“We say we want sustainable packaging – but end up buying the one in fancy packaging instead.

We say we want handmade, local goods – but end up buying the cheap one, because it’s ‘just as good.’

We say we want the truth – but end up buying hype.

We say we want to hire for diversity (of thought, culture and background) – but end up hiring people who share our point of view in most things.

We say we want to be treated with respect – but end up buying from manipulative, selfish, short-term profit-seekers instead.

We say we don’t want to be hustled – but we wait for the last-minute, the going-out-of-business rush or the high pressure push.

It starts with us.”
– Seth Godin

“Create a company that is friendly to the employees, not focused on the personality of the owners.”
– Richard Branson

“Success traps are harder to get out of than failure traps. With failure there is nowhere to go but up. With success, you may want to make a change, but no you have overhead and a lifestyle to support. So keep your life SIMPLE.”
– Richard Branson

“Rather than focusing on things and time, focus on preserving and enhancing relationships and on accomplishing results.”
– Stephen R. Covey

“Opportunities are not windfalls. Winning a sweepstakes makes you instantly rich; encountering an opportunity means you will have to go to work. When you have attuned your mind to recognize opportunities, you will understand that most often they involve the exploitation of some potential, such as providing a new or better service, streamlining production, or reaching a new market.

This is why the habit of initiative is so important. You must be prepared to act as soon as you recognize an opportunity. The action may be simply further investigation, or it may be making an instant sale. Most often, however, an opportunity takes time and perseverance to develop.”
– Napoleon Hill

“Entrepreneurs must have gratitude and confidence to keep going and to grow. Otherwise you stay stuck on the master wheel.

Fear is wetting your pants. Courage is doing the task with wet pants.

Operating out of courage DOES NOT FEEL GOOD. It’s a constant daily grind. It can wear on you.”
– Richard Branson

“Never get in the way of someone’s rock bottom moment. That is when people learn the most and usually pivot.”
– Richard Branson

“Only when you have the self-awareness to examine your program – and the imagination and conscience to create a new, unique, principle-centered program to which you can say ‘yes’ – only then will you have sufficient independent will power to say ‘no,’ with a genuine smile, to the unimportant.”
– Stephen R. Covey

“Success always involves risk. You must take a chance by investing your time, money, and effort. It pays to be thoughtful and deliberate in your analyses of opportunities, but don’t let timidity hold you back.

Because you have worked hard to develop those things you must risk, it is natural for you to place a high value on them. But what use are they if you do not put them to use? You will recognize opportunity only to the extent that you are willing to consider risking your time, money and effort. Being confident gives you the courage to face risk and act when opportunity arises. No one on earth is going to force success upon you; you will find it only to the degree that you actively seek it out.”
– Napoleon Hill

“It’s impossible to help people who feel sorry for themselves. And when you do help them, you never help them enough and then they resent you for not helping enough.”
– Richard Branson