For this week’s #MemberMonday I had the pleasure of speaking with Nicole Kannier, General Manager Retail Operations for Hospice East Bay. #HospiceEastBay was established in 1977 and today has over 200 employees serving the Bay Area. Hospice East Bay (HEB) is committed to providing hospice and palliative care services that support and comfort people and their loved ones through the final stages of life. One of the biggest misconceptions of using hospice care is that it somehow means you are giving up. When someone receives a terminal diagnosis, most often this brings up three common stages, physical, emotional and spiritual. Ideally, the team needs six months to escort you through this process. It is their mission to strengthen their role as a community leader in quality hospice, palliative care, and grief support; to build an environment of collaboration, celebration, opportunity and growth, allowing them to embrace the changes that their patients experience. HEB can help you navigate the complicated details that arise as you prepare for the final stages of life. You can read more about Hospice East Bay and the services they provide by going to their website at https://www.hospiceeastbay.org/, you can also call them at 925-887-5678 or visit them at 3470 Buskirk Ave, Pleasant Hill.

Nicole Kannier joined #HEB in 2013 as one of the Shoppe Managers. In a restructuring of the Shoppe configuration she was promoted to General Manager of Retail Operations earlier this year. (I'm sure it was also due to her hard work and dedication to the company) She wakes up every morning after nearly seven years of working for Hospice East Bay and is happy to go to work. She began her #retail #career while still in high school at the early age of 16 when she worked at Broadway Plaza for The Gap. She knew then that she loved retail and spent many years with The Gap. She eventually went on to some other large retailers and some smaller boutiques, but it seemed something was always missing. Nicole wanted to do something meaningful to help others and she decided to go into the healthcare field. She began working for a chiropractor and attended a #Chamber mixer. It was at that event that she learned about Hospice East Bay and an opportunity they had available. At last, she found her calling in the retail industry but with a huge payoff in that the proceeds go to help #fund services provided by Hospice East Bay. 

Nicole grew up in #Lafayette, she has one brother named Brandon. She is married and has 3 children of her own. She grew up in a single parent household and remembers going to see her father in the #RussianRiver area for summer visits. She attended all the Lafayette schools, then on to #SBCC and #DVC. Nicole was an avid #soccer player growing up and has always seen herself as an active, outdoorsy person. She loves to hike, run and go camping with her family. She takes an annual trip to #Maui and loves to explore the island. If she could go anywhere she would love to visit #Spain, #Italy, and #France and she prefers the #beach over the #snow. Nicole had a hard time coming up with her favorite food because she loves all kinds and is willing to try just about anything. She enjoys reading and finds herself with a thirst to learn more about #Leadership styles, current events and/or trends. She likes to stay current in her role as she wants to provide a #fun, #caring, #creative environment for herself and her team. 

Nicole has gained many #skills and #accomplishments through her #employment at HEB but the one that stands out the most is her sense of #calm. She is doing what she loves to do and now with a purpose. It gives new meaning to her love of retail and she feels honored to represent such an incredible #organization. She has learned #human #kindness and what goes into preparing for the final stages of life. She no longer is afraid of the idea of dying and feels this role allows her to ‘be who she was meant to be.’