Natalie Morhous is punctilious, energizing, caring, humble and genuine, according to her direct reports at RaceTrac. The president of RaceTrac, and winner of CSP’s 2023 Retail Leader of the Year award, is also willing to give constructive feedback.
Robby Posener, chief development officer at RaceTrac, shared this at the Oct. 4 dinner honoring Morhous (pictured above) at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Morhous introduced a philosophy of radical candor—or caring personally while also challenging directly—when she started as president of the Atlanta-based convenience-store chain in 2019.
Posener shared on stage two excerpts from his prior performance reviews from Morhous and what he learned from them.
One of those review comments from Morhous was: “Where Robby is an expert, he does not always seem willing to change his mind.”
“I kind of thought that’s what you did when you were the expert,” Posener joked.
From the feedback, though, Posener (pictured below) said he learned to evaluate information without bias, and to actively listen, even when he thinks he knows the answer.
“Your commitment to me and my growth and my development has and will always be very, very important and life-changing for me,” he said.
Morhous Gives Thanks
The title of the Retail Leader of the Year award itself is daunting, Morhous said as she accepted her award.
“Retail, and in particular convenience retail, is a natural and necessary part of each and every one of our lives, and it has been throughout history,” she said.
She acknowledged Carl Bolch Trackside Stations, the namesake business opened by her grandfather in 1934 that ultimately became RaceTrac. Today the chain has more than 570 c-stores.
- RaceTrac is No. 15 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of convenience store chains by store count.
“It is on that foundation that my father, Carl Bolch Jr., winner of this award in 2009, built his tremendous trailblazing legacy in the convenience industry,” she said. “I wish he could be here tonight.”
A retail business is not about one person, though, Morhous said.
“In reality, it is a well-oiled machine,” she said. “We are our suppliers, who manufacture the incredible products we sell; our distributors, who warehouse and distribute those very products, and without whom, our shelves would be empty; our fuel traders, who not only ensure our stores stay wet, but also manage through incredible supply disruptions, like hurricanes; our general managers and their teams, who work tirelessly to ensure guests have a welcoming place to shop 24/7, 365. And [we’re] our store support center squad, who creates strategies, innovates and fights fires, all on a mission to making RaceTrac the convenience store of choice for millions, year after year after year.
“I may be the face of this incredible honor, but the true winners are so many of us in this room, and so many others outside of here, who work together day in and day out to make what RaceTrac is possible. This award is not mine. It is ours.”
Morhous also acknowledged her family in attendance, including her husband Hunter Morhous, children Wills and Hailey, mother Susan Bolch and sister Melanie Isbill, chief marketing officer at RaceTrac.
“I would not be able to devote myself to RaceTrac without the incredible support of my family,” she said. “To the many parents in this room, do not underestimate the value of demonstrating a strong work ethic and teaching your children, especially your daughters, that their dreams are possible to achieve. That is exactly what my parents did for me, and for that, I am eternally grateful.”
A Leader at Work and Home
Morhous’ responsibilities don’t end at president of RaceTrac, though. When she’s not traveling the country visiting stores, undertaking the largest acquisition in the company’s history of Gulf Oil or advocating in Washington for policies important to the industry, she’s with her family and giving back to the community, Hunter Morhous said.
“At home, she drives our son’s carpool in the morning and picks our daughter up from school in the evening. She attends almost every sporting event for our children, and trust me, there are a lot of them. She prepares dinner almost every evening, and generally ensures that the train that is our life doesn’t go careening off its tracks,” he said.
She also serves on the board of Our House, helping at-risk families find stable housing and work, and serves on the board of Emory Center of Ethics, tackling some of the most important ethical questions currently posed to our society, Hunter Morhous said.
“Whether it is guiding the strategy of RaceTrac into the future or looking for ways to improve the stores and the customer experience, you bring a drive and enthusiasm that I envy,” he said. “You are so passionate about your work that it’s clearly contagious. … But you’re not just a great leader at work. You’re also amazing wife and mother to our children, Wills and Hailey. You always put our family first and are always there for us, no matter what.”
2023 Retail Leader of the Year - Natalie Morhous, RaceTrac, Inc. from Winsight, LLC on Vimeo.