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This podcast provides practical training for convenience store assistant managers. Each episode focuses on the real challenges of running a shift, supporting store managers, handling employees, and keeping operations on track in a fast-paced environment.
Assistant managers are often expected to lead without formal training. Survive helps bridge that gap by breaking down shift management, team accountability, inventory control, and problem-solving in a way that can be applied immediately on the job.
If you are stepping into leadership or currently managing shifts, this podcast will help you build confidence, make better decisions, and handle the daily pressure of store operations.
S Ep 79: ASSISTANT MANAGER? THE HARDEST TRANSITION (C-STORE TRAINING)
All right, hello everybody. My name is Mike Hernandez, and I spent 27 years in the convenience store industry. I want to start this recording specifically for convenience store assistant managers, though it applies really to any kind of retail. I want to share some of the experiences that you might be going through right now. That is the whole point of this Survive series. This is a big endeavor, and in order to achieve the vision I have, I am relying on technology. I am utilizing different tools and AI to bring this to you live on YouTube and as a podcast.
It took me about 18 months to become an assistant manager. I stated on day one, unequivocally, "Hey, I want to be an assistant manager." I started on the graveyard shift. It took 18 months to get into the position because of the turnover. They couldn't find anyone to replace me overnight. Every time we hired somebody, I trained them, and they didn't last. If you are like me, you know the feeling of wanting to get off the graveyard shift. Not because of the work—I used to love the graveyard work—but because you do not see anyone there. It is hard to get any kind of professional development. You don't see the district managers unless they are doing a really late-night store visit. I didn't see anyone from management for a long period of time.
I eventually started going to actual company training. There was a guy conducting the training for Stop-N-Go named Manny. I was probably ahead of everybody else in the class because I knew more about business. A big reason for that is I helped out at so many stores as a sales associate, and I learned a lot. My father was a store director for HEB, and growing up, I would go to work with him and listen to his conversations. I also started working at HEB when I was 16. Stop-N-Go wasn't my first job in the convenience store industry either; I used to work for an independent place called International One Stop. I was also a little older, pushing 25, which gave me more experience. I took a lot of initiative, asked questions, and loved to learn. Because I helped out at so many stores, I saw many different perspectives and ways of doing things, both good and bad.
I remember people telling me that the assistant manager position is the worst job you can have. The reason is that you moved up. The people who used to be your peers, your coworkers, and your friends now have a hard time adjusting to you telling them what to do. They don't always want to comply. They have that attitude of, "Who are you now? Mr. or Ms. Big Shot?" That is always a challenge.
The other issue is a lack of support. A lot of store managers and district managers do not give their assistant managers backing. They do not tell the staff, "When I am not here, Mike is in charge." You get the title of assistant manager, and it is easy for employees to throw that in your face. You get the responsibility, but you don't always get the backing. If you are an assistant manager listening to this, you know exactly what I am talking about.
It is not always intentional. People are rushed into positions. The industry often throws people in and just waits to see if they make it. Managers don't have time. When I was a district manager, as much as I would love to go into a store and spend time developing a store manager, I would get a phone call from my boss demanding I handle an immediate crisis at another store. I would have to apologize and leave. That lack of time creates compounding problems that quickly get out of control.
I am telling you this now so you can keep it in mind when you become a store manager. You must support your assistant managers. Have a conversation with your manager right now. Tell them, "I really need you to have my back on this. I am trying to get things done the way you want me to, but I am getting resistance." You have to be careful, though, because you do not want the manager undercutting you. If the manager constantly steps into the middle of situations to mediate, they take your power away. The employees will realize that and start going around you.
It is a tough job. I found that managers give the assistant almost anything they do not want to do themselves. You get a lot of experience, but it can be overwhelming and it can pile up. If you don't know how to delegate because you haven't earned the respect yet, it makes it incredibly difficult. You need to be aware of this because it is going to happen.
I went through that, and I became stronger because of it. Because I helped out at all those other stores, I developed a strong reputation in the market. Other district managers would call and ask for my help. I was making connections, networking, and gaining visibility. When it came time for me to be considered for a store manager position—maybe less than a year later—I had district managers telling me, "Mike, come work for me. You can have whatever you want. Name your price." I was eager, so I stayed with my district manager, and he put me into a store.
But that is a story for the Thrive episodes, which will be the next playlist. I want to point out that you are not limited to what the gatekeepers allow you to learn. You learn as fast as you want. Most adult learning is informal. You read something, you hear a podcast, you watch a video. You do not have to sit in a classroom for eight hours, and you do not have to sit at a computer in the back office clicking through training modules. You do the work now, you make sure everybody is doing their work, and I guarantee you will put yourself in a position to be considered for a manager role. That opens up more doors, more opportunity, higher earnings, and better benefits.
I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know there will be more videos and YouTube Shorts coming. I am doing this because I know it is needed. Everywhere I went, there were always good people who lost out or got stressed out. It doesn't have to be that way.
For the original, real-life experience version of this story, catch the full video version at CStoreCenter on YouTube. If you can relate to this journey and want to join the network, text your first name to 9 5 6 - 8 9 7 - 9 1 9 2.
I close every episode the same way — 'Happy Learning.' Those two words aren't filler. They represent everything I believe about development. Learning shouldn't be punishment. It should feel like possibility.