Company Blog

Calm Christmas

by Adam Zack — December 13, 2023

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.

Just before Thanksgiving a friend was telling me how Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday. “More than Christmas?”, I asked. “Yeah”, he said, because it didn’t involve the stress and craziness of buying gifts, decorating, making sure everyone is happy and the pressure that came with it. To him Thanksgiving was about family and friends sharing a big meal and, well, just being thankful. As we close in on Christmas, I really have given his words some thought. The hosts of Christmas gatherings have the pressure to make sure everyone is happy. Guests have to decide where to go, when to go, who to go with. Lists of gifts and recipients need to be fulfilled. Who to see? What to cook? Combine that with the hectic and extremely busy season that befalls grocers, and it gets almost overwhelming for some people. I love Christmas, and this year I am going to try and take my friend’s view of Thanksgiving and apply it to Christmas.I’ll be thankful for the friends and family that I do get to see. I’ll take their desire for us to be together on the holiday as a compliment and not an obligation. The focus in our house is going to be one of gratitude and appreciation. I’m getting all calm jus...

by Adam Zack — December 6, 2023

“All in one till death do us part.”

Do you ever play out the scenario “If you had a gun to your head and you HAD to choose…” followed by something like one food to eat the rest of your life, or one band to listen to, or which kid is your favorite? Kind of like Sophie’s Choice*, but without the death consequence for the child you didn’t choose. When it comes to shopping, a loathsome chore in my book, I used to have discussions with my two daughters about shopping and my strong aversion to malls. I told them that I could be happy for the rest of my life with only two stores – Jensen’s (our grocery store) and Target (for clothes, entertainment, housewares). Home Depot might be a close third. The scenario would never play out in real life, but it got me thinking about the question that if someone had a gun to my head and I could only choose ONE grocery store to shop at for the rest of my life, what would it be? All things would have to be considered – prices, selection, quality, service. No longer would I be able to get paper towels and foil at Costco and potstickers at Trader Joes and fresh meat at Jensen’s. It would be all in one til death do us part. The more interesting part of the question would be what would our customers sa...

by Adam Zack — November 29, 2023

“I don’t feel as old as I look.”

So I was talking with my wife about someone she knew who was less than enchanted with her job and the salary she makes. The person has been at her job for many years, still made minimum wage, and felt pretty much taken for granted by her employer. (She is not in the grocery business, we do better than that.) While she lamented her position and where she is in her career, she really didn’t have a path that she could see that would provide a more meaningful and fulfilling career. She asked my wife just how she could do something different? How can she find another opportunity? It struck me that opportunities don’t regularly present themselves with a “Ta Da! Here I am!” They don’t knock loud. Usually they don’t knock at all. Opportunities for advancement and success – in anything – from a new marketing campaign to a job promotion – have to be sought out. The trees have to be shaken. Standing still and waiting will be endless. Carpe diem.

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by Adam Zack — November 22, 2023

“I don’t feel as old as I look.”

It’s unbelievable. Thanksgiving 2023! When we were kids time seemed to just go so sloooooowwww and somewhere in our 20’s or early 30’s it seems to have speeded up. “I hope I die before I get old” has morphed into “I don’t feel as old as I look” and constantly reminds me of everything I have to be thankful for, every day.Top Nine Things I am thankful for 2023

A return to mostly normal life. Baseball games, concerts, travel all without a mask.
Smashburgers. I mastered this one at home. So delicious.
Employees that treat me and each other like family.
A boss that makes it a point to compliment and is funny and weird.
Thomas Keller’s schnitzel recipe.
Kids that make their own way, think their own thoughts and still love their dad.
A big family tree of nuts who doesn’t usually judge, seldom fights, loves each other unconditionally and always has each other’s backs.
The love of a woman who is my number one fan.
The freedom and opportunity to work hard, play harder and have the health to get up and do it again every single day.

Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for the fun and friendship....

by Adam Zack — November 15, 2023

Man-hugs were pretty much non-existent.

The 70s and 80s were pretty much emotionless decades. Actually, all the preceding decades were too. I don’t mean that there were no emotions, I mean that they just didn’t get shared publicly like today. When we were growing up, guys greeted each other with a handshake, or maybe a high-five. Our dads didn’t say “I love you” every time we talked on the phone. They rarely said it at all. I don’t think my dad told me he loved me until I was in my 40s. Man-hugs were pretty much non-existent. Brothers didn’t express any affection, especially publicly. We loved our friends, brothers, sisters and dads just as much then as now, too. We just didn’t show it.Especially over this holiday period, I try to take a step back to take stock of all the things – and people – in my life that I love and am thankful for. I am especially thankful that it’s OK to show it and say it. How great is it to get a real hug from your brother without any uncomfortableness? To see male friends and be able to say I love you or I miss you without worrying that someone is thinking that you two are maybe a little more than “friends’? [Not that there’s anything wrong with that!] It’s especially tricky in today’s #metoo culture. I really missed...

by Adam Zack — November 8, 2023

Customers can be convinced to shop at your store simply due to the words you use and how you market them.

Knives, swords and guns are powerful weapons, no doubt. Wars have been fought, won and lost because of the weapons deployed. The bigger knife, bigger gun, bigger bomb usually wins the war. But it’s words and gestures that are the most powerful weapon when it comes to starting, or ending, a fight. An insult can, and has, started a war. Calm words have prevented them. So when it comes to power to influence and change things, start by examining the words you use and how you deliver them. Customers can be convinced to shop at your store simply due to the words you use and how you market them. Spell things wrong, use terrible grammar, be unimaginative and the chances of you persuading someone to look your way are drastically reduced. It follows suit with existing employees and customers – the words you say and how you deliver them can make or break the relationship. Compliments freely and thoughtfully delivered will inspire loyalty and appreciation. “You look great today, Miss Jones”, “Have you lost a little weight, Bob?” “You did a fantastic job closing last night, Mark.” are all simple things to say that are often not spoken. And t...

by Adam Zack — November 1, 2023

Telling someone to “Just stay calm” usually has the opposite effect.

I think I can speak for the group of us when I say that we all love being in a state of calmness. There’s no emergencies going on. We’re relaxed, focused and content. Calm is organized, aware and productive. It’s not distracted or interrupted. Calm comes after a good night’s sleep and isn’t easily distracted. Winners remain calm under pressure, even when the pressure is intense. We all want to remain calm, and want others around us to do the same. I have learned, however, that staying calm is not a piece of advice that can be easily given. Telling someone to “Just stay calm” or “Calm down” usually has the opposite effect. Something along the lines of “Don’t you tell me to calm down! I am calm! YOU calm down!!!!” Calm doesn’t have exclamation points. Ever. So next time you find someone on your team or your family in an obvious non-calm state, the way to get them to calm the F down is by how you behave in the situation. Leaders stay chill under pressure, and the team follows.

Read More – Sales vs Expenses

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by Adam Zack — October 25, 2023

“A reciprocal relationship is satisfying and rewarding for everyone involved.”

It’s a very ancient saying,
But a true and honest thought
That if you become a teacher
By your pupils you’ll be taughtAs a teacher I’ve been learning
You’ll forgive me if I boast
And I’ve now become an expert
On the subject I like mostGetting to know youGetting to know you
Getting to know all about you
Getting to like you
Getting to hope you like me– Rogers & Hammerstein from the movie The King and I. Sung by Julie AndrewsI don’t think enough can be said about the most successful and effective leaders ability to know their workers. Asking and listening about what is going on in the lives of the people you are surrounded by is the key to a reciprocal relationship. And a reciprocal relationship is satisfying and rewarding for everyone involved. When you, as a leader know details – and I don’t mean prying, sordid details – about the lives of your team they work harder for you and feel how much you care about them. Asking how their kids soccer team is doing, how their day off was, and how their spouse is doing all show a level of caring that ...

by Adam Zack — October 18, 2023

“Forgiveness isn’t about making the wrong-er feel better, it’s about making me feel better.”

Last week the subject came up about how many families have fights that go on for months, years – even lifetimes. Some feuds are generational, like the Hatfields versus the McCoys. We discussed how many times the wronged are completely justified in their feelings of betrayal and hurt, but there is often no justifying what someone has done to you. It’s just plain wrong – hence you are the wronged. But once the deed is done, how can it be put in the past and forgotten? Most wrongs are never forgotten. Sure, they get dull with time and the details become fuzzy with the help of good wine and better times, but deep hurt and resentment still lie deep. The common belief we have is that to forgive someone, we have to somehow reconcile the circumstances that what they did to us was somehow okay, that it was forgivable. I thought that for about 50 years. But even a stubborn old dude can learn, because forgiveness isn’t about making the wrong-er feel better, it’s about making me feel better. The anger and negativity I may feel towards someone else (or towards myself if I have deep feelings of guilt) are like one of those old-fashioned barbells that weigh me down. Sure, I may get ...

by Adam Zack — October 11, 2023

“Is it OK if I finish my story?”

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” –Stephen R. CoveyA while ago I wrote about a guy who during any conversation just had to finish the other person’s sentences. It’s one of the most annoying habits – and it really is just a bad habit – that someone can have. I’ve noticed it a lot lately with a young guy and a lady I know. It’s a combination of incredibly poor manners and even poorer listening skills. I struggle with the urge to reach out with a quick smack to change the behavior. Or just roll my eyes. A good friend of mine actually gets this pissed off look on his face and says “Is it OK if I finish my story?” when people cut him off before he’s done talking. So the question here is how can you effectively and tactfully point out the habit and give the lesson that listening is one of the greatest skills and most important tools for success? How can we as managers be better listeners and teachers? In the Heart of Leadership class by Amba Gale, if someone in the group interrupted (or even got up to use the bathroom) during her lesson, instead of just ignoring the disruption and going on, she would stop and call the person...