Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | December 10, 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 19 Worcester Business Journal WBJ CALL FOR NOMINATIONS! Honorees will be profiled in the March 4, 2019 edition of Worcester Business Journal and will be honored at a special ceremony in late March. Know someone worthy of one of these awards? NOMINATE THEM TODAY! Nomination deadline: December 21, 2018 Further details and nomination form at www.wbjournal.com/businessleaders H A L L O F F A M E A W A R D S H A L L O F F A M E A W A R D S & This special edition and event honors top business leaders in Central Massachusetts for their companies' successes and contributions to the community. Our Business Leaders of the Year will be recognized in the categories of small and large business, nonprofit, innovator and Family Business Leader of the Year. In addition, we'll honor a select group of Central Massachusetts business leaders in our third annual Hall of Fame awards. BY RENEE DIAZ The Struggle is Real Why I know all of my staff's birthdays F or the past six anksgivings, I was exhausted around my family. anks to 26 people, that didn't happen this year. As the days leading up to anksgiving are some of the busiest for e Queen's Cups, for the past six years, I would be the first person at work and the last person to leave. en, I would wake up again the next two days and repeat the whole process. Even on the day aer anksgiving, I would wake up and go back to work. Eat, sleep, repeat. On the Monday before anksgiving this year, in anticipation of again spend- ing my whole day in the kitchen, I ran a couple of errands ahead of time. I sent a message to my newly promoted kitchen manager, Alycia Wagner, letting her know I would make all the mini cup- cakes, and I asked her to leave me a list of whatever else she needed done. When I came into my business that morning, something was very different from years past. e kitchen staff literally did not need me. I was home by 1 p.m. that day and actually got to enjoy my husband's birthday with him, absolutely stress free. e next day, we had more than 60 orders to finish, wrap and label. In the past, I would be frantic wondering how to get it all done. at morning, I asked Alycia what her plan of attack was. She had it under control, and she and the rest of my awesome crew finished all of the orders. I spent the day visiting with customers. I had missed being able to chat with customers, old and new, and I was in such a great mood. Not being needed in the kitchen I built was a weird feeling, but this had been coming for a while. If you ask my staff now, they would lie and say they still need me in the kitchen. ey are all much more talented than I am, and I know they can run the day to day without me making a mess everywhere. When I told a friend how I was still struggling with not having to work like a mad woman any more, I felt guilty. Aer I admitted this to her, she reminded me of the years of work I put in to make this happen: the 14-hour days, the seven-day workweek, missing birthdays and special occasions for those I love, all of those years, all rolled into one big ball of stress. She was right, I worked for this! Letting go of being the mad woman in the kitchen has let me become the compassionate leader at my business. Over the past six months, I have been practicing mindfulness, which goes hand in hand with my love for compas- sionate leadership. I open myself up to learn from my staff. I cannot run my business without their dedication, so their feelings, expertise and opinions matter to me. I try to get to know them on a personal level, recognize their likes and dislikes, know their birthdays, and take an interest in their hobbies. In situ- ations where things get sticky, I work on remaining positive. If I crumble, what will they do? I am their leader, and it is important for them to see me handle things with poise. Mistakes happen and when they do, it is our chance to show our customers how good we really are. I want to lead by example so they know how to handle the situation. I manage 26 wonderful people. With so many, there always seems to be some- thing going on. I envision myself in their shoes, at their age, and ask myself what would I have done. I leave the lines of communication open, hoping they feel comfortable to come to me or a man- ager. I teach them about saving money, passing along life lessons I learned. As a team, we have tried to create a culture where everyone enjoys coming to work and feels appreciated. We just had an amazing anksgiving potluck where everyone brought food ranging from American to Spanish to Kenyan! I look forward to when we all get to be to- gether, and I can meet their loved ones, especially those who raised them. I worked myself out of my kitchen and landed right where I am supposed to be: Compassionately leading 26 peo- ple who work hard for me every shi. For the first time in my adult life, I have started to enjoy life. I can sleep in past 5 a.m., I can enjoy time with my husband, I can take a half day to spend time with my niece and nephew, and I have con- tinued coaching basketball at Millbury High School. Without saying a word, my staff told me they had my back, and I am forever grateful. Renee Diaz is the owner of e Queen's Cups bakery in Worcester. W

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