Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or doubting your next move as a business owner? You’re not alone—and you're definitely not without inspiration. Every entrepreneur hits rough patches. Whether you're just starting out, pivoting directions, or trying to scale, one thing remains true: your mindset will make or break your success.

That’s why we’ve gathered 50 powerful motivational quotes from legendary entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Sara Blakely, thought leaders, and visionaries who’ve been exactly where you are. These words are more than just feel-good phrases—they’re reminders that grit, vision, and courage fuel business growth more than any perfect strategy.

So if you're navigating burnout, battling imposter syndrome, or simply need a dose of motivation to keep going, this post is for you. Bookmark it, print it, share it—whatever you need to do to remember this: you’ve got what it takes.

Let’s dive in.

Resilience & Grit

1. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." – Winston Churchill

2. "I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance." – Steve Jobs

3. "A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor." – Franklin D. Roosevelt

4. "It’s not whether you get knocked down. It’s whether you get up." – Vince Lombardi

5. "Strength shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over." – F. Scott Fitzgerald

6. "The secret of getting ahead is getting started." – Mark Twain

7. "I didn’t fail. I just found 10,000 ways that didn’t work." – Thomas Edison

8. "Tough times never last, but tough people do." – Robert H. Schuller

9. "Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life." – J.K. Rowling

10. "Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again." – Richard Branson

Overcoming Fear & Doubt

11. "Fear is just excitement without breath." – Robert Heller

12. "Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once." – Drew Houston, Dropbox

13. "Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear." – George Addair

14. "You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over." – Richard Branson

15. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." – Franklin D. Roosevelt

16. "Believe you can and you’re halfway there." – Theodore Roosevelt

17. "If you’re not a little scared, you’re not doing it right." – Sara Blakely, Spanx 

18. "Courage is being scared to death—and saddling up anyway." – John Wayne

19. "Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will." – Suzy Kassem

20. "Your largest fear carries your greatest growth." – Unknown

Vision, Purpose & Belief

21. "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." – Steve Jobs

22. "Chase the vision, not the money. The money will end up following you." – Tony Hsieh, Zappos

23. "I never dreamed about success. I worked for it." – Estée Lauder

24. "Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live." – Anne Sweeney

25. "You become what you believe." – Oprah Winfrey

26. "Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right." – Henry Ford

27. "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." – Henry David Thoreau

28. "If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs." – Tony Gaskins

29. "Vision without action is merely a dream." – Joel A. Barker

30. "Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life because you become what you believe." – Oprah Winfrey

Persistence & Long-Term Success

31. "The most successful entrepreneurs I know are optimistic. It’s part of the job description." – Caterina Fake, Flickr

32. "Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in." – Bill Bradley

33. "Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." – Winston Churchill

34. "Opportunities don't happen. You create them." – Chris Grosser

35. "Persistence guarantees that results are inevitable." – Paramahansa Yogananda

36. "Stay hungry. Stay foolish." – Steve Jobs

37. "Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." – William James

38. "I never lose. I either win or learn." – Nelson Mandela

39. "There is no elevator to success — you have to take the stairs." – Zig Ziglar 

40. "Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals." – Angela Duckworth

Empowerment & Confidence

41. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." – Eleanor Roosevelt

42. "Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives." – Michelle Obama

43. "I always did something I was a little not ready to do. That’s how you grow." – Marissa Mayer

44. "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." – Walt Disney

45. "Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong." – Peter T. McIntyre

46. "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." – C.S. Lewis

47. "Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs." – Farrah Gray

48. "Don’t wait. The time will never be just right." – Napoleon Hill

49. "Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." – Maya Angelou

50. "I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself." – Emma Stone