I’ve spent the last year and some months under the worst SM I’ve ever seen. Weeks on end in overtime, carrying the weight of the majority of their responsibilities, being left helpless and worked to the bone, doing everything in my power to take care of my partners who mean the world to me because our SM couldn’t be bothered to.

It exhausted me to a point I’d never reached. They greatly mistreated partners. Consistently worked less hours than I or any of our SSVs and even some baristas. Spent 80% of the time they were in the store off the floor. Always prioritized themselves over anyone or anything else. Denied people’s time off requests but took multiple-day long vacations twice a month that left us short staffed, and ignored people’s availability requests because they didn’t line up with their personal schedule and when they wanted to be off. Believed they deserved a pay raise more than we did and were very vocal about it. Didn’t bother to schedule correctly or with any thought. Told us on many occasions that we shouldn’t be bothering them with store issues when they’re not in the store. Mocked, pushed, berated, ignored, talked down to, and wrongfully punished those they were less in favor of.

Many of the greatest people I’ve ever known were driven away by them. They came in, loved the job, loved and got close with partners, but couldn’t stand to be treated the way they were treated.

In my experience with this SM, the things Ive heard them say, the way I’ve seen them act, and the way they’ve made me feel have left me with no respect for them whatsoever.

I was so close to giving up and quitting, leaving the place I’ve spent years growing to love, people I consider family, and a craft that I had a genuine passion for all because it was entirely tainted by one of the most disgusting people I’ve met.

Luckily, I stuck around long enough to see them go, and I couldn’t be happier.

We have a new SM who is genuinely one of my favorite people I’ve ever met and has been since I first met them.

Their compassion, understanding, and drive has completely reignited what our store used to be. After feeling so unsupported and unappreciated and uninspired for so long, I forgot what it felt like to love what you do.

Our current SM is someone I really look up to, can confide in, am not scared to ask for help or guidance, is willing to do anything for us, constantly celebrates achievements and helps us learn from faults rather than discouraging us because of them. They care about every partner individually and as a team. At the worst of times they’re right there in it with us. Theres a mutual respect between them and the rest of us, feeling like equals rather than inferior based on rank.

Years ago when I first became a partner, I quickly realized that this job meant more to me than just being a job. I love the community, I love learning about every part of it, I love being a part of it.

I despise the fact that someone was almost able to take that all from me, but I’m forever grateful that someone else was able to make me see it again and remember why I was here in the first place.

Today was the first day in about a year and four months that I came home from work feeling happy and accomplished, and excited to go back tomorrow.