This article originally appeared in The Healthy, High-Performing Cultures Issue of Performance Matters Magazine. To request a print or digital copy of the magazine, click here.
Mom’s Meals, a PurFoods company, is a leading provider of high-quality, nutritionally tailored meals delivered at home. With 2,200+ employees working to serve populations across the U.S., Mom’s Meals is a key enabler of “aging in place” as they offer meal programs for customers accessing long-term care, chronic care, and post-discharge care to help them lead healthier lives while remaining independent at home.
While experiencing continued growth amid global disruption, the company recognized that prioritizing their employee experience would promote a sustainable healthy culture for the long run. To do so, Mom’s Meals tapped into the secret sauce of what makes their company special for all employees by transforming how they support and empower leaders throughout the organization.
TiER1 Senior Consultant Esther Adams sat down with Dan Mandolfo, Chief Operating Officer at Mom’s Meals, to discuss the ingredients for crafting moments that matter in the employee experience that contribute to a healthy culture while appreciating the journey between reality and aspiration.
Esther: Growth seems to be an essential ingredient at Mom’s Meals. What’s been challenging about operating in high-growth mode?
Dan: Mom’s Meals has been experiencing high growth since before I joined the company in 2012…
Then, during the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020, we entered a new level of growth. As local meal programs shuttered around the country, we were inundated with requests. Our teams pulled together to address the increased demand and to serve our customers. But when you’re in high-growth mode, it can be difficult to focus on other priorities.
Through this experience, we strengthened our resolve to serve not only our customers but our employees, too. It heightened the need and the opportunity for us to rethink how we develop leaders and provide an exceptional employee experience for every team member at Mom’s Meals.
Esther: What does it mean to be a good leader at Mom’s Meals?
Dan: Everyone comes to Mom’s Meals with their own interpretation of leadership and what’s expected of leaders…
That’s part of the opportunity we have, to build a shared understanding of what it means to be a leader here. All leaders—regardless of role, tenure, or experience—share a responsibility in the growth and culture of Mom’s Meals. We have a duty to our people to weave this understanding of leadership into our DNA.
A good leader at Mom’s Meals is one who cares about the well-being of their team. They take the time to understand what motivates others. They listen to understand and meet their team’s needs. They’re empowered and willing to challenge team members to know their limits and achieve success. They feel a sense of belonging and cultivate belonging among their team. They lead and inspire team members to accomplish something meaningful at work every day.
Esther: Think back to when Mom’s Meals began this leadership journey. What did you initially think the work would look like? How has your thinking shifted or evolved since then?
Dan: It started with a vision to enhance our appreciated culture and make Mom’s Meals a destination employer for those pursuing a career with purpose…
To get us where we wanted to go, we partnered with TiER1 to facilitate focus groups—from all levels and departments—to gather feedback on the current employee experience. Hearing directly from our employees provided key insight into the things we do really well and our opportunities for growth.
A good leader at Mom’s Meals is one who cares about the well-being of their team.
Then TiER1 helped us craft Our Secret Sauce—this company narrative tells the story of Mom’s Meals when it’s fully in balance with our values and mission. What fascinated me was that this narrative almost wrote itself, as it was the byproduct of conversations with our people. It brings to life the moments that matter to our employees and the very best things about Mom’s Meals that we do and that we love. It hits the spot.
From there, using Our Secret Sauce as our north star, we worked with TiER1 to design and develop a four-month leadership development journey grounded in moments that matter to employees. As we developed components of the leadership journey for the initial launch, we leveraged agile practices and pivoted as needed to stay focused on the people behind the work we do.
Where we’re heading now is a big shift for us. We’ve been focused on the organization’s growth and the work itself, and now we’re talking about growing and developing our people. It’s been eye opening for our team to talk through this shift and what it looks like, including the support, follow-up, and reinforcement we must provide to leaders. Many conversations have focused on creating a lasting and engaging leadership experience, not a “one and done” training. At the heart of it all is this belief: If we support and empower our leaders, who care about their team members, then the work is going to take care of itself. This journey is our official foray into that shift.
Esther: How did you introduce Our Secret Sauce and the leadership development work focused on the employee experience to Mom’s Meals 40+ senior leaders? What dialogue has it prompted among leadership?
Dan: Our Human Resources Director facilitated a session with the senior leadership team to introduce Our Secret Sauce…
To bring it to life, he opened it up to see who wanted to read the first section, and someone volunteered. Then somebody else went, then somebody else. Our Secret Sauce came alive with the voices of our team. No one was being prompted to read—it just flowed. It was emotional for some. It also opened the door for insightful conversation, because Our Secret Sauce is not 100 percent who we are today; it’s partly aspirational. It prompted folks to question, “Can we really say this? This isn’t who we fully are yet, but it’s who we want to become.” It prompted people to think about why we do what we do and what we can achieve when we focus on who we serve. It challenged the way we think about our employees, who we want to be for them, and the kind of work environment we can create. It was one of the most memorable meetings I’ve ever attended.
Over time, we continued refining Our Secret Sauce as we gathered more feedback across the organization. It is our guiding light to get us where we’re going. We then brought the senior leadership group together where we directly experienced key aspects of the leadership development experience that will be launched with all levels of leadership at Mom’s Meals.
When we deploy the next phase of this journey, we will simultaneously launch Our Secret Sauce company-wide. This includes a video of 50+ employees across regions and departments narrating Our Secret Sauce in their work environments.
Esther: Looking ahead, what do you hope to see as Mom’s Meals focuses on the leader’s impact on the employee experience to continue building healthy culture amid high growth? As you continue to deploy the leadership journeys, what are you most excited about?
Dan: My hope for leaders and their teams is that…
Every day is full of positive experiences that allow them to feel appreciated and respected, even when they feel challenged or they’re having a tough day. The impact should be tangible—how leaders interact with one another, how they develop themselves, and how they develop and support their team. I can’t wait for leaders to experience the positive results and satisfaction that comes from coaching and developing others.
This work has solidified my conviction in the importance of the leader and the responsibility we all share to provide an exceptional team member experience. As we bring this experience to life, we’ll also deepen our ability to serve our customers and improve their lives through better nutrition at home.
About Dan Mandolfo
Dan Mandolfo joined Mom’s Meals in 2012, progressing over time in expanding leadership roles to best serve Mom’s Meals growing operations. He has held the position of Chief Operating Officer since 2021. Prior to beginning his career at Mom’s Meals, Dan spent 15 years in telecom as Director of Consumer Sales, Service, and Retention.
