Company Blog

Freshman Fears

by Adam Zack — October 16, 2024

One way to make things easier for the “freshmen in life” is to be the mentor you wish you had.

I remember right before my freshman year of high school, my friend—who was a seasoned sophomore by then—painted a picture of high school that sounded like a mix between a horror movie and a survival guide for the Hunger Games. Freshmen, according to him, ranked somewhere between roadkill and the stuff stuck to the bottom of your shoe in the high school hierarchy. He warned me never to sit in the sacred “Senior Square,” never make eye contact with an upperclassman, and definitely don’t do anything to stand out unless I wanted to get pummeled by a dude with a patchy mustache. Oh, and forget about talking to girls—they were all way out of my league. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t nearly that bad.That fear of the unknown creeps in every time we level up—whether it’s moving to a new school, a new job, or a new phase in life. I think we tend to look at college seniors (and high school seniors for those skipping the whole college thing) like they’ve made it. They’ve hit the finish line and are ready to tackle life like they’ve got it all figured out. But let’s be real, graduating is just trading one kind of freshman status...

by Adam Zack — October 9, 2024

Consistent mediocrity is like handing your competitors a VIP pass to steal your customers.

Several years back, I worked with a guy who had a favorite saying: “It is what it is.” He’d drop that phrase with the same nonchalance as someone ordering a plain salad, no dressing. Every time he said it, I quietly winced. I mean, it’s basically code for: “Yeah, this company’s a mess, the people in charge are idiots, and I’m too checked out to care anymore, so I’ll just lob this lazy mantra out there.”Which was extra awkward because, surprise! I was one of those “idiots” running the company. Ouch.But honestly, “It is what it is” is such a dumb saying when you think about it. Of course it is what it is. That’s why it is called it! It’s like saying “water is wet” or “Taco Tuesday involves tacos.” No shit, Sherlock.It got me thinking, though, about a saying that actually holds some weight: “If we keep on doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep on getting what we’re getting.” Now we’re talking! It’s actionable, it’s motivating, and it doesn’t make you want to roll your eyes into another dimension.Sure, consistency is important. It’s the backbone of good bu...

by Adam Zack — October 2, 2024

Don’t let your loyal customers feel like they’re just part of the furniture.

So take me down the roadTake me to the showSomething to believe inNo one else knowsBut don’t take me for granted – Mike Ness, Social DistortionYou know the saying: familiarity breeds… forgetfulness? The people we see most often are the ones we tend to take for granted. It’s like the customer who religiously buys a coffee and muffin every morning or your spouse who ensures your work shirt is clean and gives you a final “booger check” before you head out the door. Over time, these everyday moments blur into the background like elevator music. They’re just… there. It’s routine, baby. And we don’t even realize how much we count on that routine—until it disappears faster than a plate of donuts at an office meeting.The thing is, just like real listening requires focus (I see you, selective hearing), appreciation needs a nudge every now and then too. Otherwise, you find yourself in that classic scenario where your spouse finally snaps after years of brewing your coffee and wonders, “Has this man even thanked me for the past five years? Heck, when’s the last time he made me...
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Captain Know-It-All

by Adam Zack — September 25, 2024

Your wins vastly outnumber your losses.

I’m always preaching about the importance of trying new things. New products, fresh ideas, groundbreaking marketing strategies – basically anything to shake things up and keep things interesting and fresh. And while I’ll go to my grave swearing that the only constant in the grocery biz—or any business, really—is change, we rarely talk about how to deal with the lovely mess that happens when those bold new ideas crash and burn.Here’s a fun fact: Failure will happen. I used to work with this one guy—let’s call him “Captain Know-It-All.” No matter what I did, the guy would swoop in with his unsolicited advice, like some self-appointed superhero of mediocrity. He had an opinion on everything, and surprise, surprise—it was always negative. Turns out, he had a major inferiority complex, which is apparently contagious because before long, we were having more battles than a game of Battleship. (Spoiler: I hated losing that game too.)Now, I’m not a sore loser. Well, not that bad. I just hate losing in general. So, when one of my big ideas bombed, it felt like the universe itself had turned against me. Cue the “Why does this bother you so much? It’s just business” comments from well-meaning colleagues. Yeah,...
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Presentation and Punctuation

by Adam Zack — September 18, 2024

Seriously, folks—customers buy with their eyes!

The three most important keys to great sales are:1. Presentation
2. Presentation
3. Presentation
Seriously, folks—customers buy with their eyes! If your food doesn’t look great, it doesn’t matter how good it tastes; it’s like trying to sell a sunset in a bottle—nobody’s buying that. Sure, you can entice them with a taste of your delicious (but regrettably named) Ugly Rice Salad, but with hundreds of fresh food options out there, you can’t expect people to sample every hideous dish that crosses your path.Fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, salads, hot foods—they all need to look mouthwatering. That’s why packaging and signage are a billion-dollar industry; they tell the delicious story of your food. But what about the words on that packaging and signage? Since so much of our commerce revolves around food, grammar becomes everyone’s favorite recipe for disaster.Here are some real signs I’ve spotted in grocery stores:
Banana’s 59¢
Open Sunday’s 11:00-4:00
Jam’s and Jellies
Black Grapeless Grapes $1.48
Pop Tards 2.69
Yumbo Jams 3 lbs/$1
Rot Chicken 7.99
...
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Looking Forward to Failure

by Adam Zack — September 11, 2024

“(Failure) is a top-tier learning tool, and—spoiler alert—your wins far outnumber the losses.”

I’m constantly banging the drum about trying new things. New products, services, relationships, advertising methods—blah, blah, blah. And while I’ll go to my grave believing the grocery industry’s only constant is change, what we don’t talk about enough is how to deal with the inevitable face plants that come with failed change.Back in the day, I worked with this self-proclaimed expert—you know the type. The guy who thinks he’s smarter than everyone in the room because Google exists. No matter what I did, it was always a bad idea in his eyes. If I’d suggested installing a slide from the break room to the parking lot, he’d claim he could make it longer, faster, and more OSHA-compliant. Turns out, he just had a severe case of “I’m actually not that great, so I’ll bring you down with me” syndrome. Classic.Naturally, we butted heads, and not in a fun, competitive way like a spirited game of Monopoly (where, let’s be real, I’d still hate losing). Some battles I won, some I lost. And if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I loathe losing. Someone once asked me why I took every defeat so personally. I mean, come...
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Your Best

by Adam Zack — September 4, 2024

“When you give your best, your employees notice.”

So, I was working on a project last weekend, and let’s be honest—the results were as exciting as room-temperature toast. I told myself, “Well, I did my best,” which really means, “I tried, but my best was probably on a beach somewhere sipping a piña colada.”Actually doing your best requires laser focus—like putting down your phone, ignoring your cat’s attempts to get your attention, and pretending you’re in one of those deep-focus meditation apps. But instead of going full throttle, I settled for “acceptable” and gave myself a high-five for trying. Classic move, right?But seriously, does “doing your best” need to apply to everything? Probably not—some tasks are just “meh” by nature. I mean, who’s bringing their A-game to folding laundry or taking out the trash? But when it comes to work, customers, and people who rely on you, it’s time to level up. People can spot a half-baked effort faster than you can say, “Oops, I forgot to unmute.”In the end, doing your best isn’t just about avoiding self-disappointment. It’s about making an impression. When you give your best, your employees notice. They see your effort, your energy, and your commitment, and they respon...
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Paths of resistance

by Adam Zack — August 28, 2024

“CAN’T ANYTHING BE EASY!!??”

Man, my objective in life is to get where I want to go the quickest and easiest way possible. I want to get to the goal line and say “Man, that was easy! I planned it perfectly. The path of least resistance was so simple to navigate.” Yeah, like that ever happens. In fact, when you do achieve an objective with relative ease, the thought is more like “Damn, I was lucky.” The path of least resistance (POLR) goes with the flow, cuts corners and requires the minimum amount of effort. Many solid “C” report cards, 2nd-to-last place teams and also-rans took that path. Woulda-Shoulda, What-If and Almost are famous stops along Route POLR. The natural tendency for anyone is to take the POLR. Not that it’s always the lazy way to go. Crossing the street, riding the train and tying your shoes all benefit from taking the easy route, but the substantial goals in our lives – winning competitions, innovating and changing the world never seem to follow the POLR. The real road to success is littered with I Trieds, Maybe Next Times and It Was Too Hards. Achievement takes work, and work, well, is work. How many times have I said to myself outloud (and others who have been around to hear me bitch) “CAN’T ANYTHING BE EASY!!??...
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Relating is good, right?

by Adam Zack — August 21, 2024

I aspire to be a listener … that leaves my co-conversationalist thinking (or even saying) “Man, you’re a good listener. Talking to you made me better.”

So I’m at this conference and I am talking to this dude who starts telling me about his cruise to
Alaska with his wife and what an awesome time they had. “I went on a cruise to Alaska!” I said
and proceeded to tell him about the time I went, how great the food was (and the drinks were
included!) and how I loved the cities and how beautiful the glaciers were and how I saw whales
and bald eagles. Man, it was a great trip. I could totally relate to that trip! Stop there: He didn’t
ask me if I had been to Alaska. He didn’t inquire which towns I liked best. He didn’t even ask if
I’d been on any vacation lately. But I could relate, right? Well, by relating I:
Stopped listening to him to think about what my response would be.
Made the conversation about me instead of him.
Diminished his story by trying to trump it with mine.
I am always trying to be a better listener (at least that’s what I tell myself.) Really I am, I swear
momma! And the lesson that relating is not always a good thing really showed me how I st...
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Non-Verbal Communication

by Adam Zack — August 14, 2024

You learn tone the hard way as a kid, when your mom said, “Don’t use that tone with me, mister!”

Non-verbal communication trumps the actual words every time. Every single time. Your tone may not exactly convey what you are trying to say, but it says everything to who you are talking to. Someone asks for your help, and you say “Sure, what can I help you with?” Sounds great on paper, right? Roll your eyes and sigh when you say it sounds like you are definitely not in for helping. “Your hair looks great today” sounds like a lovely compliment but say it with an emphasis on Your and a slight smirk on your face and you are just being sarcastic and untruthful. Do it the opposite way: “You’ve put on a couple pounds, haven’t you?” when said with a smile and a sincere handshake is sure to make the other person think “Wait…is he being serious?” You learn tone the hard way as a kid, when your mom said, “Don’t use that tone with me, mister!” and you tried to play semantics and replied “What?? I said excuse me.” when you said “Excuuuuusee meeeee” with the sarcasm of a 11-year-old. It’s especially complicated in today’s world where texting and social media are so prevalent in communication. Does ALL CAPS mean I am getting yelle...
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