“Gibb” -ing the Best Advice in the Industry: “Rife” with Knowledge!
At Greenwald Sales & Marketing, we have the most incredible people on our team! Two of those astonishing team members are Marie Gibbs and Leslie Rife. Kate had the opportunity to sit down with these industry veterans to chat all things foodservice and what their careers have looked like. Leslie and Marie both serve as Sales Coordinators for Greenwald Sales & Marketing.
K: “Tell us a little bit about yourselves: hobbies and fun things about you!”
M: “I love to read, collect stamps and coins, play cards with my friends, and attend my various clubs. I speak Spanish, and I love anything with peanut butter!”
L: “Some of my hobbies are gardening, spending time with my kids and my grandkids, and puzzles. I love a murder mystery, whether it’s a book or a TV show. I love chocolate sundaes from Dairy Queen!”
K: “How many years have you been in the industry?”
M: “27 years – I found the foodservice industry after a former boss’s wife told me what she did and that she loved it! I told her that if she quit, I wanted her job… ha!”
L: “I’ve been in for 34 years. I started working in foodservice because the job was part-time, and the hours were flexible with having kids.”
K: “How did you begin in the industry? What did your first job look like? How have things changed since you’ve started?”
M: “I’ve been doing this for years: quoting, samples, and pricing for the sales team. The big difference in technology has been so crazy – watching the internet evolve into what it is now when we were working with pagers and faxing.”
L: “I started in the warehouse doing shipping and receiving. I morphed into more of an internal sales support role and have been there ever since. The big thing when I started was using a Rolodex to organize information. Now, the internet is a huge help!
K: “What’s been the craziest thing you’ve experienced in the industry?”
M + L: “Covid was the weirdest experience; we were in person and so tactile, and then we had to work at home and change all of our processes to adapt to a changing world.”
K: “If you had to give a young person advice for starting in foodservice, what would it be?”
M: “Working in foodservice requires a unique person. Once you’re in, though, you’re hooked! Lean on people with experience, and don’t hesitate to ask questions!”
L: “You must be able to multitask and handle a lot. Every day is different, but trust in the people you work with and lean on your manufacturers!” 1
K: “What is your favorite part about working together?”
M: “Leslie is never stressed out. It’s one of the things I love most about her. We always say, ‘as long as one of us is by each other, we can always find answers.'”
L: “My favorite part about working with Marie is that she’s always laughing. I have loved working together for the past 27 years.”
