Lisa Cherry’s Post

***Empowering Excellence Through Values*** At Chapel Hill Tire, our foundation is built on clear values that guide every decision, every interaction, and every step we take—both with our team and our customers. In this insightful article from Modern Tire Dealer, president, Marc Pons shares how our values empower our managers with the autonomy to lead their stores like entrepreneurs, fostering ownership, accountability, and collaboration. Striving for excellence doesn’t mean perfection—it means creating an environment where challenges are tackled together and growth is a team effort. Check out the full article to learn more about how our core values drive success at Chapel Hill Tire.

I’ll never forget one of our earliest (and busiest) days at our Aldridge store. Aldridge was the only Wingers shop at the time and we hadn't expanded as a franchise yet. It was a Saturday, and within just 5 hours, we pulled in £5k. Our biggest night yet. It was one of those surreal “pinch me” moments for my dad, brother and me when we realised that Wingers could be a seriously scalable business. But success doesn’t always come smoothly. That same day, as the orders kept flying in, so did complaints as the drivers couldn't keep up with the deliveries. I always find complaints hard to deal with as I want every customer experience to be a good one, they always feel a little bit personal. We got through the shift in the end, and that day taught me a valuable lesson: I can’t control everything that happens, but I can control how I react. Instead of getting lost in the chaos, or worrying about complaints we focused on what we could do to turn things around - communicating with customers, making things right where we could, and learning from the experience to prevent it from happening again. That hectic day marked a turning point for us. It was the moment we realised that Wingers had the potential to be something big. Today, we’ve grown to 12 stores across the UK, but that early experience in Aldridge still guides us. It’s a reminder that while we can’t always control the uncontrollable, we can always control our response. #BusinessGrowth #CustomerExperience

He was a true legend. I had the opportunity to interview him for a case I wrote about Jeff Sonnenfeld. Unfortunately, his original vision for treating employees well, competing on the basis of having more knowledgeable, service-oriented employees, and sharing the economic returns with his workforce--all elements of what I have referred to as achieving competitive advantage through people--disappeared over the years as his involvement in the business waned and its culture changed. I can recall going to a Home Depot in Daly City when we lived in San Francisco to buy a fan on a hot day. When I asked where the fans were, I had to explain what a fan was, eventually relying on pantomime. No one knew, but as I was leaving, I saw a huge display of fans by the door and bought one. So much for the knowledgeable workforce the company once had. As many examples--think the Men's Wearhouse or Southwest Airlines illustrate--it is incredibly difficult to maintain a values-based, people-oriented, differentiated culture as founders move on and out. #culture #competitiveadvantage #people #strategy #customerservice

There are two retailers that, by and large, are regarded as national treasures in the UK. One is Marks and Spencer. The other is John Lewis & Partners. It’s a funny thing, but their longevity and the role they play in so many important moments of people’s lives have given them both a special place in the consumer psyche. This significance, however, is no guarantee of success. Both have had their issues – mostly stemming from a failure to adapt to shifting consumer habits and preferences. While M&S has been back on the front foot for a while – largely thanks to the efforts of Stuart Machin and his team to thoroughly modernize the business – John Lewis has struggled a bit. However, there is a sense that it is now rediscovering its old magic. What makes John Lewis special? It comes down to a simple, but sometimes hard to achieve, mix of things. Pivotal to all of them is authority. John Lewis creates an experience through having an interesting and useful range of products all under one roof, many of which are its own brands. Throw good quality at reasonable prices into the mix. Add a very generous dash of great customer service. A pinch of excitement and inspiration with some bold things in store to look at. And finish off with exceptionally high standards: a place where everything is just done properly. When these things are brought together the result is extremely solid retail, which has an appeal all of its own. John Lewis sadly lost sight of some of these principles over recent years. But it now seems to be rediscovering them. Even its Christmas advert (link in comments) has a change in tone after last year’s rather dreadful snapping plant with the meaningless tagline “let your traditions grow”. This year’s is more emotional, and it directly connects to the whole point of John Lewis: a place where you can find things you need and want – as exemplified by the strapline “knowing where to look”. It also has that subtle underlying message of John Lewis being there for people over their lifetimes. All of this is good. John Lewis, and the Partnership of which it is a part, is a special company with a unique way of doing business. It deserves to survive. It deserves to thrive. #retail #retailnews #departmentstores #brands #range #marketing

The LinkedIn video tab has arrived on my app. Wow, game changer. I did find myself scrolling down unimpressed by the content. Abit samey and nothing really stood out. Was I bit more critical as I was in scroll mode? Did I feel I was on Instagram or Facebook. Remember you have barely 3 seconds to engage someone on video scroll. Which made me think! BIG opportunity for companies and candidates to stand out and shine. SME’s, startup and scale up’s this is your chance to get your brand and culture out there to attract the best talent and business! Get known. CEO & Founders start using this as go to platform to share your passsion and values on what inspired you to create this business. Candidates this is your time. Give potential employers a glimpse of who you are behind that profile and what sets you apart. I definitely think as an SME, startup or scaleup if you have not, it’s time to really think what your employer brand strategy is, engage employee advocacy and get that culture out there. Build your followers, be more human and make it fun and engaging. I do love what Ryan Reynolds has done so seamlessly so added for a little inspiration on how to be different and more engaging! No pressure! Speak to us if you need any direction on your Employer brand, LinkedIn strategy & any recruitment needs you may have! #talent #employerbrand #recruitmentmarketing #employeeadvocacy #recruitment #sme #startup #scaleup #privateequity #founders #ceo

The power of brand and customer service - a lesson from John Lewis In today's distinctively competitive landscape, a brand is only as strong as the customer service it provides. John Lewis’s recent initiative to revamp staff roles underscores a crucial business truth: exceptional customer service is not just a department, but the backbone of a brand’s reputation. By investing in their people, they are reinforcing the trust and loyalty that have defined their brand for generations. For me this move serves as a reminder to all businesses, prioritise your customers, and your brand will thrive!!!! #CustomerService #BrandBuilding #Leadership #BusinessStrategy

Today is my last day with Federated Co-operatives Limited and the Co-operative Retailing System. This is bittersweet; I will miss this team, but I am excited about my next chapter. FCL, and especially the Facilities Design & Development department, which I was a member of, is a great team. Working with this group reminds me what the ICA says on how co-operatives are built: "The answer is 'by people.' People working hard. People understanding the rules, and why co-ops exist. People with a shared purpose who leverage their strength in numbers to distribute quality goods, services, or opportunities. People who share the decision-making process equitably and live the ideals of self-help and self-responsibility." This statement couldn't be more accurate than about this team. Each team member plays a crucial role in the co-operative movement. I am glad I got to play my small part in advancing this 100-year-old co-operative.

Retail Today / Retail Renaissance: Wall Street and the Retail Industry are waiting patiently for tomorrow’s Costco earnings announcement. It’s a big deal! #costco How does Costco do it? Great Merchandising? Yes! Great Products? Yes! Great Service? Yes! #merchandising #products #service #shoppingexperience “BUT” it’s people-first, the “COSTCO WAY”, built around a “culture” that breeds success, nurtures talent and encourages leadership development. #peoplefirst #culture #sucess #talent #leadership Costco’s unique “culture” started with co-founder Jeff Sinegal, Costco’s CEO from 1983-2011. His leadership style was based on listening to associates and supporting their individual growth. Jeff retired in 2011, then handed the reins over to an “lifer” Graig Jehnek, who was CEO for the last 11 years. Earlier this year Ron Vachris was named CEO after 41 years at Costco! Ron’s a “lifer” who started as a forklift driver! My gut tells me, all three had the following characteristics, which lead to their success and Costco’s. #workethic #pride #coachable #socialskills 1) Ferocious Work Ethic 2) Intense Sense of Pride 3) Coachable 4) Fantastic Social Skills See in the comments: Costco associate benefits. #benefits Costco is the third largest retailer in the World. Sales of $240 Billion Dollars, out of 876 locations with over 316,000 associates. #costco #retail #retailindustry #organizationaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #retention #decication #loyalty #TopRetailExperts

Santa and I kicking goals this week at John Lewis & Partners, Bluewater. 2 days in here are a few insights: 1. Retail is exhausting, especially at this time of year 🥱 be kind to people in shops, those are long days! 2. People buy what you put in front of them - we can heavily influence the sales of particular products just by moving them to the front, same applies to our website. 3. People follow people - the more customers you have around the stand, the more people will be drawn to you, without fail - same applies at B2B trade shows! 4. Sales online the past two days have been 20x what we made in person, however.... we are in John Lewis getting some serious brand recognition, amazing insight from speaking to customers in person AND the biggest sales weekend of the year (and payday) is just around the corner. So bring on the rest of the week!! Anyone local going to pop in and see us?! #sales #christmas #inperson #retail #johnlewis #indiepopup #popup #socks

Good people are the backbone of sucess