Walmart CEO started his career unloading trailers at the warehouse—he says he got promotion after promotion by raising his hand when his boss was out of town
Doug McMillon was just 17 years old when he started working in Walmart’s warehouses in the summer of 1984.
Since then, he’s scaled the retail giant’s ranks from unloading trailers for $6.50 an hour to becoming the company’s youngest CEO since its founder Sam Walton—with a $27 million salary to show for it.
In the 30 years between starting out and taking the reins in 2014, McMillon went from promotion to promotion, holding a store assistant role in Tulsa before getting his foot in the door of HQ in January 1991 as the fishing tackle buyer and working his way up in management.
Now, he says many of Walmart’s 2.1 million workers email him asking how to emulate his success at the company. His response? Volunteer to cover your boss more.
“One of the reasons that I got the opportunities that I got was that I would raise my hand when my boss was out of town and he or she was visiting stores or something,” he revealed in an interview with Stratechery.
The CEO added that he would even offer to step in for his boss in meetings—whether or not he was prepared to answer all the questions that came up.
Plus, instead of brushing off queries above his pay grade and waiting for his manager’s return, he would proactively respond: “I don’t know, but I’ll find out fast and get back to you.”
“I then put myself in an environment where I became a low risk promotion because people had already seen me do the job,” McMillon concluded.
How did Doug McMillon climb through the ranks?
McMillon gave two more tips for rising through a company’s ranks from the bottom to the top like he did: Do your job well and be a team player
“Don’t take your current job for granted,” the 58-year-old chief exec said. “The next job doesn’t come if you don’t do the one you’ve got well.”
“Be a great teammate—you learn how to lead, you learn how to influence by the way you interact with your peers,” he added. “Treat them well, help them, help them do a better job.”
The simple advice rings similar to that of Pret A Manger’s CEO Pano Christou. Just like McMillon, Christou is one of few leaders to work his way to the top from the shop floor.
Now, Christou is CEO of Britain’s biggest sandwich chain—and he echoed that he got to where he is today by working hard while being kind to his peers.
“I’ve watched people that have been so fixated on the next role that they really take their eye off the current job they’re doing,” Christou told Fortune. “My philosophy has always been if you do a great job, people will notice you.”
By focusing on excelling in his current job and being the best within his cohort—without “shortcutting” his peers or “stabbing them in the back”—the promotions swiftly followed.
“I was generally the youngest person or the shortest in a role within my peer group when I got promoted, most of the time throughout my career,” he said. “If you work hard and put your head down, things can happen.”
A version of this story originally published on Fortune.com on April 26, 2024.
There’s a lot of buzz about supporting your gut health, which impacts your mental well-being, colorectal cancer risk, and immunity. But knowing the importance of gut health is one thing—knowing the best way to feed your gut is another.
Your gut health refers to how well your digestive system is functioning to break down food, absorb nutrients, and eliminate waste. Within your gut lies the gut microbiome, made up of trillions of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi. To keep your gut healthy, that bacteria needs to be fed and maintained—which is where a gut-healthy diet comes in.
Which foods are best for your gut health?
When you think of gut-friendly foods, you may think of fermented foods like sauerkraut and yogurt, which have naturally occurring bacteria that come from the fermentation process.
Fermented foods are packed with probiotics—live bacteria and yeasts—that naturally live in your body and benefit your health.
There are actually two main types of foods to support your gut health: probiotics and prebiotics. Prebiotics are not alive—but they are crucial to feed your good gut bacteria. They are found in fiber-rich, plant-based foods, and research supports their cancer- and chronic disease-fighting properties.
“They’re like the fuel,” Amy Bragagnini, RD, national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fortune. “To make a lasting, sustainable microbiome, you need a balance of both [prebiotics and probiotics].”
Of the gut-healthy foods to choose from, here are science-backed options to help give your gut microbiome a health boost.
1. Kimchi
Kimchi, a staple of Korean food, is a spicy fermented cabbage, similar to sauerkraut, filled with probiotics. Studies have linked the consumption of kimchi to improved blood sugar regulation in prediabetic individuals and improved metabolic health. You can find it refrigerated in grocery stores to be used as a flavor-boost in grain bowls or fried rice.
2. Yogurt and kefir
Since yogurt and kefir are fermented dairy products, they are packed with probiotics and beneficial bacteria produced from the fermentation process. You’ll notice that these dairy products will usually be labeled with “live and active cultures” and a list of the bacteria in them—that’s a good indicator that the yogurt or kefir has the probiotics you’re looking for.
Additionally, yogurt’s gut-health benefits may help prevent colorectal cancer. A recent study published in the journal Gut Microbes found that long-term yogurt consumption—two or more servings per week—was tied to lower rates of proximal colorectal cancer (on the right side of the colon).
Meanwhile kefir, which is a fermented yogurt drink, is shown to improve immune, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health, while also helping to reduce inflammation.
3. Oatmeal
Whole grains like oatmeal are a great source of prebiotic fiber to feed your gut bacteria, which helps to support digestion and an overall healthy gut microbiome.
A 2005 study also found that whole grains reduced colorectal cancer risk in women. Whole grains’ high fiber content, resistant starch, and prebiotics improve the gut microbiome to reduce risk, researchers wrote, while “diluting potential carcinogens and promoters in the colon and decreasing transit time,” which reduces colon tissue’s exposure to harmful compounds.
4. Onions and garlic
These alliums are full of prebiotics proven to help gut flora grow and flourish. Studies show they may also help to improve symptoms associated with gastrointestinal distress, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
5. Asparagus
Asparagus is one of the most prebiotic-rich foods you can eat. These veggies are packed with beneficial phytochemicals like xylose, inulin, flavonoids, fructans, and saponins. These nutrients, in addition to asparagus’ high fiber content, have been shown to promote the growth of certain probiotic bacterial strains.
While the stock market crash sent baby boomers into panic mode, Gen Z was grabbing the popcorn and sharing their plans to get rich. “Forget about the Sephora sale… the entire stock market is on sale right now,” one excited 24-year-old shared on TikTok. Meanwhile, a 22-year-old shared how she made $42K in less than an hour thanks to the volatile market.
The world’s stock markets tanked late last week in response to President Donald Trump’s new tariffs—and baby boomers watched in horror as their dreams of a comfortable retirement briefly went up in flames. Although their Hail Mary’s were answered yesterday, with a 90-day pause on select tariffs, in Trump’s own words, “Nothing’s over yet.”
And Gen Z is here for the ride.
In fact, TikTok was rife with young people sharing excitement over their losses and what the market volatility could mean for their long-term wealth.
“The entire stock market is on sale right now,” the 24-year-old content creator from New York @pipercassidyphillips posted to her channel.
“Forget about the Sephora sale, which is going on right now. The whole stock market yesterday had the biggest single day crash since 2020, which means this is a good time to buy because things are literally on sale. They are cheaper.”
“So this is just your general PSA that if you’ve been sitting on some money that you want to invest, this is the time—I’m doing it,” Piper Phillips said, adding that she consulted ChatGPT for financial advice before investing cash towards her retirement.
“So I will be hitting up the Sephora sale, but I’m going to be prioritizing the stock market sale first.”
Gen Z has time on their side—and they know it
Unlike those in their 60s and 70s who are planning on retiring soon, Gen Zers can withstand the current volatility—and they know it.
Take 24-year-old Mia McGrath for example. Despite having lofty goals to retire by 40, she shared her nonchalant approach to the market’s ups and downs.
“The market is in a bit of a downturn right now, and people are panicking,” she posted in a recent TikTok video. “People’s reaction in a situation like this is to sell, sell, sell, but you have to buy low and sell high. That’s just the way the stock market works.”
Although her stocks were down £5,000 (about ¢6,500) at the end of last week, the London-based account manager wasn’t worried.
“The market has a 100% recovery rate,” she added. “So yes, there have been instances where it hasn’t fully recovered from a crash for 15 years, but that’s why I always say that investing is for the long term. You have to have the next few decades in mind.”
Ryan King, another British financial content creator, shared on his social media channels that he’s “lost £12,959 in 2025.”
“But I’m not worried,” he posted on @makingmoneysimple. “The money that I’ve lost is only lost ‘on paper.’ You don’t lose any money until you lock in your losses and actually sell”
“I don’t need this money for the long term. So I have time for the market to recover,” the 27-year-old added. “This is a good thing. I can now invest at lower prices each month—into the same funds that I was already investing into—as they are now ‘on sale’ and cost less.”
Even with the aim of quitting work and living off their investment portfolio decades earlier than the conventional retirement age range of 65 to 70, Gen Z still has over 20 years to wait for the market to recover.
If anything, they reckon buying into the dip, will accelerate their financial goals and help them retire earlier.
“This is absolutely insane. This hasn’t even happened since COVID,” a 21-year-old American investing influencer who goes by Elap shared on TikTok that he was “down another $1,783 in one day” and “down more than 10% in two days because of Trump’s Liberation Day.”
“If you’re young, this is the biggest opportunity.” In another video, he shared that stock market crashes “can make you rich”—especially if you’re under 25: “2025 stock market crashing is your biggest generational opportunity.”
Trust the process: Some Gen Zers are already seeing huge gains
Since Trump’s tariff pause sent stocks soaring, Gen Z investors have been smugly sharing their huge financial gains.
King even shared screenshots of his various Vanguard funds, which are all now back in the green.
Elap echoed that he made over $2,000 in just 15 minutes—in comparison, most people his age would need to work for nearly three weeks to earn that.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—if you guys weren’t listening to me the past week, saying ‘this is the time you need to be getting into the market.’ This is just proof,” he posted.
“This just goes to show how you need to stay investing long term and on downturns, you need to be putting even more money into the market, which is what I’m doing, and now I am up even more than I even lost,” he added. “Last Thursday, Friday, and this Monday, I put in tons more money than usual and now I’m reaping the rewards.”
Of course, the Gen Zers who invested more in the dip saw even bigger gains.
One 22-year-old made nearly $42,000 in less than an hour. Two days later, Sierra Aaliyah shared that she had made another $39,000 with screenshots of her ballooning portfolio.
“The stock market right now is insane,” she added.
“In my four years of trading, I’ve never seen volatility like this… Never in my four years of trading have I been able to make this much money. This is crazy.”
Although she made the bulk of her money day trading, she gave lots of advice for Gen Zers looking to build long-term wealth.
“I personally have been buying VOO (Vanguard S&P 500), VTI (Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF), Nvidia, AMD shares since the market’s been dropping,” the Gen Zer said, while adding that Robin Hood is a good app to get started on investing in shares.
“Every single time the market drops, it recovers. So whether it takes three months, six months, eight months, make sure you know in your mind, oh my gosh, if I’m down on my investment, it’s going to come back up—that is long-term investing.”
“This is not something where you put your money in, and you’re like, in an hour, I made $41k. This is, you put your money in there, you sit, you let it grow over time.”
Entertainment8 years ago