MOULTRIE — Moultrie mentoring group Leadership Legends took its mentees, referred to as “Legends,” on an “exposure tour” of the PepsiCo company at the Pepsi Bottling Group in Valdosta.

The tour was led by Michael Anderson, sales district leader. It started out with him going over some of the history of PepsiCo. He told them, in the late 1800s, a pharmacist named Caleb Bradham created the original formula and called it “Brad’s Drink.” People used it as a medicine specifically to help with digestion issues.

Following the history, Anderson led a game of trivia with the Legends. He handed out PepsiCo apparel to every person who answered a question correctly.

Anderson used his 10 years of experience working for PepsiCo to explain the importance of having grit and determination. He worked eight years at the sister company, Frito-Lay, and two years at Pepsi.

Anderson expounded on the idea “that, no matter where you are striving to be, your greatest tool should be your effort.” He also told them not to be afraid but to have goals and aspirations “larger than where you currently are.”

“How do you expect to get better if you don’t think bigger? If you never challenge yourself, you will never achieve your goals in life,” said Leadership Legend mentee Cambric Jones.

Anderson spoke with the group about the culture of the company, which he described as the “PepsiCo way.” “Celebrate success, act with integrity, voice opinions fearlessly, focus and get things done fast, be consumer-centric, act as owners, and raise the bar on talent and diversity” are values the company promotes with its employees.

Many of PepsiCo’s values coincide with what Leadership Legends cultivates among its organization. The Legends received takeaways throughout the time they spent at PepsiCo.

“By going through the hardest places in life, it pushes you to succeed, becoming better at standing out and being a leader,” said Leadership Legend mentee Dontonyio Wilson.

After Anderson spoke with the Legends, he took them on a tour throughout the building. It started off with walking them through the variety of beverages that PepsiCo had to offer. Then, he explained how some of the workers arrived before the stores opened. They stocked all the beverages on the shelves so they were always ready for the customers’ arrival.

Then, he took them to the area where they house the semi-trucks. These trucks took the drinks to their respected locations across their specific region. Finally, Anderson brought the Legends back to the meeting room. He encouraged them to explore the opportunities PepsiCo had to offer and to reach out if they needed anything.

“My advice to them would be to soak up every opportunity that comes their way. With each experience, go out of your way to build meaningful relationships with the people you meet,” said Leadership Legend mentor Xzavier Ward.