How I Got Here: SpartanNash SVP Adrienne Chance on overcoming obstacles

Adrienne Chance, senior vice president of communications for SpartanNash, leads the vision, strategy and implementation of the approach to purpose-driven internal and external communications for the company.

Before joining SpartanNash, Chance served as senior director of corporate communications for Borden Dairy Company. She also established the communications department and led internal and external communications across all five global divisions of Topgolf Entertainment Group. Chance has been recognized as a Trailblazer in Ragan’s 2024 Top Women in Communications Awards and as a 2022 Top Woman in Grocery by Progressive Grocer.

As an experienced communications professional, Chance has faced challenges and doubts and now shares this wisdom with other communication professionals: “Embrace the difficulties, expect to hear ‘no’ every day, and always have multiple plans in place. This way, you won’t be caught off guard or feel stuck when plan A doesn’t work out,” she said. “Be the kind of person who gets things done. Push through objections and roadblocks with determination.”

The moment I’m proudest of in my entire career is when I:

Any time I receive a call or message from a current or former teammate, whether they want to share their success, discuss a problem, or seek advice, it makes me feel really proud and fulfilled. I deeply value the relationships I’ve built with my team and want them to know that I’m in their corner, cheering them on and invested in their success. So, when they reach out, sometimes years later, and say, “I’ve got to tell you what’s going on,” I feel proud. It shows that the time we spent together extended beyond that one career chapter.

One thing that worries me about the future of my profession is:

I’m really concerned with the rise of misinformation and disinformation and deep fake videos. Even for trained people, it’s getting very difficult to recognize what’s real and what’s true. We need to find better ways of verifying and authenticating the information we’re presented with every day. There has to be an efficient way for that to happen, not only for communications professionals but for the readers and viewers of this information.

One way I stay creative and motivated is: 

 By talking to new people wherever I am. I love meeting new people and asking them about what they’re working on, what problems they’re dealing with, and what their aspirations are. You just never know where those conversations will lead. The conversations can lead to interesting ideas; sometimes they lead me to explore something I wasn’t aware of, like a podcast or new technology or a show on Netflix that’s going to spark the next great idea. The more people I talk to and meet, especially those who are different from me or not in my day-to-day life, is where I tend to get the most creativity and build connections and associations that I may not have otherwise.

Someone who has helped me be successful in my career: 

My dad. He was the CEO of his own company and has been the most influential person in my  career. He set me up for success by demonstrating what it means to be a servant leader. During tough times at his company, when they couldn’t afford housekeeping, he would come in on the weekends to clean the toilets and scrub the floors himself. He never wanted to detract from the associates’ experience; instead, he aimed to make sure they had a great work environment. I witnessed him having courageous conversations, putting himself out there, and not being afraid to fail. Despite having many restaurants, he never stopped learning and trying again. He showed me what it’s like to find joy in your work. I don’t think he ever viewed his job merely as a job or career; it was his purpose, his calling, and his passion. Witnessing that is a rare gift and something to strive for. It shapes who I am at work.

The most rewarding part of my job is: 

Seeing other people on my team grow and succeed, have their wins, build their confidence, achieve their dreams, and support their families—that’s probably the most fulfilling thing to me. On a broader scale, beyond my team, it’s how our communications function can support all the SpartanNash associates. I want them to feel: “Hey, my job matters. It’s part of something bigger. It connects to the vision and purpose of the company as a whole, and I’m a part of something where I feel I belong.” That is extremely fulfilling to me.

I stay on top of trends by:

By constantly breaking routine. It’s by talking to different people and being more observant in new environments. If I’m in a new store what can I learn from how they are serving their customers or merchandise their assortments or if I’m just trying to discover something new. I am doing something out of my normal routine and trying to experience something. I always find ideas and inspiration from uncommon places. 

A book or song that changed the way I think about my career is:

How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen is a book that explores how to apply strategies and frameworks from business and game theory to create an impactful and successful life. It examines how to use these frameworks to make decisions that provide the most purpose. One nugget from the book is that where you invest your blood, sweat, and tears reveals what you truly care about. If you don’t invest your blood, sweat, and tears into the things you claim to care about, you will never become the person you aspire to be. It serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of being intentional with our time and doing the things that help us become the person we want to be.

Isis Simpson-Mersha is a conference producer/ reporter for Ragan. Follow her on LinkedIn.