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Leading Regular Folks, Bentonville, AR (2026)

10/01/2024

Dear Store Manager, ᵀᴹ

I recently shared my current focus regarding this page. I realize there are only a few people currently tuning in. I’m OK with that.

I've been mostly relaxed for 19 years. Considering that, it's not lost on me that delving back into a world I've been largely absent from for that long seems a little far-fetched...even to me. But I'm a believer that some things don't change regardless of the technology around it and one of those things is people. I also believe that regardless of a person's age they can make a difference. In fact, there are some things you just wouldn't have the experience to do if you're a youngster in your 20's or 30's.

There are five (5) billion folks on social media. Drawing on what I learned from Mrs. Shackleford in her 1968-9 3rd grade class, that’s approximately 5 billion individual sites/pages vying for your attention.

As I recall from having been the store manager of a few different stores/warehouse clubs, most of what I learned about leading folks was from doing it and watching other people do it. Most of what you'll get here isn't likely going to come from your corporate training & development department. That is, unless your training and development department is ran by former store managers or people who have been store managers who have proven themselves as effective leaders of people in the workplace.

It's my experience that most people wouldn't even want the job of store manager and for good reason: There's a lot of moving parts, it requires the support of a bunch of people, and....IT’S HARD! There's also a reason why retail store managers in various companies scattered all across America can earn as much as a few hundred thousand dollars a year for managing a large retail store: IT’S HARD and it takes a big commitment!

All right, enough of that. I’ll be back soon with some more intel on how to become more effective at what you do, how to make your job less stressful and, over time, more rewarding. In the meantime, consider forwarding this post to anyone you care about who wears a name tag that says, Store Manager. They might one day thank you for it.

Sincerely,
Russ

NOTE: NO Ai involved with this or any post in which I'm associated.

09/24/2024

Dear Store Manager, tm

Want your resume to stand out from the resume of most other store managers? Here are two things you might consider:

-Tell the Truth About Yourself
No one will believe it if you suggest you’re good at everything. The CEO of the company you’re trying to get a job with is not good at everything. There’s only one Tony Robbins.

-Avoid Resume-Sameness
If your LinkedIn resume sounds like most of the others, a potential employer may assume you are like most of the others. Look at how you can tell your story differently. Here’s just one example of resume-sameness:

“Highly experienced at managing cross-functional teams.”

The first few hundred times I read that I wasn’t sure what it meant. Then I figured it out. If you have experience managing retail stores/grocery stores/warehouse clubs, anyone who knows what the job entails is going to know that you know how to lead, manage, and work with people in and around all areas of your business. You don’t even have to put it on your resume.

Consider something more like this:

For 20 years I’ve managed general merchandise and grocery stores ranging from 60,000 to 180,000 sq. ft. I’ve had as few as 85 employees and as many as 450. Sales volumes ranged from 35 to 120 million. I understand the many and varied aspects of managing a retail store. With 25 years in the business, I’ve learned how to work with about every personality known to man. I’ve learned to manifest my talents and experience through the people I lead while inspiring them to give the best of themselves. I have a clear understanding of the importance of the customer. My greatest area of expertise is generating a productive and healthy environment for the employees and customers. When I make a mistake, I know the importance of owning up to it; apologizing when appropriate and committing to not making that same mistake again.

Anyone looking to hire a store manager who comes across a resume that sounds more like that, isn't likely to set it aside to look at a bunch of resumes of "cross functional team experts."

If you were a principal looking for an experienced high school math teacher, you’d likely assume that any applicant with 20 years experience teaching high school math knows how to add, subtract, multiply and divide. You’d be more interested in knowing if they are capable of inspiring a room full of teenagers to want to learn all there is to know about math.

Consider that and then take another look at your current resume. Can you tell about you better than the professional who wrote it? In many cases, you can.

Sincerely,
Russ

NOTE: As always, no Ai involved in this post. I take full responsibility for every word of its content. DSM-16

09/14/2024

For the handful of folks currently tuning into 'Leading Regular Folks', I thought I'd give an update as to what the snot I'm doing on here.

The truth is, for the past 19 years I've been about 98% retired: Unemployed if you prefer. Although I'm not planning on going back on anyone's payroll, I have decided to do a little more of what I still enjoy as it relates to business: Writing and talking about what I might have learned on the subject of managing a general merchandise/grocery retail store full of human beings. More specifically, how to lead, work with, develop, evaluate, support, and most importantly, INSPIRE the folks who do most of the actual work, while, never taking for granted the people who provide our mutual paychecks: The customer. With that, below is my updated Linkedin profile:

After a business career that spanned 10,596 days, I submitted a 30 day notice and departed the company I had essentially grown up in. That was in June, 2005. From the day I "left the building" I rarely looked back. My intention was to spend the rest of my life "off the payroll." I was not burned out and I was in no way bitter. I had been treated fairly my entire career; sometimes better than what I may have deserved. I left feeling they owed me nothing more and I owed them nothing more. I had a strong desire to experience a life that wasn't perpetually tied to a profit & loss statement.

Then, in January of 2015, I was inspired to share what I felt I had learned about leading people in the workplace. The result of that inspiration, eight months later, was the book, "Leading Regular Folks--What Matters Most in the Workplace". To date, it has sold a few thousand copies.

That book resulted in a number of speaking engagements and short-term consulting work. I discovered that there is a market for straight-talk concerning the day-to-day realities of the retail workplace, from a person who's actually worked in it.

In June, 2024, following a few more years of "relaxment", I was invited to speak at the Walmart Canada presidential breakout session at Walmart's annual associate/shareholder meeting. It was after that inspiring experience that I realized I had a desire to continue spreading the message that, IT'S STILL MOSTLY ABOUT THE PEOPLE!

If I have an expertise, it's understanding the reality of managing low to high volume retail stores, as well as leading the people who work there. More specifically, I've learned what it takes to be a capable store manager; much of which is behaving in way that inspires everyday folks, like me, to give their very best effort.

If you need help developing your store managers into strong leaders, I can help. If you're looking for an inspirational speaker who can relate to an audience of store managers and retail folks, I can do that too. Please give me a yell!

Russ Robertson
[email protected]

09/10/2024

Dear Store Manager tm

How is your legacy coming along?

I live in a town that’s dominated by one company. Like many others who live here and have even a passing interest in that organization, I hear a lot about the state of the current culture. I have little idea of the accuracy of what I hear.

I also hear a lot about how things were in that same company back in the old days. I know that some of what gets told is true and some of it is exaggerated. In any regard, a healthy culture and good reputation takes a long time to build and a short time to lose.

If you’re managing a retail store today of any kind, for any company, a couple of things are certain:

1. One day you won’t be.

2. Of the people you work with, their memory of you as a manager will be based almost entirely on how you treated them, personally.

Your legacy will be determined in similar fashion as it will be for the company you work for. It will be based on the personal experience of the people who worked in your store. You can hope they’ll remember you the way you’d like for them to, but the fact is, they'll remember you for the way you actually were. If you're lucky, they'll exaggerate the good parts in your favor.

I realize that a people-focused manager can’t deposit their reputation into the bank that handles their daily store receipts. But no amount of money you'll earn for yourself, or for your company, will ever make up for being remembered as a person who didn’t care about the folks who were on your payroll.

If you have reason to believe that your employees, given the chance, might vote to replace you with Gordon Gekko, you might consider making some adjustments in your leadership style. As long as you’re still in the driver’s seat it’s never too late. But if you choose to delay your growth as a leader, keep in mind that one day, it will be too late.

How is your legacy coming along?

Sincerely,

Russ

NOTE: As always, Ai played no part in this post. I accept full responsibility for every word of its content.

DSM-14

09/06/2024

(This is a post from my Linkedin account earlier this Summer)

I bet each of us has a "Moment-in-time" regarding our work-life experiences. For me, it was the 9 years I spent at Sam's Club: Originally named Sam's Wholesale Club. More specifically, one of my greatest moments-in-time took place from March 1984 to January 1986 when I was charged with responsibly for managing Sam's Wholesale Club #8244 "THE SUPER STORE!" It opened 40 years ago, this very day: June 12, 1984.

One of the associates who was standing behind the grand-opening ribbon that day was a young kid named Michael Mitschke; just out of high school. I hired Michael in April of that year as we sat inside a raggedy Ol' construction trailer sitting on the parking lot at 9820 Gulf Freeway, Houston, Texas, overlooking what would soon become the fourth Sam's Wholesale Club to ever open its doors.

Fast forward 39 years....

In April of 2023 I received a call from one of our great former Sam's Club associates, Gilda Soria. She called to invite me to the retirement party of longtime associate, Michael Mitschke. I responded with something like, "I remember Michael very well, but there's no way that kid has been there long enough to RETIRE!"...or something close to that. Well, it turned out he had been there long enough retire. My mind was blown!

I felt honored to be invited and absolutely could not turn down the opportunity to attend. I booked a flight, room and rental car and showed up May 20th at Michael's retirement celebration which was held at his favorite Mexican Restaurant. To me, it felt more like a reunion than anything. There were numerous current and former Sam's Club associates in attendance, many of whom I fondly remembered from my time there.

It turned out that Michael was the last charter associate remaining from my old Sam's. Amazingly, he spent his entire career working in that one Club.

Congratulations to all the current and former associates as well as the numerous leaders over the years who made this and many other Sam's Clubs such a success. And congratulations to Micheal Mitschke on having completed his first year of retirement. Gi' me an S...!

NOTE: A call-out to Barry Whitehead who also retired from Sam's in May of last year after many years of service. You may not have been there from day 1 Barry, but it was close. Thanks for all you did for the members and associates over those many, many years of service!

Pictured L-R Me, Susan & Michael Mitschke, Theresa & Jan Hook (Yes, Jan Hook of Corpus Christi Sam's Club Fame...and beyond!)

07/24/2024

Dear Store Manager

If you're interested in hearing more about Leading Regular Folks, I invite you to tune-in to my LinkedIn account. Rather than having multiple sites to keep up with, I decided that, going forward, I would post primarily on LinkedIn.

I recently started what will be an ongoing post that's written for and directly to the store manager, called, Dear Store Manager. By "store manager", I mean any store manager in any company anywhere in the world.

If you own or manage just about any kind of business that requires the efforts and support of a team of employees to get the job done, much of what is shared on Dear Store Manager, should apply to you in your role.

Thank you for tuning in here and I hope to see you there!

Respectfully,
Russ

06/15/2024

What's in a Book Title

When I wrote my first book (it should be noted here that I've been married to my first wife for going on 43 years so if I follow a similar pattern with my book it could be a while before I take on a second one) I primarily had in mind frontline store managers, small business owners and anyone in the retail, restaurant or service industries with responsibility for the supervision of other human beings. And if you're supervising people you're simultaneously leading people whether you realize it or not.

Then, considering that most of us are not "doctors and lawyers and such" and instead have regular jobs serving regular customers inside a regular business, well, Leading Regular....seemed like I was headed in the right direction regarding an appropriate title for what I'd written.

Then, I had a little epiphany about using the word "Folks" instead of maybe people or employees. It's my sense that when people hear the word "folks" it conjures up an image of hard working, down-to-earth, good ol' everyday people, which is exactly what most of us are. And BOOM there it was: "Leading Regular Folks".

I came up with the sub-title, "What Matters Most in the Workplace" hoping that at a glance anyone considering reading the book would know that it was about just that: what matters and what doesn't matter to the people who do most of the actual work within most organizations. And BOOM the rest is small-time history. I just thought I'd share that. I don't recall ever having done so publicly.

If you're thinking about writing a book I'd encourage you to give it a shot. It's not rocket surgery. And if the stars line up and the wind's blowing in the right direction, someone might end up actually reading the darn thing!

Thanks for tuning in and I'll try to keep you posted....

06/13/2024

It just never gets old!

06/10/2024

Greatest of All-Time?

A man died and found himself standing in front of God. God asked the man, “What would you like to know? You can ask Me anything?”
The man answered enthusiastically, “There’s a long-standing debate amongst my friends regarding who was the greatest heavyweight boxer of All-Time. Each of us has our own opinion about who it was. However, there’s really no way for us Regular Folks to solve this debate, considering that many of the great boxers lived decades apart. I can’t wait to finally know who it was!”

With no hesitation God answered, “That’s too easy; it was Jim Ballenger.”
With a puzzled look, the man said, “I had a good friend named Jim Ballenger, but You must be talking about some other guy with the same name.”
The Lord answered, “No, I’m talking about the same Jim Ballenger with whom you were good friends all your life.”
The man responded reluctantly, “But Lord, I’m positive Jim never boxed a day in his life.”
God smiled as He put His arm around the man’s shoulders and said, “You’re right son, Jim never boxed a day in his life. But if he had, he would’ve been the greatest heavyweight boxer who ever lived.”

I heard a version of this story a number of years ago and was blown away at its notion. I’ve since wondered how many folks go through life completely missing out on their top calling. My guess is it would be a high number of individuals.

If you’ve read this post I hope you’ll make time to consider what kind of job you and the people you lead (aka: have influence over) might actually be best at. Who knows; one of the great would-have-been architects could be the young lady who, just this morning, handed my coffee through the McDonald’s drive-thru window on North Walton Blvd. Wouldn’t that be something!

NOTE: My intention is not to suggest that we’re all doing something other than what we’re cut-out/gifted to do. It is my intention to plant a seed with you regarding what vocation/avocation you might actually be best at.

06/07/2024

A while back I unceramoniously decided to fully and completely retire from the world of business. Yesterday, however, after meeting a group of WONDERFUL Walmart associates from Canada, I'm rethinking that decision.

After a chance meeting this past Monday evening with Walmart Canada CEO, Gonzalo Gebara and Head of Store Operations, Joe Schrauder, they asked if I would like to attend a breakout session for their associates who had been chosen to attend "Walmart Associate Week" also known as "Walmart Share Holders Week". These associates from all over Canada were chosen to attend because of their stellar performance and overall contributions to Walmart Canada. In short they're all winners! It sounded fun so I took them up on their offer.

During the couple of hours I was there I had the chance to meet and visit with several of these associates. Their enthusiasm along with the love for what they do and the company they work for inspired me to "fire" this page back up. Although I've never wanted my identity to be what I do/did for a living, I was reminded yesterday what it was like in the days of old to be part of a team of people who were focussed on the same thing: taking care of our mutual customer. It's my belief that these Walmart Canada associates are still doing that very thing.

Among the many fine associates I met yesterday was the lad in this picture: Valdi Johnson, long-time store manager of Walmart store #3177 in *Winnipeg, Manitoba. After 45 years of customer-focussed-service (CFS), Valdi seems to be just as excited today about what he does as he was 30 years ago when, thanks to former Regional VP Greg Samuelson, he was given an opportunity to continue doing for Walmart what he had been doing for Woolco: Lead people who are keenly aware that it's all about the customer. Sound a little too simple? In a nutshell, that's about what this business comes down to.

Thank you Walmart Canada for re-kindling the spirit of Sam Walton and all the Walmart folks who started this thing so many years ago. Mr. Sam would no doubt be very proud of what you're doing in Canada!

*NOTE: For the American folks who might run across this post, Manitoba is one of the 10 Provinces in Canada. It's been my experience that many Americans don't know a boatload "aboot" our neighbors to the north. This factoid is just for you.

Leading Regular Folks

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