Operating Executive  ·  Huntsville, Alabama

Great teams are not hired. They are built.

Twenty-five years building teams that perform — multi-unit turnarounds and regional training at Starbucks, enterprise IT training for 5,000 employees at Devon Energy, a decade in the pastorate across Willow Creek Association churches, and the owner who doubled a Traverse City market from $2M to $4M and sold it at record profitability.

Dave Sears
2×
Revenue doubled as owner-operator — $2M to $4M in five years
12 → 60+
Team grown at Fresh Coast Market and kept through the sale
$12M+
Budgets managed across retail and enterprise operations
150+
Employees and managers led across four industries
Across four industries

Specialty Retail & Grocery

Ownership, merchandising, category growth, vendor partnerships, ticket average.

Hospitality & Food Service

Multi-unit P&L and store turnarounds inside a national brand.

Energy & Enterprise Technology

Fortune 100 IT training across 1,500 applications for 5,000 employees.

Nonprofit & Ministry

A Willow Creek campus, and a 501(c)(3) founded and chaired.

Current role

Storia Deli & Café

Founder & Owner
Storia 1010, LLC  ·  2024–present
storiadeli.com →

A $2.9M Italian market, deli and café under development in Huntsville, Alabama — 8,137 square feet, roughly 60 team members at opening, and the first Boar's Head Market of Distinction in the Southeast. Opening 2027.

I lead it end to end: site selection and lease, capital structure, design and buildout, vendor relationships, the operating system, and the team.

Site & leaseCapital structureBuildoutVendor networkTeam & systems
Selected record
Full record →
Dec 2017 – Oct 2024

Fresh Coast Market

Owner · Traverse City, Michigan

Turned a traditional convenience store into a national award-winning specialty food market. Doubled sales $2M to $4M in five years, grew the team from 12 to more than 60, added a world-class coffee program, launched a mobile app and brought in 10,000+ new SKUs. Two Congressional awards. Sold in 2024 at record profitability.

Jan 2008 – Aug 2013

Starbucks Coffee Company

Regional Trainer & Multi-Unit Director

Led three stores through turnarounds with double-digit comps. Trained every new store manager and district manager in the region and served as its Lean Lead. One store ranked top 25 nationally for drive-through transactions. Received the President's Award from Howard Schultz.

Aug 2013 – Dec 2017

Devon Energy

Sr. Training & Communications Coordinator

Led the IT training team for a Fortune 100 energy company — more than 1,500 business applications supporting over 5,000 employees. SharePoint administrator, and coordinator of large IT projects directly with executive vice presidents and directors.

“Dave is a level 10 leader and has incredible organization, project management, event management and leadership skills.”
Connie Deneweth  ·  CEO, TCSB

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Executive roles, advisory engagements, and board conversations.