What do retail and football have in common? More than you’d think. In this episode of The Huddle, John Furner sits down with NFL star Saquon Barkley to explore the shared fundamentals of great leadership: discipline, teamwork and the drive to keep improving. Hear how lessons from the locker room can apply to the sales floor, and why showing up with heart makes all the difference. Listen now and get inspired to lead with purpose — on any field.
Jun 20, 2025•14 min
What do a 350-acre vision, a statue of Ol’ Roy and a career spent building what’s next all have in common? John Furner sat down with Cindi Marsiglio, SVP of Corporate Real Estate, for a conversation about what it took to bring the new Home Office to life and what it represents for the future of Walmart. Cindi also reflected on her 18-year Walmart journey, including her work to carry forward Sam Walton’s passion for sourcing products and services that are made, grown or assembled in the communiti...
May 22, 2025•17 min
Today, shopping from the comfort of home is second nature. Fresh groceries delivered straight to your doorstep? Just another Tuesday. But ten years ago it was just a big idea to build trust by saving customers time. At initial test locations like our Ammon, Idaho Supercenter, Store Manager Jason Neville was setting a goal of fulfilling 30 orders a day. Today, Jason’s team fulfills upwards of 6,500 orders a week and brings in more than $25 million a year in delivery and pickup sales! And that’s j...
Apr 18, 2025•7 min
Join us in this episode of The Huddle as John chats with Walmart driver Julio Reyes – one of 49 drivers who delivered aid to those affected by Hurricane Helene – to reflect on the efforts and impact of Walmart’s Private Fleet.
Mar 24, 2025•11 min
This episode of The Huddle is a must-listen for anyone curious about the world of AI, regardless of your background. Whether you're a tech enthusiast eager to know about AI's latest developments or a novice looking to understand AI's impact, this episode has something for everyone.
Mar 04, 2025•18 min
Happy New Year! I hope your 2025 is off to a great start. For many in retail, an annual New Year’s tradition is attending the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show” in New York City. NRF is a great organization that advocates for the entire retail industry and works to highlight its massive economic impact and all the opportunities it brings. They call their January conference the “Big Show” because it brings 40,000 attendees together from over 100 countries, to learn about the cutting-edge inn...
Jan 09, 2025•14 min
Five years, 89 episodes, and countless memories—The Huddle has been an incredible journey. When we started I wasn’t sure what to expect, I just knew it was important for associates to hear directly from leadership. Along the way, it became clear there were so many amazing stories to share—like our associates making a difference, leaders driving change, entrepreneurs building something extraordinary, community members creating real impact, and more. In this special episode, I sit down with Mariss...
Dec 10, 2024•12 min•Season 5Ep. 12
For 20 years, Walmart has partnered with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation on the Acres for America program, helping protect over 2 million acres of critical land across the U.S. When the program started, the idea was to protect 1 acre of land for every 1 acre Walmart built on. Today it’s evolved to about 20-1! Acres for America has preserved ecosystems, bolstered biodiversity, safeguarded clean water, and created recreational spaces for the benefit of both people and wildlife. And we re...
Nov 21, 2024•13 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Monday is Veterans Day, one of the most special days of the year. At Walmart we’re so grateful to those who serve or have served in the military, and we support them however we can. A big way is through employment. We’re proud to have hired 400,000 veterans since 2013. Another way is through the products we sell. This week I recorded a Huddle episode with Mark Doyle, whose company – Rags of Honor Brands – makes military-themed shirts we sell in stores and online. We talked about his story of sta...
Nov 09, 2024•17 min•Season 5Ep. 10
It’s #AmericanPharmacistsMonth, and I had the chance to sit down with Obi Odi, one of our pharmacists at Store #4487 in Aiken, South Carolina. Obi’s journey is remarkable. Originally from Nigeria, Obi came to the U.S. to further his education and pursue a career in pharmacy. While studying, he was deeply impacted by the events of 9/11 and decided to pause his education to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, even though he was about to graduate! After completing that Military service, he finished his...
Oct 24, 2024•12 min•Season 5Ep. 8
The guest for this Huddle episode needs no introduction: Kevin Costner has been part of all our lives for many years! He also personifies many of the traits we strive for at Walmart: reinventing ourselves, staying true to who we are, and delivering quality. It was so fun to have Kevin join us at our 2024 Walmart U.S. Holiday Meeting, in Orlando, Florida. You can imagine how thousands of our associates reacted when he walked on stage! Kevin talked to the team about his work ethic, how he celebrat...
Sep 11, 2024•16 min•Season 5Ep. 8
We’ve had an exciting week in San Francisco, California, where we just wrapped up our Let's Grow! 2024 Walmart Marketplace Seller Summit for small businesses, inventors, and other sellers interested in joining our Walmart.com Marketplace. Marketplace allows us to offer customers hundreds of millions more items than we sell in our stores! For this edition of the Huddle, I talked with Bill Pond, CEO of RTIC Outdoors. RTIC is a digitally-native brand that makes premium products like coolers and cup...
Aug 30, 2024•8 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Walmart is a community of diverse individuals, each with their unique stories. Some joined us after pursuing other careers, some started with us and then moved onto something else. Then there are people like Anjie Robertson and myself who started with Walmart and saw it turn into a rewarding career. I met Anjie a couple months ago at our Manager Academy, where she shared she couldn’t attend the Associates Week she was invited to 15 years ago, because of being promoted. Anjie politely asked if sh...
Jun 11, 2024•13 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Yesterday, we celebrated the grand opening of Store 8861, our brand-new Walmart Neighborhood Market in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida! A grand opening is always filled with excitement, and this one was particularly special. It represents the first of the 150 new stores we're planning to build or convert in the next five years along with our ongoing efforts to remodel hundreds of our existing stores to better serve our customers. In this episode of The Huddle, I had the pleasure to chat with Brandon, ...
May 10, 2024•5 min•Season 6Ep. 4
I started working with Walmart when I was in school. I was just hoping to earn some money for the summer — but I soon realized that working in a store taught me many things I couldn’t have learned in a classroom. Real-world work experience is crucial, and that’s why we're proud to be a partner of the NRF Foundation's RISE Up program. RISE Up has helped 40,000 learners learn about and experience the retail industry, and build foundational employability skills. In this episode of The Huddle, I'm j...
Apr 12, 2024•13 min•Season 5Ep. 4
When I think of people who share our mission of fostering holistic health, Ally Love immediately comes to mind. She’s an on-air contributor for NBC’s "Today” show, the CEO and founder of Love Squad, and a very popular Peloton instructor. I've had the opportunity to take many of Ally’s classes and see how her dedication to fitness, wellness, and community is so inspiring to others. I was thrilled to have Ally join me on The Huddle, sharing her personal journey and passion for health – including h...
Mar 14, 2024•16 min•Season 5Ep. 3
We just wrapped up an amazing Year Beginning Meeting in Houston, and yesterday, our CEO Doug McMillon closed out YBM by splitting Walmart’s stock for the first time since 1999! Doug joined me on The Huddle to discuss this exciting news – what it means, and how it will allow even more people to become shareholders in our company. Of course, we also talked about our favorite group of Walmart shareholders: the 400,000 associates who own Walmart stock – many who buy it through our Associate Stock Pu...
Feb 01, 2024•7 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Erica Cole’s life changed forever in college, when she lost her leg in a car crash. So many things became different, even getting dressed – Erica’s clothes would not fit over her prosthetic leg. Many would have given up in this situation, but Erica chose to create new clothes, and start an adaptive clothing company she now runs: No Limbits. No Limbits is creating accessible solutions for others with disabilities and sensory challenges, and Walmart is so proud to have them as a #WalmartSeller on ...
Dec 07, 2023•12 min•Season 4Ep. 15
As #VeteransDay approaches, I urge everyone to pause and appreciate the men and women who have served so bravely and selflessly to protect our country and freedoms. At Walmart, our commitment to supporting America’s Veterans and their familiesruns deep. We’re proud to have hired over 550,000 members of the military community over the last decade. Some of our newest Veteran associates have come though our Corporate Fellowship Program (CFP), which provides an innovative, 12-week experience that eq...
Nov 09, 2023•12 min•Season 4Ep. 14
As National Manufacturing Day approaches this Friday, we're proud to recognize the manufacturers behind Walmart products, who play a pivotal role in creating opportunities for our communities and workforce. Kent International Inc. is a great example of this. They've assembled millions of bikes at their South Carolina factory, including Walmart's Ozark Trail mountain bike line, and have been instrumental in revitalizing bicycle manufacturing in the U.S. In this episode of The Huddle, I join Arnol...
Oct 05, 2023•8 min•Season 4Ep. 13
As we celebrate our Driver and Tech Appreciation Week, I want to recognize our amazing associates in Walmart's Private Fleet who play a crucial role in keeping our stores stocked, and serving our partners and customers all over the country. I also want to shine a spotlight on Emmanuel - not only is he one of our great drivers, but he's also an amazing person whose story is the true embodiment of the American dream. Originally from Uganda, Emmanuel came to the U.S. 27 years ago to support his fam...
Sep 12, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 12
We’ve had a blast in Houston at Walmart U.S.’s Annual Holiday Meeting! Every year, we bring our teams together from across the country to get everyone geared up for an amazing holiday season – showcasing all the great deals and holiday items we know our customers will love. In this episode of The Huddle, Brittany Smith – VP of Merchandising for our U.S. toy business – joined me on the merch floor to talk about the cool toys everyone’s excited about and the months of planning that happen behind t...
Aug 24, 2023•4 min•Season 4Ep. 11
This week we’ve been celebrating America’s 247th birthday! Our Walmart U.S. team is honored to serve this great country, and one of the most impactful ways we do that is selling products that come from this country. We’re proud that about 2/3rds of our product spend is on items made, grown or assembled in the U.S. For this Huddle episode, I visited an Arkansas rice farm with one of our merchants, Melody Richard. Melody and I spoke to the farmer, Dustin, about how he grows his rice and what selli...
Jul 06, 2023•9 min•Season 4Ep. 10
At Walmart, our people have always driven our success. When I think of associates who are making the difference each day, I think of Marcie Bird. You may remember seeing Marcie on stage at Associates Week, where she shared her story about breaking barriers as the first Navajo Store Manager of Supercenter #906 in Gallup, NM. I had the privilege of having Marcie join me for an episode of The Huddle. We talked about her remarkable journey of growing up on a Navajo reservation to becoming the leader...
Jun 15, 2023•10 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Memorial Day is a day is a day of deep meaning, as we reflect on the immense sacrifices that have been made to protect the freedoms we have today. My father was a Marine and Vietnam veteran, and he instilled in me a profound appreciation for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. In this episode of The Huddle, I’m joined by two incredible associates who exemplify the spirit of service and commitment: Stephanie, an Air National Guard Member, and Dell, a Marine Corps Veteran. Stephanie and Dell ar...
May 26, 2023•10 min•Season 4Ep. 8
It’s graduation season – and I know so many of us are thinking of the graduating students we know, and the sense of accomplishment, excitement, and nervousness they’re feeling right now. Every May, I think back to MY time as a student at the University of Arkansas. I’ll never forget sitting in the back row of Dr. Jon Johnson's Business Strategy class, soaking up the knowledge and insights he had to offer. Although apparently not ALL of it, since I got a ‘B’ in the class! Dr. Johnson and I are f...
May 16, 2023•17 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Someone once told me “your leadership is defined during the toughest times.” No one exemplifies that more than Alycia Mixon, the manager of Store #1841 in Chesapeake, VA. I met Alycia last November, under the most difficult circumstances imaginable – after losing 6 members of the Walmart family. Alycia’s first instinct was to step up for her people in a way that few others could. When I first saw her, she was standing on a chair, speaking to her team with the perfect balance of confidence and co...
May 02, 2023•9 min•Season 4Ep. 6
No matter where our associates are in life when they join Walmart, there are so many opportunities to grow and develop a career – and we are committed to investing in our people to help make their dreams a reality. Carvon Smith’s story is an amazing example of this. Carvon started working at Walmart in 2015, taking a part-time role in maintenance while he was in school. He soon took on a bigger role – and then another – and in January Carvon became the Manager at Store #530 in El Dorado, AR! In ...
Apr 18, 2023•9 min•Season 4Ep. 5
HOW we do business matters, and we’re dedicated to doing it the right way. That’s why integrity is one of our core values at Walmart, and it’s essential to our culture. Our associates, customers, investors, suppliers, and business partners choose Walmart because they know we are a business they can trust. In this special edition of The Huddle, I talk with Walmart’s Global Ethics Officer, Jelahn Stewart, about how our culture of integrity brought her to Walmart after two decades in government. Fr...
Mar 30, 2023•10 min•Season 4Ep. 4
We’re coming to you live from Orlando, Florida, where thousands of associates from all over the country are attending our Walmart U.S. Year Beginning Meeting! This year’s theme is “Turn it Up!,” and nobody is bringing that energy better than our new EVP for Store Operations, Cedric Clark. Cedric is competitive and loves to win – he’s a former athlete. He’s also a musician, creative, and curious guy who our store associates are going to love working for. In this episode, Cedric and I talked about...
Mar 14, 2023•8 min•Season 4Ep. 3
