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Before Sam Walton became one of the most successful merchants in American history, he was a young man growing up during the Great Depression, learning the value of hard work, competition, and the almighty dollar.
In Part 1 of our eight-part series on the deeply driven life of Sam Walton, we go back to the beginning to uncover the people, events, and early experiences that helped shape the man.
We follow Sam through his childhood in Missouri, where he watches his father repossess farms during the Depression and learns from his mother's strong belief in hard work and aiming high. From earning his Eagle Scout badge to winning state championships in high school, Sam develops a deep love of competition and an expectation that he can win.
While attending the University of Missouri, he builds a small newspaper delivery business to pay his way through school. Then, in 1940, he lands a management trainee position at J.C. Penney, where he discovers something that will stay with him for the rest of his life: a love of retailing.
Along the way, we meet Helen Robson, the woman who will become Sam's wife and one of the most important influences on his future. Her insistence on living in a small town sends the young couple to Newport, Arkansas, where Sam buys his first Ben Franklin variety store in 1945.
And this is where things get interesting.
Across the street sits a much stronger competitor, run by an experienced merchant named John Dunham. Rather than shy away, Sam begins studying him, borrowing his best ideas, and finding new ways to buy merchandise cheaper and sell more of it.
Within five years, Sam builds his struggling little store into the leading Ben Franklin operation in a six state region.
Life looks good.
Until one costly mistake threatens to take everything away.
Drawing from Sam Walton's autobiography, Made in America, and Vance H. Trimble's biography, Sam Walton: The Inside Story of America's Richest Man, we explore the early drive, curiosity, and competitive spirit of a man who simply refused to quit.
This is the story of Sam Walton before the empire, when winning was not always enough and losing was just the start of something new.
Our First Episode on Sam Walton
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