Company Blog

Indispensible

by Adam Zack — July 19, 2017

“take the time to think of your key players “

A very long time ago the key management personnel of my family’s small grocery chain planned a revolt. They schemed and organized, whispered and planned and spread terrible untrue rumors. Then came the ultimatum to my dad: “Sell us two of the stores or we walk! We’re out of here and you will die a miserable death.” So they thought. Mind you this was the general manager, a store manager, the grocery buyer, the accounting manager and the bakery production manager. Gulp. My dad gave me a call and said he needed me to come to work for the company. Being in San Diego, 24 years old, heading into summer and with a steady girlfriend for the first time in my life of course I thought of myself. But just for a minute. Blood is much thicker than seawater. I went to work for him, they all left (except for one – the bakery production manager, thank you baby Jesus) and we went to work figuring out what they all actually did. It was scary and some things were hard, but you know what? Nearly 30 years later the company has grown, prospered and provided solid livings for our family of loyal employees. Those guys thought they were indispensible. They were not. This is where the flip side of the story comes i...

by Adam Zack — July 12, 2017

“What are you crazy?”

The majority of American business leaders in the past have spoken one language – English. The ability to be bi-lingual, or better yet multi-lingual, was held by very few company leaders. If they needed to speak another language they could bring in a translator, right? But in today’s business climate the need to be multi-lingual is more important than ever. An effective leader has to communicate concisely with everyone in the organization – from the front line to the CFO. But damn, how the hell am I going to learn another language? I work 60 hours a week and don’t have time to take classes, not even the Rosetta Stone courses. And that’s just to learn one more language! Learning a new language may seem like an impossible task with your packed schedule, but the reality is, you don’t need to enroll in a formal class or dedicate hours every day to be able to communicate effectively in another language. With the right resources, you can integrate language learning into your daily routine. Whether it’s listening to language podcasts during your commute or using apps that offer bite-sized lessons during your lunch break, small consistent efforts can yield significant progress over time. Platforms like

by Adam Zack — July 5, 2017

Where the owner greets me…

I just spent the past several hours with the owner of a couple stores in Northern California. His stores focus on super fresh foods, community, locally sourced produce, employees and family. The stores are very well run and would be my neighborhood store if I lived in the area. One of those places where the owner greets me “Hey Big A, how’s it hanging? Too bad your Chargers sucked it again this week. Maybe they will have better luck in L.A.!” Whereby I could say “F-you pal! You’re Niners aren’t much better.” We could have a laugh and talk about what local farmer had brought in to the produce department today. So why does this particular grocer even need any help from us at DW Green? Because he has stories, LOTS of stories to tell that will differentiate him from the competition. Stories of how he invested in a farm that grows for his store and how he helped plant the crop and brought it to his stores. How a chicken farmer brought him his first air chilled, organic chicken and after he roasted it took all the other chicken out of his store. How he infuses his signature tri-tip roast with a blackened seasoning that is made in such small batches by a little company that sometimes they run out and a new b...

by Adam Zack — June 28, 2017

New jobs and the start of careers are scary endeavors

I remember just before my freshman year in high school my friend, who was a year older and going to be a sophomore, told me harrowing stories of how freshman were despised, ridiculed and stood somewhere between dog crap and an ant’s ass on the high school pecking order. I was warned not to ever sit in “Senior Square”, look an upperclassman in the eye or draw attention to myself in any way. All the girls were out of my league and the guys who had facial hair loved to beat up freshmen. Well it didn’t exactly turn out like that, although it was a little intimidating and more than a little scary. Whenever I went from one school to another or one school level to another there was some fear of the unknown. I think we tend to think about our graduating seniors – especially college – as having made the major accomplishment with the expectation that they are done and ready. In reality, graduating college (and high school for those who choose not to attend college) students are really freshmen in life. New jobs and the start of careers are scary endeavors that are not always put in perspective, especially by parents who have paid for all this schooling and have high expectations. Further...

by Adam Zack — June 21, 2017

It’s not the fish, it’s the story

Some of the greatest stories are fish stories. Tales from your grandpa how he hiked up to 20,000 feet with just a pole and a bag of jerky to fish in this remote lake where the fish were rumored to be six feet long and could swallow your arm if you got too close. Dadgummit if he didn’t land that beauty, which fed the whole family for two winters. There was a lot of exaggeration, but there was a day when grandpa went fishing (5,000 feet, and he drove there) with his pole (and a six pack) and fished all day and caught some nice sized fish (12-14”), which in fact were tasty and did feed the family (one meal, except for baby Matt, who didn’t like fish yet). The point is not the fish, it’s the story. All of our stores have stories – great stories. All they need to get the customers attention is to be told in a way that is interesting and compelling. Recently I was at a presentation by Jim Donald, former CEO of Starbucks, Haggen (he brought it to life and it was sold to the group that wrecked it), Extended Stay America and others. He is known for his ability to turn failing companies around significantly. His first rule is “Have a fish story. Something you can tell your customers that t...

by Adam Zack — June 13, 2017

“How can I give more than 100%?”

110%All that and then someWith whipped cream, a cherry and sprinkles on topWay under par (golf)Raised the barAbove and beyondOver the topAll are terms for over delivering. But with expectations higher than ever, it is harder than ever to over deliver consistently. Maybe too many people over delivered too often. Or maybe the amount of effort to over deliver is just not being expended. I was recently at a food convention where hall of fame basketball player Magic Johnson was a guest speaker. He spoke of how his personal and business goal was always to over deliver. In high school he brought a state championship to a school that had never achieved one. In college he helped Michigan State become national champions over a highly favored, undefeated Indiana team. As a professional basketball he led the Lakers to an NBA championship over Philadelphia after team leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar got hurt and was out. He was telling the other players that they could beat Philly, but the important part was over delivering in his role, scoring 42 points in the final game. Most importantly, and most relevant to us, as I don’t see any of you out there leading your basketball tea...

by Adam Zack — June 8, 2017

Mrs. Crabapple got a tough steak.

There are a lot of words and phrases that make you feel great. “Have you lost weight?” “You look fantastic!”; “Man, you’re smart.”; “You just get better looking every day.”; “You’re the nicest person I ever met.” There are lots of them. My favorite though is “I’ve got your back.” The amount of comfort I get from knowing that someone (in fact, more than just one someone) is there for me, no matter what, lets me sleep well at night, be comfortable taking risks and realize that if things get ugly in the trenches some really great people will be right there beside me, fighting my fight with me with as much passion and personal skin in the game as I have. It’s something I don’t take for granted, and know that they know that I’ve got their back too. Every day of every year. It might not be to the extreme of some deeply personal back-watching that you have, but your employees need to know that you have their back. When things get ugly and stressful, their performance will soar if they know that you are there to support their decisions and be on their side. They have to know that just because Mrs. Crabapple got a tough steak or some berries that had mold on them that you won’t be...

by Adam Zack — May 31, 2017

We were taught to be frugal, but not cheap.

My grandparents were raised during the depression, and thus raised my parents while money was always tight. My grandma would drive 15 extra miles to save 10 cents on a head of lettuce. I’m not even kidding one bit. As kids we were taught to spend wisely. Do your research, compare prices, be aware of what you are spending, and don’t go into debt until you buy a house. Pay off your credit cards every month and if you can’t, then don’t buy it. Our dad is a smart spender – always wanting to get the best deal but so generous when it comes to helping others. He likes his fancy neckties, but always gets the best deal on the hotel room. So us kids have paid attention, and taught our kids the same. In fact my brother is so adept at thrifty spending he was the only kid I ever knew who actually came out of college with more money than he went in with. True story. We were taught to be frugal, but not cheap. Cheap is the guy who goes to a party with two 24 ounce beers and drinks a dozen of the ones someone else brought – and leaves with one of the two he did bring. Cheap is the customer who buys the rack of lamb and brings back the bones for a refund– for the 8^th time. Cheap is the guy wh...

by Adam Zack — May 24, 2017

Routine becomes part of the landscape

The people we see most often are the ones we take most for granted. The little things that happen every day – from that customer who buys a coffee and a muffin every single morning to your spouse who makes sure your work shirts are clean and looks you over to make sure you have no boogers showing before you head to the store. Proximity and familiarity are the easiest thing to take for granted because they’re, well, they’re just there everyday. Routine becomes part of the landscape and you don’t miss that routine until it’s not there anymore. Just like real listening takes effort and thought, your appreciation level needs a kick in the ass every now and then too. It’s the spouse who one day thinks “I’ve been making his coffee every single day for 20 years and he hasn’t even said thanks for at least five. In fact, when’s the last time he even made me a cup of tea?” And the next thing you know the routine is interrupted because the need for appreciation is not met and you’re left scratching your head saying, “What the hell got into her? What did I do?” It’s very similar with our closest customers – the ones who live across the street and around the block. It doe...

by Adam Zack — May 17, 2017

Interaction is mutually satisfying.

PONDER: to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeplyI’m thinking about how hard it is to be a good listener. I can kind of relate it to the person who wants to eat healthier. You do it for a while, focus and start to see results. Conversations are clearer and more meaningful. Interaction is mutually satisfying. The weight of having to speak and anticipate what your answer should be starts to drop off. You’re feeling good about yourself and those you interact with daily. You’re getting to be a good listener. That’s not so hard, right? Then when you’re getting comfortable, the unexpected double cheeseburger is before you. Just one, right? You listen to the guy explain what’s in the smoothie for breakfast, then you add ice cream (because it’s so delicious). A bag of chips here, Fettuccine Alfredo instead of grilled chicken and salad. Two cookies and a Bailey’s instead of no dessert. Your good intentions, initial success and great feelings are back the way they were not long ago. It’s the same with listening. You make that effort, see results, and then gradually (or sometimes suddenly) slip back into old habits. Becoming a Listening reverts to interrupting, finishing sen...