Stephen 'Alex' Lively
Willowbrook
Summary
Results-driven Seafood Associate Team Leader with extensive experience in both meat and seafood departments. Butcher with over six years of cutting experience. Over five years of order writer experience. Devoted leader with over two years Meat ATL experience & one year Seafood ATL experience. Skilled in mentoring team members and ensuring exceptional customer service, leading to improved operational efficiency and high-quality expectations and standards. I truly care about my Team Members and want them to have the best work experience possible.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Seafood Associate Team Leader
Whole Foods Market Inc
Willowbrook
05.2025 - Current
- Learned entire seafood department in less than six months and perfected opening, mid, and closing shifts, product knowledge, and cooking techniques. Learned how to gut, clean, skin and fillet all types of fillets & whole fish. Mastered shucking oysters.
- Performed inventory almost every month (always had favorable variances)
- Constructed schedules weekly. Updated communication board weekly with schedules, DWL, assortment reference. Monthly: PLU books, PAR lists, Planograms.
- Monitored metrics such as shrink ratio, unit growth, comps, INFs, labor, assortment execution, etc.
- Completed Team Business Reviews.
- Check and complete 'daily note' tasks on a daily basis.
- Performed many execution scorecard walks with SFA (always passed).
- Mentored multiple TMs going through fish monger apprenticeship.
- Mentored multiple Team Trainers.
- Ran holiday times on my own. (Scheduled meetings with TL and ASTL point to come up with an action plan for holiday to have the best possible retail execution for walk in customers as well as the 70-80 special orders we had to complete for Christmas/New Years. All were completed with no issues).
- Always keeping an exceptional rapport with my TMs and leaders while demonstrating professionalism and respect in the workplace.
- Always leave a task list for my TMs to complete throughout their shift. Always follow up with them to praise them on completion of said tasks or finding out what happened to cause them to not be able to complete tasks. Come up with a plan for next time to help find a way where they can complete said tasks.
- Practice ownership to accomplishments as well as constructive feedback from leaders to be the best worker I can.
Associate Meat Team Leader
Whole Foods Market Inc
Elmhurst
05.2021 - 05.2023
- Assist TL in all aspects of daily operations (profitability, expense control, buying, merchandising, labor, regulatory compliance, and any special projects assigned.
- Lead and develop all TMs from brand new TMs to experienced butchers.
- Develop and execute creative store layout & product merchandising.
- Work with TL to achieve sales, purchasing, and labor targets.
- Assist TL with ordering & inventory management.
- Work with TL to solve TM issues or concerns.
- Carry out performance reviews.
- Conduct interviews/sit on panels
- Function as person in charge in TL absence.
- Set and achieve the highest possible standards of retail execution.
- Coach, train, mentor, and develop TMs to sustain a high-performance team, high expectations and standards, and minimize turnover.
- Demonstrate decision making and leadership skills while proving ability to prioritize and delegate.
- Assess financial performance (closely monitor metrics such as shrink ratio, INFs, unit growth, walk compliance, assortment execution, etc.).
- Construct schedules weekly while executing labor targets.
- Update communication board with schedules, PLU book, DWL, assortment reference, planograms, etc.
- Run holiday time all on my own (stocking floor, catering availability management, catering orders and making sure they're all complete exactly as requested, help cutters keep case full, lead by example with a sense of urgency, demonstrate leadership, and delegate tasks accordingly)
Butcher/Meat Cutter
Whole Foods Market Inc
Willowbrook
03.2020 - 05.2021
- Cut and package product for display (beef, lamb, pork, veal, poultry).
- Prepare specialty meat items for customers (special orders).
- Inspect product to make sure it meets WFM quality standards.
- Monitors and assists in preventing spoilage (bench trim, FIFO, following PARs).
- Provide excellent customer service, address needs of customer in a timely and effective manner while modeling suggestive selling techniques.
- Maximize sales potential by proper prepping, stocking, storing, rotating, and merchandising product. All with a sense of urgency.
- Complies with procedures including weights & measures, health & sanitation, and safe work practices.
- Maintain and clean machinery in dept according to WFM cleanliness & safety standards (band saw, grinders, slicers).
- Perform opening, mid, and closing shifts as assigned; ensures accuracy of signs and pricing.
- Possess extensive knowledge of primal and sub-primal cuts as well as cooking techniques for each cut of meat.
- Follow REP, assortment reference, and execution reference while practicing effective time management & organization skills.
- Execute any other tasks my A/TL assign me (stock wall/sales floor, help with inventory, perform order writing shifts).
Ready to Cook Lead
Whole Foods Market Inc
Willowbrook
03.2019 - 03.2020
- Merchandise Oven Ready/RTC and occasionally sausage fresh case every day (6-2pm shift)
- In charge of ordering all seasonings and marinades for meat.
- Follow all regional guidance, assortment reference, and planograms (Spring, winter, summer, and fall sets).
- Keep up with discontinued product and only putting in case what is in assortment execution.
- Manage mass production of sausage, burgers, kabobs, and marinated chicken.
- Sample product for suggestive selling.
- Practice time management and sense of urgency to complete tasks every day.
- Decorate case with garnish for best greatest possible presentation.
- Help customers and suggest cooking techniques.
Meat Team Trainer
Whole Foods Market Inc
Willowbrook
03.2018 - 02.2019
- Welcome new TMs on hire date.
- Show TM around the store and department.
- Communicate New Member Connections training priorities.
- Ensure each TM's connection to WFM's purpose, culture, quality differentiators, and operational standards.
- Monitors and acts as a role model for consistent food safety, sanitation procedures, and occupational safety.
- Trains New TMs on proper usage of team equipment, tools, PPE, etc.
- Coaches TMs on customer service standards (5x5 rule)
- Regularly checks training metrics and makes sure all TMs are completing trainings in a timely manor.
Education
Associate of Arts - Business/Marketing
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, ILSkills
- Dependability
- Ability to Delegate Tasks
- Adaptability
- Empathy
- Excellent Customer Service
- Quality Assurance
- Merchandising/Presentation
- Communication
- Decision making/Problem Solving
- Time Management
Certification
Meat Cutters Apprenticeship Program Certification
Timeline
Seafood Associate Team Leader
Whole Foods Market Inc
05.2025 - Current
Associate Meat Team Leader
Whole Foods Market Inc
05.2021 - 05.2023
Butcher/Meat Cutter
Whole Foods Market Inc
03.2020 - 05.2021
Ready to Cook Lead
Whole Foods Market Inc
03.2019 - 03.2020
Meat Team Trainer
Whole Foods Market Inc
03.2018 - 02.2019
Associate of Arts - Business/Marketing
College of DuPage