Drive-Thru Conversations: Sarah Shelton

Hello! I’m Justin Roth, Director of People & Culture at PAJCO. This interview is with someone I quite literally spend almost every waking moment with. She challenges me from what I eat for breakfast to certain aspects about my job. She is someone who cares deeply about others and will always be cheering for you to succeed. She is someone I would describe as a turtle - tough exterior shell, but soft on the inside.  Much like the Tortoise and the Hare, she will win every time. She is a tremendous leader in our organization, while she challenges me every day, she makes myself and everyone she leads, better. Please enjoy this interview with the Director of Operations (and my favorite office mate), Sarah Shelton!

How long have you worked for PAJCO?

 I have worked for PAJCO for 12, going on 13 years.

Can you talk about your career journey at PAJCO?

 ow! Where do I start?! I joined the company in 2010 as an Operations Manager. I was able to train with Angie Deprow and John Haggerty, both amazing people to learn from. I was the Operations Manager at the location in Jackson, that is now Rally’s, for about 6 months. From there I was offered the General Manager position at the Chaffee location, where I stayed for about 8 months. I then went on to be the General Manager at both of our locations formally known as the “Mercato”, in Jackson and Cape. After being a General Manager for several years, I was promoted to District Manager. In the last several years, I have been able to be a part of three different districts throughout the company. Those opportunities brought me to my current role as Director of Operations.  

With so many positions you’ve held, how did you handle the transition from one position to the next?

The transition was easy with a few of the positions, but harder with the rest. Moving from GM of one location to GM of another wasn’t so hard. Moving to the District Manager role was a little harder for me to settle into. I didn’t get to see my regular customers every day or do the daily tasks that I was used to doing. I was now responsible for more than just one location. I gained so much more in return though. The new relationships I was able to make with different people were amazing! This last year, in my new Director of Operations role, has been challenging and rewarding as well. I have to be able to balance spending time in the stores and spending quality time with the District Managers and Restaurant Specialist, while making sure my project lists and tasks are getting done as well. I have enjoyed learning and being part of every position and opportunity that has come my way.

What is your favorite part of PAJCO?

Hands down, it is the people I get to work with. I have come across many amazing, talented people. I have had a lot of people influence me to become a better leader within the company. Whether it be from Deb Austin to my awesome “roomie” Justin Roth, they have challenged me at looking at things in a different perspective. Brent Anderson, president of PAJCO, has made the biggest impact on my career. He has coached and developed me to be a better version of myself and a leader for the company. He has taught me so many things within my new role, I could never thank him enough for giving me the opportunity to do what I love doing best. I love these people more than they know.

We always say that Rhodes is like one big family, what does this mean to you?

That question is easy. To me, family is people who love you and have your back. That is what we do and who we are. I can count on anyone at Rhodes to do whatever is needed for the “family”. Most of my family lives in Iowa, so I don’t get to see them as often as I would like. My work family makes up for some of that missing piece. 

As the Director of Operations, how have your previous positions guided you in taking on this position?

It has had everything to do with where I am at now. I am grateful for my previous positions within the company, because it prepared me for where I am at today. I am fully invested in the operations of our business and know it inside and out. This knowledge has created the opportunity for me to take a bigger role and still be thoroughly involved with all day-to-day operations.

The title “Director of Operations” sounds like a very technical, task-focused job. At Rhodes, we know that’s not the case. You spend a lot of time developing people. How do you develop others within our organization?

I try to influence and impact anyone that comes across my path. I think by doing this, you impact people at a higher level. There are expectations that we all have and making sure people understand them and can meet them is part of the process. I love them, but also expect them to meet whatever expectation is set for them.

As Rhodes continues expanding into markets over 90 minutes from its Cape Girardeau headquarters your home, how do you maintain consistent operations and team development?

I try and visit the stores often. We are growing, but I don’t plan on changing that. I think it is always important to be present and invested with our people. They are the most important thing at Rhodes. Having great district leaders in those areas are also important. They can get more information or solve issues faster than I could. I couldn’t do what I do, without the four of them.

In your career at Rhodes, you’ve encountered times that team members aren’t developing at the pace needed to maintain their positions. How do you address those situations?

Those are conversations that a lot of people don’t like having, but I think those conversations should be a top priority. People need honest feedback, or they can’t get better. I would also put a plan in place to help with the development of the team member who isn’t meeting expectations. It might also be that the team member is just in the wrong seat. In this scenario, it is best that we move the team member to the appropriate seat to make their work life better.

Operations requires both hard and soft skills. Hard skills being inventory management, profit and loss reporting and adjustments. Soft skills being recruiting, team development and customer service. Which is more important in succeeding at Rhodes, hard or soft skills?

 You need to be able to do both, but the soft skills will always be the most important. If you aren’t good at the soft skills, it is hard to reach expectations with the hard ones. Soft skills are who we are. Recruiting and developing are at the top of the list and what dictates good customer service. Having the right people in the right places and recruiting great talent to your team is the top priority at Rhodes.

What challenges do you predict that Rhodes’ stores will face in 2023? How will they overcome them?

I prefer to use the word opportunities. There could always be opportunities that we may have to overcome such as food or product shortages, cost of goods, etc. We always make it our mission to have outstanding experience for every guest that walks through our doors. We may be able to substitute a certain type of snack for another, if it comes to that. We have a very good team of people that are looking out for these issues way before it would potentially affect us. We will continue to do what we currently do and tackle anything that arises.

As a company, Rhodes is really a hybrid convenience store and fast food restaurant. What challenges does that create for your position?

I have a food background, but I find myself asking more questions and needing more information on food related issues. It has been 13 years since I worked in a restaurant, so I need to brush up on my knowledge and my skills. It is a great opportunity for me to learn or relearn the areas of food that I need to know.

What do guests expect from Rhodes now more than ever?

Great service, great products and they want them quickly. Guests want to be able to get in and out and get what they need without the added stress of waiting in line. We have launched a great Rhodes App to be able to fulfill all those needs. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, do it!

If you had the opportunity to give yourself advice 15 years ago, what would it be?

That is a tough one. We all make mistakes or wish we hadn’t done something differently, but I firmly believe they are lessons in life. These things make you who you are, and I am not sure those should be changed. If I had to choose something, I would tell myself to spend more time with loved ones, or grandparents because the time goes by faster than you think.

You work closely with team members across all 30 of our stores. What is something that you think is crucial to ensuring our stores are successful?

Investing in the people. Listening to them, receiving, and giving feedback. I believe our people are the reason we are successful. When you have the right people in place, you are gold. Spending time with them and developing them will ultimately be key to success.

How do you feel being the better Shelton?

HA! This is the ongoing joke in our company that I am the number one Shelton. My husband is also a Director with the company. While I joke that I am the number one Shelton ( I do technically have more awards then him), he is number one to me. Tony is absolutely hands down the best husband and father anyone could ask for. He is also the hardest worker I know. I could not imagine spending this life with anyone else.

Thank you, Sarah for giving us your incredible insights on being the Director of Operations! If you’re interested in filling out an application to join our family, click to fill out and submit. Lookout for the next edition of “Drive-Thru Conversations” coming soon.

-Justin Roth, PAJCO Director of People & Culture