"If you want an opportunity to build a great career, there is so much opportunity at Joe V’s if you’re willing to commit and work hard – I’m a testament to that. So, get your foot in the door,"
What’s your Joe V’s Story?
Although I’d grown up shopping at H-E-B in the Rio Grande Valley, I wasn’t familiar with Joe V’s Smart Shop until I called up a friend of mine from Weslaco High School, Val Pulido. I was looking for a job change and knew he worked for H-E-B. During that call, Val tells about his new role running a Joe V’s store in Houston, and I was intrigued. At that time, I wasn’t even aware that H-E-B had other formats, but I loved H-E-B, and I knew I’d love Joe V’s too. Val told me he was going to set up an interview with a gentleman named Joe Villareal (THE Joe V himself, though I didn’t know it at the time.) Within two weeks, an interview was set, and we met at a Taco Cabana in San Antonio. Joe V drove all the way from Houston to interview me. They offered me a job as a Receiving Specialist, and I moved from the RGV to Houston to begin my career at Joe V’s Smart Shop! That was 14 years ago.
What’s your journey been like since you started at JVSS?
A few months into my new career as a Receiving Specialist at Joe V’s, I decided to apply for School of Retail Management and was accepted into the program. In 2012, right after graduating, I moved into the role of Floor Manager at JVSS 2, working under Val Pulido. Val has been an important figure throughout my career — he mentored me and really helped me understand the business and the impact that my role had. His guidance and leadership throughout my career are a big part of what has brought me to where I am today.
I worked for a year as a floor manager before being asked to build out our Inventory Flow Team (IFT) process. IFT is a cross-functional team trained to work in every single department within Joe V’s. This piloted so well, we were asked to broaden the scale and create a brand-new department. When we rolled it out to all stores it ended up being a huge success. The experience itself was cool, but it also introduced me to the corporate world for a short time as we were getting it off the ground. This project improved our productivity dramatically and was a big win. On the heels of that success, I was accepted into the brand new JVSS School of Retail Management program!
I graduated from SORL in 2018, which was a big year for me because I also got married and expanded our family. In 2022, I became Joe V’s first Talent Manager and supported both SORM and SORL Partners. Encouraging our Partners in their career development is something I love to do so this was a fun assignment.
One day my leaders came back to me and said, “If you’re ready to get back into stores, we could really use you there!” I talked it over with my wife and we both felt good about it so in 2023 I returned to stores as a Store Team Leader at JVSS 3. Now, recently, in March of 2025, I was promoted to Top Store Team Leader at Joe V’s 9! I couldn’t be more grateful for the journey that brought me here and the incredible leaders who mentored me along the way. It’s been an incredible 14 years with more to come!
Wow, what an incredible journey. Fourteen years ago, when you first interviewed for Joe V’s, where did you envision your career going?
Even back then, I knew this was a great company that I wanted to be a part of. After I was offered the job, I thought to myself “I really want to grow here — I’m going to work hard and work my way up.” That was my mindset. Did I see myself running a store? Not at first, but after a few years of being guided and taught by amazing leaders, I saw myself in a leadership position one day. I remember thinking, “why not me?” Sometimes we need people to show us what we’re capable of, even if we can’t see it ourselves, and I’m so grateful for the many leaders who saw that potential in me like Val Pulido, Joe Villareal, Chris Kirby, and more. They helped me see where my career could go and were honest with their feedback to help me grow. Even though I knew I was capable, they encouraged me to take that first step.
On a personal note, I met my wife, Ana, at Joe V’s! Honestly, I’m living the dream.
That’s so cool! How would you describe your leadership style?
When you’re running a store with 150 Partners and 25,000+ customers walking through your doors each day, there are going to be challenges. But I try to remember that no matter what happens, there’s always opportunity for growth and learning. Something that I instill in my Leaders is that at the end of the day we’re all just people. Be driven, be ambitious, but balance that with an understanding that we are people first. Support, recognition, and acknowledgement of Partners and the work they do is so important to the growth of our Partners, and for the culture of Joe V’s as a whole.
What advice would you give others who are interested in working for Joe Vs?
If you want an opportunity to build a great career, there is so much opportunity at Joe V’s if you’re willing to commit and work hard – I’m a testament to that. So, get your foot in the door, find something you love, and grow your career! We’re ready to support you.
