Sam Walton is a study in entrepreneurship and perseverance. At the same time, Sam was benevolent and cunning…and that’s why he was so beloved by his employees.

Sam received a BA in economics from the University of Missouri in 1940 and then served in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps from 1942 to 1945. He gained retail experience at JC Penney and operated a variety of stores in Newport and Bentonville, Arkansas, before opening his first Wal-Mart.

Inspired by the early success of his dime store and driven to bring even greater opportunity and value to his customers, Sam opened the first Wal-Mart in Rogers, AK, at the age of 44 (1962).

Sam’s journey was long and hard, but he kept picking away and picking away and was determined to fulfill his dream of serving his community. At first, the community could be defined in zip codes, and of course, in the end, it was global.

Woody Allen once muttered a quote that became famous: "Eighty percent of success is showing up." While Woody’s quote applies to most people, Sam shows what can happen when you show up 100% of the time!

Do the work, care about your customers, and keep going.

Here’s to Sam.