Packer 25 2021 — Chris Miller

How did you get your start in the produce industry?

I graduated with a degree in environmental studies, and found myself leaning towards courses that related to food systems and the environment. The year I graduated from college was right in the height of the Great Recession. I applied to just about every job posting I could find and was coming up pretty empty. A few months after I graduated, right after my seasonal landscaping job ended, I got an out-of-the-blue call from one of the positions I had applied to on a green jobs board months earlier. The phone interview was for a cashier position at MOM’s, and I ended up talking about my interest in sustainable agriculture for most of the interview. I got the job, and it turned out one of the produce employees quit the day before. The general manager who interviewed me asked “Have you ever thought about working in produce?” … I started as a produce clerk that day.

About three weeks in, there was a blizzard and I was a newbie closing the department on my own. It was the craziest, most frenetic work environment I had ever been in. People were just clearing the shelves with storm panic. I got off that day feeling exhilarated and hooked. A day like that would cause someone to run away or go all in. I got the produce bug quick and haven’t turned back.

So the short answer is that produce really found me. I got very lucky to find a spark in the produce industry, with the right company at the right time.

What roles have you held during your career?

My (almost) 12-year career in produce has been with MOM’s. I have worked lots of different positions, and picked up some different categories over the years, but produce has been the through line of my career.

How would you describe your current role?

As produce director, I am responsible for product quality, product mix, vendor relationships, and customer experience (produce department operations). All that said, I really love being the produce cheerleader at MOM’s. Passion is at the heart of our business. It is hard work every day for everyone that touches produce, and I strive to share my passion and get people pumped to share all of the organic goodness with our customers.

What do you hope to accomplish/contribute through that role?

First and foremost, I want to make sure every one of our customers gets the highest quality certified organic produce every time they shop. I want their experience to be positive and relaxing in this chaotic world. This means that we need to coach and cultivate strong, passionate leaders in our produce departments who are excited to share their knowledge with everyone who walks through the door. Keep it simple, but make sure simple is done right every day.

What industry groups are you involved with?

I have had the opportunity to lobby on Capitol Hill with the Organic Trade Association a number of times. It is an honor to be able to share industry experience with our lawmakers and help influence some positive momentum within the organic industry. I have also enjoyed sharing my experience with local sustainable ag communities by being a panel speaker with organizations such as Future Harvest Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture (CASA).

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

I always want the MOM’s produce team to be on the forefront of change and progress in our organization even though that can be tough. In terms of our company, I am proud that we are the department that says “yes, and?” when it comes to developing new strategies and programs. In produce, we are so used to things changing quickly and frequently. I feel that applying that mentality and openness towards the growth and direction of our company as a whole has been very positive over the years.

Honestly, I am proud of how well our produce teams handled the challenges around COVID-19. I am so honored to work with so many passionate folks who took the immense stress and pressure of this last 18 months and worked so hard to serve our community of customers.

What does leadership mean to you?

Well, that’s a big one! Ha ha.

Leadership means showing up. We need to be authentic, honest, transparent, and empathetic. We need to be flexible and adapt to the ever-changing realties in front of us. We need to be confident, and take risks while not mistaking that for an inability to learn from failure and accept when we are wrong. We need to be humble and understanding of those who are different from us. We need to not be afraid of discomfort, because discomfort means we may be on the cusp of learning and growing. Leadership is a constant journey and evolution. I strive to be a leader who does not need to be the person with the best idea in the room, but rather makes space for others to be creative and bring their whole selves to the situation at hand.

Who are some of your industry mentors?

Oh man, there are so many!

Jon Steffy, vice president and general manager at Four Seasons Produce. Four Seasons is our primary produce distributor and has been as long as I have been with MOM’s. I had the opportunity to do a trip with Four Seasons in my first year or so of working produce. Jon was on that trip (about 11 years ago!), and I got to know him early on in my career. As a kid in the industry, I immediately admired his passion for produce, and his relationships with all of the suppliers we visited. Over the years, I have worked closely with Jon, and he has always been a role model for leading with positivity and a “get [it] done” attitude. Every conversation (countless) with him over these years always ends up with us sharing about an absolutely fantastic piece of produce one of us has enjoyed recently. To me, he exudes the heart of this industry … Of course we all have to care for our business, but when it gets down to it, we are produce nerds and just want to brag about the perfect ataulfo mango that we got to share with someone.

What's a little-known or fun fact about you?

When I was a produce manager, I made up a little song about ataulfo mangoes at 5 a.m. in the format of a kid’s counting tune. I have used my “1..2..3.. Ataulfo” song to teach both of my kids how to count to 10.

What's your favorite efficiency hack?

Get a good night’s sleep! Even though it has been years since I have opened produce departments every day, I still like to start my day in the office around 6, 6:30. (Take the guy out of the produce department, but can’t take the produce department out of the guy!) I have my best thinking/productivity hours early before the action of the day really starts. Good news is that I can fall asleep at the same time that my young kids do!

If you had to pick one fruit or vegetable to eat every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

This is not a fair question. The answer varies by season and there is too much awesome produce to choose from. I plead the Fifth on this one.