The core leadership lesson here is that three simple words – “I appreciate you” – are more powerful and transformative than “I love you” when it comes to building trust, safety and performance in relationships and teams. In a 2026 grocery world shaped by tight margins, omnichannel shopping, AI tools and value‑seeking customers, making “I […]
Category: Guest Contributors
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Crossroads: Capital Investment – Building A Stronger Future
by Darryl Miller Founder | AislePoint Consulting Independent grocery retailers are operating in one of the most competitive environments in the history of food retail. Customers today have more choices, while retailers face increasing pressure from inflation, labor shortages, rising operating expenses, aging infrastructure and changing consumer expectations. In this environment, one reality has become […]
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Note From Ownership: Can The Declaration’s Principles Continue To Stand?
Does the Declaration of Independence still guide our country? That seems a very fitting question for us to think about as we get ready to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of this document that formed the foundation of this nation we love. That question has been on my mind after reading an article […]
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Rules That Built The Grocery Industry – And Still Run It – 250 Years Later
As we celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary on the Fourth of July this year, I wanted to tie in 250 years of grocery retail and the lessons of “The 5 Rules” through the lens of one of my favorite shows – “Food That Built America” on the History Channel. Having sold groceries for more than 50 […]
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Crossroads: Future Of Independent Grocery – Growing Next Generation Of Owners
I recently had the privilege of speaking at the IGA Coca-Cola Institute in Atlanta. In the room were some of the brightest young leaders in independent grocery – selected by their organizations because of their talent, commitment and potential. Representing stores and communities from around the world, they and those like them are the future […]
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Hidden Profit: The Power Of Knowing Your Store
My colleague Peter Cooke and I are approaching a combined 40 years of helping food retailers improve their operations and, ultimately, their profit. For many of these years, this was represented by best sustainable practices or a similar vernacular. Regardless of the outside wrapper, we helped real retailers – real people – identify and capture […]
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Column: Great Execution Starts With Simple Teaching
Leadership is often described in big words such as vision, strategy, culture, influence, transformation. While those words matter, the best leaders have a way of bringing leadership back down to earth. They make it plain, practical and repeatable. That is why the story of a lunch conversation I had with Peyton Manning is so powerful. […]
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Crossroads: Beyond The Store – Financial Balance In Independent Grocery
By Grant Fossum, AIF, RFC | ProWealth Financial Independent grocers understand diversification better than those in most other industries. Inside the store, balance is built into daily operations – meat and produce drive traffic, center store drives volume, service departments drive margin and the front end shapes the customer experience. Outside the store, that […]