C-Store Center
92 episodes listed below
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This podcast is designed for convenience store managers who are responsible for leading teams, driving performance, and maintaining store standards. Each episode focuses on leadership, accountability, communication, and the systems that keep a store running successfully. Managing a store requires more than completing tasks. Thrive breaks down how to develop employees, improve execution, manage performance, and create a culture that delivers consistent results. If you are responsible for a store and want to strengthen your leadership skills while improving operations, this podcast provides practical guidance you can use every day.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Hernandez turns everyday convenience-store problems into practical lessons about leadership, data, inventory, supplier relationships, and profitable execution.
Mike Hernandez treats convenience-store management as a chain of decisions with visible operational consequences. His solo lessons connect shift communication, supplier negotiation, inventory control, payment technology, conflict resolution, and retail analytics to sales, waste,…
Three employees, three answers about the rewards program: your next team huddle has an agenda.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Training is presented as a store-floor system, not a paperwork ritual.
This episode treats employee training as a working part of store operations, not a box to check. Mike Hernandez opens with a familiar floor-level example: a new hire who struggled at first, then improved once training was broken into shorter, hands-on sessions.
Straightforward growth advice for managers who need learning to fit real store life.
The episode treats continuous learning as part of the job, not a nice extra. It frames convenience-store management as a mix of daily operations, leadership growth, and making room to learn even when the schedule is packed.
A practical guide to turning vendor calls and local ties into better store results.
Networking and Relationship Building treats convenience-store networking as a practical part of the job. Mike Hernandez keeps the focus on trust, steady follow-through, supplier conversations, local partnerships, and the small habits that stop agreements from drifting.
A practical playbook for keeping a store moving when emergencies hit.
Thrive treats crisis readiness as storecraft, not policy talk. It sticks to concrete moments, like a 12-hour power outage, spoiled food avoided through backup systems, monitored entrances during a security system failure, and no item losses, to show how preparation protects both…
A practical guide to problem solving for convenience-store managers.
It frames problem solving and decision making as a practical part of convenience-store management, not as abstract management theory. The discussion moves through critical thinking, root-cause analysis, decision-making tools, SWOT analysis, cost-benefit thinking, and data-driven…
Practical local marketing advice for convenience-store managers who need fast, usable ideas.
This episode treats convenience-store marketing as plain defense, not decoration. It stays grounded in the work a manager can actually do: keep a small budget moving, watch the nearby competitor, lean on commuter coffee and student bundles, and use punch cards, Instagram,…
A practical reset for convenience store managers balancing shifts, supplies, and the daily schedule.
It is strongest when it treats time management as a practical store-floor discipline: set priorities, delegate work, and keep daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities in view.
A practical conflict-playbook for convenience-store managers who want calmer teams and steadier shifts.
This episode treats convenience-store conflict as a management challenge shaped by people, not just policy, and argues for calm structure and steady follow-through.
Tyler Selhorn interviews remote-work founders and researchers on building distributed team culture.
Adi Ignatius and Alison Beard interview scholars and executives on management and AI.
This episode focuses on performance management and employee development for convenience store managers, addressing challenges like high turnover and inconsistent performance.
Mike Hernandez teaches convenience store managers how building meaningful business relationships with suppliers and vendors drives operational success and profitability through trust, consistency, negotiation skills, and community engagement.
Mike Hernandez, host of Thrive Podcast from C-Store Center, focuses this episode on technology integration for convenience store managers.
Mike Hernandez on the Thrive Podcast from C-Store Center frames emotional intelligence as a core leadership tool for convenience store managers who deal with pressure, short staffing, and employee conflict.
Mike Hernandez says one convenience store used $200 in marketing to hold onto customers and lift morning coffee sales by 35% after a competitor opened two blocks away.
This episode of the Thrive Podcast provides a structured guide for convenience store managers on fostering continuous professional growth.
Host Mike Hernandez provides a comprehensive guide to employee training and development specifically for convenience store managers, covering program design, onboarding, coaching methods, and how to measure training success with practical, actionable systems.
This episode of the Thrive Podcast provides convenience store managers with practical strategies for improving time management and organizational skills.
This episode of the Thrive Podcast provides convenience store managers with a structured guide to problem-solving and decision-making.
Mike Hernandez zeroes in on communication as a store success problem.
Mike Hernandez wraps up the Thrive series with a season recap and a look at what comes next for convenience-store managers.
This episode focuses on sales and upselling strategies for convenience store managers, covering consultative selling, identifying customer interests, effective communication, overcoming objections, and performance tracking to enhance revenue and customer experience.
This episode of the Thrive Podcast focuses on managing customer complaints in convenience stores, emphasizing how to turn negative situations into positive outcomes.
This episode of the Thrive Podcast focuses on effective promotions and sales techniques for convenience store managers, using real examples like energy drink bundles to boost sales and create new buying habits.
This episode focuses on how convenience store managers can optimize store layout and visual merchandising to drive sales, using practical strategies like customer flow analysis and product placement.
A 12-hour outage changed Mike Hernandez's perspective.
Mike Hernandez on Thrive: Leadership Skills for C-Store Managers frames retail analytics as a practical tool for convenience store managers, not a tech exercise.
This episode focuses on inventory and supply chain management for convenience stores, offering practical strategies to avoid stock outs and improve profitability.
We were promoting low-margin sandwiches while our coffee profit was 3x higher—one shift fixed that and increased profits 20%.
A store manager learns that success is measured by financial metrics, not physical effort, during a quarterly review.
A store manager learns to develop reserve leadership by training employees to handle operations, enabling time off and work-life balance.
Mike Hernandez introduces his newsletter and podcast resources for convenience store managers, covering leadership, team development, and store management topics.
A store manager learns to reduce food waste by analyzing spoilage logs and adjusting production schedules based on actual sales data.
A convenience store manager shares his career journey and the importance of training and development in the industry.
This episode provides convenience store managers with strategies for ensuring health and safety compliance, covering regulations, common challenges, and practical tips.
This episode teaches convenience store managers how to use data to make informed financial decisions and improve store profitability.
This episode teaches convenience store managers how to handle customer complaints effectively by creating an open-door policy and empowering employees.
This episode teaches convenience store managers how to create and leverage customer personas for targeted marketing and improved store performance.
This episode explains targeted marketing strategies for convenience store managers, focusing on personalization versus generalization to improve customer engagement and loyalty.