About
About Me
I’m James Thompson — a builder by trade and by nature.
From sheet metal to scheduling boards, I’ve spent my career learning how strong systems and good people make each other better.
📈 Career at a Glance
| Years | Role | Focus | Key Takeaways |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 – June 2023 | Union Sheetmetal Journeyman — HVAC Construction | Layout, fabrication, welding, and crew leadership | Built discipline, precision, and a foundation of hard work. |
| June 2023 – Nov 2024 | Asset Protection Investigator — Walmart | Investigations, process auditing, and compliance | Learned to balance fairness, accountability, and data-driven decisions. |
| Nov 2024 – Present | Digital Team Lead — Walmart | People leadership, scheduling, and operational optimization | Leading with empathy, clarity, and sustainable systems. |
🧰 Skills & Tools of the Trade
I’ve never said no to learning — whether it was a new machine, a new metric, or a new mindset.
Every role added a few more tools to the belt:
🏗️ Construction & Technical Foundations
- Layout & Design:
- AutoCAD, Trimble laser layout, blueprint reading, precision fabrication.
- Metalwork & Welding:
- Certified welding (SMAW/GMAW/TIG), flat-metal layout, field installs.
- Project Coordination:
- Crew leadership, material logistics, job-site safety compliance.
Problem Solving Under Pressure: :Quick adaptation in variable field conditions and tight deadlines.
🕵️♂️ Asset Protection & Analysis
- Investigations & Auditing:
- Root-cause analysis, CCTV review, loss prevention techniques.
- Process Optimization:
- Identifying procedural gaps, policy enforcement, and accountability tracking.
- Data Interpretation:
- Pattern recognition, reporting accuracy, and documentation discipline.
💼 Digital Operations & Leadership
- Operational Tools:
- Walmart S2D/A2D dashboards, Spark systems, and Digital Backroom Board management.
- Data & Scheduling:
- Advanced Excel (COUNTIFS, conditional formatting, coverage heatmaps), Google Sheets automation.
- Team Development:
- Coaching frameworks, feedback systems, and peer mentoring.
- Process Design:
- Workflow mapping, KPI tracking, and performance visualization dashboards.
⚙️ General Systems & Tech
- Software:
- Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, Canva, Cloudflare, GitHub, and Hugo.
- Creative Tools:
- AI art platforms, design iteration for branding and visualization.
- Web & Data Management:
- Domain hosting, analytics setup, and content organization.
“A craftsman never stops refining his tools — or himself.”
🛠️ The Construction Years
Before leadership, I spent 11 years in the HVAC trade, working through the ranks to become a union journeyman and small-crew foreman.
Those years taught me:
- Precision and planning:
- Layouts, Trimble laser setups, and AutoCAD translation — every inch mattered.
- Accountability:
- Work had to be right the first time; safety and quality weren’t optional.
- Resilience:
- Long hours, heavy travel, and 3–4 hour daily commutes — but never missed a shift.
- Team ownership:
- Crews worked best when they trusted each other and their lead.
That experience built my foundation: a respect for the people doing the work and the discipline to see things through.
🕵️♂️ The Asset Protection Shift
When I joined Walmart Asset Protection, I learned a different side of operations — the systems that keep everything honest and efficient.
- Developed a sharp eye for process gaps and root causes rather than just symptoms.
- Learned to apply data with discretion — not every metric tells the whole story.
- Reinforced the importance of fairness: holding people accountable without losing empathy.
This period honed my investigative mindset and my ability to balance people with policy.
💼 The Digital Era — Leadership in Motion
As a Digital Team Lead, I took those lessons into leadership.
Today, I manage a large team in Walmart’s Online Grocery Pickup and Delivery space — a fast-paced, metric-driven environment where success depends on clear systems and trust.
What I focus on:
- Operational clarity: turning chaos into repeatable structure (coverage maps, dashboards, KPI tracking).
- People-first scheduling: no clopens, balanced weekends, fair rotations.
- Coaching and growth: guiding associates with respect, not pressure.
- Continuous improvement: refining A2D/S2D, prep and dispense flow, and ATC coordination.
Every process improvement starts with a question — what’s really slowing us down, and how do we fix it sustainably?
⚓ Leadership Philosophy — The Rising Tide
“A rising tide lifts all boats.”
That phrase defines my leadership.
When people feel supported, informed, and respected, their performance becomes sustainable — not forced.
My job is to create current: clear expectations, solid systems, and honest communication that carry everyone forward — from new hires to veterans, from metrics to morale.
🔥 Outside the Shift
Off the clock, I’m still a builder — just in different worlds.
I spend my downtime forging new ideas:
- Designing fantasy worlds and stories with my wife Sunny.
- Sketching weapon concepts and creating lore for our shared RP world.
- Experimenting with tools, spreadsheets, and systems that make work smarter and life simpler.
Theorycrafting.life is my forge — where leadership, creativity, and improvement all meet.
“Everything can be refined — systems, stories, and self.”