Feeser’s Food Distributors operates on a leadership model built on unpredictability, avoidance, and a surprising degree of basic managerial incompetence. The “family business” brand positioning dissolves the moment you see how decisions are made internally — or more accurately, how they aren’t.
I was hired as Creative Director and ended up performing the responsibilities of a Director of Marketing without the title, clarity, or support that role requires. Despite raising the issue multiple times, nothing was formalized, addressed, or acknowledged. In three years, I had three supervisors. None stayed long enough or had the qualifications necessary to provide stable leadership. The turnover alone tells you everything you need to know.
The leadership group, self-titled the “C-team,” behaves less like executives and more like a closed circle of individuals who rely heavily on outdated habits, personal allegiances, and instinct instead of strategy. Communication is inconsistent. Direction is vague. Accountability is rare. The environment functions on the unspoken expectation that employees compensate for leadership’s shortcomings.
It was also common for personal priorities to take precedence over actual business needs. I was frequently redirected toward tasks unrelated to the company’s operations, while legitimate marketing work was deprioritized or ignored. When I began asserting standard professional boundaries, access to leadership narrowed and support withdrew. It became clear that compliance was valued more than capability.
The company’s ongoing decline is not surprising. It is the predictable result of leadership that does not demonstrate the skills, awareness, or discipline required to steward a century-old business.
