--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe I was born to be a merchant, maybe…" description: "\"Maybe I was born to be a merchant, maybe it was fate. I don't know about that. But I know this for sure: I loved retail from the very beginning.\" — Sam..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/sam-walton-4376_about_maybe-i-was-born-to-be-a-merchant-maybe_2417794.jpg" --- # Maybe I was born to be a merchant, maybe it was fate. I… ![“Maybe I was born to be a merchant, maybe it was fate. I don't know about that. But I know this for sure: I loved retail from the very beginning.” quote by Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/sam-walton-4376_about_maybe-i-was-born-to-be-a-merchant-maybe_2417794.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/sam-walton-4376_about_maybe-i-was-born-to-be-a-merchant-maybe_2417794.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/sam-walton-4376_about_maybe-i-was-born-to-be-a-merchant-maybe_2417794.jpg) > “Maybe I was born to be a merchant, maybe it was fate. I don't know about that. But I know this for sure: I loved retail from the very beginning.” [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. Describes a lifelong passion for retail, attributing it to destiny and personal love for the trade. **In simple terms:** Retail felt like destiny. Key Takeaway Pursue what you love. Themes entrepreneurship career passion Mood reflective inspirational Type career personal When to use this quote - starting a store - career change - customer service excellence Key Concepts business acumen personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What drives your career choice? - How can passion align with profit? A Different Perspective May ignore market realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Merchant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merchant/) [Retail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retail/) ## Related quotes > [I loved retail from the beginning, and I still love it today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/i-loved-retail-from-the-beginning-and-i-still-love-it-today/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [I always loved retail. I love the ideas behind it. I think small-business retail is one of the areas where capitalism works so wonderfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-lutke/i-always-loved-retail-i-love-the-ideas-behind-it-i-think-small/) [Tobias Lutke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-lutke/) > [I learned a lesson which has stuck with me all through the years: you can learn from everybody. I didn't just learn from reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/i-learned-a-lesson-which-has-stuck-with-me-all-through-the-years-you/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [We don't think of ourselves as a regional investment bank. We think of ourselves as merchant bankers with clients all over the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-stephens/we-don-t-think-of-ourselves-as-a-regional-investment-bank-we-think-of/) [Warren Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-stephens/) > [What prudent merchant will hazard his fortunes in any new branch of commerce when he knows not that his plans may be rendered unlawful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/what-prudent-merchant-will-hazard-his-fortunes-in-any-new-branch-of/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [The same relation exists between merchant and pirate, who for a long period are one and the same person: where the one function appears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-same-relation-exists-between-merchant-and-pirate-who-for-a-long/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [A. T. Stewart started life with a dollar and fifty cents. This merchant prince began by calling at the doors of houses in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grenville-kleiser/a-t-stewart-started-life-with-a-dollar-and-fifty-cents-this-merchant/) [Grenville Kleiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grenville-kleiser/) > [A merchant who approaches business with the idea of serving the public well has nothing to fear from the competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cash-penney/a-merchant-who-approaches-business-with-the-idea-of-serving-the/) [James Cash Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cash-penney/) > [We have the flexibility to work with any potential merchant partner across the globe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-schulman/we-have-the-flexibility-to-work-with-any-potential-merchant-partner/) [Dan Schulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-schulman/) > [I consider a merchant someone who has a certain intuition and instinct, and - very important - knows how to run a business, knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-drexler/i-consider-a-merchant-someone-who-has-a-certain-intuition-and/) [Millard Drexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-drexler/) > [No matter who reigns, the merchant reigns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/no-matter-who-reigns-the-merchant-reigns/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [I grew up with a posh English accent, and all my aunts sounded as if they came out of a Merchant Ivory movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/i-grew-up-with-a-posh-english-accent-and-all-my-aunts-sounded-as-if/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [To kick off a merchant is to censor ideas and interfere with the free exchange of products at the core of commerce. When we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-lutke/to-kick-off-a-merchant-is-to-censor-ideas-and-interfere-with-the-free/) [Tobias Lutke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-lutke/) > [A great merchant delivers both joy and profit. Then profit gets reinvested in more joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dunn/a-great-merchant-delivers-both-joy-and-profit-then-profit-gets/) [Andy Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dunn/) > [It isn't what a man's got in the bank, but what he's got in his head, that makes him a great merchant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/it-isn-t-what-a-man-s-got-in-the-bank-but-what-he-s-got-in-his-head/) [George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/) ## 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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It's terribly important for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/the-key-to-success-is-to-get-out-into-the-store-and-listen-to-what/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [I think my constant fiddling and meddling with the status quo may have been one of my biggest contributions to the later success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/i-think-my-constant-fiddling-and-meddling-with-the-status-quo-may/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [High expectations is the key to everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/high-expectations-is-the-key-to-everything/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [Exceed your customer's expectations. If you do, they'll come back over and over. 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