Integrity Matters: Is Earth Fare Really Fair?

Integrity Matters

The is a story about why integrity matters.

We have a new Earth Fare store that opened in our hometown, Seminole, FL, this past year. We like to eat as healthy as we can, so we were excited about shopping there. The food is generally more expensive, and some of it over-priced, but we like organic food with no yucky additives.

One of Earth Fare’s advertised values is that they are “Locally Sourced.”

One food we are particular about is meat. We want, as often as possible, organic, antibiotic and hormone free, and grass fed. The grass fed meat is much more lean, and we’d like to stay as lean as possible.

However, at our new store, I noticed that all of the grass fed beef labels say, “Imported from Australia.”

What really got me confused was a sign (which has since been removed) saying their grass fed beef was from a particular farm in North Carolina.

I asked a number of employees about the beef. None of them could explain why their grass fed beef came from Australia. Nor could they show me any North Carolina grass fed beef.

This got me wondering about what exactly Earth Fare was implying when they showcase “Locally Sourced” in big bold letters directly above the store entrance.

Truly Locally Sourced?
(Integrity Matters!)

So I asked several employees, “Could you please show me some of the locally sourced food you carry?” I received mostly blank looks and some stammering and stuttering. They did not know where or what any of their locally sourced items were.

When I feel misled, ripped-off or poorly served by a business in which I’m a customer I’m inclined to do something about it. I used to complain and bad-mouth businesses, but I found this exacerbated my negative feelings. Now, I take steps towards a possible solution rather than dwell on the problem. Business owners use led signs all the time, an outdoor led signs for business can create the perfect advertising to attract new customers and as human being we need to appreciate all the work these people are putting into their business, for this I want to recommend to check the business electricity prices comparison and gas, these can make a big difference when it comes to savings.

So I wrote a letter to the CEO of Earth Fare, Frank Scorpiniti, expressing my concerns and asking for some clarification. That was over 2 months ago and I have not heard back from him.

However, I did receive a very nice call from the store manager a couple weeks after sending the letter. I explained to him what I had written in the letter. He said he could “special order” some of the grass fed beef from North Carolina. I told him that I’d like to know the pricing for the different cuts. He told me he’d get back to me within the week.

I have yet to hear back from him.

Mr. Manager, Integrity Matters!

So what does this all have to do with integrity matters? Everything!

When I lead workshops and seminars on the topic of integrity, one of the first things I want to know is what the participants think integrity is.

The most common answers are, “telling the truth,” and, “being honest.”

I’d agree, but being honest and telling the truth are only a small part of integrity. Integrity comes from the same root word that integer comes from. Integer, if you remember from the first grade, means a whole number.

Integrity means wholeness.

A lack of integrity in your life, in fact, can throw your life out of alignment so far that it’d be like driving a car that could only turn in one direction and always turned in that one direction.

If your actions are not in alignment with your core beliefs and values, your life becomes like a crooked back that no chiropractor can fix.

In other words, you give up being in charge of your life and you allow outer influences to direct your life. And that’s disempowering.

Integrity matters because it’s you being your true self. Speaking your truth and, yes, fully marching to the beat of your own unique drumbeat.

That’s why one of the core principles throughout Marry YourSelf First is integrity. If you don’t know who you really are or you’re not acting in alignment with whom your really are, you’re likely to always be looking for something you’ll never find: YOU.

Here are a few valuable questions to ask yourself:

• Are you being whole with yourself?
• Are you in alignment with your wholeness?
• How do you evaluate your wholeness and alignment?
• Do you have people who help you stay accountable with your integrity?

Yes, integrity matters.
In fact, it might be your most important value.

Without your integrity and wholeness, you’re withholding your gifts and talents from the rest of us. And because integrity is commonly advertised but rarely understood, we need more like you.

Marry YourSelf First today and embrace your integrity!