CSWU-EP. 16: Publix and United Way Emerald Coast: Transforming Community Service and Impact

[Music] hello and welcome to change starts with you United Way Emerald Coast podcast my name is Marley Tucker director of development and today I have with me some of my favorite store managers at Publix which is why I'm sporting my green swag uh they love it they're big fans of it um and I just had to put my green out there I'm wearing my Publix Polo all all the things for Publix we pull out all the stops we appreciate it I hope you do I want every single associate to watch this podcast and make fun of me for the views that's fine um but okay I'll put this away we'll get serious um so like I said I have uh two of our board members from Publix here with me today I have Thomas everage and I have Tracy Johnson say hello oh [Laughter] bour that was so unexpected that it was really funny um so Tracy is with public store number 1303 and Thomas is with public store number 1461 um so fun fact if you are not aware every single Publix has a store number associated with with it and uh if you ever want to impress your favorite Publix's cashier just Google the store number that they're associated with and then call them by store number while you're checking out and watch the look on their face is that what you do um sometimes yeah I do and it works make sure to mention I'm with United Way afterwards um but so wanted to shout out both of your stores 1303 is my home Publix so uh all the Associates at 1303 me in rare form after a workout in my pajamas and I'm ashamed of that but it's okay I still love them uh 1461 because Thomas is our board chair and how could we not love his store come share the love in nville your store is positioned in a really great location I will give you that like it is a really really good place uh to be we have a great community so um and then I also wanted to shout out store number 766 with another one of our board members Sam Smith being our store manager there as well as 1351 in Freeport which was the highest uh raising store through associate giving in 2022 and the highest raising store through associate giving in 2023 you guys going to entertain me with the drum thank you so much for the drum ball 1258 uh in South Walton so shout outs to um all of those stores as well as the other 12 stores in our territory of okoa and Walton counties and a 13 coming soon 2023 in Destin am I impressing you right now because this is is very much thank you so much this is how um I I do my best okay I just want to show my love for Publix um so I figured we could get started with each of you just sharing a little bit about your journey with Publix what it's looked like where you started where you're at now um some stuff like that so Thomas you want to go first yeah I'll go first so uh I started with Publix uh 18 years ago um in Tallahassee Florida I was going to school at Florida State and my parents said get a job or you're coming home and I did not want to come home so I really never intended to make it a career um but along the way opportunities opened up and it kind of just Advanced from there um and about five years into my career I got the opportunity to be promoted I started out in the meat department so I got promoted to assistant meat manager and I moved to Dothan Alabama um I was there for a couple years and got promoted again to meet manager um and I met my wife there Skyler uh who also works for Publix um store number uh 1760 I was about to say do you not know I know and you don't Thomas sorry Skyler he loves you um but yeah so uh met there um and then we both grew up at the beach um and so we were really kind of looking for a way to get back to to the beach and what an awesome area this is so we moved out here um probably a little over 10 years ago um and just kind of grew from there and actually uh I I met Tracy you know I was at 1303 um at uh what probably like 2014 maybe something like that so yeah awesome what about you Tracy what did your journey look like so my journey is quite as extravagant as Thomas's um I was in the military and I'm relocated to this area when I got out and um I decided to give publish a try and I started at 1303 in the Delhi M and uh I was promoted there um to assistant department manager then I was promoted to department manager and moved to another store in marer in Nar Navar Nar and then marer and then I was promoted to a sister store manager moved to North Crestview then to Mary eser and then to close out my full circle I became a store manager at the store that I started out in 1303 I thought you said it wasn't as extravagant as that's pretty rare I'm not I'm not going to lie to start start your career at the one store and then kind of you know end back up there as a store major that that's pretty rare so uh Navar is not in our territory so I don't know that number but uh 896 896 shout out to another United Way territory um but uh Mary Esters 383 North Crest you 1602 look at me go y'all you want you want to raise this for me no I'm just kidding if you're not watching the podcast and you're only listening you're missing out on all the fun you need to stop the Spotify and move to YouTube uh but yeah I love that I love um hearing the stories of our Publix Associates of our Publix's managers and um more often than not it seems like it's very much that promotion uh kind of track right very rarely at least in the experiences that I've had with our Public's people has it been you know I came in at uh associate or assistant store manager or something like that but you're starting a little bit lower and you're moving your way up yeah we definitely have a promote from within mentality you know I think in my 18 years I've only seen one person ever you know get you know start out as um as a manager so pretty much everybody in the company from our CEO down you know started out in an entry-level position um and then work their way up whatever that path is that's awesome that's awesome uh you also have a culture of giving back uh so do you want to talk a little bit about how Publix gives back and why it's important to Publix as a whole sure I'll start um Associates giving we start with uh we run campaigns once a year here and Associates U are able to to donate money to uh United Way um that's one way they give and we also do a public service twice a year um in the community to support whatever the theme is for that year whether it be like a beach cleanup or you know um painting yeah yeah uh we we look forward to the public serves every single year just because the associates are so fun to hang out with we love our Associates um so we love that you guys do that and it's really valuable to us and the other nonprofits in our community to be able to kind of multiply our Sweat Equity for a couple hours um and increase the impact that we have in our community uh you mentioned the associate giving and I wanted to make sure that I pointed out that Public's Associates are the number one supporter of United Way Emerald Coast uh yeah that's what the number one was for earlier if I failed to mention that so extremely thankful for your Associates I know that um United Way is not the only charity that Publix as a whole supports uh but we're super proud that we're the only charity that the associates run a true campaign in support of um so thank you so much for your partnership and the ways that you get involved anything else that you would add Thomas yeah I mean I I think it's definitely at the core of like what we do um you know our founder definitely believed in in in giving back you know it can't just be you know uh uh in the community that you're just constantly taking taking he constantly finding a way to how can how can we give back they're supporting us so like how can we support them you know um and so um I'm happy you know to announce that you know not only we number one for United Way Emerald Coast but you know we're number one worldwide y public last year donated over uh $63 million love it um to United Way and that's not United Way Emerald Coast just to clarify we wish we had that but to United Way but but the money that we raise you know uh locally stays here locally so for the last you know 40 years this partnership has really kind of blossomed and turned into different things and uh one of the reasons we've raised so much money is through um public Charities they take a portion of what our Associates give and they turn around and match that money so our money is really multiplied so that's that's something that's really amazing that not you know everyone can say that they have that support with um another thing that's you know kind of unique to publ is the public Second Chance fund it's money that we've set aside for our Associates when they're um in a financial burden you know times are tough now you know inflation Is On The Rise um so being able to have money set aside for our Associates to be able to use um to take care of utility bills or light or rent or things like that um really makes a differ and makes them feel uh appreciated and valued yeah I love that uh that public Second Chance fund because I just think that it speaks to the idea that anyone can fall on unforeseen circumstances right um and so having that fund specifically available for when there is a problem that can't be met for by one of our nonprofits we can make sure that we are helping that associate or their family get through that hard time um it's just another thing that speaks to Publix's passion for their community and the people that they serve which is what makes you guys such a great place and uh gives you the tagline where shopping is a pleasure right yeah abely um what has been your favorite experience since being involved with United Way Emerald Coast oh man I'd have to say you know being a part of the community investment you know process you know um getting to sit in on the presentations and really understanding you know where this money in the community is going um and you know when I first started I had no clue right you know I I thought that you know someone way high up somewhere picked it out but no volunt in the community have a voice and they get to say where this is going and so I think that's so special that they see that need right and then they can help decide where these funds are going yeah yeah time in on what Thomas said being a grant panelist was also one of my um favorite times with uh United Way um not only do we get to see who the money's going to but we get a little insight on what they're using the money for and that helps with making a decision on yeah we'll give these guys some money or maybe they need to um seek uh funds from else elsewhere to make sure that it meets the what uh United Way's thoughts are about uh they use the money for definitely should I point out or should I not point out that neither of you guys had serving on the [Music] board I'm just kidding I'm just kidding no that no I I I to be honest I really think it it it it talks about the true Testament of what it is to be you know the grand how how engaging that is how eye openening that is um so I encourage anyone you know if you can be a part of that process if you can take the time out of it um to do it because it really is eye opening and we'll show you um you know what is really happening as you dive deeper into um these other organizations but the podcast is about the people and you don't have to be a board member to be a grand panel that's where we're going with that volunte but board members number two board members right down there okay okay I'm happy with that I'm happy with that see we we wouldn't have met you if it wasn't for that and you love me so much and you think I'm hilarious I I'm the only one laughing at everything I say oh I love that okay so um our viewers that are maybe only listening to this because they love Publix what can you tell me that's like behind the scenes what's something that we don't know I I want to hear uh from you guys on that um one thing that some people know but they don't know is if you're a part of the club Publix and you have the app you get an early review of the ad so the day before the ad breaks you can look through the app and see what the bogos are and what's going on sale for the next week's ad how did I know not know that when I am a member of the club Publix you should get should get an email you should get an email that says or Alert on your phone that says uh you want to sneak peek at the ad click this link now okay definitely will'll put that into practice this week uh did that come out today no it's always been there it's been there a while no but but the the email the new ad starts today tomorrow so it's it's waiting in my inbox the new ad starts tomorrow so either yesterday or today you got you should have got that alert F take a sneak peek at the ad I'll be looking I'll be looking anything else you would add Thomas um yeah so I mean I don't know if people know it or not but um the just the availability of our Fresh Products we get produce uh seven days a week we get fresh produce which is pretty amazing um that is awesome in our seafood department we get fresh fish six days a week literally um stuff is flown in from other countries wherever it's caught right it's flown into Miami and then it's literally shipped to us the next day so within two days of it being caught we are literally have it at our store um and we get that 6 days a week which I think is pretty amazing you know considering we get stuff from you know all over the world that is pretty awesome I love both of those things I didn't know either of them I'll add one thing that's mine which maybe is widely known maybe is not widely known but did you know that there's a vegetarian Pub sub oh let me blow your mind actually actually Tracy talked about it more so did you know that you can get a sub salad no I did not know that so if you're not wanting bread you're trying to be a little healthier right you can get the same thing a sub but in a salad form oh that's a game changer there you go that is a game changer he maybe you want to be you know ready for summer you know get a sub salad I love the the vegetarian Pub sub I mean it's really a wrap but like it's it's great it's it's it's my version of my Pub sub okay um um and that that allows me to participate in the pups up craze so I'm here for it oh thanks for the for the fun facts guys that's fun um so we're coming to an end of the podcast so I want to make sure uh that we end uh acknowledging how amazing Publix is the incredible support that you have uh for your community how thankful we are for your partnership and just how great Publix is as a whole right I mean where shopping is a pleasure doesn't come from nowhere people know that people look forward to going to Publix and people um are greeted with smiles from Associates every single time they walk in the door so to close it out can you guys tell me how would you suggest individuals or compan companies can replicate that kind of culture of where shopping is a pleasure in their own workplaces or businesses well you just kind of nailed it on the head when you said people about 50 times it's about the people taking care of your Associates and taking care of the customers and their needs if you take care of those two things and the rest of it will fall right in place that's awesome I love that yeah I I I can agree more it's it really is about taking care of the people you know um one one of the biggest things I you know I believe is that you know people don't leave jobs you know bad jobs they they leave bad managers right so when you know you're you're seeing this Exodus it's it's probably because of maybe the leader right what they're doing and the environment that they're they're causing you know so um if you're going in there if you're really um soliciting feedback right if you're providing open communication um if you're valuing them if you're treating them with respect you know I think that that goes a long way to making sure that you're fostering that environment for people to want to come to work versus you know having to because there's nothing else I love it I love it so much so we're all going to go home we're going to check the ad we're g to get an what do you call it an unsub sub no a sub salad sub salad I like unsub sub okay you want to change that no we'll we'll submit a chang for that okay thank you um and we're going to shop at our local public we're going to look up their store number and we're going to watch the look on the cashier's face when we call them by it um and to end it maybe I can get you guys to hold up some public swag too I didn't I didn't ask them permission beforehand but now they're on camera and being forced to uh so we're just going to do one final wave goodbye um to thank all of our public Associates for their support and to thank Publix for their partnership and Tracy and Thomas for killing it on the podcast today so bye thank you guys go see us at nice and for Walton [Music]