In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Executive Editor Hannah Hammond talks to Michelle Patterson, vice president of marketing and communications at McLane Company Inc., and Jason Read, director of store operations at Wawa, about how to build your personal brand. 

The three sat down at CSP’s third-annual C-Store Women’s event in San Antonio, Texas, to discuss how leaders in the convenience industry can build and maintain their own personal brand and growth in their careers. 

The learnings came from Patterson and Read’s power team, a group of people who had attended CSW in 2024 and worked throughout the year to develop tips on establishing a personal brand. 

“At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news and trends. From mergers and acquisitions to foodservice and technology, the podcast delivers the story straight to listeners in short-format episodes, perfect for the morning commute or a quick break at the office.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Rachel Gignac talks to Jesse Wolcott, assistant director of information technology at Royal Farms. 

They speak at C-StoreTEC, where Wolcott was part of a session on artificial intelligence (AI) strategy in convenience stores. 

Wolcott shares how Baltimore-based Royal Farms is leveraging AI, challenges with implementation and goals.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Rachel Gignac talks to Terry Valdivieso, chief financial officer at Atlantis Management Group. 

Valdivieso discusses the role of technology in the company's expansion and operational efficiency. Among additional topics, she shares insights on the implementation of suggested ordering systems and the future integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance data analysis and decision-making.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editors Hannah Hammond, Heather Lalley, Chuck Ulie, Diane Adam and Rachel Gignac discuss their biggest takeaways from the 2025 NACS Show.

The NACS Show took place Tuesday through Friday at McCormick Place in Chicago.

In a recent “At Your Convenience” podcast, CSP sat down with industry experts Bill Flack, senior vice president, head of foodservice strategic business, and Ed Shabaz, vice president of sales, director-foodservice and CPG, both from Ajinomoto Foods North America. According to Flack and Shabaz, this trend is being driven primarily by younger demographics including millennials and Gen Z consumers.

Latin American cuisine continues to dominate growth, with core items like tacos and burritos expanding to include trending options such as Birria tacos and elote. Empanadas are particularly well-suited for the convenience channel, showing 12% menu growth due to their portable nature and operational efficiency.

On the Asian front, dumplings and pot stickers are gaining significant traction. These handheld items appeal to consumers seeking authentic global experiences while offering retailers operationally friendly solutions that require minimal labor and hold well under heat lamps.

Listen to the full “At Your Convenience” podcast episode above for deeper insights into how convenience retailers can successfully implement global flavor programs and stay ahead of emerging food service trends.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Executive Editor Hannah Hammond talks to Julia Lazzara, president of Leading NOW, during CSP’s Outlook Leadership event in August. 

The two talk about CSP’s upcoming C-Store Women’s event, which takes place Nov. 3-5 in San Antonio, Texas. 

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Diane Adam talks with David Spross, executive director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets, Washington, D.C. The two talk at CSP’s Tobacco Plus Forum, held in September in Schaumburg, Illinois.

On this podcast, Spross discusses the Food and Drug Administration’s plan to fast-track nicotine pouch authorizations, state excise taxes and challenges of the illicit e-cigarette market.

On this special edition of the CSP podcast At Your Convenience, Melissa Vonder Haar introduces listeners to supplier members of the CSP C-Store Cannabis Board. 

Vonder Haar is managing director of TradeWorks for iSee Store Innovations and chair of CSP’s C-Store Cannabis Board. 

Board members were required to apply for their seats and were selected for their diversity in the segment, how long they’ve been in business and more. 

Listen in for the advice these suppliers have for convenience retailers looking to get into the hemp-THC space. 

Suppliers appearing on the podcast, in order, are: 

Jake Bullock: co-founder & CEO of Cann

David Daily: founder at GRAV

Angus Rittenburg: co-founder & CEO of Wynk

Lenard Gega: vice president of Hemp, Curaleaf

Daniella Segal: head of Delta 9, Charlotte’s Web

Koby Licciardo: SVP of sales, NOWADAYS

Blake Patterson: chief revenue officer, Keef Brands

Genya Akselrod: founding partner, Looner Cannabis

In a recent episode of “At Your Convenience” podcast, CSP’s Abbey Lewis spoke with Kara Calderon, head of underage access prevention at Reynolds, and Stephanie Sikorski, CEO of TrueAge, about the collaborative efforts to prevent underage access to tobacco and nicotine products. The conversation highlighted how industry partnerships between manufacturers, retailers and technology providers have contributed to lower rates of underage tobacco use. 

Reynolds' strict marketing protocols and contractual obligations with retailers, combined with TrueAge's innovative age verification technology, have created an ecosystem that effectively prevents youth access to age-restricted products. The discussion also addressed current challenges, including the rise of illicit vape products targeting youth, and future initiatives to strengthen underage access prevention efforts.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Chuck Ulie talks with Deb Bowman, category manager at Rhodes convenience stores, from CSP’s Center Store Forum on Sept. 9 in Lombard, Illinois.

Rhodes, based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, is operated by PAJCO Inc.

On this podcast, Bowman talks about some of the most fun and challenging parts of her job—and how she doesn’t see an end in sight to the avalanche of flavor innovations. She also shares how Rhodes has expanded its meat snack section in response to the growing GLP-1 trend.