The 3W Podcast: Julie Barber

Ever wondered how a top executive manages a high-stakes career while juggling the demands of family life? We sat down with Julie Barber, the powerhouse behind Walmart’s general merchandise organization, to uncover the secrets of her success. From the bustling back-to-school season to her time leading the snacks division, Julie reveals the complexities and exhilaration of her professional journey. Her stories of early morning routines and the ever-evolving world of retail merchandise offer a unique peek into balancing a dynamic career with personal commitments.

In this episode, Julie opens up about the constant challenge of navigating career ambitions alongside family responsibilities. We tackle the logistical conundrums of school schedules and the evolving attitudes of today's youth toward their futures. Personal anecdotes shed light on pivotal moments where flexibility in work hours has made all the difference. Julie's reflections on nurturing her team and supporting colleagues — even when it means watching them pursue dreams elsewhere —underscore the evolving landscape of work-life balance and professional growth.

From the joys and trials of parenting a teenager preparing for a hardship license to the competitive nature of youth sports, our conversation is rich with relatable moments. We talk about the importance of letting children enjoy sports without undue pressure, the limited chances of young athletes going pro, and the value of coaches managing team dynamics. Plus, Julie shares her personal passions, from marathon training to favorite foods like chips and salsa, and her love for reading physical books. Tune in to hear about hidden talents, relaxation methods, and the balancing act of professional and family priorities, all while maintaining a sense of calm amid life's chaos.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everybody, I'm Kasey Oakley.
Good to see y'all again.
I'm with 3W Magazine.
Welcome back to another who IWear podcast.
I have my dear friend JulieBarber with me.
Julie, welcome.
Thank you, kasey, I appreciateyou being here.
Of course, it's a little franticright now, so this will come
out in a couple of weeks.
However, school starts tomorrow.
Yes, it does, and we were bothchatting about the insanity

(00:22):
because our nannies are gone.
They're doing all their rushstuff.
Yes, but we still have kids totake care of.
Yes, we do, and work andhusbands and all the other
things, all the things.
I'm like can you drop whoeveroff at 10?
He's like I have a meeting andI'm like, okay, I'll just handle
that, I'll be there.
Oh, yeah, at our house.

(00:46):
It's fine, julie, what do youdo?
So I work at walmart.
I lead our general merchandiseorganization, so my team is
buying all the things at walmartonline and in the store that
are not on the food andconsumable side.
It's a lot of like stuff.
You walk into the store atleast let's just walk into 5260
and let's like just take out theright side of the store and
let's focus on the left and themiddle.
That's exactly right.
Yeah, you walk in all thatseasonal stuff that right now is

(01:09):
back to school.
My team bought all of thatproduct and all of the stuff
behind it and to the left,outdoor and all the things.
So it's a lot.
It's a lot.
It's fun though.
Yes, it is a lot, but thatmeans you never get bored,
that's right.
There's means you never getbored, that's right.
No, there's always change, newproduct, innovation.
It's fantastic.
I love that, because I'm like,oh, I talked to a friend one

(01:30):
years ago and she's like, yeah,I buy um fresh chicken and I'm
like that is absolutelythrilling, yes, thrilling.
Why I can't think of anythingbetter.
That's right, that's right.
But I'm like I feel like youhave like kind of a fun job.
Yes, this is a fun one.
The only thing that I haven'tbeen able to buy, that I want to
buy is candy.
That feels like a really funjob, right, like a joy.
Yes, but your friend melody,she's on snacks.

(01:51):
Oh, yes, she and pantry.
I had snaps before and it wasgreat, but I just didn't get
quite to the candy I think she'sgot.
Oh, my god, speaking of snacks,I know we're gonna jump around
because I'm not an organ.
I, I'm an organized, human, butnot in talking to people.
So you spoke at NextUp recentlyand you touched on snacks.
You kept weaving into the talk.

(02:12):
I know, you know, early in mycareer I graduated college and I
interviewed with a fewdifferent suppliers.
One of them at the time wasKraft Heinz and it's when they
own Monde, own monday's brandsand all the others.
And I was interviewing thereand a few other places,
including walmart, and of course, walmart jumped first and said

(02:35):
we want to offer you a role.
I remember calling my dad, butit wasn't merchandising.
No, it wasn't merchandising.
And I was like I really want togo over, I really like these
snacks.
Well, you can contact them andsee if they're going to give you
a job, or you can accept thisother job, whatever you need to
do.
I contacted them and they werelike we're very early in the
process, we don't know if we'regoing to hire.

(02:55):
You Do what you need to do, butI want to push orders.
So, exactly, I ended up atWalmart, but thankfully that
snacks came back in.
It took maybe like seven oreight years to get there, but I
did lead snacks at Walmart for awhile, so I got to taste a lot
of Oreos in that time.
Oh, that's fun because theykeep innovating.
It's not that we're here totalk about Oreos, but they keep

(03:16):
innovating, so I can't complain.
Okay, well, let's touch on yourcareer.
Let's go back to the.
We know what you do, what is,what is 24 hours, or I don't
even know what a work day is.
Tell me what a work day lookslike.
Yeah, my work day for me it'sbeen, it's sort of like ebbed
and flowed over time, but todaywell, not today, today, the last
day of summer, but tomorrow, uh, when we get back to school.

(03:40):
I have really tried to balance,if that's the right word, how I
spend my time at work and how Ispend my time at home.
And my husband and I, quite afew years ago, I knew that if I
get to work early, that I canget sort of this time for me.
What's early, early for me, isI get to work about 6.45 or 7
most days, which is, I think intime, pretty early.

(04:01):
I think that's pretty early.
It's pretty quiet at my office.
There's a lot of people thatget there earlier than that.
That's not me.
Well, I drive by your officearound, so I drive by at like 5
am and then at like 6.30, andI'm like inevitably there's
someone crossing 8th Street.
Yeah, people are definitelystarting to come in at 6.30, 5,

(04:23):
5, those people are really earlypeople.
Can you get in a five?
Yeah, you, you can get at thatoffice anytime you want, if you
want to come.
Look, it's not so crazy.
It's wonderful open for peopleto sort of do what they need to
do.
But like that, my husband and Isort of made this deal.
I don't know if it's a deal ornot a deal.
He may hate the deal, but uh,where he kind of manufactures
getting the kids out of thehouse, he's the lunch maker and

(04:43):
he getting the kids out of thehouse, he's the lunchmaker, he
gets the kids out of the house.
I get up, I kind of like shakepeople awake, say I love them,
sneak out the house and then inthe afternoon he does sort of
the afternoon work till fiveplus.
Okay, I, for the most part, Ireally try to get out of the
office like 4, 430.
I like to get run in, I get toexercise.

(05:04):
I'm the one that if a kid hassomething, I'm trying to get
them.
You're handling it.
Yes, okay, you're the afternoonneighbor, I'm the afternoon
neighbor Um in.
You know I have three kids.
Yes, I have a great, amazinghelper nanny that helps me.
She's in college, she'sfantastic, and I have my husband
and my parents moved tonorthwest tarpon so as well.

(05:25):
So I have this sort ofcommunity that helps me.
You have a village, yes, a verygood village.
Now I found lately my parents.
They'd love to travel.
Now, now when they move closer,they're like well, I'm out of
town.
I'm like that's not working.
That's Like I thought you couldtake Coleman to the
orthodontist at four in theafternoon today.

(05:47):
Oh, we're traveling.
Sorry, but in general it doestake a village to help, it does.
So my work day is, you know,fairly early in the morning,
leave at four to 430.
I try to always have a break inthe middle.
My assistant, she's alsoamazing.
Oh, brittany, so amazing.
Oh, britney, britney, she'samazing.
I don't know.
I should like probably linkedinbritney just to see what she

(06:07):
looks like, because I feel likewe're fast friends on email and
I like, I love her.
My favorite part about her sheanticipates everything.
She'll say oh, I saw youtalking to this person I heard
you mentioned let's get lunch.
I've already worked with her ato put it on.
You know her ea to put it onthe calendar, but she gives me
these little breaks throughoutthe day for sanity.
Um, do you take a lunch break?
I very, very rarely leave forlunch.

(06:29):
Okay, and it's not because Idon't want to, it's just my
personality is like when I'm atwork, let's get it done right,
and it's it's hard in bittenfell, it's we live in a traffic
cone.
That's exactly right to leavethe office to go out blind,
spend time with someone or evenon my own, come back.
It's, it's hard to do hard.

(06:50):
I'm a cafeteria eater, a bareater.
Can you eat quietly?
Yeah, if you have to go, itgives me usually about 30
minutes.
I might close my door in myoffice or just like find a quiet
place.
Yeah, because I'm like goingout to lunch.
Well, networking or justchilling out with a friend is so
great.
But also I need that recharge.
It's time to in the middle ofthe day, just something to, yeah

(07:11):
, relax you.
There's a lot going on.
And then the new office.
But you're gonna have lots ofopen space at this new campus.
Yes, we're excited.
I think they've been slowlygiving us hints of like when
things are going to happen whatour building is.
But did you see the video onLinkedIn?
Yes, oh, they're showing atwork frequently and we I know I
don't think I'm supposed to tellyou I know what office my team

(07:32):
is going to be in we're movingin January and they're really
excited.
I am shocked it's January.
I know, I was mind blown when Isaw the video last week.
It's been a journey, though.
I feel like I've worked atWalmart.
It'll be 20 years in October.
That's a long time,congratulations.
I remember when they firstannounced this.
This is like pre-COVID and wewere pretty excited and it feels

(07:54):
like that was a long time ago.
Yet it comes true on us.
It did.
We drove by it a few.
Well, all the time, I don'tknow why I say a few weeks ago,
that's a complete lie recentlyand I was like gosh, I can't
believe this is gonna happen injanuary and I'm like I feel like
it went up overnight and myhusband goes it was announced

(08:15):
before covid.
This has been in the works fora long time and I'm like, oh, I
have no recollection of anythingbefore covid.
So to me it went overnight.
Yeah, for this day, for aminute, I have a lot of
recognition before, kind ofanything before COVID.
So to me it went out overnight.
Yeah, for this time, for aminute, I don't have a lot of
recollection before COVID, I betyou don't.
Nobody in retail or healthcareknows what happened before COVID
.
I just want to bluff that out.
Even though we learned a lot,I'm sure you all did learn a lot

(08:36):
we did learn a lot.
Amounts of information, wow,that's.
I love that.
Okay, so that's what a typicalwork day is 6 45 to 4 4 30.
That's a long work day, I'm notgonna lie, because I work out
at 5 30 and then I get home at 630 and then I'm hustling to
make an eight.
But now I just found out my 14year old starts high school.

(08:56):
I know he started high school,but he has a late start at 8 55
and I'm like oh yeah, that is solate.
Who starts at today at 9?
Yeah, thursdays, that's whatthey do.
My son goes to Rogers.
He's going into 10th grade.
Yeah, 8.53, or something likethat.
I'm like what parent can take akid?
I don't know.
I don't know either and I'm noteven sure what the late start
is for, but I'm sure it's veryimportant, I'm sure.

(09:18):
But it to like four.
Yes, and I'm like we havethings to do.
We can't start our afternoon atfour.
We're going to for nine months.
Yes, here we go.
Oh my gosh, if we need thatearly start next year, yes, well
, what is this?
Nine to four?
Who do you think you are?
Maybe all work in BentonvilleRogers area should start at nine
on Thursdays.

(09:38):
That We'll take it up with themayor.
She's running for reelection inBentonville, okay, and she'll be
on the podcast soon.
I'll put that.
Okay, I'll put that bug in herear.
That'll be good, okay, so wetouched on next step.
So you did talk about yourclient.
Talk about, yeah, so you didn'tget the job at craft.
You didn't not get the job atcraft, you just took the job

(09:59):
with, yeah, who knows, Iprobably wouldn't have gotten it
.
I think you know my journey issuper interesting because when I
was growing up, my mom wasstable, right, yeah, arkansas,
right Grew up in centralArkansas and my mom was a
stay-at-home mom and it wasfantastic.
She, like I remember she waslike PTO president, home of mom,

(10:20):
in all kinds of organizations.
She was always there, sort oflike taking care of things and I
thought that was like afantastic life, absolutely, and
I have two siblings and I reallyloved having two siblings.
So I knew at a fairly young agelike I want to have kids.
Um, I love this sort of familylife.
I love this connection, like ifI've already sort of subscribed

(10:41):
to like you have this familyunit and so like, even if some
things out here not whatsubscribed to like you have this
family unit and so like, evenif some things out here are not
what you want, like you havethis family unit.
That's pretty good, absolutely.
It's like your safe space.
It is, it's your safe space.
And so I knew I wanted to dothat.
Now I'm the oldest of three kidsand I knew I needed to get a
job.
When I graduated, there was noquestion of like you're going to

(11:06):
college and you're going to geta good job, but I never really
thought of myself while Iexcelled in school and was very
involved.
I didn't think of myself in alike I want to be a fantastic
career person, right.
But when I got to Walmart, Igot going and I felt a lot of
fulfillment from it and so mycareer was probably.
There's so many amazing peoplethat and I see these young

(11:28):
people Like I've just been witha class of interns last week and
they did presentations and theylike know where they want to go
and they're so smart andthoughtful about their career.
I really wasn't there.
I was more in a mode of wow, Ireally like this and this is
working.
It's a changing of the tides.
It is.
It's a changing of the tides itis and it's very split.
It is very split.
To me, there's not a lot ofmiddle in that feeling.

(11:51):
You've got a big sector ofgung-ho I know what the plant is
and then you have a lot of Idon't know I don't really know
and I don't know the ones thatsort of stress their parents out
a lot.
Yes, I feel like it's verydivided we're divided than when
we were growing up.
Yes, I think it is too and it'sinteresting, especially, like

(12:13):
you know, you have a 14 year old, I have a 15 year old where
it's like, oh, I hope thatthey're starting to think about.
I'm not sure they are, I'm notgoing to worry about it yet,
right, but it is.
But I see these people, theseamazing young people, coming out
of college doing theseinternships, thinking about
their career, and I think ittook me a little while at
Walmart to say, oh well, I canhave an amazing career and I can

(12:35):
be a mom.
And along the journey therewere different steps you know we
talk about I often talk about Iwas about five years into my
career when I had my first son,um, and I needed to go.
Our, our, your, our youngerkids went to daycare together,
but our oldest, we were going tothe same bakery I don't know if
you remember this, but in itclosed at 5 30.

(12:57):
Yes, it did right.
Yes, which is a which ingeneral you would say.
Of course, 5 30 is no, no here,but we're not in general,
that's right.
When I worked at wal earlier inthe days, we worked 730 to 530.
They opened.
Our daycare opened really early, like 630.
So I could drop off.
But the pickup was like a badsituation and I remember going
to my first boss after I'd had achild and saying, hey, listen,

(13:21):
I need to have a discussion withyou.
I saying, hey, listen, I needto have a discussion with you.
I can't work till five 30.
I can only work till five.
And um, it was like a pivotalmoment for me, cause I think I
was.
I said I'll be here by sevenand he said okay, okay, and I
think he was sort of thinkinglike I don't know if this is
going to work for this lady, butlet's try it out.
There was a forward thing.
There was it, yeah, and I didit and he was really receptive

(13:43):
to it and it was a pivotalmoment to me where I was like I
can work absolutely and be agreat mom yes, and that, and my
husband, you know, getting help,and so over time, one of the
things that was really importantto me was, like this allowing
of people men, women, whoeverthat they could have a great
career and be a great parent.

(14:04):
So as I've moved through mycareer, I started to recognize
these little moments where Icould take the things that
happened to me and make surethat the team felt those too.
Be a great, amazing careerperson, but also bring in your
family life for sure.
If it for me it was kids, forother people on my team it's

(14:25):
they have a love for an activity, or I love to travel or to be
with their other parts of theirfamily.
Like having that balance.
Yes, a little bit early shippedat walmart to start thinking
about it, but I had surroundedwith a lot of fantastic leaders
in my career that were acceptingof that.
Right, that's hard, though weweren't taught that.
You're not.
You put you are supposed tohave to choose.

(14:48):
Yes, right, either you want tobe a stay at home mom or you
want to go to work, and you'renot supposed to be able to do
both or have to do both.
Speak to so I.
This is what struck out to meand this is when I emailed you,
because you were up for apromotion or you were applying
for something, maybe lateral orvertical, I don't know and I
think the person I assume it wasa gentleman, I don't 100% know.

(15:12):
I asked how many kids you haveor even how old your kids are.
I'm like that is.
I wish I could say that'sirrelevant, but I'm like also
family kids.
It brings experience to ourlives and a different lens as to
how we treat people.
You've touched on that too,yeah, I think for me.

(15:33):
So, in the middle of sort ofcontinuing to think about upper
career mobility, having adiscussion with someone and they
ask me how old my kids were,and I know 150% that this person
was not thinking about me in away that, like that was a bad
thing.
It was really a protect, like Iwant to make sure you're
successful, oh right, but that'snot how I took it, but it's

(15:57):
still um.
While it is about wanting me tobe successful, I feel like if I
was a man, that question neverwould have been asked, totally
agree.
And so it was a little bit of athere's still some things that
we're going to have to overcome,and while they do want me to be
successful, and what they don'twant is for me to take a role,
and then my family say no, Ithink we can do it in a

(16:19):
different way.
Right, I think we have to sayif this lady says that she
thinks she can do it, we have togive her a chance to do it and
not ask questions about hersupport system around her in a
way that feels like maybe youshouldn't take this job if you
have young kids or not enoughpeople in your village to help,

(16:40):
right, and so one of the thingsthat I really that it struck me
and this has been a little whileit struck me as what not to do
or what not to say.
Right, because while it waspositive intention, I really
didn't like it, right, and so ina different person and I just
happened to be having one ofthose days where I was ready to

(17:01):
be bold and fight back, whichhas not always been how I've
been.
Not everybody may feel that theycan do that and I've had like
throughout my journey.
I've tried to have mentorcircles where I brought people
together and told them sort oflike my mishaps or the times
that were hard for me, which arethe times where, like you have

(17:22):
the pit in the stomach whenyou're 28 years old with your
first child, going in to tellyour boss like, hey, I'm just
coming back from leave and Iwant to let you know that I am
not going to be working untilfive 30 anymore.
I'm like five.
Or the time when you're like,yeah, that's right, or you're.
Or the time when you're like,hey, um, I have this thing for

(17:42):
my child.
Or all the different right, allthose things that have to do
with um, the other choice, theother choice or the other.
The third choice that I'm makingthese days is, like my dentist,
I keep canceling right, my, youknow how do you tell, tell
people about that and that it'sokay to be bold, and it took me
a while to feel like being boldwas okay.

(18:05):
I think being bold is reallyhard.
I'm a lot of bark and no biteMe too, you know, I think when
we were having the Next Stepconversation a few weeks ago I
don't tell this very often, butit really was another time in my
career where, being bold,somebody from afar that didn't
know me then decided and thiswas a woman to tell a few other

(18:26):
people that I was a BITC.
Oh right, yes, which is sointeresting, because really I
was not just standing up formyself.
In these instances where I'mtrying to help, it's I really
like.
My sort of like mission in lifeis not about me, it's about all
the people that work for me oraround me and thinking about how

(18:48):
can they take my job, how canthey take our CEOs?
Yes, you talked about that.
I was so ready I'm ready isn'tthe right word but you're so
excited for when all thesebloomers take over their jobs.
That's right.
I want to inspire people tofeel like they can do whatever
they want, and I think it tookme a long time to feel like I

(19:11):
could do like sort of whatevergoals I had Right, and that's a
long time, and even even now Istill have like imposter
syndrome, absolutely Right.
Like there's moments where I'mlike, oh, you felt that way for
a while, but like then there's alittle pullback.
I really do that.
But if I can encourage peoplearound me, uh, to do that, they

(19:33):
are going to take over andeverything about Walmart, it's
going to continue to be betterand better, or any company that
they absolutely, or if there'sanother.
You know this is probably notincredibly popular, but I've had
people who are like, hey, hey,I want to let you know I think
I'm going to leave the company,for whatever reason that may be.
And every time it's not likeI'm not, like I'm mad at you.

(19:53):
It's fantastic, you have to dowhat's right for you and your
family and your goals and yourdreams, and this sort of
thinking about all the peoplearound me raising them up and
pulling back.
I mean, I'm competitive, I'mvery competitive, but I think
there's a way that's likeindividually competitive that I

(20:15):
used to be Like, oh, I made allmy numbers.
I'm fantastic, yay me.
Yeah, yay me.
But somebody redirected you onthat and then it was like, oh,
wow, yes, I do want to hirepeople better than me, because
someday they're going to take myjob and while I'm in my job I
can help lead them, guide them,remove obstacles, but they're

(20:36):
going to make my job so mucheasier because they're so
amazing and that's a.
It's a.
It's definitely a mind shiftthat happens over time
Absolutely.
I would say it's almost 20years shift that happens over
time, absolutely.
Yes, almost 20 years in acareer.
Yes To ever.
If you asked me 20 years ago,like, do you want to hire people
that are better than yourself,I would have been like I want to
shine.
Yeah, for sure, I want to shine.
I want to make a little bitmore money so I can take care of

(21:04):
my family.
I want to raise a gift of age?
Yeah, right, right, because Imean, we're all hustling and
then all of a sudden, I don'tknow, that's how it is for me.
I just kind of got to the point.
I was like, well, I kind ofhave zero Fs, yeah, but not in a
negative way.
Yes, I just am like this is whoI am.
I've got to stop posing assomebody who is uber

(21:24):
professional.
It's not me.
I stick my foot in my mouth.
I am a hugger and a lover.
I'm a hugger too, and I'm likeI just I don't have the circle
back, low hanging fruit all the.
I don't have that mentality.
I am just call it like it isand let's figure it out.
We don't need 45 conferencecalls, let's just handle it.

(21:45):
That's right, same Right, and Ithink that's great.
For a long time I tried to keepmy work life and my personal
life pretty separate, and Istill do, just instances.
But when I go home I'm like avery.
I lose my keys, I lose mydriver's license, I'm kind of
scattered.
Do you have your phone near you?

(22:05):
Yeah, my phone.
I try to have.
My son, that's 15, has to go tofind my often for me to find my
phone.
You know, just sort of like alittle bit.
And my husband talks about mycloset.
He knows when things aregetting overwhelming because
when he walks in my closet itlooks like a bomb went off.
But at work I try to comeacross like so professional For

(22:26):
sure, yeah, I think it's so good.
But over time I start torealize like and you know, back
to Brittany, like my, yeah, likeshe knows, like, oh right, I
need to help Ray her in, or hey,you know, go get some lunch or
whatever.
And there was a long time Ikept it separate.
But then I realized, like no,that's just who I am, it's just
who we are and I'm okay withthat.
Yes, well, speaking of personallife, so let's talk about the
kids.
So, yes, we just talked aboutthe 15 year old and he's gonna

(22:49):
get his hardship license so thathe can be my responsible and
get himself to school.
Yes, and he's played sports.
I think he plays baseball, okay, um, and yes, he's gonna start
driving.
We're.
He has four months of beingable to drive with a hardship,
starting tomorrow to school.
I'm a bit nervous, but he's avery like, he's a great kid.

(23:11):
Is he the responsible one?
He's the responsible one.
Are the other two fireballs?
Because they're twins?
Yes, they're twins and they arefireballs.
Are they going into fourth orfifth?
Fifth?
They're going to fifth and wejust went to meet the teacher
and they are fireballs and butthey're also, like, very
interesting.
They're very differentpersonalities, but then when

(23:31):
they're together they like, theylove each other, but then they
also like well, they're boy,girl, right, and I think that's
helpful.
To be honest, the boy does allhis sports and all the things he
does, and my daughter's adancer and she loves dance and
tumble, and so for them.
There isn't necessarilycompetitive, right, which I
appreciate because it'scompetitive in the world of kids

(23:53):
and kids sports is psychotic,oh my god, absolutely psychotic.
Like, if you don't like, youknow, if you didn't start
playing basketball at the age ofthree, you might not play in
high school, right, it's notthat.
Not play in high school, settleon your sport now.
Yes, yes, right.
I mean, when did the 15 yearold, when did he start travel
ball?
He's, he started seven newtravel ridiculous.

(24:15):
They don't know what they'redoing.
What's so interesting about thatis back then there weren't that
many teams like I rememberplaying like the same few sort
of teams in North Arkansas.
Now I bet there is a hundred,like seven or eight teams.
That's probably too many.
Well, it's a solid moneymaker.
Like, if you think about it,you can have four or five, seven
, eight teams in oneorganization.

(24:37):
I'm like those parents will payanything because I've been
there, done that Like for sure.
I've definitely mellowed overtime on that stuff, which for my
15 year old he's probably itdidn't, it didn't hit him, but
for my other two I'm like, Ijust want you to like, if you
love this, let's keep doing it.
I want you to work hard.
But I'm not gonna, I'm notgonna just totally worry about

(24:58):
if you like that team or ifyou're this or that.
Like just do what you love,work hard Like we're all about
working hard.
But at some point, like myyoungest, my oldest, my mom was
big on, like you know, kids,books and things.
At Christmas she was the book,all the different, the present,
whatever the Sports IllustratedKids Magazine she got from my

(25:19):
son.
This is like seven or eightyears ago, and why was like
seven or eight years ago and whyI read it, I don't know.
But I read this article inthere and it was like probably
it was on the cover like thepercentage of kids that play
sports when their kids is highwhen they're young, when they
get to high school, like itdefinitely starts to drop.
When it gets to college, it'slike minuscule.
When it gets to pros, it's likenobody right.

(25:39):
And this just sort of balancingmindset of like enjoy it.
Like, yes, don't worry aboutgetting to the pros in 7U.
Like if you get to the MLB, notif they get.
You know, love that Chase ishitting coach.
So the 14 year old plays allbaseball and he's like really
concerned about that battingaverage at the end of the year.
But the game changer also gamechanger, like I'll get me a

(26:02):
break so, and his hitting coachis like no one cares what your
12?
U stats, that's right.
And I'm like that's good,that's gonna steal that.
I know I was pleased in highschool.
Coleman played his first yearhigh school and, um, they have a
really a great team and it wasthe mountains.
They're like champions orsomething.
Yeah, coach melson and coachbunch of coach other, they're
really great.

(26:22):
And one of the things that wasactually super fantastic was in
freshman ball.
They did this game changer.
It was so amazing, so amazing.
It was kind of fun to get intothat.
They do do game changer.
A coach needs to run it.
Yeah, that's it.
No parents, no parents.
I'm sure all those parents havethe best intent, but you're

(26:42):
like get out.
Yeah, let's not ruin a weekendbecause we call it an error.
I know what about the twolittle ones?
What's the little boy do?
So he plays lots of baseball,okay, and he plays football,
because he walks up to BigBrother and he plays football
and tackling, we're tackling.
This is our second or thirdyear of tackle football, which
is sort of nervous for me, buthe's still.

(27:04):
Um, well, my husband and I aretall people.
It took a oh, it takes a littlewhile for our kids to get there
.
My 15 year old, like, he's justgrown like six inches in six
months.
He's six one right now.
Oh, okay, oh, he just went, hejust started growing.
Yes, I, on this visit to seewhat they say, like this is me
doing some calculations, right,but uh, but my little two, my

(27:26):
other two, olivia, my daughter,has gotten a little bit taller.
My son will, like you lookaround, he's like he's short.
And then you're like, look athis parents, like I am five,
eight, you know, clearly wearinga lot of heels, so it seems
taller.
My husband is six three.
Like our kids are gonna be tall, they're not gonna be short.
But because of that, which I'msort of thankful for, is he's
playing like more receiver.

(27:48):
Oh, okay, less of the tacklingtype of position.
Okay, I'm just enjoyingwatching it play out.
Are you the screamer and yeller?
I would love to say that I amnot.
I'm a big cheerleader.
Okay, yes, I'm not really acheerleader, but I am in these

(28:09):
sports.
I like to say, like every kidlike goes up to bat, like are
you, let's go.
Will, let's go?
Cool man, let's go.
Every kid, yes, um, but thenevery once, so I get a little
too excited and my, my kids willtell me like, yes, and I got
that from my father.
He's also like I can hear youin the outfield.
I'm like I'm really sorry, Ididn't know that was who I was

(28:30):
gonna be either, but you're justso excited and then frustrated.
Yes, have you seen the like,memes and gifs of, like that
crazy and I'm?
I don't know her, I just can'tremember her name.
The crazy, um, lsu basketballcoach?
No, what's the like, thesequence?
Yes, and she always looks solovely, lovely, and then she's
like, that's me, me too.

(28:51):
It was often and frequent, likefor definitely for school
sports, like I'm going straightfrom work and I mostly wear
dresses, so I'm often in my workclothes there.
Yeah, it's kind of like a crazylsu coach're an LSU coach?
Well, I'll have to find her.
I can't remember her name rightnow, but I'm like I don't think
I'm quite as fancy as her, butyes, I'm definitely going to
think lots of things in my workclothes and people are wondering

(29:14):
, like, what is she doing?
I used to run out, so this waswhen I had so good at early
mothering Right and I would justrun and pick up one and get him
to where he needed to be.
But the baby was annoying.
I love him, but he was alwaysrunning on the soccer field and

(29:35):
I'm always chasing him into themiddle of the soccer field in my
heels, yes, and my girlfriendsare all like, oh well, never
forget this tool skirt that youran out.
And I'm like, yeah, those daysare gone.
Yeah, they try to keep change.
I have one friend.
She reminds me often her oldestson is my oldest son's age and
when I had the twins that thefirst year ish that Coleman was

(29:56):
playing like travel baseball orsome it might have been the year
before they played travelbaseball.
The twins were little and I hadthis big, huge, huge double
stroller and I was liketeeter-tottering on my heels,
yes, pushing that.
Thankfully, yeah, thankfully,they can walk now.
Do you remember Giselle Reese?
Yes, she was amazing.
I love her.
Everybody looked up to her.

(30:17):
I love her.
I always wanted to be her.
When I grew up, still trying todo that, she still trying to do
that, she came and spoke at amercy event for us and she said
there's no work life balance.
There's work and there's lifeand you figure it out.
But there is no.
That is a complete myth.
There is no work life balance.
And I'm like, oh, I love youfor saying that, yeah, and

(30:37):
there's, I think I agree, and Ithink there's very few days
where it's like very few dayswhere it's like, oh, I balanced
that better than that, right,right, like maybe it's tomorrow,
because tomorrow it's like,okay, okay, first day of school.
Do we get that board?
Do we write on it?
Can the oldest actually hold it?
Probably not.
Oh, do we get to theneighborhood?
Do we make it there?
Make it on time?
How frustrated are we?

(31:11):
Trying't have to be perfect,and but you don't expect your
team to be perfect, definitelynot.
I feel like, from a managementpoint of view, it's shifted
right.
I agree, yeah, I think, and I'mmore empathetic.
I think I'm more empathetic, Ithink the leaders at walmart
they have different things thatare important to them.

(31:31):
They have kids, they have likeactivities, hobbies, and it
isn't.
While the job is hard andchallenging and we need to be
there and work hard, there is alot more um ability to to live
your life right.
There's a bit more grace thesedays.
Definitely, grace is a perfectword.
Yes, um, does your mom say toyou like I just don't know how

(31:53):
you do it, y'all are so busy?
Yes, and she raised three kids,but I feel like our humans, and
humans going forward, are waybusier than we were when we were
growing up.
I think so too.
The thing about it that'sinteresting, about my mom, is,
instead of like even say that,all of a sudden it's like oh, my
mom did this for one of my kids.

(32:14):
Oh, my mom did this, my oldestshe.
I laugh at these stories thatlike sort of come out of nowhere
, where my mom will say, yeah,coleman reached out because he
left this book, english book, athome, so he called me, I went
and got it, brought up to thehigh school, like me don't even
know.
So so you know my, my family,they, they know and accept like

(32:36):
what I can do, what my husbandcan do, what my mom can do, and
that's a a win.
My mom like so thankful for myparents and not everyone has
that, and it is such a joy.
And the other thing will belike my husband and I, because
of all this sort of stuff,that's kind of crazy.
We try to do a lot of stuff withour kids.

(32:58):
Take them, you know, vacation,yeah, create the memories.
But the one thing that we havedone a fairly successful, fairly
successful job is is he and Iwill go do something on our own.
And my mom is always like, okay, let me put it on my calendar.
We are so bad, we don't mean tobe.
No, we at least one time a yearlike let's try to get away.

(33:18):
I know, one time a year that'snot bad, but but it's hard.
And then do you have guilt?
No, okay, I do.
And then I'm like, why do Ihave this guilt?
I think it's because I onlyhave them until no, I only have
them until I'm 18 or they're 18.
I did so.
I'm like, oh, but I don't knowwhy.
It's weird, I got to work onthat, you got to work on that

(33:39):
one, I know, I think when myoldest turned nine, I was sort
of like, oh my, I only have him.
I've had him half of his life,yes, and now all my kids are
over that age.
So what we're trying to do as afamily is like this summer we
did not do like a really greatjob with vacation.
We like, let baseball and allthese other things.

(34:00):
And we did get away for a fewdays, but that's it.
But did it really feel like agetaway?
No, it did not.
Okay, same, it was like flyingout at 6 am one day and in a few
days we're back home.
Yes, and we said we've got tostop this.
Yes, and my husband and I wereout on the trail and having a

(34:24):
discussion.
I was like, oh well, we havethis or we have this.
We were just going to say sorry, right, like, are we going to
miss some lifting workouts forsome sport?
Are we maybe even going to missa game?
Are we going to miss this, thisor this?
Yes, yes, am I going to misssomething at work?
One percent, but I'm going toput it on the calendar now and
I'm going to have no regrets.

(34:45):
So, have you already blocked it?
Yes, that's impressive.
Yeah, which is now, and I feelfairly we've never done this
before.
I feel fairly certain thatwe're going to be okay.
Are we booked?
Like we know we haven't, okay,but it's on the calendar.
Okay, I think we will try tobook same.
Yes, and ish, because we didn'tdo it either.
We were waiting for all thebaseball, things, going into
high school, the trials, thewhatever.

(35:05):
And I'm like, oh my God, thesummer is an offer.
The dead weeks go yes, do wehave to adhere?
I don't know.
And all of a sudden we're likewe have four days.
Yes, here we go To get away.
And that just isn't enough.
No, it's, you're barely likethere.
You've hardly gotten your kidsin a place where they will
actually like talk to you aboutwhat's happening, and that's

(35:27):
something that I'm trying tofigure out Right.
Yeah, it's interesting, it ishard, yes, and some people do it
really well.
I know a thousand percent andI'm like good job, I know.
And then I'm like, oh, not me,but it's okay, we'll figure it
out, we will.
Okay, you brought up trails.
So I know you're a runner.
I hate to run only unlesssomebody's chasing me with an

(35:49):
axe.
Is somebody going to?
Am I going to run?
But where is your favoriteplace to run?
So we actually live right offthe trail.
Okay, I know, if I go south onthe trail, exactly how far it is
for a run.
If I go north, I have trained.
Last year I ran the New Yorkmarathon.
I trained on this same like geton the trail, go up all the way

(36:10):
past.
Um, I like premier dermatology.
I've been to Bentonville 10miles and that's back another 10
miles, like the trail and I arefriends.
That's amazing.
So you did the New York marathon, yep, wow, is that the first or
no?
It wasn't my first, but it wasprobably my last.
I ran more races when I wasyounger.

(36:35):
And are you legitimately racing?
No, or are you just running tofinish?
I would never finish.
Okay, I would never place.
Okay, absolutely Never place.
Are you still proud of yourself?
Yes, it's so wonderful.
The feeling is it doesn't.
During the race and after along run, the runs during the
week awful.
When I get done, I'm like let'shave a mimosa and celebrate,

(37:00):
let us have a big brunch?
Yes, because we have run, soit's's.
It's a run to eat thing, maybe.
Oh, I like that.
Yes, no, I would never win.
Um, I'm not that fast, I'm superaverage.
And is it ever hard?
Because you are a runner, sohard do you get those endorphins
and get settled in a thing andyou're like I don't even know
I'm running, I'm just floating.

(37:21):
Now are some people I work with, people who are just amazing
fast runners.
It is hard for me.
Okay, not like a half marathon,but once I start getting past,
there was a point somewhereabout 18 to 20, where I'm just
like what am I doing?
18 to 20 miles?
And you're questioning it atthis point, yeah, finish.
And you're thinking I have tofinish, you have to finish, like

(37:47):
how much longer would it takeme if I just stopped and walked?
But if you stop and walk, it'slike even worse for sure.
Like your legs are like no, Ican't run again.
Yeah, so it is.
Yeah, it's.
I think I ran to you.
I think it's awesome.
I've been.
I'm not fast enough to qualify,so that will tell you how
average I am.
My husband's run it multipletimes because he qualified.
You know Boston, all the things, so I've been to New York to

(38:07):
see him run.
Also, we have another friendthat had qualified and so about
five years ago I started puttingmy name in this lottery for New
York because it's an amazingrace.
You run through all the girls.
It looks awesome, it'sfantastic.
I mean it really was a greatrace.
But they Last year or no, Iguess it would have been.
I had just gotten this job.

(38:27):
I've been in this job for likenine months.
I mean it was a hard job.
Yeah, it changed, it changed,it changed, it changed, it
changed, it changed, it changed,it changed, it changed, it
changed, it changed, it changed,it changed, it changed, it
changed, it changed.
We're taking this job and itwas like kind of, it's a pretty
hard job, it's a huge job, and Igot this email that was like

(38:50):
you've qualified, you're notqualified.
You've been drawn for the newyork marathon.
And I said to myself, when I'mnot gonna train for this thing,
but were you already pretendtraining?
No, oh, I mean, I was running,run.
Yes, yeah, you run.
You know, five miles on on aday.
Is that the average run?
Yeah, I can run three to five.
Okay, five miles, depending onthe day, how much time, how hot

(39:12):
it is oh, my god, it's beenreally hot lately.
You might see me walking on thetrail, um, but yeah, I was
thinking like, should I do this?
I didn't.
And then another friend of oursgot in.
He got in one of my husband'sfriends and I was like I guess
I'm training, we're doing it.
And the worst part was myhusband had he just had surgery,
he'd had just had a prettymajor surgery and he's my

(39:33):
training partner, even thoughhe's a lot faster than me.
He will take one for the teamand he will run with me.
Okay, it's been, he's done thatfor a while.
It is, it's so sweet, it'ssuper kind, cause that's
probably painful for like alittle bit.
I think it was a little bitpainful for him.
But he also enjoys, like youknow, time, the time.
Yes, and I enjoyed the timewith him, but he, I knew he

(39:54):
couldn't train with me.
I was like I'm on my own forthis one, and then our other
friend that got in, like he'ssuper fast, so there was no
training with him.
I think he ran like one or, but, um, I knew I was gonna be on
my own and I was a littlenervous could actually done it,
do it.
I never trained for a race, ahalf marathon, a full marathon
and even running races.

(40:14):
I don't.
I don't think I'd ever run arace without my husband.
He would run.
He one time he was, he had runthe chicago marathon, he had a
broken foot and we were indallas in december running the
bmw and he was like you go aheadand go on like, like, I know
you're ready and I PR.
It was the only time I've everbeat the man in a race and it
was only because he was runningI broke it.

(40:35):
I don't care.
Yes, yeah, but so I did the NewYork marathon and it was great.
But when I got done, the thingthat I recognized is I I didn't
have enough time to run thelength that I needed during the
week.
Okay, so you, really, there'slike weeks you need to run like
seven miles, eight miles, 10miles a day, and I wasn't
getting that in.
So the race was harder than itneeded to be and I said I don't

(40:58):
know if I can do it again, butI'll see.
Maybe I say that and then I geton a whim and maybe I'll do it.
I don't know what's your next.
Okay, let's hypothetically,let's say you're dying to run
another one, which where?
No, I don't think.
Like, if I was going to run afull again, I'd like to go.
Is there a bucket list?
No, I like they're all.
No, for me it's like whichone's fastest?

(41:19):
Okay, I mean, I'm never goingto get it to Boston.
Do the lottery?
Or that is, I don't know, it'sthe creme de la creme.
Okay, you could run.
I, I would run like dallas,it's super flat, oh, nice, I
don't want to run hill, I don'twant to run, period, I don't
know why.
I would even say that that'sgood, it helps me.
Um, getting out on the trailhelps me kind of clear my mind a

(41:43):
little bit.
Yeah, do you worry so much?
Yeah, do you see people youknow if I do?
Yeah, I see people.
And do they worry so much?
Yeah, do you see people youknow If I do?
Yeah, I see people.
Do they leave you alone?
Nobody talks to me.
Nice, most people kind of look,I smile at people.
I think it's something to dowith the 10-foot rule at Walmart
, like, also on the trail, Ifeel like I need to maybe not
say hello to every person,because there's a lot, but at
least smile, hand wave, right.

(42:08):
But that's a southern thing too.
Yeah, I like that.
Okay, well, let's talk aboutnorthwest arkansas.
Um, do you have a favorite food?
So I absolutely love chips andsalsa, aside from snacks.
Okay, and it is.
I like have to keep myself awayfrom the local lime.
Okay, that's your go-to.
They.
They have this little salsatree.
Yes, they like.
They have a fantastic margarita.

(42:29):
They do, and all the food onthe menu is amazing, and so that
, for me, is a real pleasure.
I also like I really like MJ'spizza.
I do too.
Oh, it's so good.
I hate driving down there, Iknow right, but when you get
there, it's like but, I reallylike it and I kind of feel like
I'm out of town.
Yes, I don't never see anythinglike that and it's very amazing
.
I love Atlas and Fayetteville.

(42:50):
I have not been there, but I'veheard amazing things about it.
It's fantastic.
I'm not.
Are you a foodie?
I love food, okay, and one ofthe things is my husband and I
we like to travel to placeswhere we can try different food
restaurants.
So food is always on the agendaand I like to make a
reservation so that I don't evenlike.

(43:10):
I don't like to wait, yeah, butget in there, have a full
experience, yes.
So, yes, there's not a lot offood that I don't like, okay.
So I probably don't like to askthis question.
I would say sweet or savory, butI think you're savory, I'm very
savory on your snack, I'm verysavory.
The only thing that'sinteresting is sometimes, like,
when I'm done with these greatsavory meals, I'm like, oh, I

(43:31):
just want a little touch ofdessert, a little something, a
little sweet.
Do you have a favorite dessert?
Uh, creme brulee.
Okay, a really good cremebrulee.
Oh yeah, somebody in town has achocolate one, but I can't
remember who it is.
I don't.
I'm not a chocolate fan whichsounds weird, because I do like
an Oreo but I don't drink coffee.

(43:52):
I find that to be a bad thing.
I don't drink coffee and Idon't like dark chocolate.
Mostly, in general, don't likechocolate type of desserts.
You don't drink coffee.
Do you drink any caffeine?
Yes, this is my bad vice.
Okay, so, yeah, well, that's onhere.
Like young in my career, likemountain, do it up.
Oh, I don't know, I think thatwas a young thing.

(44:12):
It's a bad thing.
But it was a bad thing becauseI got kidney stones really early
and I went and I got them twice.
Both times sent me to the er.
It was so bad I heard it's all.
I heard it's worse.
I didn't give birth.
My babies were cut out, butI've heard the kidney stones are
worse than children.
It may be.
The pain made me physicallysick, okay, so I went there and

(44:33):
then they sent me to a urologistand he was like ma'am, I
thought you were going to belike an older lady because of
how much buildup you have inthere.
He was like you've got to stopdrinking these bad drinks.
And, weirdly enough, I was ableto do it.
So I was like on straight, nocaffeine for years.
Did you not get a headache?
No, I just, I went with it.
I was young and I went with it.

(44:55):
Then the pandemic happened.
When the pandemic happened atwork, I was working consumables,
leading health and wellness andstill the left side of the
store.
And so we got in there and westarted COVID.
And when COVID started, all ofa sudden, I was at home with my
three kids and we were buyingproduct and having calls with

(45:18):
Asia late in the night, gettingup early, getting my kids on
their Chromebooks.
I was not leaving the house, wewere sneaking out, we were
getting on the trail.
I needed a little break, forsure.
But all of a sudden, like likeone day, we're probably like
three weeks into this schoolfrom home.
Oh so we were supposed to goback in two weeks, I know.
And I was like I told myhusband I'm putting on a mask

(45:39):
and I'm driving to the caseysand I'm just I don't know.
Yeah, and I went in there and Igot a sugar-free red bull and
every pretty much every day.
There's very few non-days.
Since then, I've had onesugar-free red bull and every
once in a while, number twocomes out in the afternoon.
I try not to ever do that, butthere are a few days, okay.
So my bad vice is red bull,sugar and it has to be

(46:00):
sugar-free.
And thanks to melody, richardand team, red bull brought into,
they've always forever oneflavor like drinking this light
blue can, right, yes, there's awhole everyday rainbow of cans.
Now, now they've added awatermelon and they've added a
strawberry.
Were you blowing it up like,give us some more flavors?

(46:21):
Yes, a guy on our team, hisname is will mcdonald.
I sent him a note.
I was was like thank you, thankyou for finally doing this.
This is amazing, and so that'smy bad vice.
Okay, and a good glass of redwine?
Oh, that is not a bad vice.
I say it's heart healthy.
I think it is too, so it's fine, yeah, so is that your favorite

(46:41):
cocktail?
Yes, is it red wine?
I don't drink.
I don't drink hard liquor.
I will drink an occasionalmargarita.
Does that really even count?
No, I don't think so.
I don't think it does.
But red wine, red wine is myvice.
Big cabs Okay, I like cabs too.
I'm good for a pinot on certainthings, with certain meals,
yeah, but mostly a cab, yes, andI don't.

(47:03):
But I don't drink red in thesummer.
No, our rosé a rosé.
Yes, I wasn't a rosé drinker,but we spent enough time in
sonoma and napa and, uh, out intuscany and italy that it's so
light and refreshing.
But I will be honest, I was onit for years, yes, and then I
went over to tequila and Ihaven't gone back yet, oh see,

(47:24):
but I'm like I never knew I wasa te person.
So I'm like heavy on thetequila now.
But I had a glass of cab a fewweeks ago at MJ's, okay,
ironically, and I was like it.
Just it was cold in there, Iwas cold and it just worked.
Yes, I know, the red definitelygoes down in the summertime,
unless you're like at arestaurant for dinner with a big

(47:45):
meal, but yeah, no.
Like at a restaurant for dinnerwith a big meal, but yeah,
during no, no, it's so hot, it'sso hot, I can't have a cow.
No, in the summer, typically,yes, yeah, okay.
So red bull rain, I like that.
And a cab, yeah.
Peanut water I used to bepeanut water.
Yeah, time to retire a littlebit.
Okay, place to run, let's see.
Uh, what does.
What does a friday night looklike?

(48:06):
So, yeah, no one plays football.
Will plays football, but he'slittle, so he's not Friday night
line yet.
So what does a Friday nightlook like?
In the, you know, in thespringtime there's usually
baseball on Friday night andthen in the fall there's a
couple.
But what's wonderful is we?
Now this is going to beprobably like the first fall,

(48:28):
because my oldest played manymore sports.
He's just settled this yearinto one where Friday nights for
us are going to be like alittle bit free, where we can
come home and relax, and I liketo decompress on a Friday night.
If we're going to do somethingwith friends, let's do it on
Saturday night.
So for us, we're big patiopeople and we are patio and we

(48:49):
can sit on our back patio andenjoy it.
My husband, over time, has addedheaters.
We have a big outdoor fireplacethat's built into our patio, so
all season long we will sit outthere unless there's snow,
great and just enjoy the fire.
Turn on the TV maybe my husbandis a fantastic cook.
Okay, thankfully, thankfully,he's taken that up in my space.

(49:11):
I am got like some southerncasserole.
But outside of that, I stillyet to figure out how to get the
grill to work properly.
It's the girl's fault for sure,obviously, um, not mine.
No, I bought an air fryer.
No, I still I don't really gotthat to work, exactly I know
people.
And I just started using it.
I'm like, oh, okay, now I'mgoing to need a bigger one.

(49:33):
Yeah, okay, maybe for Saturday.
So I'm still figuring it out.
So he's the cook, okay, so hewill typically grill something
or cook something and we willjust veg out.
I love that.
And are we up early Saturdaywith all the things I mean?
Always it just feels likethere's not a day of real
sleeping.
It comes from time to time.

(49:53):
Last weekend we had one day.
It was wonderful.
It's weird.
Yeah, it's kind of nice to sortof like plot around.
Yes, but you know we're bigRazorback fans too.
So once we're getting started inthe next few weeks, it's
definitely have.
This week starts um will'sfootball.
So, oh, okay.
And where are they playing at?
So they used to be in ohio,yeah, it used to be okay.
But now they have a moving.

(50:14):
They like play at the actualhigh school fields.
Oh, that's cool for those kids.
Yeah, what an awesomeexperience.
Switch to different fields,okay, and then olivia, she's
dancing.
Dancing, is this the likepsycho dance, like like, where
is the trouble?
Dance, trouble dance this isher third or fourth year to do
that and so in the fall theyjust have like practice,
practice, practice, choreographycamp, all the things.

(50:35):
And then when January hits, thenthat's the travel.
Okay, you know, we're in Kansascity and Tulsa, oklahoma city,
dallas, all kind of around forthis.
Do you do that?
Do you block that out andhandle it?
Yeah, are you the dance mom?
I have handled it.
I will tell you, like I have agreat village too.
But, like last year, I had acouple times I flew directly

(50:57):
from China to Kansas CityBecause that's fun, because that
was great, and it actuallysnowed, it was kind of crazy,
but to get to her dance thingand I didn't miss any dances, I
was really happy.
I was pleased with that one.
That's impressive.
I came back from India on aFriday night and my husband he
was really kind, he drove us toBranson on Saturday morning
because I was kind of in adifferent time zone, were you?

(51:18):
Yeah, so I already know ourdance place is fantastic, and I
already know the exact schedulethat she has for the spring.
It's on my calendar.
So as travel starts to happen,then what I will do is say,
great, yes, I can go here, I cando this, but I have to be back
by this time because I want tobe there, yes.
And on baseball, because ontravel dance, there's only like

(51:43):
five different travels, or six,okay, so it's not crazy.
Baseball, which, as you know, isall fall, all spring, all
summer, every weekend, like ifthings.
If I have to miss there alittle bit, right, it's a little
bit more understandable.
I totally agree.
I used to.
Not Me too, yeah, but I havedeveloped.
I'm like it's okay.
Also, I have more than one kid,that's right.

(52:04):
And At least three, yes, or infor three Minimum, yes.
So it's okay to miss it, we'reokay.
So, yeah, that's how I feel,like, well, it's fine.
He did hit 200 runs, yay.
No, this was a long time.
This was a test.
I wasn't there.
I know you feel bad, right, butnow in Game Changer, a lot of

(52:30):
these parents are fantastic forus and they video it, so you can
just pull that video clip andit's almost like thank you, it's
like I was totally there travelor wow, good, yeah, it was a
kiss.
There's 12 of you right and wehaven't gone.
They do have good food atkessler.
Yes, they do that best.
That one at that and that otherone in fayetteville, uh, I
can't remember.
Yeah, good snack, yeah, I'mlike that's how you know, that's
a good part.
Yes, do you have barbecuenachos, or do you not?

(52:50):
That's right.
Do you have that brat from Iowa?
The brat, the brat, the Kesslerbrats are so good, I'm not
going to lie.
The travel, so India, china, isit pretty extensive for you?
Yeah, I think one of the thingsthat I in my job that's

(53:13):
important is the suppliercommunity, okay, and forming
relationships with them, helpingthem know that we want to be
strategic with them, thatWalmart wants to be their
partner of choice, and sometimesI think sometimes that comes
out in different times andsometimes it hasn't, but in my
roles with, as I lead, my team,I want that to be really
important, and so, from a travelstandpoint, what I've tried to
do is I try to schedule out keysuppliers.

(53:34):
We're coming into the time whenwe'll schedule it out for next
year and what I like to do is Ilike them to come to me one time
, and then I have a good groupof suppliers that I'm saying I'm
going to come to you, you don'thave to always come to me and
that means sometimes East coast,sometimes West coast, sometimes
middle of the country.
It also means um going to somecountries that are not in the U?

(54:01):
S.
Particularly in the businessthat I'm in today, I have a.
I have a good portion ofsuppliers that might have um
business in, you know, factoriesand other places, and so
building relationships with themis important and talking to
them, their leaders, directlyabout the strategic relationship
and how we want to continue togrow over years.
So there's quite a bit oftravel in my role.
It sounds like it.
Yeah, do you check off somefoodie places while you're doing

(54:21):
that?
Yeah, I have a great globalsourcing team and they know sort
of like the things that I likeand they're great at saying they
live in these countries andthey'll say, hey, let's try this
cool restaurant or let's dothis, so we do try to check off
some boxes of fantastic.
You might as well.
Two birds, one stone.
Yeah, we're not always hoppingacross to India, exactly right,

(54:42):
so it's not a regular route, andwhen I'm there, the team knows
I like to.
Just, if we're going to bethere, let's just pack it in.
And so let's get up early.
Let's go and visit suppliers,let's go to their global
sourcing offices.
See the teams that we have toonly see by Zoom frequently, and
then let's just keep plowingthrough.
Let's go to a meal, let's justmake this day strong.
We'll sleep on the 20-plus hourflight back, yeah, and when

(55:14):
we're dead.
But yeah, that's what we alwayssay yes, yeah, we did.
Do you have a hidden talent?
Everybody'd be surprised toknow I was.
Oh, I don't have a lot ofhidden talents.
I don't either.
I don't think I have any hiddentalents.
I do.
Um, the two things that really,you know, decompress me outside
of, just like being with myfamily, and that in the bubble.
Sometimes I like to be in thebubble and I finally just we're
there together.
We try to sit down for mealstogether as many nights as we
can, but the things that relaxme, which is are not talented,
are I like to run.

(55:35):
It's a relaxer, it just clearsmy mind.
I think that takes talent.
And I really like to read.
Yeah, I am on a streak.
I've read every single week forthe last.
I think I'm up to like 60something weeks.
It doesn't mean that I don'tread every day I don't have the
opportunity, but I like to readeverything.

(55:55):
Really, I like to read.
I love to read biographiesabout people like everything
from, like, indra Nooyi toBritney Spears.
Um, I like to read.
Uh, just like a random beachnovel.
Okay, do you read, read or doyou audible?
I read, read, okay, I read that.
One talent I definitely don'thave is comprehending books on

(56:16):
audible.
I, I don't, I can't, I, yeah,and I missed my turn.
Yes, I'm not.
Yes, um, I can't zero in and Ihave a lot of people are really
good with that.
I'm not, I'm not.
They're like, well, you get tohear it in their voice.
I'm like, doesn't matter, Idon't know what they just said.
They're like, well, you get tohear it in their voice.
I'm like, doesn't matter, Idon't know what they just said,
exactly right, then I don't knowhow to rewind it.
I'm like, that doesn't work forme.
Yes, yeah, I'm a beat treatperson Me too.

(56:46):
I haven't gotten into onso-and-so.
Or you opened a bookstore andeveryone ended up happy.
That's right, everybody endedup happy.
I think that's a littledecompression.
I have tried.
I'm not good at readingself-help, but I do love one
podcast, a guy named Jay Shetty.
Oh, hilarious, I love Jay.
Yes, and that is sometimes onmy.

(57:07):
If I don't listen to music onthe trails, I'm listening to Jay
Shetty.
Okay, talk interview people,yes, or talk about, like things
that I should be doing to betterhelp myself.
It doesn't mean that I'm goingto do it, no, that's good though
, but sometimes I like to hearit.
Yes, and I did.
He did teach me about, like,some breathing techniques.
That one time I was like, oh, Ishould try that.

(57:30):
No, it doesn't.
No, I'm like, oh, I'm like adateline, and then I have to
keep going so that we can solvethis mystery.
Like I can't really go in justbecause my watch has told me
it's time to go in.
I'm like, oh well, did he killher or not?
I need to know.
Yes, yeah, it's all things I'mworking on.

(57:50):
Okay, let's end it with this oneat 13, what did you want to be
when you grew up?
Yeah, I really.
At 13, I think there was like amix of um an accountant.
My dad is very finance drivenand I always feel like he's a
very accountant.
I actually don't really love it.
So it's sort of weird, I think,or I stayed on mom and I.

(58:10):
When I think about why, at 13,I would have won either of those
roles.
I think I really looked up tomy parents a lot and I'm very
thankful for them, and in thattime I was like this is, this is
great.
Now, when I ask my kids who are10, 10, and 15, what they want

(58:31):
to do, nobody is like reallyleaning towards anything.
They don't want to be you.
They are more like still tryingto figure it out like MLB
baseball players.
For sure, yes, we're going pro.
I was just sort of looking atthose boards that you make when
they're going on their first dayof school and they are a lot.
I did my oldest there was one Imust like really condom in when

(58:53):
he was probably I don't knowmaybe three or four years ago
that said lawyer on it.
So I probably was like.
I probably was like you're likeyou like to argue.
I was referencing back theSports Illustrated kids, where
only a certain amount of peopleactually makes it mlb, and was
like let's be realistic here.
But no, that that was it.
But I'm I'm thankful for, forthe journey and um, where we've

(59:19):
where, where we've come as afamily, where I am, as a human,
thankful for the, the villagethat surrounds me and the people
.
We can't go about the village,no, both.
So it's um.
Meet everyone where they're at,definitely, because we're all
in different stages.
And some days you'll see me andI'm like in a great place, and
some days, like my mom will saywe're going to do this and I'm
like I don't think I can do that.
I was frazzled yesterday.
I was having a moment it wasjust a Monday and I was just

(59:41):
like, oh, I was talking to mymom and my phone was blowing up
and text and I'm like I thensomebody got out early from
something and I'm like balls thelast five minutes.
I like I just want to run offand park the car like this yes,
what is this?
What has happened?
Yeah, it's hard to say likejust calm through it all, uh-huh

(01:00:01):
.
I think the fact that I thinkboth us, both of us have said
like, just sort of like, at aperiod in our life where we let
stuff roll off.
I'm working on that.
Yeah, yes, yeah.
So that's a good spot, that'sgood, thank you, thank you.
Oh my gosh, I'm so excited.
This was good, cause I did wantto talk about work-life,
pretend balance as being a mom,cause it is very important to us
, and so I really appreciateyour time out today, writing

(01:00:24):
test this afternoon, lots ofprayers, especially good your
direction, so he can roll upinto that high school on two
wheels tomorrow.
Here we go, hopefully on four,and good luck to the littles in
fifth grade.
It's going to be a great year.
Thanks, okay, thank youeverybody.
I really appreciate it.
Thanks for joining the who,what, where podcast and keep
inspiring a culture of givingSee.