We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Meta Riseling a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Meta with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I learned at a very early age that if you work hard, you get rewarded! We had a farm growing up and I knew I had to be out there to help with the cattle or hogs. My family worked together. Here at our Grocery store it is the same concept! Everyone backs each other up in all departments. I make sure our employees know “That’s not my job” is not a phrase we can use here.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I have a degree in Banking Operations and Dental Assisting. I would have not believed you 20 years ago if you told me I would be where I am today, but I LOVE my job and my Community! We are a very RURAL area here in Walsh. Our Grocery store is Community owned and operated. You never know who is a shareholder and who isn’t . I am so proud that we have been open for 17 years now. Our Supplier said we would not make it 6 months. We proudly proved them wrong! Our entire community has helped us keep our store going. I tell people that I do not just have a responsibility to our five board members but to the ENTIRE community! We have so many good things happening this year I am so excited to see the goals come together to benefit our store!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Honesty is a very important quality in my opinion. Sometimes it is hard but respect is given more with honesty. Knowing your customers is very important for us here at Walsh Community Grocery Store. Being community owned and operated we listen closely to our customers, even if they are not a shareholder, to know what they want us to carry and services we offer. I have learned there is more than one way to do things. Some things we tried ten years ago that did not work out, now works great. Being flexible and open to other ideas is necessary some days. Letting the employees be apart of the decisions is important. I can not run this store alone. Giving the employees opinions a chance, makes for some great outcomes!
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
When I first started working at Walsh Community Grocery Store, Ms Betty Hebberd was the manager. I learned so much from watching her! She taught me to never say NO. If a customer is asking for something, tell them we will look into it and ACTUALLY look into it! Listen to customers. If one person is asking for a product, chances are someone else is looking for it as well. Ms Betty always had a smile on her face and was ready to listen to customers, shareholders and employees. She taught me to take pride in my job. Unfortunately we lost Ms Betty to cancer a few years ago. I still find myself asking “How would Ms Betty handle this?” I know I am not the only one who misses her here at our store!
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so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
