BENTONVILLE, AR - There is a balance act constantly at play in fresh produce—one in which companies must know when to embrace tradition, when to hit the gas on innovation, and when to employ the perfect balance of both. Understanding the road to success can wind in many directions; Denise Junqueiro’s The Trail Blazers Firm is helping produce leaders carve their own paths while opening new doors for industry innovation.
Denise’s 20 years of experience in fresh produce has allowed her to witness firsthand what happens when companies cling too tightly to tradition without prioritizing innovation along the way, or, on the other hand, focus so strongly on innovation that they lose the value of tradition.
Enter The Trail Blazers Firm, which focuses on two key areas supporting this very concept:
- Marketing: Understanding the need to utilize and honor the industry’s traditional strengths of what still works, such as relationships, farming, infrastructure, and more, while embracing where the market is going with data-driven insights, digital capabilities, and fully integrated omnichannel marketing.
- Leadership Development: Denise believes leaders of today and tomorrow need more than the fundamentals of the business to make it successful and prosperous in the future. Today’s leaders have to be equipped with the skills of self-awareness, conflict management, and the ability to collaborate, communicate, and compromise.
As Denise harnesses her industry expertise to help companies drive growth in these areas, she recently shared more about the vision behind The Trail Blazers Firm.
Why is it important for today's leaders to pursue innovation and move beyond outdated thinking?
“I think it is important to pursue innovation to preserve legacy. If you stay the same, nothing can grow or be sustained. The world, our businesses, and our lives are constantly changing—and changing faster than we have ever seen before. If we don't know how, or aren't willing, to challenge ourselves to grow, what we truly value and care about may not be here for the future.
You can hold onto traditions and legacy to preserve the core of what was founded while still advancing what is needed to truly sustain that legacy and the business. Innovation doesn't mean abandoning where you came from. It means being willing to evolve so what you built can continue into the future.”
What could this kind of transformational growth look like for a fresh produce operation?
“A great example of transformational growth in fresh produce is value-added products and regional or crop diversification. For many years, the industry was so focused on the farms, their own production, and simply producing food for the world to eat because, in many ways, the world would eat what was on the shelf.
Now, it is much more about convenience, access, freshness and ease of use from a consumer perspective. The consumer has evolved, and we have to evolve with them if we want to sustain our businesses and our industry for years to come.
Take green beans, for example. It used to be that you would purchase green beans in the produce aisle, take them home, wash them, trim them, and cook them. Now, because of the need for convenience, consumers can purchase them prewashed, trimmed, and ready to cook. We see the same thing with broccoli and cauliflower.
Twenty years ago, bagged salad wasn't nearly what it is today, and now you can buy all different types of salads with most of the fixings already included.
If growers, packers, and shippers hadn't leaned into the opportunity to meet consumers' desire and need for convenience, they would not have advanced. Many companies didn't take the time to adopt these advancements because they felt too unknown or there were operational challenges that needed a lot of attention and collaboration. These innovations require investment, new knowledge, and a willingness to do something differently. But those that did and have were able to capture the opportunity quickly and put themselves in a stronger position to flourish over the next 10 years and keep competition at bay.”
How can companies balance their commitment to innovation and out-of-the-box thinking while upholding some of the traditions that have become a foundation of the produce industry? How do we decide which traditions are worth keeping?
“The traditions and legacies I believe companies should keep are their values—the values and character of who they are, the way they treat people and customers, the quality of their products, and the way they operate their business. Tradition and legacy show up in the way people experience your business and how they feel about doing business with you. It is in your actions. It is not in your logo or your box, or simply in the way you started.
You need to lean into innovation so tomorrow and the next year are easier, not harder. If you feel challenged by today and stay exactly the same, does that really set you up for less challenge or more success tomorrow? To me, it's the difference between a fixed and growth mindset. No one can reset who they were yesterday and expect to have the same success tomorrow. You have to honor what made you successful while being willing to evolve what needs to change.”
If you could share one piece of advice with today's industry leadership, what would it be?
“You have a choice. You have a choice to stay the same or to advance. But choice doesn't mean this or that. Many times, we don't realize that choice can mean ‘AND.’
Take leadership or professional development, for example. So many times, we think we don't have the budget or the time for it, yet the same amount of time and money is being spent because our people aren't developed enough to have the hard conversations, work through challenges, build trust with each other, and collaborate effectively.
How many times have we seen situations in business where misunderstandings cost thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars simply because a team didn't know how to communicate well, lacked the knowledge or skills to have a hard conversation, or didn't have enough trust? I believe—and have seen firsthand—that putting the time and investment into people, whether at an individual or organizational level, can create stronger business results, greater efficiencies, enhanced competencies, and a stronger culture where morale and dedication are high.
Every choice and every step we take and investment we make, makes a difference. It's never about an overhaul. It's about advancing one step forward, making one choice differently, inch by inch, to move us forward and create better outcomes.”
At the end of this insightful conversation, Denise instills me with one truth: You don't have to choose between honoring where you've come from and preparing for where you're going.
In fact, the strongest organizations find a way to do both. They preserve the values, relationships, and qualities that made them successful while continuing to evolve, innovate, and lay the groundwork for what is next.
It is this masterful balance that makes fresh produce so exciting—and ever so rewarding.
