It’s a point of connection neither would have considered just a few short years ago when Lansdowne was on an entirely different career path in the insurance industry.

“I was a project manager over the specialty team; we were called the issues team,” Lansdowne told the Standard-Examiner, explaining that her team assisted Medicare enrollees with problematic applications or underlying conditions to obtain insurance.

Like many, her workflow was disrupted during the pandemic, and she ultimately found herself working remotely. And while she adjusted to the situation and appreciated the elimination of her daily commute, Lansdowne came to realize she needed more out of her job.

“As time went on and you’re at home day in and day out, I got to a point to where I just wanted to be out and be active,” she said. “I really enjoy people and the public. … I still had a lot of interaction, but it was all over the phone. So, I just wanted to be back in the field, interacting with other people. And I’m just the type of person that enjoys helping people.”

So, having heard good things from family members who worked for the company, Lansdowne made the jump to Walmart just over a year ago. Her daughter — a junior at Ben Lomond with designs on starting her own business as an esthetician — followed her lead shortly thereafter.

“She just seemed happier,” Peterson said. “Not just stuck at home all the time.”

Now, they work in online grocery pickup and as a cashier, respectively. And while they aren’t clocking in and out at the same time every day, they say the shared work environment has brought them closer together.

“We have another bond,” Lansdowne said. “We’re experiencing the same thing, going through it together each day — our work life. We talk about all of our funny stories, good stories, the chaos that happens when it’s super busy or extremely slow.”

Despite working in different departments — most associates don’t even realize they’re related — they know many of the same people and hear about the same company updates. Occasionally, dinner table conversations become Walmart conversations.

They also relish those moments when their mutual employment situation affords them time they may not have shared otherwise.

“If she’s getting ready to come to work, I’ll try to take my break around that time so that we can just have that few minutes to talk with each other before her day starts,” Lansdowne said.

“We’re best friends. We love it; it’s fun,” Peterson said.