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| The drive to 'make a difference' can feel overwhelming at times, particularly given the events of the past year. Overlapping and intersecting needs, issues, and action points have received enhanced visibility or urgency, including racial justice and fluctuating relationships with physical and mental health. Claudia Crowder '98, the Senior Category Manager at MOM's Organic Market, discussed the ways in which some of these issues intersect with her professional life and the profound effect that something seemingly innocuous – groceries! – can have on individuals and families. |
| Claudia's personal values have served as a primary driving force for as long as she can remember. Having spent a number of years in the corporate retail world and finding herself increasingly unsatisfied, she knew that she wanted to be in the food industry. After several years of searching for the right fit, Claudia found herself at MOM's Organic Market – and knew immediately that this was where she was meant to be. "When I found MOM's, it really spoke to me because they walked the walk, you know? Our owner drives a Tesla, and he bikes to work most days when it's not raining or snowing. The people that work at MOM's on our leadership team, my boss included, most of them have been there close to 20 or 20+ years. So, there's a lot of longevity in the company. And I think that the people that work there really care about the company, and what the company does, and what it stands for. And I just think it's really unique." |
| As the Senior Category Manager, Claudia spends her days overseeing everything in MOM's grocery world excluding produce. "We do some really special things in our company with palm oil and environmental restoration, and chocolate and Fair Labor Standards. And part of it is holding companies' feet to the fire when they say one thing but we don't necessarily find that that's true," she explained. This includes sending honey to the University of Texas for pollen analysis, or sending olive oils to the California Olive Counsel to verify an 'extra virgin' label. |
| For both Claudia and MOM's, these responsibilities are values-based. Customers should be able to trust in the companies they are supporting and the products they are consuming. "Shopping at MOM's takes some of the thinking out of shopping for customers, because they know that what they're contributing to is something good. I think folks can get really bogged down in the question of, 'how do I make a difference? How do I contribute to something that is good?' And I think that, if organics is important to you, if saving the environment is important to you, if getting chemicals out of our environment is important to you, then we're the place to go." |
| Claudia laughed, "you know, you think about it, like, it's groceries! But people have an emotional connection to our store. I think part of it is we're not about the bottom line. It's not all about the almighty dollar because we're still a privately held company, and so we have the freedom to make the right choices for the company, or for the environment, or what we feel is most important. I think our employees feel really empowered to also do the right thing." |
| These values, and the desire to do the right thing, also extends to include questions of social responsibility, particularly in response to the racial justice events of last summer. Alongside donating to five different organizations – the NAACP, the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, the Antiracist Research and Policy Center, Color of Change, and the Bail Project – MOM's has been re-evaluating different practices throughout the store. Claudia has been working with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Group to look at things such as product names and brand marketing. "They're hard conversations to have, but, for me, it goes back to our values. Part of it for me is that we rise by lifting others, and when we condone quietly, it's not lifting others." |
| Another way in which Claudia applies this philosophy is in her work as a certified yoga teacher and Ayurveda health counselor – a practice which has become particularly useful with navigating the intense mental challenges of the past year. "I've developed practices and tools that I think have really helped me be resilient, such as a good meditation practice and gratitude." She has also used this experience to run mindfulness retreats for MOM's employees during her years with the company. |
| When asked if she had any advice for current W&L students or recent graduates, particularly those interested in 'making a difference,' Claudia gazed thoughtfully at her screen before saying, "there's an image at W&L about what 'success' is. But success comes in many different shapes and sizes! And making a positive contribution is probably the best success that I feel I've known." |
| ~ Julie Ruth Malone '18 |
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