Shannen Bornsen | Schwan’s Consumer Brands

WISE Board Member

About three months into a new job, I received an email invitation to join a brainstorming session on starting a new organization focused on the advancement of women in the private label industry.  Initially, I was a bit hesitant.  Some groups that I had previously interacted with were more focused on rehashing issues than changing the narrative.  Being in a new role and new to private label, I decided, at a minimum, it was a good way to meet other professionals and expand my network.  It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. 

Since the beginning, WISE has focused on being an organization that does change the narrative.  As a board, we stay focused on offering programs and content that empower women and men to achieve their professional goals and grow, but also challenge organizations to change the way they view employees and advancement.  Aside from that, an important aside, it’s a place where you find support, encouragement and solid professional advice from fellow members.  It’s a place where very smart, talented people come together in the spirit of collaboration, not competition.  I’ve found many, many new friends through this organization who offer their professional knowledge openly and share their connections in good faith.

What WISE has been able to achieve based solely on volunteer hours is quite impressive.  We’ve done that with a group of people who donate what time they can and with the understanding that amount of time may ebb and flow.  If you’re looking for a place to dip your toe into the volunteer waters and make an immediate impact, take a look at our website and find a committee that speaks to you.  Can’t wait to meet you!    

Cindy Sorensen | Founder, The Grocery Group

I have 37 years of experience in the grocery industry and during that time, while I have seen some increase of women in the industry, it remains very male-dominated. Even after 37 years, I am still often the only woman, or one of a few women, in attendance at industry meetings.  I recently was asked to speak at an industry conference with a specific request to share my experiences as a woman thriving in a male-dominated work environment.  As I prepared for my presentation, I realized the advice, recommendations and skills I was preparing to talk about are really those skills which are necessary to thrive in work environments regardless of the gender make-up of the workforce.  Therefore, I changed the title of the session to the following:  ”THRIVING IN A MALE-DOMINATED WORK ENVIRONMENTS”. 

I never sought to be a successful woman in a male-dominated industry; I sought to be a successful professional in the business world. I challenge you to think of how your experiences in the industry, which helped build your success, can be shared to help other women succeed in their careers.  Sharing our combined experiences through opportunities such as mentoring, conference workshops, industry articles and LinkedIn posts will be invaluable to the women following behind us in this industry. 

While I observed the industry was male-dominated when I started my career in 1983, I never thought about my success being hindered by that, but rather I focused on what I needed to do to be the best in the industry.  Yes, unfortunately, there were times I faced outright discrimination against me because I was a woman such as the time when the grocery department buyer at one of my designated retail accounts refused to talk to me because “you are a woman and you took a man’s job. I won’t buy anything from you”.  But experiences such as these only made me work harder to prove I belonged in the role and earned the accolades and promotions which came my way. 

Over the years, I learned the way to thrive in the business world is about how one “thinks, talks and acts”.  The overall success of a company is grounded in consistent execution of business practices.   The common thread to being successful in how one thinks, talks and acts, is to do so, strategically.

Oftentimes, our roles within an organization, are very tactical and tactics are critical to achieving the company’s mission and vision.   But to be successful in carrying out the tactics, one must understand their employer’s mission, vision, strategic initiatives and the role tactics play to achieve the organization’s strategic plan.  This strategic plan knowledge is key to institutional success.  Along with my advice to know and understand an organization’s strategic plan, I can’t over-emphasize the personal work ethic which must accompany this knowledge of the strategic plan:  “Show up, put your head down, and work hard every day”.  There is no substitution for these time-tested behaviors!   Adapt a strategic way of thinking of the plan, talking about the plan, and acting on the plan. Present your tactical work accomplishments in a way that fulfills the performance measures of your management and the organization.  Talk in headlines, not in details, so others will listen and know you understand “what’s in it” for them and the organization.

But most importantly, you must build and maintain your reputation every day.  It is your reputation which will ultimately make you successful.  I spoke to a young woman today who had her dream job literally fall “into her lap” this week.  A former manager, with whom she had worked at another organization, had changed employers several years ago.  He had a client manager position to fill.  The client had previously only had someone located on-site in their office, which was across the country from where this woman lived.  She needed to work from home to manage her young family’s demands.  Unbeknownst to her, before she ever knew about the position, her former manager went to bat for her with the client and convinced them she was the person for the job, even though she would not be located on-site.  She was offered the job and accepted.  I share this example because it is a great one of how building one’s reputation every day can pay off.  Because of the reputation she had built with this former manager, he had no concerns about convincing this client she was the person for the job.  How others talk about you, when you are “not in the room”, is your reputation talking for you. 

Building one’s reputation is about being:

• Consistent
• Reliable
• Honest
• Trustworthy
• Memorable
• Credible
• ….AND Incredible!

The reputation we build, follows us throughout our careers.  It takes years to build it, one action and one day at a time. Be intentional about building a positive one.  We all have words of advice from our own experiences, which we can share to help others learn, gain confidence and succeed, regardless. How will you step forward and share yours?

Steve Howell | S4 RB, Soultion Sales Consultant

WISE Professional Development Committee Volunteer

I’ve been in the Private Brands world for the majority of my career.  It’s important to me to be an active participant in the growth and expansion of this industry.  WISE supports and promotes many of the same values and beliefs I have. That’s why I volunteer.  I’ve had the opportunity to serve as a member of the professional development committee since it was formed.  I feel it is important to share the value of the work that has been completed as well as encourage all members to volunteer too.  Here are my top five reasons why you should volunteer:

Be Connected – This is a great opportunity to be connected to WISE and learn about all the opportunities it can provide (for you as well as our industry). It has also allowed me to connect to other members and industry professionals. These connections are what enable all of us to grow as professionals.

It Is Simple – The Professional Development Committee is very flexible. We meet online every couple of weeks, never spending more than an hour to discuss our goals and actions. Our committee is very action focused and delivers results that provide value to all members.

Show Support – Volunteers are needed to allow for the success of WISE. By being a part of committee work, you are supporting the growth of the organization as well as the growth of your fellow members. 

See Creativity – Participating in professional development projects allows me to see the amazing ideas that others are proposing. The PD Committee work allows me to see many creative approaches to solving problems we all face.  It provides great learnings and experience that can be applied and shared at your workplace.

Have An Impact – This is why I like our committee! We deliver value-added development and learnings via webinars. We provide the leadership and support for our annual meetings which have become a premier event at the PLMA show. It truly is an awesome feeling!  I know that no matter what committee you are a part of, it will have a positive impact on your development and our profession.

I feel it is important to share my thoughts on the value of the work that has been completed as well as encourage you to volunteer too.

Now Is Our Time!

Nancy Cota – Albertson’s Companies

I have been in the grocery industry for my entire 45-year career, for over 25 of those years in Private Label.  I am so inspired to see where our industry is headed with opportunities for women.  I have witnessed a big change in the role of women in our industry in my career.  I started my career working as a grocery clerk in the stores where women had to wear a dress in the check stand with a little pink smock as a uniform.  All manager positions were held by men with very little diversity at that level.  As I held up my hand and asked over and over again for opportunities to prove myself in other roles, I was finally chosen to be the “token” women on the night crew, work in the produce department and become a department manager.  As I furthered my education and progressed in my career, I was finally promoted to a management position in our division office on a marketing team.  I was the only woman on the team so there were a few benefits like no lines in the ladies room, and I didn’t have to wear a white shirt with a dark tie!  That wasn’t enough for me and it drove me crazy that men were making decisions for what they thought women wanted.

Today, I am happy to say the role of women in our industry has greatly evolved.  We are essential in bringing diversity of thought and leadership to our industry.  The majority of our shoppers are still women both in our brick and mortar stores as well as with our on line shoppers.  A women’s perspective on what our shoppers want to buy, where “she” wants to buy it and when “she” wants to buy it is a critical voice in all of our companies’ growth and success.  Raise your hand and be noticed!  Tell them you are ready for more responsibility! Advocate for other women to have the courage to sell themselves as the BEST person for a leadership role.  I believe a women’s role is not just “what” she achieves, but it is “how” she achieves it bringing others along with her and not succeeding at the expense of others.  Lots of women are making a difference in our industry and we need more of them.  You can be one of them.

In March, I will be speaking at an industry conference called Shoptalk 2020.  There will be over 8,000 people in attendance.  For the first time ever, they have announced that their entire line of featured speakers will be only women!  200 speakers and panelists leading all of these conversations for changemakers to come together to hear and be heard.  Now is Our Time! Now is Your Time! As the Grocery Industry evolves and recognizes that diversity of thought and leadership is a pathway for growth, you can be part of that leadership.  As our shoppers embrace and trust private label products more than ever before, this industry is exploding with growth.  Our role as women in these spaces is to write a new chapter of how women contribute and create tomorrow’s history of women leaders in our industry.  We have it in us.  Raise your hand and be heard!

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• Webinars–Join our quarterly webinars at no cost! 
  • February 19, 2020: Annual Meeting keynote speaker, Jonathan Mayes speaks about The 8 Types of Unconscious Bias and How To Fight Them. Register here. 
  • April 14, 2020:  Alyson Van Hooser will educate leaders on how to “Future-Proof Leadership–Successfully Navigating a Multi-Generation Workforce.” 
  • Q3 & Q4 webinars to be announced.

• In-Person Networking Events–Our team is looking at various dates and locations to host networking events. If your company would be interested in hosting, please let us know at info@womeninstorebrands.com.

• Mentor Circles–Partner member employees have a chance to engage in a small virtual group that meets every 4–6 weeks to share experiences and learn. The program kicks-off in February, and we are excited to continue this program with more participants in 2020.

• *NEW in 2020* WISE Connect Online–Networking is an important part of the WISE community. We are launching a new online video platform to make it easier to make contacts and exchange ideas. Sessions will be scheduled around specific topics to cultivate discussion and nurture relationships. 

• *NEW in 2020* Updates to the WISE Resource Center–The WISE Resource Center is receiving an overhaul to bring new content and be even more user friendly. In the WRC, you’ll find all of our archived webinars, a library of our expert speakers and professional development materials.