Bolz retired from Circle K

Now that she’s retired, Diana Bolz misses interacting with customers and employees at Circle K North. But she doesn’t miss those early mornings.

Bolz retired May 12 after working for 25 years as manager of Circle K North. A self-described “people person,” she worked as a manager at another convenience store before moving to Circle K when one of her coworkers got a job there. Over the years she’s gotten to know her customers well, and has even seen generations of families visit the store during her usual 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift.

“One girl I remember distinctly, her parents came in, then they got pregnant with her and then she came in, and now she has a baby and she brings the baby in,” Bolz said. “One of the girls that works for me, she says ‘I remember coming in here when I was a kid and you were here.’”

Those connections have been one of her favorite things about working at Circle K, along with the good relationships she has had with her employees. But after 37 years managing stores, Bolz was ready for some downtime.

“I’ve managed convenience stores since 1980, so that’s a long time to be on call 24/7, 365,” Bolz said. “And when it comes down to the end, it all falls on you. … It’s a nice feeling not to have to get up and go to work.”

Bolz originally planned to retire next year when she turns 62. Back in the 1990s, she began putting money each month into an individual retirement account. She receives statements from the plan each month, but the one she was received on April 15 was different.

“It came in the mail and I put it aside, and then I pulled it back out and looked at it again,” Bolz said. “And (I) realized that I had enough in there to get me through for another year until I can retire, so that’s what I did.”

Now that she has free time for the first time in 37 years, Bolz has started working on her house. She, her daughter and granddaughter are painting the exterior now, and will work on the inside after.

She’s also able to spend more time with her family, including her mother, brother and her grandchildren. Bolz isn’t too concerned with making concrete plans for the future right now, though.

“My husband and I will probably travel some,” Bolz said. “We’re just taking it a day at a time.”

A lot changed over the decades Bolz spent in retail. She noticed it was harder to hire good employees, and keep them on. The amount of paperwork increased, the products changed and electronics sometimes made the work easier, sometimes more complicated. But one aspect has remained consistent for Bolz throughout her career.

“I am fortunate, I haven’t had a lot of jobs, but I’ve never had a job I didn’t like,” Bolz said. “The easiest job to have is one you enjoy.”