21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
Leaders of companies big and small share the mindset it takes to achieve your dreams in the face of all obstacles.
Mathieu Rivrin | Getty Images
True, being an entrepreneur can be exhausting, lonely, frustrating and terrifying. But it’s worth every drop of blood, sweat and tears when you are pursuing your passion, turning your dream into a reality.
In an ongoing series called Real Entrepreneurs, we pick the brains of founders and leaders about what it is like to have every decision big and small rest on their shoulders and have compiled their thoughts on what it takes to succeed on the long, sometimes crazy journey of an entrepreneur.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
1. “The reality is there’s an element of risk and luck in anything that you do. But I find that with disciplined risk, you’re either winning and succeeding or you’re learning. And that’s really the foundation to evolving and growing as a business.”
Shirley Chen
Shirley Chen, founder of Narrativ
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
2. “Being an entrepreneur means one word: freedom. I have the ability to chart my own course and pursue what I’m passionate about.”
Brandon Webb
Brandon Webb, former Navy SEAL and head sniper instructor, founder of Hurricane Group, a digital media publishing and e-commerce (subscription box CrateClub) business
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
3. “The word to me is synonymous with ‘hustler.’ As an entrepreneur, you cannot be afraid to put yourself and your ideas out there and figure out how to give them life.”
Lisa Barnett
Lisa Barnett, co-founder and CMO of Little Spoon, a fresh, direct-to-your-door baby food company.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
4. “Most successful people reflect daily. It gives our brain a chance to pause the chaos with conscious thought of our previous actions and to hopefully derive meaning/learning from those moments! But only if you’re honest with yourself!”
Mario Armstrong
Mario Armstrong, serial entrepreneur and host of The Never Settle Show
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
5. “Entrepreneurs cross the fine line between crazy and genius.”
Greg Berry, who launched the meal kit company BurgaBox.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
6. “Being an entrepreneur is following your passion and finding a profit in it. You spend 70% of your life at work, you better love what you do.”
Victoria Cairl, VP of Business Development at Show-Score.com, a Broadway theater ticket and community startup.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
7. “An entrepreneur is someone who sees a need in the market and does something about it, rather than just sitting on the sidelines.”
Anne Reilly, Founder/CEO of Mott50, the first anti-aging fashion collection with built-in sun protection. Read her full interview here.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
8. “It is about having a vision and mission that is bigger than me.”
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
9. “Being in the military taught me to risk it all early and to risk it all often.”
Andrew Weins
Andrew Weins and I am the owner and operator of the Menomonee Falls, WI territory of JDog Junk Removal & Hauling
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
10. “We have to slow down, particularly women who have been taught to overachieve in every single endeavor. They believe they have to be outstanding every single day at being a parent, spouse, and contributor at work. If you are trying to do that, you are going to crash and burn, and very likely not be outstanding at any of it.”
Paul Morigi | Getty Images
Ursula Burns, former CEO and Chair of Xerox, Uber board member and former leader of President Obama’s national program on STEM education
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
11. “An entrepreneur is someone who gets shit done.”
Husband-wife team Jason Payne (CEO) and Lindsay Reinsmith (COO), who launched Ada Diamonds, a Silicon Valley bespoke fine jeweler of lab-grown diamonds. Read their full interview here.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
12. “Being an entrepreneur means to be an artist of life. To be willing to take big risks, because of the deep belief in creating things that matter.”
Grace Kraaijvanger
Grace Kraaijvanger, founder of The Hivery, a creative and collaborative coworking space designed to support women throughout all phases and stages of their professional lives
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
13. “You gotta succeed. If you’re not succeeding, you’re not recruiting anybody.”
Cody Pickens
Tristan Walker, founder and CEO of Walker & Company Brands, a health and beauty company
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
14. “An entrepreneur is someone who has the passion and courage to try something that’s never been done before.”
Jim Patterson, CEO of Eaze, a marijuana technology company that connects people with doctors and dispensaries to deliver medical marijuana in 20 minutes or less. Read his full interview here.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
15. “Entrepreneurship is about solving problems, not getting fixated on them.”
Harold Clarke, a real estate broker and the owner of Luxury Big Island by Harold Clarke. Read his full interview here.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
16. “Being an entrepreneur is different than starting and quickly exiting a startup. I think entrepreneurs create long-term companies and jobs.”
Chrissy Crawford Corredor, Founder and CEO of ArtStar, an online platform for discovering and collecting contemporary art. Read her full interview here.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
17. “When you’re an entrepreneur, you have to understand that no one is going to swoop in and save the day. You have to enjoy solving problems for your customers and for your business.”
Ranger Up
Nick Palmisciano, founder and President of Ranger Up apparel and media company
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
18. “As an entrepreneurs, you have a fire burning inside your belly, a vision and a dream that you will do anything and everything in your power to bring to life.”
Willie Degel, Founder and CEO of the New York-based Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse chain. Read his full interview here.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
19. “Entrepreneurship is about the fight — the process of getting your product and service in the hands of consumers and building a company along the way.”
Jon Snyder, CEO and Co-Founder of Contenders, a licensed apparel company. Read his full interview here.
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
20. “You have to do more than just your role. You have put on a lot of different hats and do a lot of different jobs that are outside of your daily tasks.”
Linda Jiang
Linda Jiang, head of industrial design at Essential Products
21 Inspiring Quotes About Success, Persistence and What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur
21. “I think the best entrepreneurs are able to create win-wins that lead to sustainable business growth and economics.”
Luke’s Lobster
Luke Holden, CEO of Luke’s Lobster
More Slideshows
Published at Fri, 19 Jan 2018 14:30:00 +0000
