Company Blog

Reciprocity

by Adam Zack — September 17, 2025

“When that reciprocal relationship gets too one-sided…. the relationship shifts and someone else gets the chance to reciprocate.”

I believe all healthy, long-term relationships must be reciprocal. Sometimes I feel really petty thinking that. Good people do nice things for their family and friends because they want to. Because they love them. And because it makes you feel good to do something you know the other person will appreciate. You’re not doing it because you have a need to be thanked or a motive that if you do something for someone you care about, they will reciprocate with something nice that you will in turn appreciate. You do nice things because you’re nice, and generous. But still, after always being the one to invite friends for dinner, or acknowledge birthdays with cards and gifts, or have a guest visit for a weekend and treat them to every meal and activity, the lack of some kind of acknowledgement and reciprocity at some point gets under your skin a little. It doesn’t make you a bad person or less generous, but we all have a basic human need to feel appreciated. Our customer relationships are a good example of reciprocal relationships. They patronize our stores. We give them quality food and great service, they gi...

by Adam Zack — September 10, 2025

“Action statements and plans that never materialize turn into just talk. Talk is cheap. Anyone can talk a good game. “

All you do to me is talk, talk

Talk, talk, talk, talk

– Talk Talk (80’s New Wave Band)

I was talking this week about companies that preach a certain positive, proactive culture but never actually implement what they purport to believe in. Action statements and plans that never materialize turn into just talk. Talk is cheap. Anyone can talk a good game. The best of plans and intentions that are repeatedly unacted upon lose any meaningful impact, no matter how good the intentions are. Leadership that constantly talks of a culture and inclusion without actually implementing it into its culture will see its credibility with its employees and customers erode, and in the worst cases lose all credibility. Grand plans require bold action and in the end it is far better to have tried and failed than to simply talk of the grand design and do nothing.

Read More – What 75 Years Taught Me About Shakespeare’s Most Puzzling Quote

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by Adam Zack — September 3, 2025

“…take a stand, even when it’s hard, because integrity defines you.”

Write it on your heart that today is the best day of the year. True wealth belongs to those who fully own the day, not to those who let it slip away in worry and stress. End each day and let it go. You did what you could. Sure, mistakes and missteps crept in — leave them behind. Tomorrow is brand new. Start it with calm, with energy, and with a spirit too strong to be weighed down by yesterday’s nonsense. Each new day is too valuable, with its own promises and opportunities, to waste even a moment looking backward.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson (paraphrased)Man, I love that. It’s a reminder to seize the day, not just hold it lightly. To forgive and forget, because grudges weigh more than they’re worth. To be kind, because kindness is the currency that never loses value. To take chances, since comfort zones never made history. To appreciate the people who brighten your day, because gratitude multiplies joy. To reject fear and hate, because they rob today of its promise. To take a stand, even when it’s hard, because integrity defines you. To give thanks — often and out loud — for the gift of another day with people you love and who ...

by Adam Zack — August 28, 2025

“…few leaders get an A in communication. If we’re being generous, I’d give the
average manager a C-minus. And that’s not just in grocery—it’s everywhere..”

The struggle is real. Trying to consistently, clearly, and meaningfully communicate with your employees is a full-time job on top of your actual full-time job. It’s constant, ever-evolving, and just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, a new hire says, “I don’t really check email, I just follow vibes.” As your team matures and new generations join the crew,
the gap between what you think is important and what they actually care about grows wider. You haven’t changed—but they sure have.What hasn’t changed? Everyone, from store directors to part-time dishwashers, just wants to know what’s going on. What are the goals, the programs, the changes, the results? Why are we doing what we’re doing? Is the company doing well? Are the owners happy with our work? The desire to feel “in the know” isn’t generational—it’s human. And yet, few leaders get an A in communication. If we’re being generous, I’d give the average manager a C minus. And that’s not just in grocery—it’s everywhere.Recently I came across a comparison list showing what employees...

by Adam Zack — August 20, 2025

“Expectations are high for the do-ers in your company. They make things happen.”

I make a lot of mistakes. Every single day. Every day there are things I would have done differently, or not at all. Things I would have said differently, or things unsaid that I should have. The people not making mistakes are the ones not doing anything at all. Just letting it ride and leaving no wake as they putt through life, trying their best not to rock the boat of the universe. A great teacher once told me that his acceptable level of failure is 30%. You make a lot of decisions, try a lot of things, do vast amounts of work and if 70% are successful, you’re doing pretty damn good. It’s the people who have a track record of really being great employees, or just great humans in general, who, when they make a notable mistake, really pay the toll. Expectations are high for the do-ers in your company. They make things happen. They are leaders. They are the example. And sometimes they make a big mistake. It could result in a big financial loss. Or it could affect customer confidence in your store. Sometimes orders are not sent before a big holiday, costing you money in lost sales. Mistakes happen, and nearly always unintentional and are learned from. Those people o...

by Adam Zack — August 13, 2025

“…especially in business—“well-intentioned” doesn’t pay the bills..”

I heard someone say today, “It’s the thought that counts.” And my first reaction? Nope. It’s the result that counts. I can think all day about you being happy, successful, or winning the lottery—but unless my “thoughts” come with a winning ticket or at least a bottle of wine, you’re still stuck with reality. Curious, I looked into the phrase’s origins. Turns out it’s not just a throwaway line—it’s a bona fide proverb, attributed to Henry van Dyke, Jr., a professor, ambassador, and clergyman back in the late 1800s. Fun fact: Henry was friends with Helen Keller and officiated Mark Twain’s funeral. That’s some pretty heavy company. The original proverb goes, “It’s not the gift, it’s the thought that counts,” meaning that when someone gives you the wrong-size sweater, you should focus on the fact they cared enough to give you anything—rather than the fact you’re now making a return trip to the store and you hate wearing sweaters. And yes, it is a nice reminder, but in today’s world—and especially in business—“well-intentioned” doesn’t pay the bills. In our grocery stores, cleanliness, quality, innovation and customer service don’t just...

by Adam Zack — August 6, 2025

“I’ve made the conscious effort to both notice and give kindness to people I
interact with on a daily basis.”

It seems like I am noticing and remembering more kindness lately. I’ve made the conscious effort to both notice and give kindness to people I interact with on a daily basis. Sometimes, I am totally blindsided by one, and almost have to do a double take as I say to myself “Did that actually just happen?!”Monday I was going to the bank, as I do every Monday. It was around noon, and as I pulled my truck up to the front of the bank, I waited as a man was helping an older lady along the sidewalk toward her car. There was a kid at the ATM machine who looked to be finishing a transaction or not able to make a transaction. As the man and the old lady passed the kid walked toward me. He was probably 18-20 years old, with a nose ring across his nose septum and several more piercings across his face. He looked like the typical punk kid. As he approached, I was thinking that he probably was going to ask me for some money. He then said, loudly, to me, “Sir!” I waited for him to tell me a story that he needed five bucks to get something to eat or transportation. Instead of that, he looked down at my blue jeans and made the motion of ...

by Adam Zack — July 23, 2025

“Obsess over your customer, never your competitor.” – Jeff Bezos

No one can dispute that Jeff Bezos and Amazon have changed the world of shopping. What was initially just an online bookstore, dismissed by many as something that wouldn’t even be around for a few years, has become the largest seller of, well, about everything. (And made Jeff Bezos the wealthiest man in the world). It’s changed everything from ordering office supplies to how and what we read. Although I have very fond memories of taking each new Stephen King hardback book to the beach to read, I can’t imagine not having my Kindle. Maybe that’s why my arms used to be so much stronger. So what? Everyone’s amazed what Amazon does – and will do. I think it’s their single obsession over their customers that has led them to be a trillion-dollar company. It’s the old school way for the founders of the modern grocery store business to obsess over our competitors. We pull out the ads from all the competition and curse when they beat us on chicken breast by 50 cents and beam when we feature strawberries that are 60 cents lower than them. But you know who’s not pulling out the ads and comparing them side by side? Pretty much everyone. They may glance at some of your competitor’...

by Adam Zack — July 16, 2025

“The best candidates aren’t always the ones with the longest résumés—they’re the ones who bring qualities that don’t show up on a list of prior jobs or certifications.”

Too often, employers—and job seekers—get hung up on experience and technical skills when evaluating candidates. Sure, experience matters. You wouldn’t hand the keys to an 18-wheeler to someone who’s only ridden a bike. The guy twisting balloon animals at the fair doesn’t suddenly qualify as an anesthesiologist because he knows how to work a helium tank. And just because Cousin Larry colors inside the lines doesn’t make him a graphic designer. <...

by Adam Zack — July 9, 2025

“…first wanted me to see a young plastic surgeon for a second opinion.”

So since last week’s blog I’ve been thinking a lot about the kindest thing that has ever been done for me. There’s been quite a few: My stepdad marrying a single woman with 3 young boys and taking on the responsibility of fathering them. My 8th grade teacher personally making sure that I was ready for the lessons that high school and life would bring. My mom really helping me out financially when the house we were buying was about to fall out of escrow because of a terrible lender.But the biggest kindness has, much like the one last week, has come from a doctor. Many years ago I was diagnosed with a cancer in my leg called Sarcoma. The first doctor I saw wanted to cut my leg off. I was having none of that and was referred by a friend to a great surgeon in Los Angeles. He removed it. I recovered. Five years later, it came back. He removed it again. Five years later it came back again. He removed it a third time, but this time we did a series of 36 radiation treatments. It didn’t come back.Fast forward to 2021, I got an infection in that leg. My lymphatic system, damaged by the radiation, didn’t work like it should. Biopsies wouldn’t heal. My leg was a ...

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