Entrepreneur quotes have the power to impart a lifetime of wisdom in a few short sentences. If you’re starting a business or trying to break free from the 9-5 rat race, you need to start collecting entrepreneur quotes to help place you in the right mindset to work harder, think smarter and take the fight to the competition.
Once you’ve read these quotes, you may also be interested in these seven motivational books if you’re up for digesting long-form knowledge.
The collection of entrepreneur quotes below will help supercharge your grind and boost your personal productivity. I’ve also added some context / background to help you get even more out of every quote.
Entrepreneur Quotes About Taking Action
Entrepreneurs are natural dreamers. They’re not happy with the way the world is, and they see a way to change it. And, better yet, they have a vision of making a ton of cash while serving the people around them.
The problem is that many entrepreneurs forget the most important step: getting started.
“The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.” – Nolan K Bushnell
If you forget to wake up from your daydream, that’s all your idea will ever become. It’s difficult to take action. It’s far more fun to close your eyes and envision a bright future. But opening your eyes, taking that first step and putting solutions into action will immediately separate you from the talkers. Be a person of action and you will never have a dull day in your life.
In addition to entrepreneur quotes, great movies can serve as motivation rehab for a depleted spirit. There is much to hate, but there’s also much to love about movies like The Wolf of Wallstreet. It’s a movie about a very determined and ruthless stock broker. The real man behind the movie is Jordan Belfort. And, if nothing else, he is successful.
You don’t have to apply his words below for evil. Ethical entrepreneurs can absolutely benefit from the fact that…
“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.” ― Jordan Belfort
Entrepreneur Quotes About Tenacity
The entrepreneurial rollercoaster is full of white knuckles, breathtaking highs and devastating lows. Entrepreneurs adopt a lifestyle of walking a tightrope without a net to catch them when they fall. This stress can grate away at the most tenacious of individuals. But the people that find a way to push through and adapt can achieve greatness.
“The 97% of people who quit too soon are employed by the 3% who never gave up.” – Unknown
Great entrepreneurs never limit their perspective. They will accept great advice from entrepreneurs, scientist, athletes and advocates. One of the greatest advocates for social justice was Martin Luther King Jr. The struggle that he undertook turned out to be deadly. He took on society’s strongest forces and demanded justice through inspired action.
His struggle proved to be fatal, but his dream has helped an entire nation evolve and leave much of the bigotry that defined his time in the rearview mirror. He never gave up. And entrepreneurs can learn a great deal from his example.
“If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Few members of the Billionaire Boys Club are more brash and outspoken than Mark Cuban. He tried his hand at entrepreneurship at a young age and even managed to run a bar into the ground after failing to check ID. But those setbacks only motivated him to keep going.
Eventually, he hopped on a trend that was irresistible to Yahoo. He took over AudioNet, an online company that made live streaming of sporting events available online. Yahoo purchased the company for a mind-numbing $5.7 billion in 1999.
“I’d rather be tired than broke.” – Mark Cuban
Entrepreneur Quotes About Attitude
Successful entrepreneurs are capable of determining their attitude. For me, during my most trying moments, I focus on adopting an attitude of gratitude. If I can find something to be thankful for during a difficult moment, I can keep pushing through those fleeting moments of despair.
Henry Ford adopted a strategy of learning by doing. His ability to maintain a sense of curiosity and an ability to take action allowed him to revolutionize the automotive industry. His fingerprints can still be found in the way companies manufacture products today.
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
Neil Patel is a hero to renegade digital marketers from around the world. He learned about entrepreneurship at a young age. He witnessed how his mother turned her daycare business into a profitable enterprise. And he poured that experience into understanding and sharing all there is to know about digital marketing.
“How you approach the world helps determine how successful you’ll be.” – Neil Patel
Entrepreneur Quotes About Difficult Choices
Our lives are the sum of our choices. We make millions of choices in our personal lives every day. But entrepreneurs have to make difficult decisions that impact their future, and the future of their company. The wrong choice could lead to layoffs. The right choice could lead to profits and growth.
If you’re going to put up with all the stress and bullshit that comes along with the decision to be an entrepreneur, it better revolve around something you’re passionate about. Steve Jobs was fired from his own company. He powered through and kept applying his unique talents to his craft because he loved what he was doing. The result of his passion and ability to make tough choices was a complete disruption of the personal computer, tablet and smartphone market.
“You’ve got to find what you love. And the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs
Elizabeth Kübler-Ross was a thought-leader in the space of near-death studies. She dedicated her life to understanding the psychology of those dealing with the death of a loved one, or their own near-death experience.
“I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word and thought throughout our lifetime.” – Elizabeth Kübler-Ross
Startups operate in a constant state of near-death. Entrepreneurs, no matter how successful, always have a few of their own near-death experiences to share. It’s a rough ride. For entrepreneurs, the choices we make can have an earth-shattering impact on the trajectory of our companies. Great leaders take responsibility and seek to learn from honest assessment before moving forward.
