10 Quotes from Successful Entrepreneurs Without a College Degree
What is now being considered an old tradition is what our parents and grandparents did, “go to a good school and get a job at a good company”, and the more benefits they give you, the better!
Fewer and fewer companies are offering those cushy benefits, however, and it seems impossible to land one of the jobs our parents have tried to push us towards. This has become the age of entrepreneurs, where everyone wants to be their own thing, make their own money their own way, with something they’re actually passionate about and are excited to do every day.
Here are a few motivating quotes from a handful of some hugely successful entrepreneurs who did not finish (or attend) college, did their own thing, worked their butts off, made sacrifices, and most importantly took massive ACTION to accomplish their very specific GOALS, no matter how many people told them they were crazy and were wasting their time when they should have been “at school”.
Steve Jobs
(Apple co-founder, dropped out of college)
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because of almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”
“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, 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. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
Richard Branson
(Virgin Records, Virgin Airways, etc, dropped out of high school, dyslexia)
“Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.”
“My general attitude to life is to enjoy every minute of every day. I never do anything with a feeling of, ‘Oh God, I’ve got to do this today.'”
“Above all, you want to create something you are proud of. That’s always been my philosophy of business. I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive, then I believe you are better off doing nothing.”
Henry Ford
(founder of Ford Motor Vehicles, was trained as a machinist)
“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do”
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”
“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.”
Dave Thomas
(Wendy’s founder, dropped out of high school)
“You earn your reputation by the things you do every day.”
“What’s the secret to success? It’s no secret. You need a winning attitude, honesty and integrity, and a burning desire to succeed.”
“I think the harder you work, the more luck you have.”
“Hard work is good for the soul, and it keeps you from feeling sorry for yourself because you don’t have time.”
“Share your success and help others succeed. Give everyone a chance to have a piece of the pie. If the pie’s not big enough, make a bigger pie.”
Michael Dell
(Dell computers founder, dropped out of college)
“You don’t have to be a genius or a visionary or even a college graduate to be successful. You just need a framework and a dream.”
“You can’t be afraid to fail because that’s when you learn.”
“Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people … or find a different room.”
Rachael Ray
(cooking TV show star, did not attend college, no formal culinary training)
“If you’re humble and hardworking, opportunities will arise for you.”
“Never be a food snob. Learn from everyone you meet… Ask questions, try everything, and eat up!”