Building a Play to Win Culture at Petco — with Joel Anderson

The newest episode of Mastering Workplace Culture features a rare, open conversation with Joel Anderson, CEO of Petco and longtime culture‑focused retail leader. From Toys “R” Us to Walmart to Five Below to Petco, Joel has spent three decades proving that culture—done intentionally—drives passion, discretionary effort, and performance at massive scale.

Joel shares how his “People with Passion drive Performance” leadership playbook began with an hourly associate’s hand‑painted mural in Lubbock, Texas, and why it has guided every organization he has led since. He explains why culture cannot start with metrics, how leaders get people “on the bus,” and why discretionary effort—not pressure—ultimately transforms stores, teams, and the customer experience.

He also reflects deeply on large‑scale culture transitions:
• Walmart: Reviving local store culture and connecting hourly teams back to a mission much bigger than their daily tasks.
• Five Below: Scaling from 361 to 1,600+ stores by formalizing values and behaviors for the first time—moving from “values through osmosis” to a structure that could grow nationwide.
• Petco: Rewriting the company’s values from scratch and shifting a legacy organization from playing not to lose to playing to win, all anchored in pet‑focused passion and human dignity.

Joel’s storytelling reveals what culture really looks like through the eyes of a CEO: Messy, human, imperfect, and deeply personal. He shares how leaders must build self‑esteem, create teams, and celebrate people—not just outcomes. And he offers practical insight for leaders at every level: Focus on strengths, validate others' superpowers, and build systems that help people succeed.

This is a conversation about people, purpose, and performance—and how the right culture unlocks all three.