Episode Title: The Cold War: Mastering the Cooler (Episode 82)

Episode Description: It eats 50% of your electricity bill. Is it paying its rent?

For an Independent Owner, the walk-in cooler is a massive financial engine. It generates high-margin sales, but it also burns cash through utilities and maintenance. More importantly, it is the center of your Exclusive Distribution Agreements (EDA).

In this episode of Arrive, Mike Hernandez treats the cooler like a commercial real estate investment. We discuss "Contract Compliance," why losing shelf share to rogue products can kill your quarterly rebate checks, and how to perform an "Energy Sweep" to stop profit from leaking out of your door seals.

What You Will Learn:

• The Rent Rule: Treating shelf space as leased property. If the vendor doesn't pay (via margin or rebate), they don't get the spot.
• Rebate Compliance: How "SKU Creep" can accidentally disqualify you from your beverage contract bonuses.
• Energy ROI: The hidden cost of bad gaskets and old lighting, and how to fix it cheaply.
• The Dollar Bill Test: A 5-second trick to check if your cooler doors are wasting electricity.

The Quest: Audit the Asset.

• Solo Quest: Perform a "Rebate Audit." Review your Coke/Pepsi/Dr. Pepper contract. Verify that your physical shelf layout matches the percentage required to hit your maximum rebate tier.
• Team Quest: The "Dollar Bill Test." Check the gaskets on every door. If the seal is loose, order replacements immediately. Stop cooling the sales floor.

Resources & Links:

• 📲 Unlock the Level 4 Contract Guide: Text the code word COLD to 956-897-9192.

Episode Title: The Cash Register Cage Match: Speed vs. Accuracy (Episode 81)

Episode Description: A customer walks in, sees a line of five people, turns around, and walks out. That isn't just a lost sale; that is money leaving your building.

For an Independent Owner, the register is the single biggest bottleneck in your investment. It is your Checkout Funnel. If your team takes 90 seconds to ring a transaction instead of 45, they have literally cut your maximum revenue potential in half during the morning rush.

In this episode of Arrive, Mike Hernandez moves beyond "customer service" and talks about Asset Optimization. We analyze the cost of "Friction" vs. "Flow," calculate the lifetime value of a lost customer, and give you the tools to widen the funnel so you can bank more of the traffic you are already paying to get.

What You Will Learn:

• The Checkout Funnel: Why the register is the "lid" on your store's revenue growth.
• Speed = Capacity: How increasing transaction speed instantly increases your sales ceiling.
• Friction vs. Flow: Why an employee hunting for a PLU code is actually lowering your business valuation.
• The Walk-Out Audit: A simple way to calculate exactly how much money a slow line is costing you every morning.

The Quest: Widen the funnel.

• Solo Quest: Conduct a "Walk-Out Audit." Review your security footage from 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM. Count the customers who entered but left without buying because of the line. Multiply that number by your average ticket ($7.00) to see your daily loss.
• Team Quest: Audit your Managers. Demand the results of the "10-Item Dash." Don't ask if they are fast; ask who is dragging down the average. Make them own the speed of their team.

Resources & Links:

• 📲 Unlock the Level 3 Optimization Guide: Text the code word SPEED to 956-897-9192.
• 🏴‍☠️ Sponsor: Johnny Mecuerdo Chapter 2 is here. The ships La Muerte and La Sancha are waiting. Join the story at Johnny Mecuerdo on Facebook.
• Full Show Notes & Visuals: Visit C-Store Thrive

Episode Title: The 10-Second Audition: Why Customers Drive By Your Store (Episode 80)

Episode Description: Stop me if you’ve done this: You drive past a restaurant because the sign is flickering or the parking lot looks dark. You didn't taste the food, but you judged the business instantly.

Your customers are doing the same thing to your store every single night.

In this episode of C-Store Legends, Mike Hernandez breaks down the "Front Stage" concept. Most employees think their job starts when they clock in, but the sale is actually won or lost in the parking lot. We are moving beyond the basic "Trash Run" and teaching you the "Perimeter Sweep"—the 2-minute tactic that ensures you pass the customer's 10-second audition.

What You Will Learn:

• The Front Stage vs. Back Stage: Why the parking lot is the most critical sales floor in your building.
• The "Soccer Mom" Test: How to view your store through the eyes of your most safety-conscious customer.
• The Perimeter Sweep: A specific routine to replace lazy trash runs.
• Leadership Tactics: How to use the shift change to enforce exterior standards without being a nag.

The Quest: Pass the audition.

• Solo Quest: Walk to the curb. Find one piece of trash that isn't yours. Pick it up.
• Team Quest: Text a photo of your cleanest pump to the number below.

Resources & Links:

• 📲 Unlock the Level 2 Guide: Text the word CURB to 956-897-9192.
• 🏴‍☠️ Sponsor: Join the crew at Johnny Mecuerdo on Facebook for the upcoming launch of the industry's most legendary gear.
• Full Show Notes & Visuals: Visit C-Store Thrive