We're delighted to welcome for this week's episode Blaine Heilman, a produce industry veteran who’s entering a new career chapter as a consultant and sales director of Transcend Leadership Collective. Blaine’s previous roles have included president of sales at Sage Fruit, senior sourcing manager at Walmart, and director of domestic sales at Rainier Fruit Company. Our regular listeners know that leadership and people management have been recurring topics on this podcast, and in this conversation Blaine details her first experience of going from individual contributor to team leader, the growing pains she encountered, the tools she found useful in her learning and development, the structured approach she later found in Walmart's leadership program, and why and how she wants to support other industry members in their own leadership journeys. Blaine discusses navigating common challenges for those moving into leadership for the first time, from managing people older than you, to setting expectations for change, to wanting to be liked, to repairing relationships when needed, and more. For new leaders in particular, this conversation will be invaluable, and for older leaders, it will be an excellent refresher and opportunity to share with younger leaders in the success planning pipeline. Hope you enjoy the conversation!

<p>We're delighted to welcome for this week's episode Blaine Heilman, a produce industry veteran who&rsquo;s entering a new career chapter as a consultant and sales director of Transcend Leadership Collective. Blaine&rsquo;s previous roles have included president of sales at Sage Fruit, senior sourcing manager at Walmart, and director of domestic sales at Rainier Fruit Company. Our regular listeners know that leadership and people management have been recurring topics on this podcast, and in this conversation Blaine details her first experience of going from individual contributor to team leader, the growing pains she encountered, the tools she found useful in her learning and development, the structured approach she later found in Walmart's leadership program, and why and how she wants to support other industry members in their own leadership journeys. Blaine discusses navigating common challenges for those moving into leadership for the first time, from managing people older than you, to setting expectations for change, to wanting to be liked, to repairing relationships when needed, and more. For new leaders in particular, this conversation will be invaluable, and for older leaders, it will be an excellent refresher and opportunity to share with younger leaders in the success planning pipeline. Hope you enjoy the conversation!</p>

The Produce Retail Podcast is the place for thought leaders in the industry to talk shop. Join us for conversations on strategy, business partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and much more. We'll have regular guests as well as more occasional visitors, and the goal is always to deliver conversations that inform, inspire and ultimately illuminate opportunities for growth. This podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, produce industry enthusiast and founder and CEO of Ashley Nickle Growth Strategies.  

<p>The Produce Retail Podcast is the place for thought leaders in the industry to talk shop. Join us for conversations on strategy, business partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and much more. We'll have regular guests as well as more occasional visitors, and the goal is always to deliver conversations that inform, inspire and ultimately illuminate opportunities for growth. This podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, produce industry enthusiast and founder and CEO of Ashley Nickle Growth Strategies.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>