Page 10 - GTA South BU Q2 Newsletter

New Associate Spotlight SDM1304 - Cynthia Co
How long have you been with the business? What roles have you had?
I began my career with Shoppers Drug Mart in 2009 as a co- op student in Richmond Hill, where I worked as a cashier and front store supervisor. I had such an amazing time during this placement so I decided to apply to pharmacy school, with the intention to develop my career at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Since graduating in 2014, I have had the privilege of working as a staff pharmacist in several wonderful Shoppers Drug Mart locations, first in Kitchener for approximately a year, before I returned to Toronto. Within the GTA, I worked part- time at several stores, and through the mentorship of several Associates was afforded the opportunity to learn more about the business.
Finally, in 2017, I had the opportunity to be part of the opening team at Shoppers Drug Mart #1304. With the tremendous support of my Associate, I also completed a bridging program for my PharmD designation and the LEAD program. This experience afforded me the opportunity to gain a different perspective and expand on my clinical skills. It really is a pleasure to work with a strong and dynamic team that holds the same vision of growing our business and developing strong roots within the local community that we care for.
Where do you live and work?
I live in Markham and commute daily to Shoppers Drug Mart #1304, which is located at Lansdowne Avenue and Dupont Street. The store is located in a growing area that boasts several new condo developments and an evolving demographic. We are excited at the prospect of developing partnerships as the community evolves over the next couple of years, built on the principles of wellness, outreach, and responsibility.
Can you tell us a bit about your family, including any pets?
2019 was an exciting year of change, I got married, my husband and I moved into our new home, and I continued to develop my career. My husband is an accountant at an investment company and is passionate about wine. On the side, he owns a wine-importing agency. We enjoy traveling, and so I often tag along with him during his annual business trips to France and Germany to taste the upcoming season’s harvest at the wineries. Besides traveling, we also enjoy cooking and spending time with our friends and family. Currently, I am process of perfecting my bread making skills, particularly sourdough bread! I also have an 8-year-old Maltese dog named Coco - he keeps me busy as I always have to find him new treats and toys!
What's a little-known/interesting fact about yourself?
My guilty pleasure is to re-watch episodes of the Friends TV series to relax and decompress from the daily stresses in life. Over my lifetime, I’ve watched the entire series over 50 times!
What’s your favourite thing about being an Associate?
The best thing about being an Associate is that every day is unique, with its own twist of excitement and challenges. I have always enjoyed multi-tasking and problem solving, and embrace the pace of being pulled in various directions. That being said, what I have come to appreciate is that working at Shoppers Drug Mart has been a fantastic avenue for both learning and growth. When working with a motivated team, the positive energy makes navigating challenges so much easier, especially as there is a strong group of peers that is always eager to provide help and guidance to each other.
What’s the most challenging or exciting priority for your area of the business this year?
Things have been difficult across many sectors during the pandemic, and the Associate role, which already has its own inherent challenges, is not an exception. Becoming a new Associate during this extraordinary time has afforded me the opportunity to rise to the occasion. Three weeks after changeover, while other businesses came to a halt, our store like many were faced with waves of customers bulk-shopping items that resulted in inventory challenges. After assessing the competing issues, as a leader I felt it was important to prioritize staff and customer safety first, in addition to maintaining sufficient inventory levels, alleviating customer anxiety, and fulfilling our responsibility to the community as essential workers. While there were some bumps along the way, I am proud to say that we were able to meet these priorities, while rebuilding the management team to boot!
I am proud of our new management team for coming together so quickly and I’m even more excited for the opportunities and challenges we can accomplish together going forward.
Looking to the future, my near-term priority is to continue to ensure that my staff and customers remain safe and healthy during these trying times. Longer term, I firmly believe the current management team can establish firm roots within our community, and we look forward to furthering a strong relationship with our customer base.
How do you personally define “success”?
Success to me is how I can make a positive impact in the lives of others while staying true to my values.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home from the office?
Before heading home after work, I usually attend my kickboxing classes. It is a great way to meet others in the community, work up a sweat, and get those endorphins up!
What PC or Life brand product do you almost always have on hand, at home or work?
Even pre-covid, I always purchased Life brand Zinc lozenges and my preferred orange juice is PC brand with no pulp.
What’s the last thing you got for free with PC Optimum points?
Like many of my colleagues, I’ve been accumulating points over the years. The last time I redeemed points was over 5 years ago and I likely redeemed the points for groceries.