Company Blog

Communication: Harder Than Parallel Parking

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 ...

by Adam Zack — July 2, 2025

“…what has been the greatest kindness bestowed upon you in your life?”

I read a lot, and am always seeking out things that either for business or on a personal level will lead to some kind of improvement or inspiration. I get a monthly blog from a young financial advisor named Stephen Nelson. https://birchwoodcapital.com/team/ He has impeccable morals, is an inspirational family man and is an all around great human being. If I had a son, I’d be very proud if he turned out like Stephen. So I got his July newsletter yesterday and it concerned being excellent at what you do, no matter what it is. In it an interviewer asked very successful investor Rick Buhrman, ”What was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for him?” Without reading any further, it made me ponder what the kindest thing anyone had ever done for me? More on that later. Rick’s answer involved his son being born very ill (as in he probably won’t live long) and the collection of doctors, nurses and critical care professionals from three different hospitals that cared for him in the newborn intensive care units for the first six months of his life. Initially, it’s not viewed as a kindness. They were professionals in their field who were doing their job, right? The kindness come...

by Adam Zack — June 25, 2025

“CEOs, and head honchos are so important to your customers.”

Hello! I just returned from a 5 week sabbatical trip to Europe. It was amazing and refreshing and awe inspiring all at once. There was so much history we saw, food we ate, wine we drank, places we visited and things we learned. One of those should be the most memorable, I would think. Maybe the Vatican in Rome. Or the Duomo in Florence. How about the Rock of Gibraltar? Maybe the tapas in Spain. But the most memorable and influential things were not historical or gastronomical. They involved business management and leadership lessons that I will never forget.Let me set it up for you: Our trip included two Mediterranean cruises. The first was on the cruise line Azamara and left from Rome. Having never sailed on Azamara, we were very impressed with the exceptional service, quality of food and amazing ports we visited. Towards the end of the cruise we were invited to a special dinner with the Captain and officers of the ship, along with about 12 other passengers. We looked at each other and said “Is this a mistake? We aren’t special.” But it wasn’t a mistake. We were seated at the long, very fancy dining table that had name cards at the seat where you were to sit. We found our seats at the middle ...

by Adam Zack — June 18, 2025

“Authentic speaks of honesty, reliability, transparency and trustworthiness.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about authenticity lately. I don’t know why, but in personal encounters I find myself thinking about not only my authenticity, but more closely about the person I am conversing with. Am I getting the truth about who this person really is and what their values are, or am I getting some kind of glossed over People magazine version of them telling me what they think I want to hear. Authentic speaks of honesty, reliability, transparency and trustworthiness. Authentic people display their true values in their actions and words. It’s the real thing and is verified by what we do everyday. But there are some people that are authentic a-holes. Their true character is one of deceit, selfishness and dishonesty. Keeping authenticity at the top of your mind will automatically direct you to relationships that share your values. Our relationships with the businesses we deal with share a similar authentic relationship. Once a store promises to deliver something you want, then fails repeatedly to deliver, you start to see that their authenticity is not what was initially represented. It’s like People Magazine or Instagram and Facebook, where only what you see is not what...

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