From Cashier to Store Manager: Kiley Pulley’s Rise at 23

Pulley’s path from high school student to management was defined by deliberate career planning. After transitioning through roles as a stocker, online fulfillment associate, and academy trainer, she committed to a full-time career at 18. By 19, she was an operations manager, actively seeking mentorship and taking on extra shifts to gain the necessary experience for her current role. She credits her success to a combination of proactive learning, seeking feedback on her professional communication, and mastering the nuances of delegation.

Leadership at a young age brought significant adjustments. Pulley had to pivot from being a peer to a supervisor, a shift that required setting new social boundaries and learning to manage older employees with authority. She also emphasizes the importance of servant leadership, noting that advocating for her associates improves both store productivity and workplace morale. Now enrolled in Walmart’s Live Better U program to complete her degree, Pulley is focused on her next milestone: becoming a market manager by her late twenties.