Coworking is a weekly segment where we talk to CFOs and other leaders in the finance space about their experiences, their companies, and the larger economy. Let us know if you are—or you know—a CFO we should interview.
Tricia Tolivar, CFO of Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain Cava, has seen it all.
Starting in finance at a time when few women held senior leadership positions, she climbed the ranks to hold a variety of financial leadership roles at AutoZone, Ernst & Young, and GNC.
That journey has led to some standout career moments, like ringing the opening bell on the floor of the NYSE for Cava’s 2023 IPO. Here, Tolivar tells CFO Brew about balancing her family life while working in the top tier of finance.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
At one point in your career, you took a break to focus on your family. How did you prepare for your first day back?
The year off was more of a personal reflection. I had gone through a personal change and challenge. I had become a single mom, and really wanted to be able to focus on my children and myself. I had sort of lost who I was—and that wasn’t work-related, necessarily. It was just for me, finding that out. And I really took the opportunity to do just that. What I learned is I wanted to strike a better balance between my family as well as my professional career, so I took a little bit of a pivot and went in a different direction, and fortunately was successful in being able to do that.
That’s such a unique experience in many ways, but also, I’m sure, a relatable one to any CFO who has to juggle family life in general. Day-to-day, or week-to-week, how do you strike a balance now?
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My experiences have evolved over time. Single mom was part of it, then [I had] a wonderful family structure but with a partner who was also a working professional. [It was important] really managing how to be comfortable asking for help and receiving it.
I think that would be the best advice. I remember, early on, feeling like I couldn’t repay others that might be able to do something like picking my kids up from school if I couldn’t make it. And it really isn’t about that. It’s just being real, and being there for anyone whenever they need it, and I didn’t have to feel like there was an obligation to pay back. So, once I got comfortable with asking for help and receiving it, I was much better off personally, for my family, and professionally, too.
With some of your past experiences in mind, what advice do you have for people who want to make the jump to CFO? How did you use your previous roles to prepare for the actual CFO seat?
I would view every opportunity that’s presented to you as something that you can learn from. Particularly as I took on the operations role [at AutoZone]—that wasn’t something that I necessarily thought was the right stepping stone for my career, but it turned out to be a wonderful opportunity to do that. [It’s important to] really continue to explore and expand where you can grow and develop. I truly believe in the finance seat, you want to be a trusted business advisor, so how can you best do that in your environment? So, the closer you are to the business, and understand how it drives outcomes, the better partner you can be in making sure those outcomes are what the business is looking for.