March 1, 2019
By Elizabeth Walker, Walmart Corporate Affairs
To put it mildly, Ha Na Lee is a #boss.
As an elite amateur triathlete (meaning she isn’t professional yet), Ha Na works out 15 hours a week, split between biking, running, swimming, and weight training. By day, she’s a U.S. eCommerce Associate Operations Manager, where she works with her team to streamline the returns process in Walmart’s television category.
Read on to learn more about a day in the life of this 25-year-old dynamo and why she is #goals.
4:15 a.m. – I wake up, start my coffee pot, and begin making my first breakfast of the day – yogurt, granola, and fruit. As you’ll find out, food is a big part of my day. While I am a triathlete and train in three sports, I often tell people that I practice five disciplines: running, swimming, and biking, of course, but also recovery and nutrition. As a result, I am very intentional about the food I eat to make sure I am getting enough calories and the right kind of calories. I pack a second breakfast, lunch, and a snack for work.
5:15 a.m. – I begin my 30-minute drive to the gym. There are gyms closer to home, of course, but I feel that the people make the gym, especially when you are suffering together early in the morning.
5:45 a.m. – Depending on the day, I do a 90-minute spin class, or a 30-minute strength session followed by time running or in the pool. I usually save long bike rides for the weekend.
8:00 a.m. – Depending on the type of workout, I will either shower at the gym or return home to get ready for work.
9:00 a.m. – At the office, I usually check my email, put lunch in the fridge, and prep for our 9:30 meeting.
The goal of my team is to reduce the number of returns, and I specifically focus on the entertainment category. Simply put, we want more customers to be happy with the items they order on Walmart.com.
How do we go about that? Well, it comes down to why is the customer returning the TV – did she feel like what they received doesn’t match the photo online? Did the screen get damaged in transit? What can we do to prevent this from happening in the future?
9:30 a.m. – I usually eat my second breakfast during my team’s 90-minute morning meeting. The meal itself looks like a lunch – a salad, fish, a slice of toast, and of course, more coffee. During the meeting, we give project updates and work together to solve problems.
11:00 a.m. – After our meeting, I send some emails regarding my current projects. I typically eat at my desk to be more efficient with my time. I really like that my job involves problem-solving and analysis.
2:00 p.m. – Walmart’s San Bruno, California, office is housed in two separate buildings – “Elm” (where I sit) and “Cherry.” The merchandise planning side of the business is in the Cherry building, and each afternoon I head up the hill to meet with them. The goal is to understand what direction the business is going and make sure we are all aligned.
3:00 p.m. – More coffee? Don’t mind if I do! There’s a coffee bar conveniently located near the Cherry office.
3:15 p.m. – Back at my desk, I eat my snack from home – usually veggies and hummus along with some fruit. I spend the rest of the day at my computer, working on projects. I’m heavily involved in the packaging side of things - do we need to make sure there’s more packaging so that the item arrives intact? How do we do that in a way that is cost-effective and sustainable?
5:30 p.m. – I wrap up my projects and head for home.
6:00 p.m. – My dinner is very lean protein focused, and I measure and weigh what I eat. I told you, nutrition is its own discipline for me! Dinner is usually around 4 oz. of fish or chicken, around a half cup of a complex carb such as sweet potato or brown rice, a source of healthy fat like avocado, and 3 cups of some sort of cooked vegetable like kale or spinach. I usually prepare enough to serve as the next day’s lunch, too.
6:30 p.m. – I eat while watching television. Right now I am into this Portuguese show called 3%. It’s a dystopian science-fiction thriller series set in Brazil, about a select group of people who are chosen to live on a lush island.
7:00 p.m. – While still watching TV, I begin stretch and foam rolling. This is an important part of the recovery process.
7:45 p.m. – In the evenings or on weekends, I work on a post for the triathlon online community I’m developing.
8:30 p.m. – I try to be strict about turning the television off to make sure I can start winding down and will be able to sleep well. I make sure to pack my gym bag and go through a mental checklist – do I have everything for my next workout? What am I going to wear to work tomorrow? etc. And of course I wash my face, brush my teeth and get ready for bed.
9:30 p.m. – In bed by 9:30, asleep by 10! When my day starts at 4:15 a.m., I’m usually more than ready.
Ha Na is gearing up for a packed race season, including an Olympic distance triathlon, three Half-Ironman races, and a full Ironman in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec.
