Prior to joining Stinker Stores as a manager at one of its Nampa, Idaho, locations, Shaddow Morrison worked in a treatment center for people coming off of drugs and alcohol. “After three years of overnights, I was ready for something different,” he said. 

His pivot kept him in a people-centric job—which is his favorite thing about working in convenience. “I started in a seasonal role, and was offered an assistant manager position three months in. It’s all about the people for me. That’s what keeps us growing and driving forward. When I come in to work, I make sure my employees are set up for success.” 

He spoke with NACS about: 

Why he loves working in convenience

I love meeting different people from different walks of life. I also love learning new things. I’m no stranger to retail jobs, I’ve had plenty of retail experience, but it’s definitely been a big change since I’ve taken over the store manager role. I’m learning new things every step of the way, and it not only challenges me, but when I overcome those little things and constantly get more information, I feel even more comfortable in the job. 

It’s a very hands-on job. I genuinely enjoy the tasks I get to do, like inventory control, making sure the store is running smoothly or setting goals. Retail jobs aren’t for everyone, but I have found great things to learn and great people to meet. 

His favorite thing about his job

It’s seeing growth in my people. That’s first and foremost to me, because then the business growth follows. I love seeing them train well, take in new information and be able to handle whatever I put in front of them. This job is also challenging, which in itself can be rewarding. 

I have found a sense of family at Stinker, which really means a lot—it makes me so much more comfortable to come to work every day knowing I have so many people that I can reach out to and lean on. 

A memorable moment at work

I have so many. But even just the other day, I had this really nice older lady come into the store who wanted to use our microwave. She was telling me about her day, which was going pretty rough, and we hit it off and had a great conversation. I wished her a better day, and offered to go out and help her fill up her gas or with anything else she needed. All my favorite moments are about our people and our regulars. My goal is to build more regulars here.