This profile was originally published in December 2023
Sheila Fabian Soto (she/her)
Grocery Lead | Bellevue
At PCC, it’s not uncommon to find multiple generations of a family employed by the co-op — Sheila originally joined the staff at Issaquah PCC, where her mom has worked for the past 14 years. After moving to the Bellevue store, she was promoted to Night Crew Lead is now the Grocery Lead at Bellevue PCC.
“There’s a lot of room for growth here,” Sheila says. “You’re not coming in and getting stuck in one place.” Sheila’s ability to adapt and learn new things has made her successful as she paved her way at PCC. She also credits her mentors and store leads for her growth in the company.
6:00 a.m
Sheila gets down to business right away. The first thing she does is touch base with the Night Crew Lead, making sure she’s caught up on anything that may have happened during their shift. After that, she’s checking in with her team members to ensure they have what they need for a successful day. As Grocery Lead, Sheila knows she carries a lot of responsibility and always goes above and beyond to confirm her team is taken care of.
One thing that makes Sheila such a great leader is that she ensures her coworkers are comfortable speaking up. She carefully considers their suggestions and empowers them to promote causes they care about.
And PCC stands by that 100 percent. Staff members are encouraged to wear pins that showcase their pronouns, their beliefs, and show their support for causes like Black Lives Matter. Sheila likes that there’s no judgement here, adding, “You’re free to be yourself.”
Another thing Sheila likes? The benefits. Even though she’s healthy and doesn’t have to go to the doctor much, she loves that she can get new glasses every year.
7:00 a.m.
Once Sheila has finished her check-ins, she’s ready to jump into wherever she is needed. She starts by taking inventory on the store’s backstock of products and placing orders for those that are running low. Sheila is extremely detail-oriented and organized, admitting, “You kind of have to be in this job.”
9:00 a.m.
As the store gets busier throughout the day, Sheila fills in as a cashier, a skill she’s learned quickly after recently switching to day shift from night shift. When she’s not cashiering, Sheila helps with receiving orders, stocking shelves and fill in for any other jobs that need doing.
2:30 p.m.
Before she’s done for the day, Sheila checks her email and sends any notes to the person leading the next shift. She then walks through the store and checks in with the closer to make sure they have what they need to finish out the day. “It’s a very well-oiled machine,” Sheila says. “You want to have a set time for everything. It’s really important to have structure.”
When she’s not at work, you’ll find Sheila hiking Little Si or Rattlesnake Ridge with her friends, trying out new restaurants, and spending time with her family and Labrador Pit Bull mix, Guero.
