This General Manager ‘Does a Little Bit of Everything’
A Sapp Bros. Travel Center manager shares why she loves working in a convenience store.
Sep 22, 2026 | 2 min read
In 1990, Jo Shalla started working at Sapp Bros. Travel Centers as a cashier. Thirty-five years later, after moving through roles in bookkeeping and store management, she’s now the general manager at the store’s Ogallala, Nebraska, location. The Omaha, Nebraska-based retailer operates 18 travel centers across the country, from Toquerville, Utah, in the west to Clearfield, Pennsylvania, in the east.
As a general manager, Shalla said she does “a little bit of everything,” from helping her staff with their needs and interacting with guests, to stocking merchandise, placing orders and managing the books. She’s also often jumping in to run the register, work on the fuel pumps, clean the store and even cook. “It’s a lot of multitasking!” she said.
Why she loves working in the convenience industry:
I love working in the convenience industry because every day is different. It’s never boring! It is a challenging industry that is constantly changing.
What she finds most fulfilling about her job:
The most fulfilling part is the relationships you build with everyone. We come into contact with a lot of people in a day; our guests, vendors, employees, colleagues and our support system.
One of my favorite things is when someone stops in and says hi when they are traveling through. We get to hear about someone traveling to see family or friends, going on vacations or to graduations and weddings, moving into new homes, getting new jobs and having babies. The list goes on. We get in on the highlights of their lives.
Continue reading “A Little Bit of Everything” in the September 2026 issue of NACS Magazine.
At the 2026 NACS Show in Las Vegas, an Education Session titled “More Than a Job: Careers Built in Convenience” will explore how real career journeys turned into leadership roles within the convenience industry. Through personal stories and practical examples, attendees will explore how to identify internal talent, create visible career pathways and help frontline employees see convenience retail as a long-term profession with meaningful opportunities for growth and leadership.
