Field Reporting
I joined Pace to launch their field reporting project with the world’s biggest retailer. The mission was simple: Go get the best stories from the best of Walmart’s 1.5M associates from across the country. In 4 years we traveled to every state, even Canada and Puerto Rico. I visited Native American reservations, the U.S.-Mexico border, Northern Alaska in the dead of winter, Manhattan, Hollywood, and everywhere in between. Along the way, we captured, video, photos, podcasts, and articles for print and digital, meeting everyone from cart-pushers to big execs. The result became a model for the agency, a north star for any client looking to do the same.
A Place to Call Home
I traveled all the way up in northern Minnesota to a town called Bemidji. The store manager told me Todd was a guy I had to meet. Before finding Walmart, Todd was homeless. He was 21 years old. Walmart hired him, and soon Todd was running the back room. “They trusted me, of all people, with their inventory,” said Todd. “Even sent me down to Academy for training.” He started a plan with his store manager to save enough money to buy a house. “I used to be a little hoodlum,” he said, “but they looked beyond the cover and gave this kid a chance.” Here’s how it came out in print.
A Chance to Grow
I made it out to Napa, California, where the wine industry dominates the labor market, leaving retail stores like Walmart lacking top talent. The store out there got creative and began working with an agency that placed special needs workers in jobs in gradual, intentional ways. I met two such associates who were fully integrated into the team, bringing new perspectives and an amazing spirit to the struggling store. See it in print.
