Her Story
About Karen
Karen Crawford serves as an Automotive Manager at Walmart in St. Charles, Missouri, where she has worked for nearly 31 years, including 28 years in her current role. Her career began in retail at Service Merchandise, followed by positions in hospital emergency room registration, Ford Credit, and Dave Sinclair Ford before joining Walmart. While pursuing her education, she advanced quickly at Walmart and decided to stay after earning her Associate's degree and later her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, which the company fully funded. Crawford manages a team of 27 associates, overseeing inventory flow and control, customer service, automotive services, equipment maintenance, and compliance training. She holds tire certifications from Goodyear and Michelin, has completed Walmart Academy training, Hunter Equipment training, and participates in annual service recertifications. Crawford credits her success to her genuine concern for individuals and the guidance of mentors who modeled integrity. She advises being open to change and listening to team members, and she encourages young women entering the field to be strong, credible, transparent, and genuine. Outside of work, she facilitates Vacation Bible School and works with junior high youth at her church.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Karen
01What do you attribute your success to?
My concern for the individual and caring for people has been key to my success. I've also benefited from working with really good leaders who mentored me and demonstrated integrity, which helped shape how I lead and made it clear I want to work with people who have integrity.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Be open to change because in retail change is constant and if you're not open to it, it's not going to go well. Also, listen to your people. Those are the two biggest things in any career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You've got to be strong and understand that even in 2026 it's still a man's world. You have to know what you're talking about and sound credible because if you don't, they'll tear you down. Be transparent and genuine, and even if you don't know something, admit it and be willing to find the answer together.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
A lot of change with upper management where new managers want to reinvent the wheel, which can be challenging. You need to see what worked in the past. Keeping morale up and remaining positive during restructures is tough but important.
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