A self-described people person, she’s found her place helping others at Walmart.
Kristi Allgood has spent 23 years growing her career at Walmart beginning as an associate at a small store in rural Texas. Now, as a senior manager in Total Rewards, she helps inform associates about the company’s many benefits.
One of Kristi’s favorite things about the company is how Walmart offers associates the chance to branch out and figure out which aspect of the business suits them best.
“There's different things that engage different people, and I feel like we can do that,” she explains. “I will be the first one to tell you, I am the world's worst cashier, I am not good at it! I've never been good at it. But I can build patio furniture in Lawn and Garden like nobody’s business.”
Kristi was one of the associates featured in a 2023 Walmart video campaign, “The Floor is Not the Ceiling.” The day the ad was filmed, Kristi got to meet others who forged their own inspiring paths at Walmart.
Walmart World asked Kristi to share how she found her niche and what it means to mentor other associates.
Walmart is family—literally
Kristi joined Walmart in 2000 after seeing how much her mother enjoyed working there. But her mom wasn’t her only family coworker. At one point, Kristi, her mom, her husband and her sister were all working at the same Texas store! Her mom and sister have since retired (after 20+ years with Walmart), and Kristi’s 17-year-old daughter is now a Walmart associate.
3 degrees in 6 years
When she was younger, she left college because “I needed to go work,” she explains. But when the opportunity to return to school presented itself at Walmart, she couldn’t ignore it! “Walmart was providing this opportunity and I was just like, ‘I gotta take advantage of this!’”
Kristi was one of the first associates to take advantage of the Lifelong Learning program when it launched in 2010 (and has since morphed into Live Better U). Over about six years, she earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and two master’s degrees, one in management and human resources and the other in business administration.
Next stop: Bentonville, Arkansas
As she rose to assistant manager, store manager and then moved into human resources, Kristi pursued opportunities in other Texas communities and out of state, including moving to Minnesota for four years. After her daughter graduates from high school in spring 2023, Kristi will be relocating again, this time to Bentonville, Arkansas, to work at the Walmart Home Office.
“When I first started with Walmart, I was like, I'm just gonna keep going up to store manager,” Kristi says. “Then I found that I'm really good with people. I just have a passion for it, I really enjoy it.”
She’ll never say no to a mentee
Kristi says she owes some of her career success to the Walmart managers who saw potential in her, encouraged her to pursue new opportunities and mentored her as she tackled new challenges. Now, she tries to do the same for the handful of associates she works with. “I actively set up touch bases and I’m very intentional,” Kristi says. “Building that rapport, and investing in people, I take a lot of pride in being able to help them grow and develop and promote.”
In her niche
Kristi says she earns respect by listening to what people want and need, and by being transparent and knowledgeable. “Being in a position of influence is pretty unique,” she says. “It gives you an opportunity to continue to grow because you have some unique challenges. I’ve found my little niche.”
