Celebrate

The last week of my internship is quickly approaching. I can't believe it's flown by so fast. I'm going to miss it here. Last Wednesday we had our internship banquet and I'm pleased to announce that I won the Walmart Leadership Excellence Program Scholarship! All the interns had an opportunity to write an essay. Out of those essays, 30 people moved to the second round of presentations. Then 15 were awarded with the scholarship (10 undergraduates and 5 graduate students)

My Co-Intern John and I with our Scholarships

I really enjoyed my internship this summer. I felt a part of the Walmart/Sam's Club family and everyone here is so nice. I learned so much about merchandising, retail, and corporate America. Here are some of my key takeaways from this summer.

1. Be The Culture. Each person is responsible for the environment they are in. You can't depend on upper management or others to model the culture. If you want that friendly environment, everyone is responsible to make that happen. Be the culture that you want to be a part of.

2. Team effort. It's all about the team effort and collaboration that makes this company so successful. It's recognizing and celebrating the success of teams. Everyone is a contributor to the company's success....even interns :)

3. Listen. Be open minded and listen to everyone - customers, managers, peers, etc. Make that great environment where people can share their ideas and ideas can be implemented. I had the opportunity to bring my ideas to Executive VPs and the CEO of the largest retailer in the world and be listened to.

4. It's a people business. It's truly a people business. You have to love being with people all the time if you want to be successful in retail. Influencing others directly or indirectly is important. My boss told me "People don't quit jobs. People quit people." Finding great mentors who will be your champion is so important.

5. Celebrate success. You are your own biggest advocate. If something good happens or you accomplish something, celebrate your success. Also, be an encouraging team member and help celebrate the success of others.