
Stephanie Dremonas
Executive Officer
Pete's Fresh Market
Chicago, IL USA
“Everybody has a story that you can learn from.”
Pete's Fresh Market
Chicago, IL USA
“Everybody has a story that you can learn from.”
Executive Officer
I'm a second-generation owner of my family's chain of supermarkets.
My hands are in all of the departments of our businesses. That includes human resources, operations, finance, IT, and all day-to-day activities. I make sure to be as involved as possible so that I can lead the company forward.
Soft skills are very important as a leader and as someone who works with other people. Some soft skills I find especially important are active listening and communication. Leadership skills are also critical in my job. As a leader, I focus on being responsive rather than reactive. You also need humility and a great work ethic. It's great to have high ambitions but most people don't start at the top. If you're willing to start low and work hard, you'll be set up for success.
Here's the first step for everyone
Connect with people and find mentors to learn from. I attribute a lot of my success to learning from mentors. If you're nervous about finding a mentor, it really just starts with asking a question. Just one question about a person's job or experience opens the door for more connection. A lot of people think that they should only speak to people in their own industry or people at senior career levels. I don't agree. You can learn something from anybody.
"The family business is not for me. I'm not interested."