Grocery Aisle

Last night came back from a grocery trade show at a Connecticut casino. While I didn't win any money (actually lost $15.00 since that was my totally-worth-it entry fee to Bingo), I did walk away with some take away but let me back up a bit.

While I haven't yet read Sheryl Sandbergs new book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, I have been very aware of the buzz it has created. I have thought a lot about my role in the work place, what are some goals and aspirations that I have and would like to set for myself.

So it was with all these thoughts that I went into the trade show on Tuesday morning. And what I realized there is just how few women are in a position of decision making in the grocery world. This is an industry that should be run by women. As a few articles have cited,  roughly 69% of all grocery shopping is done by women. But when I looked around at my buyers, I was shocked to realize how many of them are men. Sure, this isn't always the case and some companies seem to be better than others but if women are deciding what they take home from the store, shouldn't they also be deciding what gets placed on the shelf to begin with? While so much attention is placed on Fortune 500 companies for their lack of women, lets widen the scope a bit and think a little more locally.


* sorry for the slightly different type of post. I will be back to my fun self shortly, just been a weird few weeks!

A Food Show In Pictures

Child Labor? PS Sorry for the late post

Image from here

As I mentioned earlier, I had a little but of a stressful week in the work department. I think that all will work it's way out but in the meantime I am just putting my head down and plowing through. Last Thursday, I was feeling particularly anxious and Paulie decided to take me out to dinner. We just went to a local sports bar and chilled out. It was exactly what I needed. While we were there, Paul told me about his job at the local grocery store while he was in high school. Each Saturday and Sunday, Paul would wake up at 5AM to work the early shift at Giant. He would stock shelves, carrel carts, bag groceries, sliced deli meat and from what it sounds like, have a lot of fun. Just like in the movies, him and a few random kids, one from his school, two from another formed a special bond, calling themselves "The Core Four" since they worked there the longest. There was a bench where they would take breaks, eating a box of chocolate doughnuts, flirting with the girls who worked check out. I know that work is work. That is it often a source of my anxiety and worries, that I also get a paycheck for being there. But it can also be a place (at least for me) that is completely silly, fun, friendship bonding, and interesting. So I will work my hardest to focus on those aspect. Now if someone would just deliver the chocolate covered doughnuts, I would be set.

Just so we are on the same page

There is nothing wrong with going to Chipotle at 10pm after you have been out for after work drinks. Just to be clear.