Scotch Game

Working directly with senior leadership of multi-unit retail and restaurant concepts, providing growth expertise. 

Helping to build, refine, and expand the growth formula unique to each company.  

Solutions are on-demand and scaled to the need.  Service areas include: Diagnostics, Consultant & Advisory, Fractional CMO, Leadership & Coaching, and Results Guarantee.

Principal

Jackson

Served in a multi-faceted executive leadership role for this F500 company involving strategic planning and execution, organizational development, process and program innovation, and training/performance management in support of enterprise-wide marketing/brand transformation efforts.

•	Developed enterprise brand positioning in support of new business strategy shaping customer experience and go-to-market approaches, integrating with employee experience and generating over 95% engagement from employees within the first 60 days.

•	Built new organizational capabilities (including tools, KPIs, and processes) to enable the integration of design thinking and market-fit principles across the marketing, sales, and customer experience functions in support of the brand repositioning initiative.

Head, Enterprise Wide Marketing Innovation

ShareRoot

ShareRoot digital platforms, artificial intelligence tools and subject-matter expertise allows for a customised approach for each of our clients to understand market opportunities, design market access strategies and a data-rich environment for understanding, engaging and activating audiences.
 
Whether it is developing high-quality original content for social media, optimising e-commerce sales, creating e-games and applications, harnessing the power of social media or developing bespoke digital marketing strategies, the ShareRoot group of companies can provide solutions to suit any digital challenge.

Member of the Board of Advisors

Cracker Barrel

Played key leadership role on the 7-person executive team that worked closely with Board and reported directly to CEO, additionally serving on 4-person Real Estate Committee that determined sites/markets and capital allocations for business expansion for this F1000 restaurant/retail company.

•	Supported the CEO in driving business transformation by leading business model innovation and brand offering revitalization across the product, equipment and process development, insights, pricing, menu strategy, and licensing functions.

•	Led comprehensive redesign of off-premise/to-go business model (covering product/brand offerings, back-end processes, staffing models, and marketing programs) to deliver 200%+ sales growth, positive IRR, and national rollout to drive ongoing business innovation.

Executive Lead - Marketplace and Product Development

Promoted after 18 months to seven-person executive team adding product development, equipment development, licensing, and business development responsibilities. Executed business model innovation, digital strategy development, product lifecycle optimization, pricing, and brand extension efforts. Reported to CEO.

•	Grew total revenues over 20% and market share greater than 30%, recording 21 of 24 quarters of same store sales growth, resulting in six-fold increase in share price.

•	Enhanced $80M marketing line by evaluating and augmenting media and channel mix creating greater reach, targeting, and messaging capabilities resulting in profitable sales lifts in excess of 10%.

•	Created first digital strategy including SEO/SEM, social media, OLV, and CRM resulting in 2x industry engagement / sentiment levels, industry comparable reach, and high organic search rankings.

•	Implemented multi-cultural marketing programs impacting the customer experience, employee experience, and go-to-market as well as introducing market-level pricing (generating an incremental $30M in EBITDA) enabling expansion of an additional 25+ units.

SVP - Marketing (chief marketer)

Hired to redefine brand and reignite food focus. Spearheaded development and execution of strategy, programs, and process improvements / innovation across brand, media, advertising, menu development, market research, and pricing functions. Led cross-functional team responsible for driving menu innovation and optimization. Reported to CEO.

•	Formulated and implemented new product and marketing strategies/plans (including new core menu enhancements and seasonal menu program) that re-established “product” as critical growth and traffic driver for company.

•	Redesigned innovation and product strategy to focus on jobs-to-be-done and need states; also reworked end-to-end development process to structured rapid deployment model allowing company to successfully bring 50+ products year to market for Cracker Barrel.

VP - Brand and Menu Strategy

ARAMARK

Led an 18-member team in developing and implementing a marketing plan covering 300+ on-site food units within Aramark’s high-end business dining unit, serving clients such as Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.

Drove end-to-end rollout of new marketing plan across all assigned Aramark food units (resulting in 2-year same-store sales growth 6% over plan), in addition to implementing new catering program that grew sales by 10%+.

• Leveraged insights from market research, focus groups, and surveys to launch new product lines and present compelling new business development pitches to both existing and prospective clients, resulting in consistent sales growth.

Director of Marketing

Helping C-suite leaders of scaling and mature multi-unit concepts boost growth and market value | Former F1000 NEO

I help leaders of multi-unit concepts improve the effectiveness of their revenue line. 

Many organizations and their suppliers narrowly focus on just one area within the revenue line. Or they don't connect the different pieces, resulting in missed sales and internal team frustration.

As a partner for you and your team, we work together to find and activate the most significant leverage points across your whole concept to improve revenues. 

With experience in the C-suite for F1000 restaurant companies, I can leverage extensive experience running various revenue-related functions and deep industry knowledge for your benefit.

Working with me typically results in the following:
- Clarity about what are and will be the growth engines across your whole concept
- Higher sales from new program launches
- Higher ROI from your marketing line
- A better way to align marketing, product, ops, and training
- Confidence your innovation efforts will all stack up over time efficiently and exponentially

Nine areas influence the revenue line. My approach identifies your equities, builds magnetic moments, and creates structures to ensure disciplined delivery. 

 This approach has produced over:
- $500M in new sales
- 6x stock price increase
- 35% market share gains
 
Work typically takes one of four paths: consultative, fractional leadership, diagnostic, or workshops/speaking. 

Ideal partners are concepts that:
- Are committed to improvement 
- Have a senior member of the team directly engaged 
- Provide the necessary information in a timely and thorough manner
- Have leadership teams willing and able to support the change

I started Scotch Game in 2017 after serving as chief marketer and NEO for Cracker Barrel OId Country Store, Inc. for nearly a decade. 

I understood from first-hand experience the demands of running a restaurant business. The struggle to get sufficient focus on driving growth across the company could negatively impact the revenue and margin line.

I've worked at the board and leadership level, leading marketing, brand, menu strategy, culinary, pricing, equipment development, corporate communications, new concept development, and new business development functions, and I have served on the real estate committee.

I recognize the commitment involved in engagements. I aim to be respectful of your culture and your business. While I operate with a partner mindset, I also strive to bring you an outside, unbiased view to help you make the best decisions and take the best actions possible. 

Please feel free to connect via DM.

Chris Ciavarra

Culture Transformation Consultant | Partnering with Nonprofits and Purpose-Driven Companies to Build Strong Cultures and Thriving Teams

If you’re an established, small-to-mid-sized company (50 to 800 employees) with a strong product or service - or a leadership team or investor planning a merger or acquisition, where culture alignment can make or break the deal - this is for you.

Are you experiencing any or all of the following expensive problems (and they 𝙖𝙧𝙚 costing you!):

💠 Turnover is high, and the cost of replacing people keeps rising
💠 Accountability is inconsistent, and execution is falling through the cracks
💠 Tension and misalignment are slowing down decisions and draining energy
💠 Growth has plateaued, despite strong demand or opportunity
💠 Hiring is harder, and top candidates aren’t choosing you
💠 You’re stuck in reactive mode, constantly firefighting instead of scaling
💠 Culture challenges are eroding trust, even if no one says it outright
💠 Company values aren’t driving behavior, or they’re unclear to begin with

You may be feeling frustrated, stretched thin, or stuck, knowing something’s off, but unsure where to begin.

I’ve worked with leaders, just like you, to build cultures where:

✅ Employees are highly engaged and consistently perform at their best

✅ Top talent actively seeks you out, reducing time and cost to hire

✅ Your employer reputation drives recruiting momentum and industry credibility

There 𝙞𝙨 a way to rebuild a culture that drives results, through my people-first, three-step Engagement Evolution ROI framework.

This system engages employees and transforms culture.

Leading to a thriving, high-performing organization you can be proud of, without wasting resources on the wrong efforts.

That means you can look forward to a day when:

💠 Employees are fully engaged and invested in the company’s success

💠 Profits are soaring (or, in nonprofits, funds stretching further) - companies with highly engaged workforces are 21% more profitable, according to Gallup

💠 You're proud to lead an industry-respected organization with a great reputation

Ready to take the next step, or just explore what's possible?

Schedule a time for a free Culture Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/npommerenke/culture-clarity-call

We’ll get crystal clear on how you can transform your culture with a people-first approach, and grow your bottom line in the process.

Culture isn’t soft - it’s strategic.

Nia Pommerenke

18 months ago, their turnover was 24%. Today, it’s 11. 

Not by raising salaries. By clarifying standards.

The CEO was frustrated, as good people kept leaving. 

Recruiting costs were through the roof.

Exit interviews revealed the same pattern: "I got tired of carrying underperformers."

Before: 
❌ Manufacturing company, 150 employees, 24% annual turnover. 
❌ High performers burned out compensating for missed deadlines and subpar work. 
❌ No accountability. 
❌ Managers avoided difficult conversations. Mediocrity became the acceptable baseline.

The Breaking Point: Their best project manager quit for a lateral move. In her exit interview, she said: "I can't work somewhere that rewards showing up over delivering results."

What We Changed:
✔️ Defined clear performance standards for every role with measurable outcomes.
✔️ Trained managers to address gaps quickly within days, not weeks.
✔️ Created consistent consequences, support first, then action when patterns persisted.
✔️ Made several tough but necessary personnel changes.

The Results:
🔹 Within 6 months: Turnover dropped to 17% 
🔹 Within 12 months: Down to 13% 
🔹 Within 18 months: Stabilized at 11%

𝘛𝘰𝘱 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 90%.
After: 
✅ Teams function without constant firefighting. 
✅ Managers address issues early. 
✅ Standards apply equally. 
✅ High performers stopped looking elsewhere because excellence finally mattered.

𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚.

DM me if you’re ready to turn accountability into an advantage.



#culture #leadership #employeeengagement

Culture Transformation Consultant | Partnering with Purpose-Driven Companies to Build Strong Cultures and Thriving Teams

Your company just got praised for its values.

Your turnover rate tells a different story.

Values on walls mean little when daily behavior says otherwise.

Six signs your values are just decoration:

1. Top performers violate values, and keep their jobs. A sales leader treats people poorly but hits their targets, so faces no consequences.

2. Different rules for different levels. Executives arrive late, staff cannot. Hierarchy trumps stated values.

3. Pressure makes values negotiable. "Quality" disappears when margins tighten. Values become convenient, not commitments.

4. Feedback only flows down. Leaders give input, never receive it. "Open communication" is one-directional.

5. Innovation gets penalized. Despite being a stated value, new ideas are dismissed and prudent risk-takers sidelined.

6. No one can define values in practice. "Integrity" means different things to different people because it was never operationalized.

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

Download the full assessment below to identify where your stated culture and lived reality diverge.

DM me if you're ready to transform values from wall art into operational guides.


#culture #leadership #employeeengagement #values

Psychological safety doesn't mean lowering the bar. 

It means raising people up to meet it.

Leaders often confuse psychological safety with making everyone comfortable all the time.

They avoid tough feedback. They tolerate mediocre work. They worry that high standards will damage morale.

This isn't safety. It's avoidance that breeds resentment among high performers.

Real psychological safety means people can:
✅ Admit mistakes without fear of punishment
✅ Challenge ideas without political consequences
✅ Ask for help without seeming incompetent
✅ Take calculated risks without career-ending fallout

𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮.

You build it by:
💠 Separating person from performance in feedback
💠 Treating failure as data, not character evidence
💠 Being predictably fair with consequences
💠 Inviting dissent on approach, not on quality standards
💠 Supporting progress publicly, addressing gaps privately

High expectations + high support = high performance.

Download the framework below to build teams where people feel safe to grow and expected to excel.


DM me if your culture needs both psychological safety and consistent accountability.



#leadership #culture #employeeengagement

I once kept watering a houseplant because I thought more care meant more growth.

Instead, I drowned it.

It didn’t need more attention.

It needed balance: light, air, and space to grow on its own.

It reminded me of how some leaders manage their teams. 

With the best of intentions, they stay too involved:
 
❌ Checking-in too often
❌ Rewriting drafts  
❌ Jumping into meetings
❌ Making “helpful” tweaks that leave people second-guessing their own work.

The result?

Growth slows. Confidence withers. Initiative fades.

𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦.

It’s giving people what they need: clear expectations, guidance, and trust, then letting them take root.

✅ Support doesn’t always mean doing more.
✅ Sometimes, it means stepping back and believing in their ability to grow.

Just like that plant, people thrive when they have the right conditions, and the space to grow.

The best leaders already know this: trust is meant to be offered freely, not controlled.

When have you grown the most: when someone leaned in, or when they gave you space?

#Leadership #Trust #GrowthMindset #Culture

She stopped saying yes to everything. 

Within 3 months, it was clear her team took her leadership more seriously: pushback eased, and follow-through improved.

New director. Eager to be liked. Said yes to every request, avoided every conflict, and praised every output regardless of quality.

Her team engagement scores after six months: 48 out of 100.
The feedback in her 360 review stung: "She's nice but we don't respect her decisions. She bends to whoever speaks loudest."

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻:
When leaders prioritize being liked, decisions start to revolve around who they’ll disappoint, not what’s right.

They:
➜ Avoid giving honest feedback to preserve relationships
➜ Change direction based on who complains loudest
➜ Say yes when they mean no to avoid confrontation
➜ Let poor performance slide to stay popular

𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱:
I told her: "Your job isn't to be their friend. It's to make them better at their jobs."

𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱:
✅ Giving direct feedback on substandard work
✅ Saying no to requests that did not align with priorities
✅ Making decisions and sticking with them despite pushback
✅ Holding people to the standards she’d set

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲:
𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵: People complained she'd "changed." 
𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵: One team member who relied on her people-pleasing left. 
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵: Her remaining team started delivering stronger work.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀:
𝗕𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟲: Engagement scores hit 68.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: "She's fair. We know where we stand. She pushes us to be better."

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵: Popularity is not leadership.
Being respected sometimes means being temporarily disliked when you:

💠 Give feedback someone doesn't want to hear
💠 Say no to protect team priorities
💠 Hold someone accountable who hoped for a pass
💠 Make an unpopular decision that serves the mission

Leaders who chase approval lose the respect that builds followership.


DM me if your leadership team needs to shift from pleasing people to leading them effectively.


#leadership #culture #employeeengagement

Real culture change isn't comfortable. 

That's how you know it's working.

Leaders announce new standards with energy and optimism.

𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟯: Someone tests whether you mean it. 
𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟱: A manager avoids the tough conversation. 
𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟴: Longtime employee expects special treatment.
𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟯: Standards are finally upheld. 

𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴. 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦. 𝘈 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘺𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙚. 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨.

𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟲: 
✅ High performers start speaking up. 
✅ Meetings become productive, not political. 
✅ Problems surface early. 
✅ Teams function without constant intervention.

𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝟭𝟮: 
✅ What once felt uncomfortable becomes normal. 
✅ Recruitment improves. 
✅ Top performers stay. 
✅ Dysfunction feels unfamiliar, not inevitable.

𝘛𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵.

The ones that succeed? 
Leadership stays consistent when tested. 

They hold the line when resistance builds and trust the process through the crisis.

Culture change requires sustained courage, not weekend workshops.


DM me if you're ready to choose courage over comfort.


#culture #leadership #employeeengagement

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 

He stopped defending himself in meetings. 

His team engagement scores climbed 24 points in six months, from 52 to 76.

VP of Operations at a tech company, with engagement scores of 52 out of 100, well below company average.

When I asked his team what needed to change, the pattern was nearly unanimous: 

🚩 "He doesn't want to hear anything he doesn't already agree with."

Before: 

❌ When someone raised a concern, he explained it away. 
❌ Team members stopped bringing up issues. 
❌ Problems festered. Trust eroded. 
❌ His best engineer started interviewing elsewhere.

The Shift: I told him: "Your job isn't to defend every decision. It's to understand how they land."

What Changed:

✔️ Began weekly 10-minute check-ins: "𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳?"
✔️ Listened without interrupting or justifying.
✔️ Acted on at least one piece of team feedback each month.
✔️ When he couldn't implement something, he explained why with transparency.

The Results:

🔹 First quarter: Engagement scores rose to 64 
🔹 Second quarter: Hit 72 
🔹 Six months: Reached 76
🔹 The engineer interviewing withdrew: "𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺."

After: 

✅ His team brings problems early because they trust he'll listen. 
✅ Issues get solved while they're manageable. 
✅ People feel heard, which makes them more willing to hear him.

𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚.

DM me if your leadership team needs to rebuild trust through genuine two-way dialogue.



#leadership #culture #employeeengagement

A mentor once told me: “If it feels comfortable, you’re probably not growing.” 

It's a moment that reframed growth as something that happens when we stretch, not when everything feels easy.

I reflected on the times when I felt genuinely uncomfortable.

🔹 New responsibilities. 
🔹 Tough feedback. 
🔹 Uncertainty about whether I could deliver. 

Those were the experiences that shaped me the most. 

Not because they were pleasant, but because they pushed me past what felt safe and into what was possible. 

In work and in life, growth rarely comes wrapped in comfort. 

It often looks like questions without answers, first attempts that feel clumsy, or decisions that require us to step forward before we feel ready. 

And when leaders create environments where stretch feels supported, not punished, people begin to see discomfort differently. 

It becomes a signal that they are expanding, not failing. 

✅ Confidence grows when we are trusted to take on more than what we already know. 

✅ Capability builds when we are encouraged to stay with the discomfort long enough to learn from it. 

Growth is rarely smooth, but it is always meaningful.

Looking back, the moments that felt the most uncertain became the ones that opened the biggest doors. 

When has stretching beyond your comfort zone led to unexpected growth?

#Leadership #Growth #PeopleDevelopment #Culture

taplio

The Battle

Chris Ciavarra

Nia Pommerenke

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreNia Pommerenke's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Chris Ciavarra

Nia Pommerenke

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Nia Pommerenke's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreNia Pommerenke's LinkedIn Performance