Episode Title: The 10-Second Audition: Why Customers Drive By Your Store (Episode 79)

Episode Description: Stop me if you’ve done this: You drive past a restaurant because the sign is flickering or the parking lot looks dark. You didn't taste the food, but you judged the business instantly.

Your customers are doing the same thing to your store every single night.

In this episode of C-Store Legends, Mike Hernandez breaks down the "Front Stage" concept. Most employees think their job starts when they clock in, but the sale is actually won or lost in the parking lot. We are moving beyond the basic "Trash Run" and teaching you the "Perimeter Sweep"—the 2-minute tactic that ensures you pass the customer's 10-second audition.

What You Will Learn:

• The Front Stage vs. Back Stage: Why the parking lot is the most critical sales floor in your building.
• The "Soccer Mom" Test: How to view your store through the eyes of your most safety-conscious customer.
• The Perimeter Sweep: A specific routine to replace lazy trash runs.
• Leadership Tactics: How to use the shift change to enforce exterior standards without being a nag.

The Quest: Pass the audition.

• Solo Quest: Walk to the curb. Find one piece of trash that isn't yours. Pick it up.
• Team Quest: Text a photo of your cleanest pump to the number below.

Resources & Links:

• 📲 Unlock the Level 2 Guide: Text the word CURB to 956-897-9192.
• 🏴‍☠️ Sponsor: Join the crew at Johnny Mecuerdo on Facebook for the upcoming launch of the industry's most legendary gear.
• Full Show Notes & Visuals: Visit C-Store Thrive

Episode Title: The 5 Levels of C-Store Mastery: From Dive to Arrive

Episode Description: Retail training is broken. It’s passive, boring, and frankly, it doesn’t stick. Today, we are pausing the standard playbook to introduce the new reality of the industry: Sink or Swim.

In this episode, Mike Hernandez breaks down the "Old Way" of training versus the "New Era" of the Operator. We introduce the 5 stages of a convenience store career and the specific mindset shift required to master each one:

• Dive (Sales Associate): How to stop drowning in the details.
• Survive (Assistant Manager): Escaping the "purgatory" between peer and boss.
• Thrive (Store Manager): Moving from 70-hour weeks to operational excellence.
• Drive (District Manager): The shift from running a unit to leading a territory.
• Arrive (Independent Owner): Facing the hard truths about theft, inventory, and legacy.

The era of the Passive Manager is over. It’s time to start keeping score.

🔗 GET THE VISUAL GUIDE: Don't just listen—execute. Go to www.cstorethrive.com to access the Members Only One-Pager breaking down all 5 levels and your first action item for the week.

Connect with Mike:

• Website: C-Store Thrive
• Production: C-Store Legends is a Sink or Swim Production.

THRIVE Podcast - Episode 75 Notes

Episode Title: Convenience Store Success: Financial Analysis and Profitability

Host: Mike Hernandez

Episode Description: In this essential episode of Thrive, host Mike Hernandez reveals how convenience store managers can transform overwhelming financial data into actionable insights that drive profits. Learn how one manager discovered a hidden pricing strategy that boosted profits by 20%—simply by analyzing which products had the highest margins. Transform your daily reports from confusing paperwork to a crystal-clear roadmap for success, without needing an accounting degree.

Key Topics Covered:

• Understanding key financial statements and metrics that really matter
• Managing and optimizing profit margins across product categories
• Creating practical budgets and forecasts that account for real-world conditions
• Identifying hidden efficiency improvements that boost your bottom line
• Making confident strategic decisions that grow your store's value

Episode Highlights:

• The "Quick Five" daily review that reveals your store's health in just five minutes
• The "Four-Box Strategy" for categorizing products by profit potential
• The "Margin Map" technique that uncovers hidden profit opportunities
• The "12-3-1 Method" for creating accurate sales projections and budgets
• The "Time-Task Audit" that saved one store 45 minutes per day on newspaper returns

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Start your daily "Quick Five" financial review each morning
2. Create a "Category Power Ranking" to identify your profit drivers
3. Implement the "Sales Per Labor Hour" metric to optimize staffing
4. Track your profit margins using the "Three Line Focus" approach
5. Use the "4-Point Test" to evaluate new investments and improvements

Manager Challenge Question: Using the "Four-Box Strategy" discussed in the podcast, how would you analyze your beverage category if most cooler space is dedicated to "Cash Cows" and "Dead Weight" items?

Listen to this episode to discover how to find $4,000 in hidden monthly profits through better financial understanding—without spending hours buried in spreadsheets or complicated accounting systems.

THRIVE Podcast – Episode 74 Notes

Episode Title: Convenience Store Success: Effective Promotions and Sales Techniques

Host: Mike Hernandez

Episode Description: In this profit-boosting episode of Thrive, host Mike Hernandez reveals strategies for creating effective promotions and sales techniques that increase your convenience store's revenue without sacrificing margins. Learn how to move beyond simple discounting to develop promotions that create new buying habits, increase basket size, and drive customer loyalty—turning your promotions from margin-killers into sales machines.

Key Topics Covered:

• Planning strategic promotions tailored for the convenience store environment
• Training your team in effective but natural sales techniques
• Creating compelling offers that customers understand and value
• Tracking performance metrics to measure real promotion success
• Continuously refining your promotional strategy based on results

Episode Highlights:

• The "Power Pair" system for combining high-margin items with high-demand products
• The "Natural Next" approach to suggestive selling that feels helpful, not pushy
• The "Margin Map" method for strategically categorizing your top 20 products
• The "Four Numbers That Matter" for daily promotion tracking
• The "Three-Voice System" for continuous improvement of your promotional strategy

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Implement the "Power Pair" system by creating specific product bundle combinations
2. Train your team in the "Watch-Try-Master" approach to sales techniques
3. Use the "3-3-3 Rule" to create more effective promotional signage
4. Apply the "Daily Snapshot" method to track promotion performance
5. Create "Rush Hour Rewards" tailored to different dayparts and customer segments

Manager Challenge Question: Using the "Margin Map" method discussed in the episode, how would you analyze your store's top 20 products and design a promotional strategy that balances traffic drivers with profit makers?

Listen to this episode to discover how one store increased energy drink sales by 30% while boosting food sales through smart bundling, and how you can apply these same techniques to grow your store's sales while maintaining healthy margins.

THRIVE Podcast - Episode 73 Notes

Episode Title: Convenience Store Success: Employee Training and Development

Host: Mike Hernandez

Episode Description: In this essential episode of Thrive, host Mike Hernandez explores how effective employee training can transform your convenience store's performance while significantly reducing turnover. Learn practical, real-world strategies for developing your team that go beyond basic onboarding—turning your training program from a necessary task into a powerful tool for store success and employee retention.

Key Topics Covered:

• Designing training programs that work in the fast-paced convenience store environment
• Creating an onboarding experience that sets new hires up for success from day one
• Implementing effective coaching and mentoring systems that develop employee potential
• Building ongoing development opportunities that keep staff engaged and growing
• Measuring training success through concrete performance improvements

Episode Highlights:

• The "Safety First, Skills Next" approach that prioritizes critical knowledge
• The "Three-Speed System" that transformed POS training effectiveness
• The "First Four Hours" blueprint for making new hire experiences count
• The "Catch and Coach" method for turning everyday moments into growth opportunities
• The "Growth Grid" system for identifying development opportunities

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Implement the "Chunk and Check" learning method by breaking skills into 15-minute learnable segments
2. Create "Quick Cards"—small, laminated references for common procedures at each workstation
3. Use the "Skills Heat Map" to visually identify training needs across your team
4. Establish the "Three-Month Sprint" method for structured personal development
5. Apply the "Four-Point Check" system to measure tangible training results

Manager Challenge Question: How would you redesign your current POS training program using the "Chunk and Check" learning method while maintaining store operations during training?

Listen to this episode to discover how proper employee training can reduce turnover by 40%, cut customer complaints in half, and actually save you money by creating a team that's engaged, confident, and committed to your store's success.

THRIVE Podcast - Episode 72 Notes

Episode Title: Convenience Store Success: Managing Inventory and Supply Chain

Host: Mike Hernandez

Episode Description: In this profit-boosting episode of Thrive, host Mike Hernandez reveals practical strategies for mastering inventory and supply chain management in your convenience store. Learn how to transform your inventory from a constant headache into a powerful profit driver with systems that ensure you have the right products at the right time—while keeping your cash flow healthy and your customers satisfied.

Key Topics Covered:

• Essential inventory control practices that prevent losses and optimize cash flow
• Advanced demand forecasting techniques to anticipate customer needs
• Systematic approaches to ordering and replenishment that save time and money
• Building productive vendor relationships that work in your favor
• Practical technology solutions that simplify inventory management

Episode Highlights:

• How weather forecasting and historical data helped increase sales by 40% during a heatwave
• The "Category Watch" system for weekly shrinkage monitoring of high-risk products
• The "Three-Strike Rule" for identifying and addressing dead stock
• The "Calendar Blueprint" for anticipating demand spikes and planning inventory accordingly
• The "Five-Point Check" system that takes just three minutes per delivery

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Implement the "Three-Point Check" receiving system to verify count, dates, and prices
2. Create color-coded expiration date stickers (red, yellow, green) to reduce expired product losses
3. Develop an "Event Impact Calendar" to anticipate local demand fluctuations
4. Apply the "Half-Full Rule" for display restocking to maintain appearance while enabling easier rotation
5. Use the "Three C's" approach (Clear, Consistent, Constructive) for more effective vendor relationships

Manager Challenge Question: Using the "Calendar Blueprint" system discussed in the episode, how would you integrate event impacts, weather effects, and seasonal variations to optimize your beverage inventory during summer months?

Listen to this episode to gain practical systems that can increase your profit margins by 2-3%, reduce out-of-stocks by up to 60%, and turn your inventory management from reactive to strategic.