THE FUTURE IS NOW
have the ability to provide info that’s actionable,” says Mohr. Wes Allen, co-owner of Sunlight Sports in Cody, Wyoming, agrees that keeping associates informed is one of the best ways to keep them engaged. “We include them in conversations about what we decide to buy and how much we can spend,” he says. “The business runs better when more people know how to drive it.” Allen cites the example of an associate who rose to the warranties department despite her young age thanks to an understanding of the shop’s economic realities. “She under- stands what our goals are and can make decisions based on that,” he says. Such empower-
ment leads to better employee morale, he says, but also better professionalism, and therefore to a better customer experience. Of course, says Allen, when employees are empowered and motivated, it’s natural that they’ll want to continue to ascend. Because his shop is small, that usually means moving on to other business- es, often within the industry. Grassroots president Gabe Maier himself started on the sales floor at Sunlight, as did executives at fitness tech manufacturer Coros and shoe brand Oboz. “Our focus is to get people who want to build a career in the outdoor industry to get exposure to other pro- fessionals in the industry,” says Allen. “We let them sit in on
“We jokingly say that we are the farm league for the outdoor industry.” —BRENDA MOHR, ALPINE SHOP
screen time and the pandem- ic. Another big investment: “making sure that they know the whole picture of the store’s economic position” says Mohr. That economic education means, she says, “helping them understand that we can’t keep the lights on selling just climbing hardware; we have to sell less-sexy stuff, too.” It also entails empowering associates to bring their own insights from the sales floor to nightly closing memos, and that higher-ups respond to that insight. “We want associates to know that they
Mohr. It’s because of the skills that are transferrable to other workplaces, but also because those shops are so good at empowering their associates to grow as employees—and as people. It’s just the nature of outdoor adventure and the constellation of businesses and other entities that support personal growth. That growth often leads people to careers far beyond the shops where they began. “We like to show our employees that we are part of a pretty cool larger commu- nity,” says Mohr. It all starts with interper- sonal skills, of course, and not just an ability to talk. “We want to train our associates to listen with enthusiasm and guide customers to the right product purchases,” says Mohr. That takes an under- standing of the products for sale, but also an understand- ing of the goals of the custom- er, which may tend toward a walk on a flat gravel path rath- er than up the face of a glacier. “Per our mission statement, we want to make sure the gear we sell them doesn’t lead to a negative experience in the outdoors,” she says. At the Alpine Shop, that training process is a signifi- cant time investment, espe- cially, says Mohr, as newer generations aren’t showing up with the same social skills as in years past, which she chalks up to forces like increased
Kate Darton, Kyla Basher, and Jack Egger (left to right) of Peak Bike and Outdoor sport matching Mountain Hardwear jackets during a vendor promotion.
GRASSROOTS STORIES 13
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