SANTA CLARITA, CA - The grocery industry might not have been in Lucia Sanders’ gameplan, but once she found herself here, it became clear she’d found her home.
“The grocery industry is quite a beautiful place to work. I know ‘beautiful’ is probably a weird word to use, but it’s true,” shares the Director of Culture and Engagement for Vallarta Supermarkets. “There are so many people in so many different types of roles; from the stores, to our warehouses, down to our HQ office, we’re all here to be of service.”
In talking to Lucia, one theme about her career becomes clear: her desire to better herself and her aptitude for human connection. Out of college, she started working at a Los Angeles nonprofit before wanting a new challenge and moving on to an HR job at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village, California.
“In the two years I was there, I learned so much about several HR functions, but more importantly, I learned what it takes to create a strong company culture, provide extraordinary service, and be a great place to work,” she explained.
The pandemic brought an end to the opportunity at Four Seasons, but it brought another in the form of Vallarta Supermarkets. Starting as an HR Executive Assistant, Lucia spent a year in the role before job offers she’d previously applied to started rolling in seemingly out of the blue. At a crossroads, she turned to former Vice President of Human Relations, Liz Llamas, to see what opportunities were available if she decided to stay.
“I had gotten a taste of working in the grocery industry, and I didn’t really want to leave,” she confides. “That’s when Liz presented the ‘Engagement Department’ idea to me. She’d been wanting to start a sub-department within HR that focused on talent management (TM) engagement and recognition. She felt I could be the person to run that department, which for me was a dream of an opportunity!”
At the time, it was only a budding idea, and Lucia had to choose: accept a for-sure offer outside of grocery or take a leap of faith. She took the leap and was promoted to Engagement Manager.
“It was very exciting and at the same time a bit nerve-wracking. Although I had experience in this area, I had never led a department, let alone developed one from the ground up,” Lucia confides. “Those first couple of years have gone to building foundational programs that help foster team member appreciation across the company.”
After that, she was promoted to Director of Culture and Engagement. In this newly created role, she intentionally focuses on building stronger pillars, centered on growing a strong company culture and the layers that go into it, an important factor as Vallarta Supermarkets expands into new regions.
Throughout her career, she’s been supported by women from several industries, including Maria Melton, Executive Director at Los Angeles Team Mentoring (LATM), Liz Llamas, and Monica Guzman, a high school friend who connected her with Four Seasons Hotel.
“Both of them were strong and confident leaders who gave me a shot to step up in my career and grow. I remember both of them being tough, in the best way possible, and always willing to guide me and share their knowledge and experiences. A valuable lesson I learned from Maria was ‘to never present a problem without potential solutions, ’ a total game-changer throughout my career,” Lucia notes. “From Liz, I learned the value of perseverance through adversity and to always care for your teams. From Monica, who was so generous with her time, I learned what I know now about HR.”
But one of the most important pieces of advice Lucia offers is to become your own role model.
“The best role model has been the future ‘best’ version of myself. In this industry, it’s important to humble ourselves and be open to the idea that good qualities are being role-modeled by people around us,” she says. “My approach has been to see the good qualities, no matter a person’s role or experience, and to determine how those qualities fit into the person I’m trying to be/become.”
For the next generation of women considering grocery as a career, Lucia outlines four lessons:
- GO FOR IT! - Take the leap of faith and don’t let fear hold you back from opportunities. The moment you start feeling fear or self-doubt, use that as your cue to jump in and go after it.
- YOU ARE CAPABLE OF DOING HARD THINGS! - Growth happens when we do the hard things, and even though it can be uncomfortable or scary at times, take that leap of faith and believe that no matter the outcome it’s going to be good or it’s going to be good.
- YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE! - Oftentimes, when we’re young, we tend to think it’s “me against the world,” but you’d be surprised to learn there are several people rooting for you and willing to help you in your own journey. So don’t be afraid to ask for help. And lastly…
- ROOT FOR OTHERS! - As you grow in your own career, don’t forget to also root for others and help them in their own journey.
We’ll continue to celebrate stories like Lucia’s throughout Women’s History Month. Stay tuned.
