In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn speaks with Sheila Muniz Ebanks, Head of the Large Store Division for Coca-Cola North America, about her leadership journey from driving truck in the industry to reporting directly to the Chief Customer Officer in all of North America. Sheila reflects on the pivotal career transitions that shaped her path—from her early days at Frito-Lay, to leadership roles at Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, and now driving national retail partnersh...

What does it take to lead one of the most critical functions in grocery retail—especially when your path didn’t begin in the aisle? In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn sits down with Rebecca Lupfer, Senior Vice President and Chief Merchant at The GIANT Company, to unpack her uniquely well-rounded career journey—from internal audit and strategy to merchandising, operations, CFO and now Chief Merchant. Rebecca shares how she developed her leadership approach across function...

In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn speaks with Pat Mooney, Vice President of Health & Beauty Care and Non-Foods at Wakefern Food Corp.—the $21B retailer many consumers haven’t heard of, but whose unique business model has shaped regional retail in the Northeast for decades. Pat shares insights from his 16-year career journey, starting from a rotational “leader in training” role to leading complex merchandising, logistics, and replenishment strategies. He explains how...

When your company is growing fast—and your supply chain needs to grow faster—how do you build the structure, strategy, and team to keep up? In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn speaks with Jackie Doyle, Vice President of Supply Chain Strategy and Transformation at fairlife, about what it really means to future-proof operations while scaling a business at speed. Jackie shares her journey from a 15-year career in industrial manufacturing to leading strategic transformation i...

What does it take to transform legacy retail systems into future-ready strategies—without losing sight of what matters most? In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Parag Shah, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Think Blue, to explore his journey from grocery store aisles to executive boardrooms—and now to reimagining how the industry uses data, technology, and good old-fashioned merchant instinct to drive smarter growth. Parag shares how his 25-year corporate ...

Do you feel like you’re excelling in your role but can’t really figure out how to crack the code to get to that next level? In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Andrea Wasserman, Executive Coach and Founder of The Executive Express, whose career spans leadership roles at Nordstrom, Yahoo, Verizon, and more in VP and C suite roles. Andrea brings firsthand insight from both sides of the hiring table—having led high-performing teams and now coaching rising l...

Ever wonder how someone goes from mopping café floors to leading at the executive level for two powerhouse brands? In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Candace Pappas, SVP of Marketing at Blake’s Beverage Company and Blake Farms, for a no-fluff, straight-talking conversation about rising through the ranks, leading in two dynamic industries, and what happens when you stop waiting for permission. Candace’s story is full of game-changing pivots—from starting as an ...

What does it really take to build a business inside a business? In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Julian Semer, Director of In-Store Media at Albertsons, to unpack how a finance background, entrepreneurial drive, and deep curiosity led him to one of the most innovative and fast-evolving areas in retail. Julian shares how he went from building KPI models in finance to launching an in-store media business within a Fortune 100 company. He offers clear, str...

What if the career you thought you’d never pursue turned out to be exactly where you were meant to lead? In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Kendra Shaw, District Director of Operations at Sprouts Farmers Market, to explore the unexpected turns, defining moments, and leadership lessons that shaped her 20+ year career in retail. Kendra shares her journey from a small town in Indiana to leading over 1,000 employees across a fast-growing region at Sprouts. Along t...

What does it take to break into digital commerce and lead one of the fastest-moving segments in retail without a traditional background? In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Brooke Chambers—Ecommerce Director, Kroger —to unpack her unconventional path into retail, and the lessons that have defined her leadership ever since. What You’ll Learn: What it truly means to lead a digital marketplace for a national retailerHow to roadmap your career by anchoring to you...

What does it take to lead a high-performing team in the fast-paced world of CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) while staying grounded, authentic, and purpose-driven? In this powerful episode of Candid with Candidates, host Jenn Hahn sits down with Ashleigh Gage, Senior Director of Portfolio Development at Kellanova (formerly Kellogg Company), to unpack her remarkable 20+ year career journey in the manufacturing and consumer packaged goods space. From her start in Acosta’s leadership developm...

What if your non-traditional background is the very thing that sets you apart? In this episode of Candid with Candidates, host Jenn Hahn sits down with Gabe Disbrow, President & CEO of Leever’s Supermarkets, for an open and energizing conversation about leadership, ownership, and the power of showing up with purpose, especially when the path isn't linear. From his start in the military to his entry level role at Target, his executive roles with ALDI, and now leading a 100% employee-owned ...

In this very first episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Kathy Sweigert, Mid-Atlantic Division Vice President at The Giant Company, for an unfiltered conversation about where she started, navigating career pivots, and building a team in a culture of CARE. Kathy shares how she went from bagging groceries at 16 to overseeing 100+ stores across multiple banners in her DVP role today. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever wondered how to grow in t...

Conversations with top executives - who they are, how they made it, and their candid advice for you. In this trailer episode, host Jenn Hahn, founder and CEO of J Recruiting Services, introduces Candid with Candidates, a podcast that shares unfiltered conversations with corporate leaders across retail, wholesale, and distribution. This isn’t the polished version you hear on stage. It’s the honest advice you’d normally only get over coffee, insight into career shifts, leadership growth, and th...