--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the beginning, I was so chintzy I…" description: "\"In the beginning, I was so chintzy I really didn't pay my employees well.\" — Sam Walton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/sam-walton-4376_beginning_in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-real_2489971.jpg" --- # In the beginning, I was so chintzy I really didn't pay my… ![“In the beginning, I was so chintzy I really didn't pay my employees well.” quote by Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/sam-walton-4376_beginning_in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-real_2489971.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/sam-walton-4376_beginning_in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-real_2489971.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/sam-walton-4376_beginning_in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-real_2489971.jpg) > “In the beginning, I was so chintzy I really didn't pay my employees well.” [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He admits early neglect of fair wages, highlighting the importance of valuing employees from the start. **In simple terms:** He was cheap and underpaid staff initially. Key Takeaway Pay fairly from day one. Themes fairness leadership employee value Mood reflective critical Type business leadership When to use this quote - startup phase - HR policy - budget planning Key Concepts business ethics pay equity Questions to Reflect On - How would you adjust compensation early? - What impact does fair pay have on culture? A Different Perspective Neglecting wages can damage morale and retention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Beginning Chintzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-chintzy-955152/) [Chintzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chintzy-955154/) [Chintzy Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chintzy-really-955153/) [Employees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employees/) [In the beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/in-the-beginning/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay Employees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-employees-955155/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Really Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-didn/) [Well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well/) ## Related quotes > [The great irony of executive compensation is, if you pay your employees more, you're gonna create more demand for your goods and services! Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/the-great-irony-of-executive-compensation-is-if-you-pay-your/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [Twice I had to sell my house to pay my employees' salary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhou-qunfei/twice-i-had-to-sell-my-house-to-pay-my-employees-salary/) [Zhou Qunfei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhou-qunfei/) > [Cleaning companies often pay their employees less than a living wage and offer no sick days or health insurance. My years of working for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-land/cleaning-companies-often-pay-their-employees-less-than-a-living-wage/) [Stephanie Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-land/) > [The number one way to get trust back is to pay your employees well and get them to speak well about the company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-edelman/the-number-one-way-to-get-trust-back-is-to-pay-your-employees-well/) [Richard Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-edelman/) > [American managers often say they would like to pay their employees more, they argue that they can't afford to do so and, at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-o-toole/american-managers-often-say-they-would-like-to-pay-their-employees/) [James O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-o-toole/) > [I really didn't want to become branded as 'that multistructural guy.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-really-didn-t-want-to-become-branded-as-that-multistructural-guy/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [To be honest I don't really know because I really didn't care when I was writing about mixing up reality with what was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-marceau/to-be-honest-i-don-t-really-know-because-i-really-didn-t-care-when-i/) [Sophie Marceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-marceau/) > [I really didn't consider myself happy or unhappy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/i-really-didn-t-consider-myself-happy-or-unhappy/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [I really didn't ever think we'd get back together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-caffey/i-really-didn-t-ever-think-we-d-get-back-together/) [Charlotte Caffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-caffey/) > [I really didn't grow up with a lot of Superman stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hoechlin/i-really-didn-t-grow-up-with-a-lot-of-superman-stuff/) [Tyler Hoechlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hoechlin/) > [“They didn't take anything I did seriously; it was all some trivial, mildly annoying side activity that I insisted on for some reason, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-batuman/they-didn-t-take-anything-i-did-seriously-it-was-all-some-trivial/) [Elif Batuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-batuman/) > [Me, coming from a low-income background, I really didn't take my studies serious as a young kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-ha-clinton-dix/me-coming-from-a-low-income-background-i-really-didn-t-take-my/) [Ha Ha Clinton-Dix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-ha-clinton-dix/) > [After 'Zeher' I wanted to actually act. I really didn't have drive to be honest before that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shamita-shetty/after-zeher-i-wanted-to-actually-act-i-really-didn-t-have-drive-to-be/) [Shamita Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shamita-shetty/) > [I really didn't think this was going to be a success. We did the first three episodes and I said to Adam, 'I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-really-didn-t-think-this-was-going-to-be-a-success-we-did-the-first/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [I really didn't think anything would come out of doing stand-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-widdicombe/i-really-didn-t-think-anything-would-come-out-of-doing-stand-up/) [Josh Widdicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-widdicombe/) ## More by Sam Walton > [It is unhealthy to marinate in your own press clippings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/it-is-unhealthy-to-marinate-in-your-own-press-clippings/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [Loosen up, and everybody around you will loosen up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/loosen-up-and-everybody-around-you-will-loosen-up/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [All of us profit from being corrected - if we're corrected in a positive way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/all-of-us-profit-from-being-corrected-if-we-re-corrected-in-a/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [The secret of successful retailing is to give your customers what they want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/the-secret-of-successful-retailing-is-to-give-your-customers-what/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [If I had to single out one element in my life that has made a difference for me, it would be a passion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/if-i-had-to-single-out-one-element-in-my-life-that-has-made-a/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [We're all working together; that's the secret. 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Give them what they want - and a little more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/exceed-your-customer-s-expectations-if-you-do-they-ll-come-back-over/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They're absolutely free and worth a fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/nothing-else-can-quite-substitute-for-a-few-well-chosen-well-timed/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [I was asked what I thought about the recession. 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At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) [Adam Imad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-imad/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The only vocal training I had was playing with a tape recorder as a kid, and you know, doing the beginning of the 'Lone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/the-only-vocal-training-i-had-was-playing-with-a-tape-recorder-as-a/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [January is the beginning of a new year for us in the Western world. Let us give to God what belongs to him: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/january-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-year-for-us-in-the-western-world/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) [Manae Poet Of Carisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manae-poet-of-carisis/) > [From the beginning at Intel, we planned on being big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-noyce/from-the-beginning-at-intel-we-planned-on-being-big/) [Robert Noyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-noyce/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Some projects feel like the stars are aligning for them from the very beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-smith/some-projects-feel-like-the-stars-are-aligning-for-them-from-the-very/) [Gregory Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-smith/) > [Do not judge me by my beginning, Only by my end, Nor by the path I took, But where it led me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacklyn-h-lucas/do-not-judge-me-by-my-beginning-only-by-my-end-nor-by-the-path-i-took/) [Jacklyn H Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacklyn-h-lucas/) [Browse all 3,566 Beginning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the beginning, I was so chintzy I really didn't pay my employees well.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Walton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-really-didn-t-pay-my-employees/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beginning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-really-didn-t-pay-my-employees/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/sam-walton-4376_beginning_in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-real_2489971.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/sam-walton-4376_beginning_in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-real_2489971.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/sam-walton-4376_beginning_in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-real_2489971.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the beginning, I was so chintzy I really didn't pay my employees well.” — Sam Walton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sam Walton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In the beginning, I was so...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-really-didn-t-pay-my-employees/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/in-the-beginning-i-was-so-chintzy-i-really-didn-t-pay-my-employees/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```