Whites Foodliner

Natalie Pauly

Sustainable Growth Champion

Making Growth a Cross-Functional Effort

My cross-functional role has taught me that business growth can't happen in silos. A decision that makes sense financially may create an operational problem, and an operational decision may have a significant impact on your people. Because my responsibilities cross HR, accounting and operations, I tend to look at growth from all three perspectives.

I ask whether an opportunity is financially sustainable, whether we have the people and processes to support it, and whether it ultimately makes the organization stronger. I've learned that some of the best opportunities don't fit neatly into one department, and being willing to step outside of your defined role can uncover opportunities that might otherwise be missed.

Finding the Balance behind Sustainable Decisions

I don't really view people, financial and operational priorities as three separate things because they are so interconnected. You can make a decision that looks great on a spreadsheet but creates an operational burden or burns out your people, and ultimately, that isn't a good financial decision either.

At the same time, caring about your employees also means making financially responsible decisions so the business remains healthy and can continue providing jobs and opportunities. My approach is to understand the impact from all three perspectives and look for a sustainable decision rather than simply solving today's problem.

Seeing the Business from the Frontline

Staying connected to frontline operations has taught me that the people doing the work often see problems and opportunities before leadership does. A process can make perfect sense from an office, but become completely impractical when you see how it affects a busy store. I have learned to ask questions before assuming I understand the problem and to listen closely to the employees who are actually doing the job.

Frontline employees can tell you where a process is slowing them down, what customers are asking for and where there are opportunities to improve. Some of the most valuable information in a company never appears on a financial statement or management report.

Expanding the Grocery Store through E-Commerce

E-commerce has completely changed the boundaries of what it means to be a grocery retailer. Traditionally, a grocery store's customer base was largely defined by geography. E-commerce allows us to serve customers across the country and connect people with products they may not be able to find locally.

At the same time, it has raised customer expectations. Consumers expect the convenience, communication and speed they receive from major online retailers even when they are purchasing food, which introduces challenges involving packaging, shipping, temperature control and product quality.

The opportunity is enormous, but success requires grocery retailers to think beyond the traditional store experience and view digital fulfillment as another form of customer service.

Helping Employees Shape the Change

I believe people are more adaptable when they understand the “why” behind a change and feel trusted to help make it work. Clear expectations are important, but so is giving employees enough ownership to solve problems instead of prescribing every step. I also believe strongly in recognizing potential within the organization.

Some of the best leaders are people who started in frontline positions, learned the business from the ground up and were given opportunities to take on more responsibility. When employees can see that good work, initiative and willingness to learn can lead somewhere, engagement becomes much more meaningful. Adaptability doesn't come from asking people to accept constant change; it comes from building a culture where people feel capable of helping shape it.