The 3W Podcast
From the people that bring you 3W Magazine, welcome to the 3W Podcast! We aim to serve our community by promoting awareness of Northwest Arkansas’ thriving philanthropic movement; To provide a guide of dates to help coordinate events so every nonprofit gets the coverage they need and deserve; To give financially to local charities each year.
The 3W Podcast
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.
Hey everybody, I'm Kasey Oakley. Good to see y'all again. I'm with 3W Magazine. Welcome back to another who I Wear podcast. I have my dear friend Julie Barber with me. Julie, welcome. Thank you, kasey, I appreciate you being here.
Speaker 1:Of course, it's a little frantic right now, so this will come out in a couple of weeks. However, school starts tomorrow. Yes, it does, and we were both chatting about the insanity because our nannies are gone. They're doing all their rush stuff. Yes, but we still have kids to take care of. Yes, we do, and work and husbands and all the other things, all the things. I'm like can you drop whoever off at 10? He's like I have a meeting and I'm like, okay, I'll just handle that, I'll be there. Oh, yeah, at our house. It's fine, julie, what do you do? So I work at walmart.
Speaker 1:I lead our general merchandise organization, so my team is buying all the things at walmart online and in the store that are not on the food and consumable side. It's a lot of like stuff. You walk into the store at least let's just walk into 5260 and let's like just take out the right side of the store and let's focus on the left and the middle. That's exactly right. Yeah, you walk in all that seasonal stuff that right now is back to school. My team bought all of that product 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.
Speaker 1:It's fun though. Yes, it is a lot, but that means you never get bored, that's right. There's means you never get bored, that's right. No, there's always change, new product, innovation. It's fantastic.
Speaker 1:I love that, because I'm like, oh, I talked to a friend one years ago and she's like, yeah, I buy um fresh chicken and I'm like that is absolutely thrilling, yes, thrilling. Why I can't think of anything better. That's right, that's right. But I'm like I feel like you have like kind of a fun job. Yes, this is a fun one. The only thing that I haven't been able to buy, that I want to buy is candy. That feels like a really fun job, right, like a joy. Yes, but your friend melody, she's on snacks. Oh, yes, she and pantry. I had snaps before and it was great, but I just didn't get quite to the candy I think she's got. 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, but not in talking to people.
Speaker 1:So you spoke at NextUp recently and you touched on snacks. You kept weaving into the talk. I know, you know, early in my career I graduated college and I interviewed with a few different suppliers. One of them at the time was Kraft Heinz and it's when they own Monde, own monday's brands and all the others. And I was interviewing there and a few other places, including walmart, and of course, walmart jumped first and said we want to offer you a role. I remember calling my dad, but it wasn't merchandising. No, it wasn't merchandising. And I was like I really want to go over, I really like these snacks. Well, you can contact them and see if they're going to give you a job, or you can accept this other job, whatever you need to do. I contacted them and they were like we're very early in the process, we don't know if we're going to hire. You Do what you need to do, but I want to push orders. So, exactly, I ended up at Walmart, but thankfully that snacks came back in. It took maybe like seven or eight years to get there, but I did lead snacks at Walmart for a while, so I got to taste a lot of Oreos in that time. Oh, that's fun because they keep innovating. It's not that we're here to talk about Oreos, but they keep innovating, so I can't complain.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, let's touch on your career. 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 looks like. Yeah, my work day for me it's been, it's sort of like ebbed and flowed over time, but today well, not today, today, the last day of summer, but tomorrow, uh, when we get back to school.
Speaker 1:I have really tried to balance, if that's the right word, how I spend my time at work and how I spend my time at home. And my husband and I, quite a few years ago, I knew that if I get to work early, that I can get sort of this time for me. What's early, early for me, is I get to work about 6.45 or 7 most days, which is, I think in time, pretty early. I think that's pretty early. It's pretty quiet at my office. There's a lot of people that get there earlier than that. That's not me.
Speaker 1:Well, I drive by your office around, so I drive by at like 5 am and then at like 6.30, and I'm like inevitably there's someone crossing 8th Street. Yeah, people are definitely starting to come in at 6.30, 5, 5, those people are really early people. Can you get in a five? Yeah, you, you can get at that office anytime you want, if you want to come. Look, it's not so crazy. It's wonderful open for people to sort of do what they need to do. But like that, my husband and I sort of made this deal. I don't know if it's a deal or not a deal. He may hate the deal, but uh, where he kind of manufactures getting the kids out of the house, he's the lunch maker and he getting the kids out of the house, he's the lunchmaker, he gets the kids out of the house.
Speaker 1:I get up, I kind of like shake people awake, say I love them, sneak out the house and then in the afternoon he does sort of the afternoon work till five plus. Okay, I, for the most part, I really try to get out of the office like 4, 430. I like to get run in, I get to exercise. I'm the one that if a kid has something, I'm trying to get them. You're handling it. Yes, okay, you're the afternoon neighbor, I'm the afternoon neighbor Um in. You know I have three kids.
Speaker 1:Yes, I have a great, amazing helper nanny that helps me. She's in college, she's fantastic, and I have my husband and my parents moved to northwest tarpon so as well. So I have this sort of community that helps me. You have a village, yes, a very good 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 could take Coleman to the orthodontist at four in the afternoon today. Oh, we're traveling. Sorry, but in general it does take a village to help, it does.
Speaker 1:So my work day is, you know, fairly early in the morning, leave at four to 430. I try to always have a break in the middle. My assistant, she's also amazing. Oh, brittany, so amazing. Oh, britney, britney, she's amazing. I don't know. I should like probably linkedin britney just to see what she looks like, because I feel like we're fast friends on email and I like, I love her. My favorite part about her she anticipates everything. She'll say oh, I saw you talking to this person I heard you mentioned let's get lunch. I've already worked with her a to put it on. You know her ea to put it on the calendar, but she gives me these little breaks throughout the day for sanity.
Speaker 1:Um, do you take a lunch break? I very, very rarely leave for lunch. Okay, and it's not because I don't want to, it's just my personality is like when I'm at work, let's get it done right, and it's it's hard in bitten fell, it's we live in a traffic cone. That's exactly right to leave the office to go out blind, spend time with someone or even on my own, come back. It's, it's hard to do hard.
Speaker 1:I'm a cafeteria eater, a bar eater. Can you eat quietly? Yeah, if you have to go, it gives me usually about 30 minutes. I might close my door in my office or just like find a quiet place. Yeah, because I'm like going out to lunch. Well, networking or just chilling out with a friend is so great. But also I need that recharge. It's time to in the middle of the day, just something to, yeah, relax you. There's a lot going on. And then the new office. But you're gonna have lots of open space at this new campus. Yes, we're excited. I think they've been slowly giving us hints of like when things are going to happen what our building is. But did you see the video on LinkedIn? Yes, oh, they're showing at work frequently and we I know I don't think I'm supposed to tell you I know what office my team is going to be in we're moving in January and they're really excited. I am shocked it's January. I know, I was mind blown when I saw the video last week. It's been a journey, though. I feel like I've worked at Walmart. It'll be 20 years in October. That's a long time, congratulations.
Speaker 1:I remember when they first announced this. This is like pre-COVID and we were pretty excited and it feels 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't know why I say a few weeks ago, that's a complete lie recently and I was like gosh, I can't believe this is gonna happen in january and I'm like I feel like it went up overnight and my husband goes it was announced before covid. This has been in the works for a long time and I'm like, oh, I have no recollection of anything before covid. So to me it went overnight. Yeah, for this day, for a minute, I have a lot of recognition before, kind of anything before COVID. So to me it went out overnight. Yeah, for this time, for a minute, I don't have a lot of recollection before COVID, I bet you don't. Nobody in retail or healthcare knows what happened before COVID. I just want to bluff that out.
Speaker 1:Even though we learned a lot, I'm sure you all did learn a lot we did learn a lot. Amounts of information, wow, that's. I love that. Okay, so that's what a typical work day is 6 45 to 4 4 30. That's a long work day, I'm not gonna lie, because I work out at 5 30 and then I get home at 6 30 and then I'm hustling to make an eight.
Speaker 1:But now I just found out my 14 year old starts high school. I know he started high school, but he has a late start at 8 55 and I'm like oh yeah, that is so late. Who starts at today at 9? Yeah, thursdays, that's what they do. My son goes to Rogers. He's going into 10th grade. Yeah, 8.53, or something like that.
Speaker 1:I'm like what parent can take a kid? I don't know. I don't know either and I'm not even sure what the late start is for, but I'm sure it's very important, I'm sure. But it to like four. Yes, and I'm like we have things to do. We can't start our afternoon at four. We're going to for nine months. Yes, here we go. Oh my gosh, if we need that early start next year, yes, well, what is this? Nine to four? Who do you think you are? Maybe all work in Bentonville Rogers area should start at nine on Thursdays. That We'll take it up with the mayor.
Speaker 1:She's running for reelection in Bentonville, okay, and she'll be on the podcast soon. I'll put that. Okay, I'll put that bug in her ear. That'll be good, okay, so we touched on next step. So you did talk about your client. Talk about, yeah, so you didn't get the job at craft. You didn't not get the job at craft, you just took the job with, yeah, who knows, I probably wouldn't have gotten it.
Speaker 1:I think you know my journey is super interesting because when I was growing up, my mom was stable, right, yeah, arkansas, right Grew up in central Arkansas and my mom was a stay-at-home mom and it was fantastic. She, like I remember she was like PTO president, home of mom, in all kinds of organizations. She was always there, sort of like taking care of things and I thought that was like a fantastic life, absolutely, and I have two siblings and I really loved having two siblings. So I knew at a fairly young age like I want to have kids. Um, I love this sort of family life. I love this connection, like if I've already sort of subscribed to like you have this family unit and so like, even if some things out here not what subscribed to like you have this family unit and so like, even if some things out here are not what you want, like you have this 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 do that.
Speaker 1:Now I'm the oldest of three kids and I knew I needed to get a job. When I graduated, there was no question of like you're going to college and you're going to get a good job, but I never really thought of myself while I excelled in school and was very involved. I didn't think of myself in a like I want to be a fantastic career person, right. But when I got to Walmart, I got going and I felt a lot of fulfillment from it and so my career was probably. There's so many amazing people that and I see these young people Like I've just been with a class of interns last week and they did presentations and they like know where they want to go and they're so smart and thoughtful about their career. I really wasn't there. I was more in a mode of wow, I really like this and this is working.
Speaker 1:It's a changing of the tides. It is. It's a changing of the tides it is and it's very split. It is very split. To me, there's not a lot of middle in that feeling. You've got a big sector of gung-ho I know what the plant is and then you have a lot of I don't know I don't really know and I don't know the ones that sort of stress their parents out a lot. Yes, I feel like it's very divided we're divided than when we were growing up. Yes, I think it is too and it's interesting, especially, like you know, you have a 14 year old, I have a 15 year old where it's like, oh, I hope that they're starting to think about. I'm not sure they are, I'm not going to worry about it yet, right, but it is.
Speaker 1:But I see these people, these amazing young people, coming out of college doing these internships, thinking about their career, and I think it took me a little while at Walmart to say, oh well, I can have an amazing career and I can be a mom. And along the journey there were different steps you know we talk about I often talk about I was about five years into my career when I had my first son, um, and I needed to go. Our, our, your, our younger kids went to daycare together, but our oldest, we were going to the same bakery I don't know if you remember this, but in it closed at 5 30. Yes, it did right. Yes, which is a which in general you would say. Of course, 5 30 is no, no here, but we're not in general, that's right.
Speaker 1:When I worked at wal earlier in the 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 bad situation and I remember going to my first boss after I'd had a child and saying, hey, listen, I need to have a discussion with you. I saying, hey, listen, I need to have a discussion with you. I can't work till five 30. I can only work till five.
Speaker 1:And um, it was like a pivotal moment for me, cause I think I was. I said I'll be here by seven and he said okay, okay, and I think he was sort of thinking like I don't know if this is going to work for this lady, but let's try it out. There was a forward thing. There was it, yeah, and I did it and he was really receptive to it and it was a pivotal moment to me where I was like I can work absolutely and be a great mom yes, and that, and my husband, you know, getting help, and so over time, one of the things that was really important to me was, like this allowing of people men, women, whoever that they could have a great career and be a great parent. So as I've moved through my career, I started to recognize these little moments where I could take the things that happened to me and make sure that the team felt those too.
Speaker 1:Be a great, amazing career person, but also bring in your family life for sure. If it for me it was kids, for other people on my team it's they have a love for an activity, or I love to travel or to be with their other parts of their family. Like having that balance. Yes, a little bit early shipped at walmart to start thinking about it, but I had surrounded with a lot of fantastic leaders in my career that were accepting of that. Right, that's hard, though we weren't taught that. You're not. You put you are supposed to have to choose. Yes, right, either you want to be a stay at home mom or you want to go to work, and you're not supposed to be able to do both or have to do both.
Speaker 1:Speak to so I. This is what struck out to me and this is when I emailed you, because you were up for a promotion or you were applying for something, maybe lateral or vertical, I don't know and I think the person I assume it was a gentleman, I don't 100% know. I asked how many kids you have or even how old your kids are. I'm like that is. I wish I could say that's irrelevant, but I'm like also family kids. It brings experience to our lives and a different lens as to how we treat people. You've touched on that too, yeah, I think for me.
Speaker 1:So, in the middle of sort of continuing to think about upper career mobility, having a discussion with someone and they ask me how old my kids were, and I know 150% that this person was not thinking about me in a way that, like that was a bad thing. It was really a protect, like I want to make sure you're successful, oh right, but that's not how I took it, but it's still um. While it is about wanting me to be successful, I feel like if I was a man, that question never would have been asked, totally agree. And so it was a little bit of a there'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't want is for me to take a role, and then my family say no, I think we can do it in a different way. Right, I think we have to say if this lady says that she thinks she can do it, we have to give her a chance to do it and not ask questions about her support system around her in a way that feels like maybe you shouldn't take this job if you have young kids or not enough people in your village to help, right, and so one of the things that I really that it struck me and this has been a little while it struck me as what not to do or what not to say. Right, because while it was positive intention, I really didn't like it, right, and so in a different person and I just happened to be having one of those days where I was ready to be bold and fight back, which has not always been how I've been.
Speaker 1:Not everybody may feel that they can do that and I've had like throughout my journey. I've tried to have mentor circles where I brought people together and told them sort of like my mishaps or the times that were hard for me, which are the times where, like you have the pit in the stomach when you're 28 years old with your first child, going in to tell your boss like, hey, I'm just coming back from leave and I want to let you know that I am not going to be working until five 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 my child. Or all the different right, all those things that have to do with um, the other choice, the other choice or the other.
Speaker 1:The third choice that I'm making these days is, like my dentist, I keep canceling right, my, you know how do you tell, tell people about that and that it's okay to be bold, and it took me a while to feel like being bold was okay. I think being bold is really hard. I'm a lot of bark and no bite Me too, you know, I think when we were having the Next Step conversation a few weeks ago I don't tell this very often, but it really was another time in my career where, being bold, somebody from afar that didn't know me then decided and this was a woman to tell a few other people that I was a BITC. Oh right, yes, which is so interesting, because really I was not just standing up for myself. In these instances where I'm trying to help, it's I really like.
Speaker 1:My sort of like mission in life is not about me, it's about all the people that work for me or around me and thinking about how can they take my job, how can they take our CEOs? Yes, you talked about that. I was so ready I'm ready isn't the right word but you're so excited for when all these bloomers take over their jobs. That's right. I want to inspire people to feel like they can do whatever they want, and I think it took me a long time to feel like I could do like sort of whatever goals I had Right, and that's a long time, and even even now I still have like imposter syndrome, absolutely Right.
Speaker 1:Like there's moments where I'm like, oh, you felt that way for a while, but like then there's a little pullback. I really do that. But if I can encourage people around me, uh, to do that, they are going to take over and everything about Walmart, it's going to continue to be better and better, or any company that they absolutely, or if there's another. You know this is probably not incredibly 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 like I'm not, like I'm mad at you. It's fantastic, you have to do what's right for you and your family and your goals and your dreams, and this sort of thinking about all the people around me raising them up and pulling back. I mean, I'm competitive, I'm very competitive, but I think there's a way that's like individually competitive that I used to be Like, oh, I made all my numbers. I'm fantastic, yay me. Yeah, yay me.
Speaker 1:But somebody redirected you on that and then it was like, oh, wow, yes, I do want to hire people better than me, because someday they're going to take my job and while I'm in my job I can help lead them, guide them, remove obstacles, but they're going to make my job so much easier because they're so amazing and that's a. It's a. It's definitely a mind shift that happens over time Absolutely. I would say it's almost 20 years shift that happens over time, absolutely. Yes, almost 20 years in a career. Yes To ever.
Speaker 1: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 bit more money so I can take care of my family. I want to raise a gift of age? Yeah, right, right, because I mean, we're all hustling and then all of a sudden, I don't know, that's how it is for me. I just kind of got to the point. I was like, well, I kind of have zero Fs, yeah, but not in a negative way. Yes, I just am like this is who I am. I've got to stop posing as somebody who is uber 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 like I 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 is and let's figure it out. We don't need 45 conference calls, let's just handle it. That's right, same Right, and I think that's great.
Speaker 1:For a long time I tried to keep my work life and my personal life pretty separate, and I still do, just instances. But when I go home I'm like a very. I lose my keys, I lose my driver's license, I'm kind of scattered. Do you have your phone near you? Yeah, my phone. I try to have. My son, that's 15, has to go to find my often for me to find my phone. You know, just sort of like a little bit. And my husband talks about my closet. He knows when things are getting overwhelming because when he walks in my closet it looks like a bomb went off. But at work I try to come across like so professional For sure, yeah, I think it's so good. But over time I start to realize like and you know, back to Brittany, like my, yeah, like she 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 I kept it separate. But then I realized, like no, that's just who I am, it's just who we are and I'm okay with that.
Speaker 1:Yes, well, speaking of personal life, so let's talk about the kids. So, yes, we just talked about the 15 year old and he's gonna get his hardship license so that he 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 being able to drive with a hardship, starting tomorrow to school. I'm a bit nervous, but he's a very like, he's a great kid. 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 are fireballs. Are they going into fourth or fifth? Fifth? They're going to fifth and we just went to meet the teacher and they are fireballs and but they're also, like, very interesting. They're very different personalities, but then when they're together they like, they love each other, but then they also like well, they're boy, girl, right, and I think that's helpful.
Speaker 1:To be honest, the boy does all his sports and all the things he does, and my daughter's a dancer and she loves dance and tumble, and so for them. There isn't necessarily competitive, right, which I appreciate because it's competitive in the world of kids and kids sports is psychotic, oh my god, absolutely psychotic. Like, if you don't like, you know, if you didn't start playing basketball at the age of three, you might not play in high school, right, it's not that. Not play in high school, settle on your sport now. Yes, yes, right. I mean, when did the 15 year old, when did he start travel ball? He's, he started seven new travel ridiculous. They don't know what they're doing.
Speaker 1:What's so interesting about that is back then there weren't that many teams like I remember playing 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 one organization. I'm like those parents will pay anything because I've been there, done that Like for sure. I've definitely mellowed over time on that stuff, which for my 15 year old he's probably it didn't, it didn't hit him, but for my other two I'm like, I just 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 not gonna just totally worry about if you like that team or if you're this or that. Like just do what you love, work hard Like we're all about working hard.
Speaker 1:But at some point, like my youngest, 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 Illustrated Kids Magazine she got from my son. This is like seven or eight years ago, and why was like seven or eight years ago and why I read it, I don't know. But I read this article in there and it was like probably it was on the cover like the percentage of kids that play sports when their kids is high when they're young, when they get to high school, like it definitely starts to drop. When it gets to college, it's like minuscule. When it gets to pros, it's like nobody right. And this just sort of balancing mindset of like enjoy it. Like, yes, don't worry about getting to the pros in 7U. Like if you get to the MLB, not if they get. You know, love that Chase is hitting coach. So the 14 year old plays all baseball and he's like really concerned about that batting average at the end of the year. But the game changer also game changer, like I'll get me a break so, and his hitting coach is like no one cares what your 12? U stats, that's right. And I'm like that's good, that's gonna steal that.
Speaker 1:I know I was pleased in high school. Coleman played his first year high school and, um, they have a really a great team and it was the mountains. They're like champions or something. Yeah, coach melson and coach bunch of coach other, they're really great. And one of the things that was actually super fantastic was in freshman ball. They did this game changer. It was so amazing, so amazing. It was kind of fun to get into that. They do do game changer. A coach needs to run it. Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 1:No parents, no parents. I'm sure all those parents have the best intent, but you're like get out. Yeah, let's not ruin a weekend because we call it an error. I know what about the two little ones? What's the little boy do? So he plays lots of baseball, okay, and he plays football, because he walks up to Big Brother and he plays football and tackling, we're tackling. This is our second or third year of tackle football, which is sort of nervous for me, but he's still.
Speaker 1:Um, well, my husband and I are tall people. It took a oh, it takes a little while for our kids to get there. My 15 year old, like, he's just grown like six inches in six months. He's six one right now. Oh, okay, oh, he just went, he just started growing. Yes, I, on this visit to see what they say, like this is me doing some calculations, right, but uh, but my little two, my other two, olivia, my daughter, has gotten a little bit taller. My son will, like you look around, he's like he's short. And then you're like, look at his parents, like I am five, eight, you know, clearly wearing a 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'm sort of thankful for, is he's playing like more receiver. Oh, okay, less of the tackling type of position. Okay, I'm just enjoying watching it play out.
Speaker 1:Are you the screamer and yeller? I would love to say that I am not. I'm a big cheerleader. Okay, yes, I'm not really a cheerleader, but I am in these sports. I like to say, like every kid like goes up to bat, like are you, let's go. Will, let's go? Cool man, let's go. Every kid, yes, um, but then every once, so I get a little too excited and my, my kids will tell me like, yes, and I got that from my father. He's also like I can hear you in the outfield. I'm like I'm really sorry, I didn't know that was who I was gonna be either, but you're just so excited and then frustrated. Yes, have you seen the like, memes and gifs of, like that crazy and I'm?
Speaker 1:I don't know her, I just can't remember her name. The crazy, um, lsu basketball coach? No, what's the like, the sequence? Yes, and she always looks so lovely, lovely, and then she's like, that's me, me too. It was often and frequent, like for definitely for school sports, like I'm going straight from work and I mostly wear dresses, so I'm often in my work clothes there. Yeah, it's kind of like a crazy lsu coach're an LSU coach? Well, I'll have to find her. I can't remember her name right now, but I'm like I don't think I'm quite as fancy as her, but yes, I'm definitely going to think lots of things in my work clothes and people are wondering, like, what is she doing?
Speaker 1:I used to run out, so this was when I had so good at early mothering Right and I would just run and pick up one and get him to where he needed to be. But the baby was annoying. I love him, but he was always running on the soccer field and I'm always chasing him into the middle of the soccer field in my heels, yes, and my girlfriends are all like, oh well, never forget this tool skirt that you ran out. And I'm like, yeah, those days are gone. Yeah, they try to keep change.
Speaker 1:I have one friend. She reminds me often her oldest son is my oldest son's age and when I had the twins that the first year ish that Coleman was playing like travel baseball or some it might have been the year before they played travel baseball. The twins were little and I had this big, huge, huge double stroller and I was like teeter-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. I love her. I always wanted to be her.
Speaker 1:When I grew up, still trying to do that, she still trying to do that, she came and spoke at a mercy event for us and she said there's no work life balance. There's work and there's life and 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 you for saying that, yeah, and there's, I think I agree, and I think there's very few days where it's like very few days where 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.
Speaker 1:Do we get that board? Do we write on it? Can the oldest actually hold it? Probably not. Oh, do we get to the neighborhood? Do we make it there? Make it on time? How frustrated are we? Trying't have to be perfect, and but you don't expect your team to be perfect, definitely not.
Speaker 1:I feel like, from a management point of view, it's shifted right. I agree, yeah, I think, and I'm more empathetic. I think I'm more empathetic, I think the leaders at walmart they have different things that are important to them. They have kids, they have like activities, hobbies, and it isn't. While the job is hard and challenging and we need to be there and work hard, there is a lot more um ability to to live your life right. There's a bit more grace these days. Definitely, grace is a perfect word. Yes, um, does your mom say to you like I just don't know how 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 way busier than we were when we were growing up. I think so too.
Speaker 1:The thing about it that's interesting, 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. Oh, my mom did this, my oldest she. I laugh at these stories that like sort of come out of nowhere, where my mom will say, yeah, coleman reached out because he left this book, english book, at home, so he called me, I went and got it, brought up to the high school, like me don't even know. So so you know my, my family, they, they know and accept like what I can do, what my husband can do, what my mom can do, and that's a a win. My mom like so thankful for my parents and not everyone has that, and it is such a joy. And the other thing will be like my husband and I, because of all this sort of stuff, that's kind of crazy.
Speaker 1:We try to do a lot of stuff with our kids. Take them, you know, vacation, yeah, create the memories. But the one thing that we have done a fairly successful, fairly successful job is is he and I will 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 to be.
Speaker 1:No, we at least one time a year like let's try to get away. I know, one time a year that's not bad, but but it's hard. And then do you have guilt? No, okay, I do. And then I'm like, why do I have this guilt? I think it's because I only have 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 know why. It's weird, I got to work on that, you got to work on that one, I know, I think when my oldest 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.
Speaker 1:So what we're trying to do as a family is like this summer we did not do like a really great job with vacation. We like, let baseball and all these other things. And we did get away for a few days, but that's it. But did it really feel like a getaway? No, it did not. Okay, same, it was like flying out at 6 am one day and in a few days we're back home.
Speaker 1:Yes, and we said we've got to stop this. Yes, and my husband and I were out on the trail and having a discussion. I was like, oh well, we have this or we have this. We were just going to say sorry, right, like, are we going to miss some lifting workouts for some sport? Are we maybe even going to miss a game? Are we going to miss this, this or this? Yes, yes, am I going to miss something at work? One percent, but I'm going to put it on the calendar now and I'm going to have no regrets. So, have you already blocked it? Yes, that's impressive. Yeah, which is now, and I feel fairly we've never done this before. I feel fairly certain that we'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 to book same.
Speaker 1:Yes, and ish, because we didn't do it either. We were waiting for all the baseball, things, going into high school, the trials, the whatever. And I'm like, oh my God, the summer is an offer. The dead weeks go yes, do we have to adhere? I don't know. And all of a sudden we're like we have four days. Yes, here we go To get away. And that just isn't enough. No, it's, you're barely like there. You've hardly gotten your kids in a place where they will actually like talk to you about what's happening, and that's something that I'm trying to figure out Right. Yeah, it's interesting, it is hard, yes, and some people do it really well. I know a thousand percent and I'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.
Speaker 1:Okay, you brought up trails. So I know you're a runner. I hate to run only unless somebody's chasing me with an axe. Is somebody going to? Am I going to run? But where is your favorite place to run? So we actually live right off the trail. Okay, I know, if I go south on the trail, exactly how far it is for a run. If I go north, I have trained. Last year I ran the New York marathon. I trained on this same like get on the trail, go up all the way past. Um, I like premier dermatology. I've been to Bentonville 10 miles and that's back another 10 miles, like the trail and I are friends. That's amazing.
Speaker 1:So you did the New York marathon, yep, wow, is that the first or no? It wasn't my first, but it was probably my last. I ran more races when I was younger. And are you legitimately racing? No, or are you just running to finish? 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 a long run, the runs during the week awful. When I get done, I'm like let's have a mimosa and celebrate, let us have a big brunch? Yes, because we have run, so it's's. It's a run to eat thing, maybe. Oh, I like that. Yes, no, I would never win.
Speaker 1:Um, I'm not that fast, I'm super average. And is it ever hard? Because you are a runner, so hard do you get those endorphins and get settled in a thing and you're like I don't even know I'm running, I'm just floating. 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 somewhere about 18 to 20, where I'm just like what am I doing? 18 to 20 miles? And you're questioning it at this point, yeah, finish. And you're thinking I have to finish, you have to finish, like how much longer would it take me if I just stopped and walked? But if you stop and walk, it's like even worse for sure. Like your legs are like no, I can'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 multiple times because he qualified. You know Boston, all the things, so I've been to New York to see him run. Also, we have another friend that had qualified and so about five years ago I started putting my name in this lottery for New York because it's an amazing race. You run through all the girls. It looks awesome, it's fantastic. I mean it really was a great race. But they Last year or no, I guess it would have been.
Speaker 1:I had just gotten this job. I've been in this job for like nine 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 it was like kind of, it's a pretty hard job, it's a huge job, and I got this email that was like you've qualified, you're not qualified. You've been drawn for the new york marathon.
Speaker 1:And I said to myself, when I'm not gonna train for this thing, but were you already pretend training? No, oh, I mean, I was running, run. Yes, yeah, you run. You know, five miles on on a day. Is that the average run? Yeah, I can run three to five. Okay, five miles, depending on the day, how much time, how hot it is oh, my god, it's been really hot lately. You might see me walking on the trail, um, but yeah, I was thinking like, should I do this? I didn't.
Speaker 1:And then another friend of ours got in. He got in one of my husband's friends and I was like I guess I'm training, we're doing it. And the worst part was my husband had he just had surgery, he'd had just had a pretty major surgery and he's my training partner, even though he's a lot faster than me. He will take one for the team and he will run with me. Okay, it's been, he's done that for a while. It is, it's so sweet, it's super kind, cause that's probably painful for like a little bit. I think it was a little bit painful for him. But he also enjoys, like you know, time, the time. Yes, and I enjoyed the time with him, but he, I knew he couldn't train with me. I was like I'm on my own for this one, and then our other friend that got in, like he's super 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 little nervous could actually done it, do it.
Speaker 1:I never trained for a race, a half marathon, a full marathon and even running races. I don't. I don't think I'd ever run a race without my husband. He would run. He one time he was, he had run the chicago marathon, he had a broken foot and we were in dallas in december running the bmw and he was like you go ahead and go on like, like, I know you're ready and I PR. It was the only time I've ever beat the man in a race and it was only because he was running I broke it. I don't care. Yes, yeah, but so I did the New York marathon and it was great.
Speaker 1:But when I got done, the thing that I recognized is I I didn't have enough time to run the length that I needed during the week. Okay, so you, really, there's like weeks you need to run like seven miles, eight miles, 10 miles a day, and I wasn't getting that in. So the race was harder than it needed to be and I said I don't know if I can do it again, but I'll see. Maybe I say that and then I get on a whim and maybe I'll do it. I don't know what's your next.
Speaker 1: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 a full again, I'd like to go. Is there a bucket list? No, I like they're all. No, for me it's like which one's fastest? Okay, I mean, I'm never going to get it to Boston. Do the lottery? Or that is, I don't know, it's the 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't want to run, period, I don't know why. I would even say that that's good, it helps me.
Speaker 1:Um, getting out on the trail helps me kind of clear my mind a little bit. Yeah, do you worry so much? Yeah, do you see people you know if I do? Yeah, I see people. And do they worry so much? Yeah, do you see people you know 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 do with the 10-foot rule at Walmart, like, also on the trail, I feel like I need to maybe not say hello to every person, because there's a lot, but at least smile, hand wave, right. But that's a southern thing too. Yeah, I like that. Okay, well, let's talk about northwest arkansas.
Speaker 1:Um, do you have a favorite food? So I absolutely love chips and salsa, aside from snacks. Okay, and it is. I like have to keep myself away from the local lime. Okay, that's your go-to. They. They have this little salsa tree. Yes, they like. They have a fantastic margarita. They do, and all the food on the menu is amazing, and so that, for me, is a real pleasure. I also like I really like MJ's pizza. I do too. Oh, it's so good. I hate driving down there, I know right, but when you get there, it's like but, I really like it and I kind of feel like I'm out of town. Yes, I don't never see anything like that and it's very amazing. I love Atlas and Fayetteville. I have not been there, but I've heard amazing things about it. It's fantastic. I'm not.
Speaker 1:Are you a foodie? I love food, okay, and one of the things is my husband and I we like to travel to places where we can try different food restaurants. So food is always on the agenda and I like to make a reservation so that I don't even like. I don't like to wait, yeah, but get in there, have a full experience, yes. So, yes, there's not a lot of food that I don't like, okay. So I probably don't like to ask this question.
Speaker 1:I would say sweet or savory, but I think you're savory, I'm very savory on your snack, I'm very savory. The only thing that's interesting is sometimes, like, when I'm done with these great savory meals, I'm like, oh, I just want a little touch of dessert, a little something, a little sweet. Do you have a favorite dessert? Uh, creme brulee. Okay, a really good creme brulee. Oh yeah, somebody in town has a chocolate one, but I can't remember who it is. I don't. I'm not a chocolate fan which sounds weird, because I do like an Oreo but I don't drink coffee. I find that to be a bad thing. I don't drink coffee and I don't like dark chocolate. Mostly, in general, don't like chocolate 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 on here.
Speaker 1:Like young in my career, like mountain, do it up. Oh, I don't know, I think that was a young thing. It's a bad thing. But it was a bad thing because I 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, but I've heard the kidney stones are worse than children. It may be. The pain made me physically sick, okay, so I went there and then they sent me to a urologist and he was like ma'am, I thought you were going to be like an older lady because of how much buildup you have in there. He was like you've got to stop drinking these bad drinks. And, weirdly enough, I was able to do it. So I was like on straight, no caffeine for years. Did you not get a headache? No, I just, I went with it. I was young and I went with it.
Speaker 1:Then the pandemic happened. When the pandemic happened at work, I was working consumables, leading health and wellness and still the left side of the store. And so we got in there and we started COVID. And when COVID started, all of a sudden, I was at home with my three kids and we were buying product and having calls with Asia late in the night, getting up early, getting my kids on their Chromebooks. I was not leaving the house, we were sneaking out, we were getting on the trail. I needed a little break, for sure. But all of a sudden, like like one day, we're probably like three weeks into this school from home. Oh so we were supposed to go back in two weeks, I know. And I was like I told my husband I'm putting on a mask and I'm driving to the caseys and I'm just I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I went in there and I got a sugar-free red bull and every pretty much every day. There's very few non-days. Since then, I've had one sugar-free red bull and every once in a while, number two comes out in the afternoon. I try not to ever do that, but there are a few days, okay. So my bad vice is red bull, sugar and it has to be sugar-free. And thanks to melody, richard and team, red bull brought into, they've always forever one flavor like drinking this light blue can, right, yes, there's a whole everyday rainbow of cans. Now, now they've added a watermelon and they've added a strawberry. Were you blowing it up like, give us some more flavors? Yes, a guy on our team, his name is will mcdonald. I sent him a note. I was was like thank you, thank you for finally doing this. This is amazing, and so that's my bad vice.
Speaker 1:Okay, and a good glass of red wine? 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 cocktail? Yes, is it red wine? I don't drink. I don't drink hard liquor. I will drink an occasional margarita. Does that really even count? No, I don't think so. I don't think it does. But red wine, red wine is my vice.
Speaker 1:Big cabs Okay, I like cabs too. I'm good for a pinot on certain things, with certain meals, yeah, but mostly a cab, yes, and I don't. But I don't drink red in the summer. No, our rosé a rosé. Yes, I wasn't a rosé drinker, but we spent enough time in sonoma and napa and, uh, out in tuscany and italy that it's so light and refreshing. But I will be honest, I was on it for years, yes, and then I went over to tequila and I haven't gone back yet, oh see, but I'm like I never knew I was a te person. So I'm like heavy on the tequila now. But I had a glass of cab a few weeks ago at MJ's, okay, ironically, and I was like it. Just it was cold in there, I was cold and it just worked.
Speaker 1:Yes, I know, the red definitely goes down in the summertime, unless you're like at a restaurant for dinner with a big meal, but yeah, no. Like at a restaurant for dinner with a big meal, but yeah, during no, no, it's so hot, it's so 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 be peanut water. Yeah, time to retire a little bit. Okay, place to run, let's see. Uh, what does.
Speaker 1:What does a friday night look like? So, yeah, no one plays football. Will plays football, but he's little, so he's not Friday night line yet. So what does a Friday night look like? In the, you know, in the springtime there's usually baseball on Friday night and then in the fall there's a couple. But what's wonderful is we? Now this is going to be probably like the first fall, because my oldest played many more sports. He's just settled this year into one where Friday nights for us are going to be like a little bit free, where we can come home and relax, and I like to decompress on a Friday night. If we're going to do something with friends, let's do it on Saturday night. So for us, we're big patio people and we are patio and we can sit on our back patio and enjoy it.
Speaker 1:My husband, over time, has added heaters. We have a big outdoor fireplace that's built into our patio, so all season long we will sit out there unless there's snow, great and just enjoy the fire. Turn on the TV maybe my husband is a fantastic cook. Okay, thankfully, thankfully, he's taken that up in my space. I am got like some southern casserole. But outside of that, I still yet 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 got that to work, exactly I know people. And I just started using it. I'm like, oh, okay, now I'm going to need a bigger one. Yeah, okay, maybe for Saturday. So I'm still figuring it out. So he's the cook, okay, so he will typically grill something or cook something and we will just veg out. I love that.
Speaker 1:And are we up early Saturday with all the things I mean? Always it just feels like there's not a day of real sleeping. It comes from time to time. Last weekend we had one day. It was wonderful. It's weird. Yeah, it's kind of nice to sort of like plot around. Yes, but you know we're big Razorback fans too.
Speaker 1:So once we're getting started in the next few weeks, it's definitely have. This week starts um will's football. 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. They like play at the actual high school fields. Oh, that's cool for those kids. Yeah, what an awesome experience. Switch to different fields, okay, and then olivia, she's dancing. Dancing, is this the like psycho dance, like like, where is the trouble? Dance, trouble dance this is her third or fourth year to do that and so in the fall they just have like practice, practice, practice, choreography camp, all the things.
Speaker 1:And then when January hits, then that's the travel. Okay, you know, we're in Kansas city and Tulsa, oklahoma city, dallas, all kind of around for this. Do you do that? Do you block that out and handle it? Yeah, are you the dance mom? I have handled it. I will tell you, like I have a great village too. But, like last year, I had a couple times I flew directly from China to Kansas City Because that's fun, because that was great, and it actually snowed, it was kind of crazy, but to get to her dance thing and I didn't miss any dances, I was really happy. I was pleased with that one. That's impressive.
Speaker 1:I came back from India on a Friday night and my husband he was really kind, he drove us to Branson on Saturday morning because I was kind of in a different time zone, were you? Yeah, so I already know our dance place is fantastic, and I already know the exact schedule that 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 can do this, but I have to be back by this time because I want to be there, yes. And on baseball, because on travel dance, there's only like five different travels, or six, okay, so it's not crazy.
Speaker 1:Baseball, which, as you know, is all fall, all spring, all summer, every weekend, like if things. If I have to miss there a little bit, right, it's a little bit more understandable. I totally agree. I used to. Not Me too, yeah, but I have developed. I'm like it's okay. Also, I have more than one kid, that's right. And At least three, yes, or in for three Minimum, yes. So it's okay to miss it, we're okay. So, yeah, that's how I feel, like, well, it's fine.
Speaker 1: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, but now in Game Changer, a lot of these parents are fantastic for us and they video it, so you can just pull that video clip and it's almost like thank you, it's like I was totally there travel or wow, good, yeah, it was a kiss. There's 12 of you right and we haven't gone.
Speaker 1:They do have good food at kessler. Yes, they do that best. That one at that and that other one in fayetteville, uh, I can't remember. Yeah, good snack, yeah, I'm like that's how you know, that's a good part. Yes, do you have barbecue nachos, or do you not? That's right. Do you have that brat from Iowa? The brat, the brat, the Kessler brats are so good, I'm not going to lie.
Speaker 1:The travel, so India, china, is it pretty extensive for you? Yeah, I think one of the things that I in my job that's important is the supplier community, okay, and forming relationships with them, helping them know that we want to be strategic with them, that Walmart wants to be their partner of choice, and sometimes I think sometimes that comes out in different times and sometimes it hasn't, but in my roles with, as I lead, my team, I want that to be really important, and so, from a travel standpoint, what I've tried to do is I try to schedule out key suppliers. We're coming into the time when we'll schedule it out for next year and what I like to do is I like them to come to me one time, and then I have a good group of suppliers that I'm saying I'm going to come to you, you don't have 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 some countries that are not in the U? S. Particularly in the business that I'm in today, I have a. I have a good portion of suppliers that might have um business in, you know, factories and other places, and so building relationships with them is important and talking to them, their leaders, directly about the strategic relationship and how we want to continue to grow over years. So there's quite a bit of travel in my role. It sounds like it. Yeah, do you check off some foodie places while you're doing that? Yeah, I have a great global sourcing team and they know sort of like the things that I like and they're great at saying they live in these countries and they'll say, hey, let's try this cool restaurant or let's do this, so we do try to check off some boxes of fantastic. You might as well. Two birds, one stone. Yeah, we're not always hopping across to India, exactly right, so it's not a regular route, and when I'm there, the team knows I like to. Just, if we're going to be there, 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 to only see by Zoom frequently, and then let's just keep plowing through. Let's go to a meal, let's just make this day strong. We'll sleep on the 20-plus hour flight back, yeah, and when we're dead. But yeah, that's what we always say yes, yeah, we did.
Speaker 1:Do you have a hidden talent? Everybody'd be surprised to know I was. Oh, I don't have a lot of hidden talents. I don't either. I don't think I have any hidden talents. I do. Um, the two things that really, you know, decompress me outside of, just like being with my family, and that in the bubble. Sometimes I like to be in the bubble and I finally just we're there together. We try to sit down for meals together as many nights as we can, but the things that relax me, which is are not talented, are I like to run. It's a relaxer, it just clears my mind. I think that takes talent.
Speaker 1:And I really like to read. Yeah, I am on a streak. I've read every single week for the last. I think I'm up to like 60 something weeks. It doesn't mean that I don't read every day I don't have the opportunity, but I like to read everything. Really, I like to read. I love to read biographies about people like everything from, like, indra Nooyi to Britney Spears. Um, I like to read. Uh, just like a random beach novel. Okay, do you read, read or do you audible? I read, read, okay, I read that.
Speaker 1:One talent I definitely don't have is comprehending books on 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 I have a lot of people are really good with that. I'm not, I'm not. They're like, well, you get to hear it in their voice. I'm like, doesn't matter, I don't know what they just said. They're like, well, you get to hear it in their voice. I'm like, doesn't matter, I don't know what they just said, exactly right, then I don't know how to rewind it. I'm like, that doesn't work for me. Yes, yeah, I'm a beat treat person Me too. I haven't gotten into on so-and-so. Or you opened a bookstore and everyone ended up happy. That's right, everybody ended up happy. I think that's a little decompression. I have tried.
Speaker 1:I'm not good at reading self-help, but I do love one podcast, a guy named Jay Shetty. Oh, hilarious, I love Jay. Yes, and that is sometimes on my. If I don't listen to music on the trails, I'm listening to Jay Shetty. Okay, talk interview people, yes, or talk about, like things that I should be doing to better help myself. It doesn't mean that I'm going to do it, no, that's good though, but sometimes I like to hear it. Yes, and I did. He did teach me about, like, some breathing techniques. That one time I was like, oh, I should try that. No, it doesn't. No, I'm like, oh, I'm like a dateline, and then I have to keep going so that we can solve this mystery. Like I can't really go in just because my watch has told me it's time to go in. I'm like, oh well, did he kill her or not? I need to know. Yes, yeah, it's all things I'm working on.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's end it with this one at 13, what did you want to be when you grew up? Yeah, I really. At 13, I think there was like a mix of um an accountant. My dad is very finance driven and 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. When I think about why, at 13, I would have won either of those roles. I think I really looked up to my parents a lot and I'm very thankful for them, and in that time I was like this is, this is great.
Speaker 1:Now, when I ask my kids who are 10, 10, and 15, what they want to do, nobody is like really leaning towards anything. They don't want to be you. They are more like still trying to figure it out like MLB baseball players. For sure, yes, we're going pro. I was just sort of looking at those boards that you make when they're going on their first day of school and they are a lot. I did my oldest there was one I must like really condom in when he was probably I don't know maybe three or four years ago that said lawyer on it. So I probably was like. I probably was like you're like you like to argue. I was referencing back the Sports Illustrated kids, where only a certain amount of people actually makes it mlb, and was like let's be realistic here. But no, that that was it.
Speaker 1:But I'm I'm thankful for, for the journey and um, where we've where, where we've come as a family, where I am, as a human, thankful for the, the village that 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 and I'm like in a great place, and some days, like my mom will say we're going to do this and I'm like I don't think I can do that.
Speaker 1:I was frazzled yesterday. I was having a moment it was just a Monday and I was just like, oh, I was talking to my mom and my phone was blowing up and text and I'm like I then somebody got out early from something and I'm like balls the last five minutes. I like I just want to run off and park the car like this yes, what is this? What has happened? Yeah, it's hard to say like just calm through it all, uh-huh.
Speaker 1:I think the fact that I think both us, both of us have said like, just sort of like, at a period in our life where we let stuff roll off. I'm working on that. Yeah, yes, yeah. So that's a good spot, that's good, thank you, thank you. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited. This was good, cause I did want to talk about work-life, pretend balance as being a mom, cause it is very important to us, and so I really appreciate your time out today, writing test this afternoon, lots of prayers, especially good your direction, so he can roll up into 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 you everybody. I really appreciate it. Thanks for joining the who, what, where podcast and keep inspiring a culture of giving See.