In a room full of convenience-store industry women, four female leaders discussed navigating their professional life, touching on leaderships styles, strengths, obstacles, goal setting, mentorship, networking and more at the NACS Show last week in Las Vegas.
Danielle Holloway, senior director of industry engagement at Altria Group Distribution Co. monitored a panel that included Renee Bacon (left), senior vice president of sales and operations and chief merchandising officer at Murphy USA; Jamie Miller (middle), executive director of marketing and diversity, equity and inclusion champion at RaceTrac; and Annie Gauthier (right), chief financial officer and co-CEO of St. Romain Oil Co.
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Miller of RaceTrac shared that even if changing roles within a company does not offer a promotion or more money, it can still be worth it.
“I think there’s intention behind lateral moves and expanding your knowledge set,” she said.
At a previous company, Miller was offered a lateral role that didn’t sound like a step up or very appealing to her, but it set her up to be a good candidate for her boss’s role when it opened up.
“It showed me … trust the process, trust your mentors and if you can round out your skill set … it will just make you more valuable,” she said.
Gauthier of St. Romain Oil expanded on how mentorship transformed her ability to connect with other people in the industry,
“Years ago, I didn’t know anybody. I thought, 'one day maybe I’ll know names and know people, like some of these people on stage do, and I'll get involved,'” she said.
But then Gauthier was asked to join a committee on the state level, then the board, then a leadership position at the state level, and finally, she was asked to participate with NACS. The night she was inducted as the chair of her state association was the night before she turned 34, she said.
“Don’t wait until you know the things and you know the people and you get involved—you meet the people and you learn the things by getting involved, and along the way, you show up,” she said. “[And sometimes, it's] outside of your own company, especially If you're from small company.”
Bacon of Murphy USA said she’s learned that it’s important to know what to stand for.
“One thing that helped me early on in my career, I was challenged with what I wanted my career to be, and I came up with the motto of ‘show up, work hard, be kind,’” she said. “And that has really helped be a North Star.”
Sometimes you’re wrong, she said, but showing up and working hard is what’s important.
“I would never ask people to do things that I wouldn't do. Truly care about people to where you can challenge them directly,” she said. “Don't ever confuse kindness with weakness.”
She added, “Your life is your own, your career is your own, so own it. No one owes you anything. Own your development. Own your own choices and go after it. Be bold and take some risks.”
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