Company Blog

Harmonizing

by Adam Zack — January 29, 2025

“Our success … comes from showing up, working together, and putting our customers first every single day.”

I spend a lot of time preaching that teamwork is the backbone of success in the grocery business, especially for independent stores. We’ve got to have each other’s backs, right? There’s no “I” in team—or so they say. But let’s be real: we’re not just a team. We’re a band, and if we want to make great music (or, you know, run a great store), we’ve got to harmonize. Speaking of bands, I’ve been listening to the Beach Boys lately—“Surfer Girl,” “Wendy,” you name it. And wow, those harmonies are next-level brilliant. Complex, perfectly in sync… you’d think they were the poster children for teamwork. Spoiler alert: nope. Turns out the Beach Boys were three brothers, a cousin, and a couple of close friends who, for most of their careers, couldn’t stand each other. In-fighting, jealousy, and clashing lifestyles (one group was all about drugs and partying, the other… not so much). They basically needed referees at band practice. And yet, they gave us Pet Sounds, one of the greatest albums ever made. How? They managed to hold it together just long enough to record pure genius before going back to thei...

by Adam Zack — January 22, 2025

…look at our long-term employees and think back to what they have given of themselves … and how much their dedication and loyalty have contributed to our success.

It’s all about instant gratification, right? To quote the Ramones “We want the world, and we want it now.” Businesses and employees alike are under the constant pressure to please now. Right now. Much more frequently what you did last year, last month, last week and even yesterday is forgotten. As a business, we have invested thousands of hours and many years working on the little things that we hope will build a foundation of loyalty with our customers. But with the barrage of alluring messages from competitors, our years of effort depreciate pretty fast. Without constant reinforcement, reminders and exceptional service our customers’ memory becomes fuzzy and fades to black quicker than ever. You may have the best butcher in town but one disappointment raises an eyebrow. The second casts serious doubts and anything after that you have lost that customer no matter how long you have served the family. Employees seem to have an even shorter leash. For years they have given 100%, sparked innovation and ideas, helped with the evolution of your store and made substantial contributions to s...

by Adam Zack — January 15, 2025

Love grows from forgiveness, and true repentance heals both the transgressor and the victim.

There is an art to apologizing. No, I shouldn’t say art, because that implies that with a lot of practice and natural talent, you’ve gotten really good at something. Being sorry so often that you’ve become a professional apologizer is not something to brag about. As essentially good people, we aim to behave in thoughtful ways that don’t require frequent apologies. But let’s face it—we all screw up. Intentional or not, we’ve all done and said things that hurt or offend others. And when that happens, as good people, we need to atone for our transgressions in a meaningful way.Love grows from forgiveness, and true repentance heals both the transgressor and the victim. Where things get sticky—leading to prolonged grief and lingering bad feelings—is when an apology feels insincere or lacks specificity. “Sorry I made you mad” doesn’t quite cut it.A while ago I came across a valuable piece of advice in an “Ask Amy” column in the newspaper (yes, some of us still read the newspaper, even if we’re a dying breed). It was about making amends and outlined three crucial steps:

Acknowledge what you did. Take ful
...
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The Professional Edge

by DW Green — January 8, 2025

“Professional sports teaches us, excellence isn’t situational, it’s habitual. After all, in business as in sports, true professionalism isn’t just what you do—it’s how you do everything.”

Recalling experiences attending professional sporting events brings to mind one consistent theme: everything is top notch. In a word, professional. The venues, whether stadiums, ballparks, or arenas, are beautifully designed, greatly enhancing the overall experience. From the moment you approach these architectural marvels to the carefully curated amenities inside, every detail is considered with the fan’s experience in mind.The coaches and players are the best in the world—gifted athletes who transform their natural ability into excellence in their chosen sport through relentless dedication and preparation. Each game showcases years of refined skill, strategic thinking, and split-second decision- making that separate good from great. Yet what we see on the field or court is just the tip of the iceberg.Obviously, much goes into a successful professional sports team. Behind every winning organization stands a small army of talent-laden individuals at all levels. From successful owners who provide vision and resources, to general managers who build ro...

by Adam Zack — January 8, 2025

“I assert that when it comes to our field of marketing and branding the maverick grocers of North America, the question that matters most and that each should be asking first and foremost is WHY?”

2025 marks the tenth anniversary of writing this blog. Yay! Happy Anniversary! Ten years goes
by so fast. I was talking to one of my employees the other day, a 20 year old kid and we talked
about how 20 was kind of no-man’s land of ages. Too young to buy booze or smokes, but too
old to blame it all on being a teenager. I, on the other hand, as I turned a seemingly ancient 61 a
few days ago, think back to how fun my 20’s were and how life evolved. So I thought about how
this blog has evolved over the last 10 years, and decided to look back and see just what the hell
my ramblings conveyed in the early years of blogdom. This one below, my third blog ever,
struck me as still being very relevant, so I decided to re-blog it. Our recipient list has increased
by about 1,000 people since then, so I feel it is relevant to share again.The Most Important W
Most of us who went to school remember the 5 W’s. Who, What, When, Where, and Why. In
this age of equality for all words, le...

by Adam Zack — December 31, 2024

Gratitude, not goals, takes center stage.

It’s New Year’s Eve, and honestly, resolutions just aren’t my thing. Don’t get me wrong—I know what I need to do: eat fewer fries, do more cardio, and tell the people who love me how much I appreciate them. But let’s be real—whether I’ll actually do those things isn’t hinged on declaring them at midnight. It’s more about continuing to try, failing spectacularly at times, and then trying again.Instead, New Year’s for me is about pressing pause to appreciate what’s already good in my life. Gratitude, not goals, takes center stage. And wow, do I have a lot to be thankful for—it’s like trying to fit everything into one carry-on bag; the blessings just keep spilling over. So instead of listing them all, let me sum it up: I’m thankful. Every single day.Recently, my wife sent me some notes about wisdom and life lessons, and one really hit home—it perfectly summed up how I’ve felt in 2024: When you take stock of the things you’re grateful for, you lose sight of the things you lack. That’s a mindset worth carrying into every New Year.I know a few “glass half-empty” people (you know the type). And I wish I could hand them this pe...

by Adam Zack — December 23, 2024

So here it is, 2 days before Christmas and I’m filled with love and appreciation for what I have…

Hello, and Merry Christmas, 2024! Just when I thought I was running out of new ideas to write about, my wife Linda prodded me to think of something and I received an email from my great friend Mark Lindsey. He emailed to inform me that Slim Dunlap had died. Now Slim Dunlap is far, far from a household name. He was was the replacement guitarist for my favorite band, the Replacements. They joked that he was a replacement Replacement. He was an immensely talented and self-effacing guitarist that was admired and praised by the likes of Keith Richards and Bruce Springsteen. Unfortunately, Slim suffered a massive stroke in 2012 that robbed him of his ability to play guitar.Mark wrote to me:“We lost Slim. I remember the album “Songs for Slim”. He was Keith Richards without Mick, but with Bo Diddley on meth. [I don’t really know what the Bo Diddly part means!]And as Keith Richards said; “I never had a problem with drugs, I had a problem with the police”His songs remind me that the music business is as much luck, timing, perseverance as it is talent. A metapho...
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Are you fixing or serving?

by Adam Zack — December 18, 2024

Service is about humility.

Helping feels good, right? You swoop in, save the day, and get that warm glow when someone says, “Thank you, how can I ever repay your kindness?” Of course, we brush it off with a modest, “Oh, no, it was my pleasure!” But let’s be honest—somewhere, deep on the chalkboard of our subconscious, we tally a little mark. They now owe us a favor, even if we never plan to cash it in.When I first heard this analogy, it hit me like a rogue shopping cart in a parking lot. Was my helping always as selfless as I thought? Sure, I enjoyed it. But did it make them feel good? Or did I leave them with that awkward “IOU” aftertaste? Something to think about.And then there’s the term “The Help.” Think about how that sounds: The Help. It doesn’t conjure images of empowerment or partnership—it brings to mind maids, butlers, and drivers. Roles of subservience, not collaboration. No one wants to feel like that. Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen captures this beautifully in her work, “Helping, Fixing, or Serving”.Now, let’s talk about fix...
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Tipping Point

by Adam Zack — December 11, 2024

“…it’s about making someone’s day a little better.”

As I’ve said before, pretty much everything we do revolves around money. How much did you save? What kind of deal can I get? That’s too expensive. There’s a big sale coming up. Sales are up. Sales are down. Inflation is up. Honestly, I hate thinking about it. I hate even saying it. But no matter how much I wish I could avoid balancing budgets, deciding what to spend, and planning for Christmas, it’s just a fact of life.One of my earliest money-related memories was from when I was about 10 years old. We were in San Francisco with my biological father, having lunch at a very nice restaurant called Scoma’s. There were six of us, I think. When the bill came, my dad prepared to leave a $4 tip. Yes, four dollars. Now, this was about 50 years ago, so while inflation wasn’t what it is today, even then, $4 was borderline insulting.I remember begging him to leave more. I couldn’t stand the idea of walking out of that restaurant branded as “Son of Cheapass” by the staff. To his credit—or maybe just to get me to stop—he did leave a little more, albeit grudgingly. But his reasoning stuck with me: “It’s the same service you’d get at Denny’s.”That idea never sat...
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The List We Check Twice (and the Lesson We Learn Once)

by Adam Zack — December 4, 2024

…remember that unchecked boxes don’t define your success, and they certainly don’t define you.

Christmas time is loaded with lists. What gifts to get who. Who’s coming for dinner. What do you need to shop for. What’s the menu. Who to send cards to. Who not to send cards to. Who’s naughty. Who’s nice.As a kid, my brothers and I always made lists of what we wanted Santa—or, around age nine or so, our parents—to get us for Christmas. The process started early, usually with the Sears catalog landing in September. Pages got marked, items were ranked, and the list evolved over time. We didn’t ask for anything too unrealistic—no motorcycles or ponys—but we kept the goals lofty enough to stay exciting.Grandparents were all about seeing those lists, and with three sets of them, my odds of crossing items off were pretty high. Christmas morning usually delivered. Thanks to great parents and family, my list was often close to being fulfilled. And since my birthday is a week after Christmas, any stragglers from the list typically made their way to me then. December was basically my personal festival of fulfillment.But there were moments when I didn’t get what I wanted, and, well… I wasn’t exactly gracious about it. There was one year...
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