title, pay, or what products I work on. I just wanted as many products under my belt that I could say that I designed from conception through delivery,” said Derian.
Derian’s career didn’t just consist of roles working strictly as a graphic designer, as he endeavored down a path to create a new business opportunity. As one of the co-founders of MeditationWorks.
Derian co-founded MeditationWorks in 2015, a business-to-business operation as a resource to allow the employers they were hired by to relax. This was Derian’s first venture into running business operations.
“I was a co-founder of MeditationWorks,” Derian said. We would partner with businesses to provide that as a wellness incentive for their employees. So, their employees would come down and they would book a time with us.”
MeditationWorks was merely a side job for Derian, a way to explore the possibilities of starting a business. It is safe to say Derian’s career path has been nothing short of impressive.
Derian was once in the shoes of many current graduating Spartans. Graduation is a big transition with a clouded path for some.
“I think there are a lot of skills that an individual can have and bring to the table, like your ability to kind of articulate and communicate effectively the decisions that you’ve made. Continue to sharpen your skills and lean into your craft,” said Derian.
For more information about Derian’s career and journey, check out the LinkedIn to view his account.