18 Famous Quotes From Renowned Entrepreneurs: Inspiration for 2023
Life can be stressful in the business world. Thankfully, many renowned entrepreneurs shared their wisdom to motivate you to succeed. Here are 18 famous quotes from some of the best at what they did.
- “We shine bright so that others may shine brighter.” – Yohancé Salimu
The CEO and founder of Normalize Greatness Global is, Yohancé Salimu uses his business to help others reach their full potential. Our businesses aren’t just for us, they offer a product or service that impacts the world. Your example can inspire others to follow their dreams and create positive change.
- “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Walt Disney
You might fantasize about being successful but are too afraid to take the first step. The founder of one of the largest entertainment companies in the world knew you’d never reach your goals without being brave enough to leap.
- “Anything that is not right, whether it temporarily favors the employees or the employers, cannot last because it is not right.” — Henry Ford
Henry Ford — a famous industrialist and founder of Ford Motor Company — knew something about making a sustainable investment. As an entrepreneur, taking the easy way out of struggles is tempting, but the wrong solution will almost always come back to bite you.
- “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Rohn
Entrepreneur and self-made millionaire John Rohn was a firm believer in self-discipline. Dreaming alone doesn’t guide success. THe motivation to succeed should inspire habits that help you make the most of each day.
- “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison
ne of the most famous inventors of all time, Thomas Edison’s success was partly due to his refusal to give up. Every failure is an opportunity to learn and improve.
- “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” — Warren Buffet
Warren Buffet’s advice shows how hard work can benefit your future family and company. You want to build a business that will outlive you and by putting in the effort, you plant the tree that will shade your legacy.
- “Because, you know, resilience — if you think of it in terms of the Gold Rush, then you’d be pretty depressed right now because the last nugget of gold would be gone. But the good thing is, with innovation, there isn’t a last nugget. Every new thing creates two new questions and two new opportunities.” — Jeff Bezos
Famous for founding Amazon, Jeff Bezos strives for innovation. It’s that motivation that helped him turn the company from an online bookstore to the largest e-commerce platform in the world.
- “Don’t try to have it all. Aim for what matters most and what you’re willing to consistently work for. Don’t judge yourself and don’t judge others. Help other women lift each other up.” – Jessica Herrin
Jessica Herrin is the CEO of jewelry company Stella&Dot faced challenges as a woman in Silicon Valley before reaching success. She emphasizes trusting your instincts and not waiting until everything is lined up perfectly – you may never get there.
- “I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them!” — Madame CJ Walker
The first female self-made millionaire had to overcome many challenges to earn her success. However, Madame CJ Walker used her experience to motivate others to pave their way.
- “You are where you are today because you stand on somebody’s shoulders. And wherever you are heading, you cannot get there by yourself. If you stand on the shoulders of others, you have a reciprocal responsibility to live your life so that others may stand on your shoulders. It’s the quid pro quo of life. We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.” – Vernon Jordan
A successful business executive and activist, Vernon Jordan illustrated that no successful person exists without the guidance of others. It’s important to show appreciation for the people who paved the path for you and to be an example for the future.
- “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” — Bill Gates
Bill Gates — as the co-founder of Microsoft and at the forefront of the early internet — knows something about complaints. He partially attributes his success to these unhappy customers, whose feedback he used to improve his product.
- “Show me a person who never made a mistake, and I will show you a person who never did anything.” — William Rosenberg
Everyone makes mistakes and business mistakes can be costly. The founder of Dunkin Donuts — William Rosenberg — urged entrepreneurs not to give up. Taking risks means making some mistakes.
- “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs left an unchanging mark on the world through the development of the Macbook and iPhone. An idea like a home computer or smartphone might seem crazy at first but with the right amount of confidence, you could turn your far-fetched idea into success.
- “As a CEO, I am finding that I have to become a learning CEO. I have to go to school all the time because I am learning new skills that I need to run this company and I am realizing that I am not equipped to just coast. I have to constantly renew my skills.” – Indra Nooyi
Former Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi emphasizes the importance of learning. Don’t feel discouraged about not knowing how to tackle something. Even the most successful entrepreneurs have lessons to still learn.
- “The most dangerous poison is the feeling of achievement. The antidote is to every evening think what can be done better tomorrow.” — Ingvar Kamprad
This is the man who founded IKEA, so it’s safe to say Ingvar Kamprad knows a thing or two about achievement. However, he also emphasizes the importance of working toward improvement. Without it, you could end up in a slump and stop you and your business from improving.
- “Don’t get distracted. Never tell yourself that you need to be the biggest brand in the whole world. Start by working on what you need at the present moment and then what you need to do tomorrow. So, set yourself manageable targets.” — Jas Bagniewski
Jas Bagniewski understands the pressure to make your investment seem worthwhile as the founder of intimacy platform Lover. However, if you focus too much on a far-away goal, you’ll lose the motivation to work toward it. By focusing on the present and breaking up your long-term goals into short ones, you feel and become more successful.
- “In the age of transparency, honesty, and generosity, even in the form of an apology, generate goodwill.” — Alexander Asseily
In business, it’s tempting to hide your mistakes from the world and focus solely on profit. However, honesty and generosity are things Alexander Asselly believes are the key to success. Throughout the years, he’s used these values as a co-founder of women’s health brand Elvie, which works to provide real customer results.
- “If you tune it so that you have zero chance of failure, you usually also have zero chance of success. The key is to look at ways for when you get to your failure checkpoint, you know to stop.” — Reid Hoffman
Co-founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman knows a thing or two about success and the fear of failure. When it launched in 2003, the internet was still new and there wasn’t a prominent platform connecting professionals the way LinkedIn does. Thanks to the risk he took, it’s now the top social network for businesses worldwide, with more than 900 million members.
Gaining Inspiration from Successful Entrepreneurs
By listening to the people who used to be where you are, you can gain the knowledge and faith you need to be successful in business.
