Successful Women Entrepreneurs Quotes

I've been lucky enough now in my life to meet all sorts of extraordinary and accomplished people - world leaders, inventors, musicians, astronauts, athletes, professors, entrepreneurs, artists and writers, pioneering doctors and researchers. Some (though not enough) of them are women. Some (though not enough) are black or of color. Some were born poor or have lives that to many of us would appear to have been unfairly heaped with adversity, and yet still they seem to operate as if they've had every advantage in the world. What I've learned is this: All of them have had doubters. Some continue to have roaring, stadium-sized collection of critics and naysayers who will shout I told you so at every little misstep or mistake. The noise doesn't go away, but the most successful people I know have figured out how to live with it, to lean on the people who believe in them, and to push onward with their goals.

If you sincerely want to be successful in life, all you need is one person to believe in you, and that one person should be YOU. As long as you genuinely believe in yourself, you can and will be a success. Your mindset is a powerful force! What you think and how you think will be the ultimate factor of your journey’s end.

Some women think being arrogant, selfish, bitter and looking down on others are qualities of being an Independent, strong, powerful and successful business women. No matter how high you are in life. Never look down on others and never forget humanity.

What does success mean to you?' Those are moments when I feel like I’m contributing something but I’m also receiving something. Reciprocity feels like success. (Melissa Harris-Perry)

You can take the smartest kid at Wharton, the one who gets straight A’s and has a 170 IQ, and if he doesn’t have the instincts, he’ll never be a successful entrepreneur. Moreover, most people who do have the instincts will never recognize that they do, because they don’t have the courage or the good fortune to discover their potential. Somewhere out there are a few men with more innate talent at golf than Jack Nicklaus, or women with greater ability at tennis than Chris Evert or Martina Navratilova, but they will never lift a club or swing a racket and therefore will never find out how great they could have been. Instead, they’ll be content to sit and watch stars perform on television.

Never, ever, ever, write off anything you’ve achieved as merely being lucky. You are not lucky: you are hard-working and capable. Don’t ever question it.

Love, compassion, care, listening, communicating—these aren’t secondary skills. They’re of primary importance.

Leadership is not about command and control: that’s for the army.

Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity.

Sorry, Sister. You're not “normal.” You're exceptional. You're a Bombshell. If this was easy, everyone would be a successful business owner.

All successful people have the same amount of time that you have each day.

I rely on six touch points to make myself feel whole: kids, love, business, health, travel, spirituality. If I touch them all each day, in varying intensities, I am successful.

They wanna know what team I’m on… TEAM SUCCEEDING.

If your brand lacks sensuality, it has got no power.

Success requires planning, structure, and consistency. If you step out into the world armed with only a vision, enthusiasm, and good vibes—you will encounter every challenge imaginable on the way to attain it.

Which of your traits are you most proud of? I’m proudest of my resiliency. I have had a tough life and have been through a lot. And I am still standing. And in spite of all the odds, I have found success and happiness.

Black female entrepreneurs don’t make excuses, we find solutions. We’re leaders, resourceful, ambitious, hardworking, and creative. We’re powerful, unstoppable, confident, smart, and fearless. We’re Exquisite Black Queens that represent Black Excellence… We are success! There’s no denying it… Black female entrepreneurs are resilient and we rock!

Never stop pushing for what you want! If something is truly important to you, stay diligent and find a way. Depending on whom you ask, the answer may be different. Never settle for the first answer! Do your own research, ask different people, go above other people’s head if you have to. Sometimes it’s necessary to push the envelope. Some people will purposely give you the wrong answer to try to stop you and/or hold you back. This, unfortunately, is a reality. Some people’s intentions are all wrong. Be mindful that not everyone will have your best interest at heart.

One way to get a life and keep it is to put energy into being an S&M (success and money) queen. I first heard this term in Karen Salmansohn’s fabulous book The 30-Day Plan to Whip Your Career Into Submission. Here’s how to do it: be a star at work. I don’t care if you flip burgers at McDonald’s or run a Fortune 500 company. Do everything with totality and excellence. Show up on time, all the time. Do what you say you will do. Contribute ideas. Take care of the people around you. Solve problems. Be an agent for change. Invest in being the best in your industry or the best in the world! If you’ve been thinking about changing professions, that’s even more reason to be a star at your current job. Operating with excellence now will get you back up to speed mentally and energetically so you can hit the ground running in your new position. It will also create good karma. When and if you finally do leave, your current employers will be happy to support you with a great reference and often leave an open door for additional work in the future. If you’re an entrepreneur, look at ways to enhance your business. Is there a new product or service you’ve wanted to offer? How can you create raving fans by making your customer service sparkle? How can you reach more people with your product or service? Can you impact thousands or even millions more? Let’s not forget the M in S&M. Getting a life and keeping it includes having strong financial health as well. This area is crucial because many women delay taking charge of their financial lives as they believe (or have been culturally conditioned to believe) that a man will come along and take care of it for them. This is a setup for disaster. You are an intelligent and capable woman. If you want to fully unleash your irresistibility, invest in your financial health now and don’t stop once you get involved in a relationship. If money management is a challenge for you, I highly recommend my favorite financial coach: David Bach. He is the bestselling author of many books, including The Automatic Millionaire, Smart Women Finish Rich, and Smart Couples Finish Rich. His advice is clear-cut and straightforward, and, most important, it works.

Success in entrepreneurship is very much like a game—part chess match, part poker tournament, and part schoolyard soccer competition. You’ve got to make decisive moves in a really strategic way, bluff on occasion when you want others to think that you have a better hand, and pass the ball to and from teammates to hit your goals. Sometimes, it will be a straight line to a quick score, and at other times, you will have to double back, up the ante, and formulate a new plan.

You can never follow exactly what someone else did and expect it to work. You have to find your own route, leaning heavily on your confidence, trial and error, patience and persistence. It’s about 90 percent hard work and 10 percent timing and luck.

Listen to what your environment is telling you and let discouraging events push you toward more positive ones. Adjust your perspective and uncover the silver lining!

Customers want to bond with a brand on a deeper level. They want you to be their BFF, Sherpa, and cheerleader all in one.

Don’t spin your wheels chasing after something that is not meant to be. There is something else better that is just around the corner, and it’s got your name on it in ALL CAPS!

As a business leader, you must also pay it forward and give it backward.

Networking is a deposit in the bank of your future and in your startup. It won’t happen immediately, but if you do it right, you will continue to receive its dividends for years. I, for one, can network with the best of them! You can too.

Tackle the “meh” first.

I'm extremely crazy that life throws money at me instead of lemons, given that I own lemon farms from the previous lemon it threw at me.

Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart, but it’s satisfying as hell.

Transparency is always necessary, even when it may cost you everything you’ve built.

Integrity is critical. Do whatever you can to build and preserve your integrity, and surround yourself with people who require it.

Confidence matters. Figure out what makes you extraordinary and capitalize on it.

Ask directly for help. You want to achieve things, and your mentors can only help if they know you need it.

It was like a shot in the arm of purpose and passion, a timely reminder of our mission and the value we could bring to the world.

Leadership manifests itself at different times in different ways. And as a leader you need to figure out what role you need to play in each situation.

We all make mistakes, and life throws us all curveballs. The critical thing is how we deal with them.

Bend don’t break. Being soft is powerful. You don’t need to be “tough” to be an effective leader.

If there’s one thing you can do to demonstrate, in action, that you’re serious about your start-up, it’s this: quit your day job.

Charlatans are like poisonous mosquitoes dressed as butterflies.

Ambiguity is the enemy. Set clear expectations of whatever deal or relationship you are entering into.

When leaders become isolated, they stop getting critical feedback.

Be resilient. You will have major setbacks. Know they are coming and don’t let them stop you.

Those with integrity acknowledge their missteps and grow from them.

Recognizing and instilling a culture of dignity matters.

Helping people grow is the surest way to foster loyalty, engagement, and passion.

Inspiration is key. Allow people to have fun, encourage enjoyment, and require growth.

It’s not just win or lose—the process is what matters.

Being flexible and, more important, empathetic, in business partnerships is essential.

Showing people who you are and being vulnerable is actually a strength.

The things that have helped me grow to be softer have actually made me more powerful.

Know your values. Being true to yourself is a critical part of being a leader.

VCs will argue that many female entrepreneurs are guilty of underselling themselves. Investors have told me that women often focus on pitching their skills, data, and metrics rather than selling a big vision, something men are more comfortable doing. That vision may be grandiose and nearly impossible to achieve, but it sure sounds good. Investors want to fund outsize successes, and telling a good story is critical. That’s why you will often hear investors say they fund people instead of ideas.

Entrepreneurs are innovators, visionaries—generators of new ideas turning into coinage

Entrepreneurs, let’s begin to turn our desire and design into reward.

We all have a little entrepreneur inside of us. Wanting to leverage it is what gives us an entrepreneurial spirit and an entrepreneurial mind. Actually doing it makes one an entrepreneur.

A Bombshell’s constant struggle is living up to her God given potential while also battling in her mind the difference between her expectations and the world’s expectations.

A Bombshell wants it all, yet she is beginning to see she can’t have it all at once.

The concept of “work-life balance” is a fleeting idea for a Bombshell. Instead, a focus on work-life success—where her time and energy shifts based on the rotating demands of each area of her life—is far more realistic.

Find another solution. That’s how you move toward success.

Remember, you are not aspiring for perfection, Bombshell. You are aspiring for progress, one step at a time.

People that blatantly lie, cheat, steal, or manipulate other people to become successful seriously lack any kind of integrity. It amazes me how some people hold their head up high and walk around like they’re all of that, knowing that they wouldn’t be where they are today or have what they have if it wasn’t for some kind of corruption on their part. You shouldn’t have to do any of those things to get ahead. I am greatness! I vow to NOT compromise my character in any way, shape, or form while building my empire. I represent excellence and I have no desire to be anything less.

In November 2011, San Francisco magazine ran a story on female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and illustrated it by superimposing the featured women's heads onto male bodies. The only body type they could imagine for successful entrepreneurship was wearing a tie or a hoodie. Our culture needs to find a robust image of female success that is first, not male, and second, not a white woman on the phone, holding a crying baby.

As a Shark, I’ve been in the tank with these entrepreneurs and I can tell you Rachel gets right to the heart of how they succeeded,” said Barbara Corcoran in her endorsement of the book. “‘Shark Tank MOMpreneurs’ is a must read for anyone looking to learn the inside secrets of getting on ‘Shark Tank’ and landing a deal, or getting the publicity that’s essential for any successful business.

People who achieve great success do so by persistently and successfully meeting the challenges on The Path. Their stories are found in ancient mythology, classic and modern literature, virtually all genres of fiction, great movies, the sacred writings of the world religions, the biographies of great men and women, the lives of successful business people, entrepreneurs, teachers, parents, and the stories of “regular people” who have paid the price of greatness.

You should also know that whatever your gift is, nobody can do it quite like you. One of the biggest traps we fall into as women is the comparison trap, the “she’s got it all” trap, the “she has more fans” trap, or the “she’s making more money” trap. We tend to stack ourselves up against everyone else and pick ourselves apart based on what other people are doing. This practice does nothing to make us better,

It is critical to unearth and understand our stories – both as individuals and as entrepreneurs. Once we do that, make peace with it, and embrace it, not only can we live empowered, transformed, and fulfilling lives, we can help others do that too as models and as guides." p. 29

My dad used to tell me, whatever everyone else is doing, do the complete opposite.

Your mindset determines your success. Believe in your abilities and you will achieve greatness.

Don't let failure define you. Let it be a stepping stone to your success.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.

A positive mindset can turn any obstacle into an opportunity. Believe in the power of positivity and you will achieve success.

In my opinion, there is never a wrong time to start a company, and it is never too late to reinvent yourself. In 2017, 82 percent of new entrepreneurs were over forty years old, and 18 percent were over sixty. In addition, women owned 40 percent of all companies, up from just 4 percent in 1972. Since 2007, the number of women-owned businesses has surged 58 percent, while total businesses have only increased 12 percent. Further, technology has freed us from being slaves to a building. We can work from anywhere, even while traveling, and we can sell to anywhere and to anyone. In the United States, 69 percent of entrepreneurs start their businesses at home.

So why do women keep falling victim to the trap of jealousy, comparison, negativity and cattiness?

She went to the spiritual gym. She constantly read books by other entrepreneurs, she had pictures taped to her walls of women who’d done stuff like run successful restaurants in war zones, she memorized poems, meditated, and constantly reminded herself that uncertainty is part of the process. Everyone

The way a woman lives is essential to her business growth. That's why living a sensual lifestyle is key to her professional success, not just to her personal life.

For decades now, the venture industry has been dominated by white men who invest in white men, who are successful and reinforce this idea that it’s this very specific set of people who are great entrepreneurs and who will make money for your companies, for your funds. Now, what would happen if, for a year, venture capitalists only invested in companies run by Black women who went to Tennessee State University, where Oprah Winfrey went? Well, the only companies that made any money for them from that year would be TSU alumnae.

two days of pay on the first-year anniversary grew to four weeks of pay by the tenth-year anniversary. Additionally, five-year employment anniversaries were celebrated with a cake, ten years with a monogrammed silver platter with the name Pepperidge Farm and the date inscribed on the bottom, and fifteen years with a monogrammed

David and Neil were MBA students at the Wharton School when the cash-strapped David lost his eyeglasses and had to pay $700 for replacements. That got them thinking: Could there be a better way? Neil had previously worked for a nonprofit, VisionSpring, that trained poor women in the developing world to start businesses offering eye exams and selling glasses that were affordable to people making less than four dollars a day. He had helped expand the nonprofit’s presence to ten countries, supporting thousands of female entrepreneurs and boosting the organization’s staff from two to thirty. At the time, it hadn’t occurred to Neil that an idea birthed in the nonprofit sector could be transferred to the private sector. But later at Wharton, as he and David considered entering the eyeglass business, after being shocked by the high cost of replacing David’s glasses, they decided they were out to build more than a company—they were on a social mission as well. They asked a simple question: Why had no one ever sold eyeglasses online? Well, because some believed it was impossible. For one thing, the eyeglass industry operated under a near monopoly that controlled the sales pipeline and price points. That these high prices would be passed on to consumers went unquestioned, even if that meant some people would go without glasses altogether. For another, people didn’t really want to buy a product as carefully calibrated and individualized as glasses online. Besides, how could an online company even work? David and Neil would have to be able to offer stylish frames, a perfect fit, and various options for prescriptions. With a $2,500 seed investment from Wharton’s Venture Initiation Program, David and Neil launched their company in 2010 with a selection of styles, a low price of $95, and a hip marketing program. (They named the company Warby Parker after two characters in a Jack Kerouac novel.) Within a month, they’d sold out all their stock and had a 20,000-person waiting list. Within a year, they’d received serious funding. They kept perfecting their concept, offering an innovative home try-on program, a collection of boutique retail outlets, and an eye test app for distance vision. Today Warby Parker is valued at $1.75 billion, with 1,400 employees and 65 retail stores. It’s no surprise that Neil and David continued to use Warby Parker’s success to deliver eyeglasses to those in need. The company’s Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program is unique: instead of simply providing free eyeglasses, Warby Parker trains and equips entrepreneurs in developing countries to sell the glasses they’re given. To date, 4 million pairs of glasses have been distributed through Warby Parker’s program. This dual commitment to inexpensive eyewear for all, paired with a program to improve access to eyewear for the global poor, makes Warby Parker an exemplary assumption-busting social enterprise.

There is so much we can learn from each other. Nobody has everything figured out. I can promise you that if you’re feeling envious of another woman, there is another woman feeling envious of you. There’s a quote by Kelly Clarkson that I love: “I wish I had a better metabolism. But someone else probably wishes they could walk into a room and make friends with everyone like I can. You always want what someone else has.” If you learn to appreciate the women out there who are doing amazing things, you open up a word of possibility for yourself. Stop wasting your energy hating on another female, and instead, send her love. The moment you do this, I can guarantee you will feel a shift in your bones that is almost indescribable. GIRL CODE: Secret If she can have it, I can too.

Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.” – Lady Gaga

One of the common threads you’ll see among the women I interviewed in this book, and among the many successful female entrepreneurs, is that when asked what is inspiring them right now, the answer is themselves. Strong and successful women do not wait for inspiration to strike; they become their own inspiration. They are fiercely motivated by their own journeys. When I look back on my own life, I am very impressed with how I’ve built myself back up after so many difficult times. My twenties were a major growth period for me, plagued with insecurity and self-doubt for much of that time. I spent a long time in a relationship where I allowed myself to be manipulated and controlled; my self-esteem was shredded to pieces by

You’re not behind—you’re just living your own story. Stop chasing someone else’s timeline and start trusting your own pace.

The finish line isn’t moving. You’re not stuck. Progress isn’t about how fast you go; it’s about who you’re becoming along the way.

Progress isn’t measured by checkboxes—it’s found in the moments where you keep showing up, even when it feels hard.

What if success isn’t about doing more, but about appreciating how far you’ve already come? Give yourself credit—you’ve earned it.

Comparison only steals your focus. Stay in your lane and watch your own magic unfold.