Cubby’s Manager Goes Above and Beyond for Customers

After working in the tax industry for 15 years, Kayla Wormstadt, store manager at Cubby’s in Mitchell, South Dakota, pivoted to the convenience channel a decade ago and quickly found her passion.

“The fulfilling part of this job is that people really need us. We are essential. We make their day a little bit easier, a little bit brighter and the world really needs that,” she said.

That impact became clear when she helped a customer experiencing a medical emergency, providing lifesaving CPR and staying with him until first responders arrived.

“He had collapsed, and we were trying to get him talking. Then all of a sudden he went limp and I saw his neck turning purple, so I just started doing CPR. He had no pulse for a minute and a half, but we kept going. We got him back before the ambulance arrived, and I just kept saying to him ‘My name is Kayla. You’re okay. Help is on the way and I’m here holding your hand.’”

“His family sent me a Christmas card this year,” Wormstadt said. “Knowing he was able to be there with them was everything to me.”

Wormstadt spoke with NACS about:

Why she loves working in convenience

I’m a people person. I love the new faces and the familiar ones. We have regulars who start their mornings here or stop in for lunch every day. We know them by name, we know their families and what’s going on in their lives. It feels like a big family, and if we don’t know someone yet, we’re eager to learn.

What she finds fulfilling about her job

We are part of people’s lives. Sometimes a customer just needs someone to talk to, or we help them find something they didn’t even know they needed. We can make or break their day.

Continue reading “Showing Customers She Cares” in the April 2026 issue of NACS Magazine.