With the goal of actively progressing in her career, Terri Micklin, president of GetGo Café + Markets convenience stores, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, vowed to continuously learn. At first, it was tactical and more about understanding the process of her specific role, she said. Later, it was about learning the processes of the business. Educating herself on the business is part of what led Micklin up the ladder to where she is today.
Micklin spoke as the industry keynote speaker at the Convenience-Store Women’s event in Charleston, South Carolina in early November.
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Of the three qualities that propel people forward in their careers—understanding what you bring to the table, valuing what others offer and thinking strategically—the one quality that women often fall short on is strategic thinking, or having business, financial and strategic acumen, according to Leading NOW, which provides the educational content for the conference. Because Micklin developed a broad perspective on the entire business, she set herself up for success.
Women often portray feedback as criticism, she said.
Micklin received feedback that noted she was assertive, knowledgeable and articulate. Women's tendency to interpret positive traits in negative ways is foundational in gender-based stereotypes. We have been programmed to do it, and we repeat these tendencies over and over, she said.
However, “if you are assertive and knowledgeable and articulate, you have the capacity to do extraordinary things.”
How do you take that feedback, adapt, grow and put it into practice to truly demonstrate your level of business acumen?
Micklin recommended getting familiar with parts of the business that are uncomfortable and learning the general concepts of different departments to be prepared for when an opportunity arises.
“I started building plans. And no, it was not my day job,” she said. “It wasn't really fully thought out, either. ... This is fundamentally about being prepared and ready for the moment that you need to personally demonstrate that you know exactly how to deliver extraordinary outcomes.”
Micklin acknowledged that this takes a lot. She said that she doesn’t strive for balance, but a proper imbalance. Focus on not becoming burnt out, she said, which, for her, means being confident in delegating tasks to others; building a strong network at work and at home; and normalizing that she has to miss some events, both at work and at home.
After climbing up the ladder, Micklin saw the value in supporting, advocating for and leading the next generation up the ladder behind her.
“My ask of you is become the leader that you want to be and mimic all of the activities that you want everyone else to follow, because our teams are watching us, and you will decide what the next generation of leaders experience,” Micklin said.
Alimentation Couche-Tard is No. 2 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. GetGo is No. 29.
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., the parent company of the Circle K convenience-store brand, said in August it had reached a definitive agreement to acquire GetGo from parent company Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh.
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