Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/964617
30 FEDA News & Views but realized it wasn't what I wanted to do long term, so I made the transition to marketing. My fi rst true marketing job was at a small digital agency. Agency life has its perks but it was hectic, so I started looking for in-house positions. Eventually, I landed at Ace Mart and I love it here. I guess it's been a lot of fi guring out what I wanted to do and the type of place I wanted to be, but I'm happy it's led me to where I am. How do you continue your education in the industry? I subscribe to various industry publications, but the best thing is listening to those around me. I had no foodservice background prior to working at Ace Mart. ere are so many people here who are walking encyclopedias. Talking to them or just listening to what they have to say has taught me so much. How do you decompress after a stressful meeting, conversation, phone call, or email with a customer? I like to go take a walk. Sitting still is tough for me, so getting up, moving around and getting some fresh air helps me reset. What is something that you have done in your career that made you stand out from your peers? I left a "sexy" job. I was working at a hip digital marketing agency, where people could wear fl ip fl ops and drink beer in the offi ce. From the outside, it looked awesome but it wasn't what I wanted. So, I left for a "boring, corporate" job at Ace Mart and I love it here—even if I have to wear closed-toe shoes. e three words that best describe your working environment? Collaborative, growing, forward- looking. What was a mistake you made and how did you learn from it? During my fi rst few months at Ace Mart, I was responsible for sending out email campaigns to our customers. An email I sent to more than 30,000 people had a pretty glaring and egregious typo, and many people were quick to point it out. at helped me learn to slow down, take a breath and double check my work! Biggest thing holding you back? Fear of screwing up. I am very fortunate that Ace Mart encourages trying new things and taking calculated risks. But in the back of my mind, sometimes I think, "What if this goes completely wrong or what if I end up losing us money?" It's certainly been a challenge growing more comfortable in making tough decisions and not being afraid to fail sometime. I've defi nitely gotten better at that, but it's still a work in progress." What scared you the most two years ago in the role you had? Does it still scare you today—even if you are in a diff erent role? e idea of having a "career path." Two years ago, I was at the point in my life where my career path was starting to take shape. After college, I had worked multiple jobs, but was at the point where I had been in marketing for a while and could see the road forward. Even when I knew it was what I wanted to do, for someone like me who hadn't previously had a clear vision of what I wanted professionally, the idea of saying, "Ok, this is the path I want to continue on and fully commit myself to" was kind of scary. at same idea doesn't really scare me today. I have been very fortunate to progress at Ace Mart and learn a ton and feel confi dent that I am on the right path. What song do you always sing along with? Oh man, anything from the group Portugal, their song " e Man" or the group e Decemberists. us far, what's the most important lesson you learned and how was it valuable in getting you to where you are today? Don't be afraid to try new things. I think that has pushed me both personally and professionally. As I've grown at Ace Mart, I have been given more and more responsibility. At times, it feels easy to just continue doing things the way they've always been done, but some of the best ideas and best work come from challenging the process. What is the best advice you ever received and who gave it to you? An adviser in college told me, "Do what makes you happy." It's a little cliché but it still rings true. I feel very fortunate that I have been able to fi nd what makes me happy both personally and professionally. Fill in this blank. I'd love to see ___________answer these same questions. My dad. ■ Ace Mart By the Numbers 154 associates over the age of 50 139 associates from 34-49 85 associates from 16-33 "Our recruiting methods have changed to attract more of a younger talent pool," says Vice President of Procurement Jonathan Gustafson. "We are using sources such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn to reach that demographic. Additionally, we're working on creating some recruiting material that focuses on the "life" of an Ace Mart associate to illustrate the bene ts of working at AM (from the younger perspective). We've also visited some college campuses for career fairs (University of Houston—Hilton School, Trinity University, Baylor University and Texas A&M San Antonio) and have partnered with some of the local programs to provide "real-life" data that they can use to highlight "real-world" examples."