Oprah Winfrey Quotes

Oprah has a handful of Oprah Winfrey quotes which are equally brilliant and inspirational at the same time. Obviously, they have something to do with her job as a talk show host. It was really hard for us to choose the three that should go here, but we managed to decide after all.

Oprah Winfrey quotes

”Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

Being thankful is one of the recipes of happy life. The positive energy that you create will produce more good energy and make your life beautiful. Focusing on bad things in our life only let us down and kill our fighting spirit. Focusing on things you don’t have is also bad because you tend to be grateful with what you already have. When you rethink about your life and positive things in it, your life will be better just like when Oprah said, “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”

“We all have choices to make in out lives — some have been better than others — but we do have a choice with how we respond to them. Here are a few words of wisdom from Oprah about making good choices in your life.”

“I don’t think you ever stop giving. I really don’t. I think it’s an on-going process. And it’s not just about being able to write a check. It’s being able to touch somebody’s life.”

Oprah Winfrey, global media leader and philanthropist, spoke to the Class of 2008 at Stanford’s 117th Commencement on June 15, 2008. Winfrey drew on experiences from a career that began in 1976 when she co-anchored a television newscast, and she shared three lessons about feelings, failure and finding happiness.

Giving. This is one of the main topics in Oprah’s talk show. Oprah has always been known as a philanthropist and she also encourages people to be charitable in her show. And her point of view about giving is not only about check, but it is more about affecting people’s lives with good things that you do. Oprah Winfrey quotes.

Don Fisher Quotes

After looking closer to Don Fisher’s life, it is time for Don Fisher quotes. The man was a legend. The company he founded, GAP, is still one of the most notable fashion jeans brand in the world. Let’s hear what he had said during his life and find something to learn from.

Don Fisher quotes

“I don’t think we can sit back and wait for someone else to take the lead, just so we don’t have to expend energy or money. We’ve got to utilize the recourse it takes to advance our causes and hold up our part of the deal”

Hardworking, that’s what you can get from this quote. Coming from a middle-class family, he knew what it meant to work hard. And his determination was what made him so successful. Why should work for others and wait for them to lead you? Make your own business and your own decisions. That’s the key to success. This principal was also what made Don Fisher to be recognized as one of American entrepreneurs of all time.

“We want to thank Paul for the hard work and dedication that he has shown Gap Inc. over the past four years. Under his leadership, the company has meaningfully improved its operations, strengthened its balance sheet, greatly enhanced its on-line presence across the brand portfolio and improved its standing as a global corporate citizen. We appreciate all of his efforts and wish Paul every success in the future.”

Paul Pressler stepped down from his position as GAP Inc.’s CEO and board member on January 22, 2007. The stepping down was far from controversy and it was told that everyone had a mutual decision. As for the vacant CEO position, Fisher as the founder stepped up the throne. Above is one of Don Fisher quotes upon Pressler’s resignation.

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Zhang Xin quotes

Here is another round for inspiring quotes from our inspiring billionaires, Zhang Xin quotes. Now, it is time to hear from the woman who runs the biggest real estate developer in mainland China, Zhang Xin. What does she have to tell us?

Zhang Xin quotes

“I remember the days when we were struggling to pay salaries and the bills, and then us moving slowly from a company in debt, with strict cost controls, to gradually, with more profits, becoming more relaxed. We went from taking the cheapest possible flights to being able to fly business class.”

We know that Zhang Xin is an admirable woman with strong determination who never gives up in chasing her dreams. When she was only 19, she had lived up her dream to pursue her study in London after working 12-hours a day for five years as a labor. And she made it. She came back with a Master Degree on hand and a prestigious job. Now, she has changed from living in a squeezy apartment to one of Beijing’s most stylish building.
“Mao did liberate women,”
“He said women ‘held up half the sky’ but in practice women were not half the sky so much as half the strength of China. We all grew up with parents who both worked for equal pay. There was no such thing as a lady of leisure.”
In an interview, she told what she thought about Mao. While some China people are missing the days of Mao, she is one of those who don’t. However, she admitted that Mao did have goods to bring for women. He brought equality, which was the foundation of how woman like her can get a lot in a man’s world.

“I don’t do evening business dinners and I don’t do weekends,”

Although she is now one of the richest people in the world, she never forgets her family. To her, being a mom is still the first priority to do and the Zhang Xin quotes above give evidence to that.

Anne Cox Quotes

It is definitely not easy to find Anne Cox quotes since she is one of the prominent public figure who rarely gives interview. Luckily, she was once a US ambassador, an occupation which required her to speak and give clarifications in media. Thus, we give you these two quotes, one about her daily life and one about his political view as an ambassador.

Anne Cox quotes

“Every morning I’d come home at 9 a.m. from work, and Ali would be on the couch with a big mug of tea, ‘Will and Grace’ on the big screen, her browser between One Kings Lane and Wireimage and the Word document screen completely blank.”

“I think that Foreign Service officers tend to shy away from getting involved with the Congress. And I think some of that stems from our primary contact with members of Congress, and that’s those who come out on Congressional delegations when we’re serving abroad. By and large, those visits are difficult. We tend to regard members of Congress as meddling in foreign policy, that their interests and priorities do not necessarily match ours. Theirs tend to be oriented toward their constituencies; their views tend to be short-term. Whereas we are concerned about longer-term relations abroad. I think that, therefore, we build up this kind of negative impression, and I think some of it’s quite justified.”
ADST Oral History Interview, October 23, 1985.

The quote above was stated during her service as the US ambassador for Argentine. We can see how she showed her dislike for congressional delegations visit to Foreign Services office. Different views and interest are the biggest challenges why these two institutions cannot get along well.

To her old age, Anne Cox Chambers is a very active lady with various companies to take care of and numerous activities, charitable or not, to do. The Anne Cox quotes above show her dedication in her works.

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Meg Whitman Quotes

It is not difficult to find Meg Whitman quotes, especially with her governor candidacy last 2009 which required her to talk a lot in media. Below here are quotes that can inspire and show us how she does her “magic” with those big companies.

Meg Whitman quotes

“Most of us can’t even begin to imagine.”

The first thing to people need to have to be successful is a dream, then comes the determination. Many prominent figures said this and so did Meg Whitman. Creativity comes from imagination. Without it, there is no way a company can even survive the tight competition let alone to win it.

”I got to get the right people in the right job. Because a lot of costs can be taken out in the context of your administration without the legislature. For example, using technology to do more with less. Using technology to fight fraud. Reorganizing and streamlining can be done within the context of the administration.”

And when you have the ideas, all you need to have is the strong determination and qualified people to do it. It is important to have the right people and use the right technology to get the job done.

”Communications is at the heart of e-commerce and community. Guess what? The world changes. eBay has defined e-commerce.”

And who was the person behind the success of eBay? Yes, it was Meg Whitman.

“Sometimes it’s a little bit like being a politician. We have work to do in understanding our users’ sentiments.”

The quote above answers her interest to run for governor seat last 2009. Business is not so different from politics. When she can do very well in business, why not in politics? Unfortunately she never made it. Otherwise, surely there would be more Meg Whitman quotes to read.

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Jorge Paulo Lemann Quotes

Warren Buffet had called him a good friend, but it was his position as the 55th richest person in Forbes Magazine which makes Jorge Paulo Lemann quotes deserve an article. It was not easy though to find quotes from this successful businessman. He rarely gives interview so there is not much to have. However, we manage get two for you.

Jorge Paulo Lemann quotes

“It takes the same effort to think small than to think big, but to think big frees you from the insignificant details.”

This is what he said to Epoca Magazine after his purchase of Burger King, the number two US hamburger chain, together with his 3G capital partner. The takeover itself became the biggest restaurant acquisition in a decade with total transaction value at $3.3 billion. Still it was far from Lemann’s record at $52 billion takeover of Anheuser-Busch.

With the exact thought above, Lemann took the risk to switch from his journalist job to banking, which was the right decision since his career just took off by then after the threat of bankruptcy.

“By the way I used to play, I realized it would be hard for me to be among the 10 best in the world, so I decided to stop. I realized I would not be a star.”

Lemann is also famous with his simple life. Many believe that this is due to his life in the past. As he said above, he don’t think that he is a star, so everything that he does is not different from anyone else. Claudio Haddad, one of few persons to interview him, said that “He doesn’t drink, goes to bed early, wakes up early, exercises every day.”

The Jorge Paulo Lemann quotes above also explain the fundamental thought of why he cut off 1,400 employees and eliminate luxury from free beers to first class flight.

Abigail Johnson Quotes

Again we present you with quotes from an amazing woman we have featured earlier, Abigail Johnson quotes. This 48th richest person in the world according to Forbes Magazine is also another billionaire who rarely grants interviews. However, we manage to give you three of her quotes from her interview with Geoffrey Smith from BusinessWeek.

Abigail Johnson quotes

“Anyone who has run money knows that blowing your own horn is usually a way of calling a top on your own performance.”
BusinessWeek

Abigail Johnson does not get all of what she has today by her own. She is the granddaughter of the founder of Fidelity Invesments. However, she has proven herself to have what it takes to bring more glory to her family company and ranked along with most influential women in the history of American financial executives.

“Sometimes you can gradually improve things. But sometimes, they don’t work, and you’ve just got to just say: Let’s grind this baby to a halt.”
BusinessWeek

Abigail Johnson did inherit her business skill from the family, but it does not mean that she has the same views in running a company. Ned Johnson, her father, was famous to be a fan of kaizen, the Japanese philosophy which values small improvements. Abigail, on the other hand, does not necessarily believe the same thing. She more inclined to the contemporary American method of expansion with acquisitions and mergers.

“It’s never obvious what a smart risk is, which is why we hire smart people.”
BusinessWeek

Abigail Johnson also has a different way to ensure her company’s fate in stock market. Instead of letting the market to decide, she encourages her managers to be aggressive in stock market. As one of few women who run a mutual-fund company with hundreds of firms, Abigail Johnson does deserve her name and her Abigail Johnson quotes to be known.

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Robert Kuok Quotes

Robert Kuok is richest man in Malaysia, but it does not make it easy to find Robert Kuok quotes everywhere. The “Sugar King”, a title given to him for his enormous wealth gained from his successful sugar business, is famous to be a media-shy and discreet. However, he does give interview occasionally and here are some quotes we find from his interview with CCTV.

Robert Kuok quotes

“I like hotel but the word ‘king’ is just a fake one.”

Although everyone feels that he deserves the title “Sugar King”, Robert Kuok himself felt uneasy about it. He admitted though that if the word “king” was attached to “hotel” instead, he might like it better.

No matter what he felt about “Sugar King” title, it is an undeniable truth that sugar has been the most dominant thing in his life. In the interview, he also explained why he chose sugar at the beginning as his business among other commodities.

“If children threw tantrums at night, the adults just needed to give them some sugar and they would remain quiet. Granulated sugar was cheap so it was a business that could earn profits.”

“Sugar is unlike petrochemicals where sometimes there is demand and sometimes there isn’t. At that time, the information technology era had not started yet. So the simplest and wisest business to get rich in was the sugar refinery business,”

Kuok also had the chance to talk about his view on hotel business prospect in China, one of the area he explores in his business diversification. With growing economy, massive population, and beautiful landscape and culture, China has always been a potential business place.

“I had a feeling that China would have the most prosperous travel industry as it has historical relics and sites”

Until today, there are 34 Shangri-La hotels in China. The number is half of 72 existing Shangri-La Hotels all over the world. The Robert Kuok quotes above explains why.

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Aliko Dangote Quotes

We bet there are not many of you know about Aliko Dangote when you read his biography, let alone Aliko Dangote quotes. Therefore, now we will introduce you further to this richest man in Africa who also is the chairman of Dangote group. Below are his quotes that can bring you closer to the man himself.

Aliko Dangote quotes

“I can remember when I was in primary school, I would go and buy cartons of sweets and I would start selling them just to make money. I was so much interested in business. Even at that time, I was very used to buying and selling.”

Remember Warren Buffet? When he was a little boy, he was the same type of kid with Dangote. Both of them are ultra successful businessmen. So we know exactly why these men are successful. They already have the passion inside their hearts. So when he wanted to start a business in 1977, there was no doubt in his grandfather’s mind to capitalize his business.

“If you give me today $5 billion, I will not invest any abroad, I will invest everything here in Nigeria. Let us put heads together and work.”

The national honor Dangote received was proved by this quote above. His status as the richest man in Africa does not sweep his love for his country. He did his best to contribute to the nation’s economy and be one of the changing agent in Nigeria.

“As an indigene of Kano State, I feel I am duty bound to look back and support less -privileged people particularly women.”

“I think I have to be rated by Forbes magazine first before I can be [called] the richest man in Africa. But, you know, I’m comfortable.”

There is no doubt that Aliko Dangote is a prominent figure to be included in any business circles. But his appearance in Forbes Magazine was the one who soared up his name internationally and made his Aliko Dangote quotes to be quoted here in this article.

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Donald Bren Quotes

Here are some Donald Bren quotes for you. This man is an extraordinary one with his vision to build Irvine Ranch Conservatory in 1996. His exceptional vision and achievement was awarded with Vanquard award, which called him “one of the most consequential developers in American history.”

Donald Bren quotes

“What I learned was that when you hold property over the long term, you’re able to create better values and you have something tangible to show for it.”

Properties are proved to be good ways to keep your wealth. It will grow to better value in the future, and you will have something tangible that cannot just be gone in one night, just like Bren pointed out. Although the house credit crisis in American had made property’s value to decrease, there is no doubt that it will soar again once the economy recovers.

“I’m not a public official. I’m a businessman, I’m a builder, I’m a planner… And if I feel that I’ve done the job well, that’s the satisfaction I get, not from doing interviews or being more public.”

It’s true that Bren does not give many interviews. That is why it is quite hard to get quotes from the man. We can see that he is a man whose passion is to build, and that is what he has been doing until now.

“We all grew together, the community, the community leaders, the community groups and the Irvine Co. and the board of directors. Through a lot of discussion, give and take, we’ve come up with a plan that I’m proud of.”

This is a quote taken from his interview with OC Science about his natural Reverse of Orange County. It is great to see that even billionaire has so much concern about our natural resources and tries to do something to contribute to its preservation. Hopefully, we get more quotes like this Donald Bren quotes by other billionaires.

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