Seek out uncomfortable challenges, solve them and succeed

As this is my first blog post — and I’m one of the newest members of the We R Food Safety! team — allow me to introduce myself! My name is Sam Bibbs, and I’m going to tell you, becoming a member of this team has challenged me in ways I did not expect! However, it also has given me countless opportunities already.

Last May, I put an immense amount of pressure on myself to graduate with a job offer. My dream always was to work for a food company on its research and development (R&D) team. I found thrilling the idea of seeing a product I created on the shelf at the store. In most cases, however, the COVID-19 pandemic presented too many unknowns in the forecast for food companies to add to their R&D teams.

I was devastated but pressed on in my search, ultimately accepting a job as a microbiology lab technician in New Ulm, Minn., near my family, and in a field I enjoyed during my college courses. I quickly learned a variety of testing methods and knew what to expect from my days; so the job became comfortable, but to the point that I did not feel challenged or as if I were using my talents to their fullest extent.

I began looking for a bigger challenge and stumbled upon a Food Safety Consultant position here at We R Food Safety! As the company is growing quickly, I had to also move quickly. It would be an understatement to say that the thought of packing up my life, moving away from my family again, and starting over at a new job made me uncomfortable.

But many of us likely have heard this from someone before — and for me, it was one of my high school teachers: If something does not make you uncomfortable, then it is not challenging you. I made the move to We R Food Safety!, and so far, I think this was the right decision.

Food processors should take my example as a strong reminder of that ages-old advice. Too often it becomes easy for a business to stay comfortable and do what works now, not seeing the future and what could be changed, uncomfortable as it might seem. That might mean adding a product or equipment or employee to your plant. It may not be necessary to succeed now, and it might be met with opposition in the moment, often in the form of another old adage: If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.

However, without constant assessment and adaptation, you will fall behind — especially in the food industry, where there are new regulations and changes seemingly every day.

The pandemic and all that it brought shows how essential it is for processors and businesses of all types to stay aware and stay on their toes. Those who could not easily adapt to unprecedented changes fell behind and often fell apart. Those who looked ahead — and then made necessary and often uncomfortable changes — stayed ahead and saw record sales.

When times are great and companies are comfortably cruising along, unchallenged, this can be a fun industry in which to work. During crazy times such as these, it can still be fun, but that requires flexibility to address challenges in ways that might make your business uncomfortable.

— Sam Bibbs, Food Safety Consultant, sam@werfoodsafety.com