Wisdom from Women in Business - Quotes and Reflections

Women have made a big impact on the world of business. You don’t have to be a business owner to appreciate the wise words offered by successful businesswomen. But if you are a budding entrepreneur, women in business quotes can have a special impact.

Key Points:

• Each year, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th.
• If you want to stay motivated about your own business, quotes from successful female entrepreneurs can be inspiring. 
• Everyone has a different approach to building a business. But wise words from successful female entrepreneurs might propel you forward. 

50 Empowering Quotes for Women in Business

Empowering quotes for women entrepreneurs often come from successful female entrepreneurs. When taking in the encouraging quotes for women, some quotes will hit harder than others. If you feel motivated by a particular quote, it might even become a mantra as you push toward success.

Below you’ll find business woman quotes that might inspire you. 

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most well-known business woman. Here are a few of her top quotes for women in business:

The reason I've been able to be so financially successful is my focus has never, ever for one minute been money. - Oprah Winfrey

• “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. - Oprah Winfrey
• "Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” - Oprah Winfrey
• "Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe." - Oprah Winfrey
• "My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment." - Oprah Winfrey
• "Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it." - Oprah Winfrey
• "The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work." - Oprah Winfrey

Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post, built a major brand and has written over a dozen books. Some of her top quotes include:

We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success. – Arianna Huffington

• “Take risks. Failure is a stepping stone to success.” – Arianna Huffington

Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg, a form executive at Meta, built a net worth of 1.5 billion. Her top quotes include:

Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do. - Sheryl Sandberg

• "Done is better than perfect."- Sheryl Sandberg
• "Women need to shift from thinking "I'm not ready to do that" to thinking "I want to do that- and I'll learn by doing it."- Sheryl Sandberg
• "The more women help one another, the more we help ourselves. Acting like a coalition truly does produce results."- Sheryl Sandberg

Ursula Burns

Ursula Burns was one of the first black women to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

Dreams do come true, but not without the help of others, a good education, a strong work ethic, and the courage to lean in. - Ursula Burns

• “Where you are is not who you are.”- Ursula Burns
• “Kids are pretty resilient. You don’t have to be at every volleyball game. We can’t guilt ourselves.” - Ursula Burns

Diane von Fürstenberg

Diane von Furstenberg, a Belgian fashion designer, built a global fashion brand available. 

I wanted to be an empowered woman, and I became an empowered woman. And now I want to empower every woman. And I do it through my clothes, I do it through my words, I do it through my money, I do it through everything.- Diane von Furstenberg

Mary Barra

Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, rose to the top of a major company.

We need to find the opportunity not to do everything, but to do the important things. - Mary Barra

• “My definition of ‘innovative’ is providing value to the customer.” - Mary Barra
• “And no matter what business you go into, you only win when your customer says you win.” - Mary Barra
• “At the end of the day, all businesses are about people first — because the only way we can build genuinely successful businesses is to build lasting relationships inside and outside the company.” -Mary Barra 

Marylin Hewson

Marylin Hewson, the former CEO of Lockheed Martin, has built a reputation for success in her high-powered industry.

Leaders must exemplify integrity and earn the trust of their teams through their everyday actions. When you do this, you set high standards for everyone at your company. And when you do so with positive energy and enthusiasm for shared goals and purpose, you can deeply connect with your team and customers. - Marylin Hewson

• "Good leaders organize and align people around what the team needs to do. Great leaders motivate and inspire people with why they're doing it. That's purpose. And that's the key to achieving something truly transformational." - Marylin Hewson
• "Leaders have to see past problems to solutions." - Marylin Hewson

Tory Burch

Tory Burch is an American fashion designer who built a successful brand. Here are her top quotes for success:

If it doesn’t scare you, you’re probably not dreaming big enough. - Tory Burch 

• “Being an entrepreneur isn’t just a job title, and it isn’t just about starting a company. It’s a state of mind. It’s about seeing connections others can’t, seizing opportunities others won’t, and forging new directions that others haven’t.” - Tory Burch 
• “Entrepreneurs have a great ability to create change, be flexible, build companies and cultivate the kind of work environment in which they want to work.” - Tory Burch 
• “An important lesson: Things that look like an overnight success usually aren't.” - Tory Burch 

Indira Nooyi

Indira Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, is often ranked among the most powerful women in the world.

Bring together what is good for business with what is good for the world. - Indira Nooyi

• “I’m very honest – brutally honest. I always look at things from their point of view as well as mine. And I know when to walk away.” - Indira Nooyi
• “Women helping each other – coaching, mentoring, and providing tips – is a great way for us to be our own force.” - Indira Nooyi

Meg Whitman

During her ten-year tenure as the CEO of eBay, Meg Whitman grew the site from $5.7 million to $8 billion in sales. Currently, she is serving as the U.S. ambassador to Kenya.

Problems are good, as long as you solve them quickly. - Meg Whitman

• “Communications is at the heart of e-commerce and community.” - Meg Whitman
• “We have always said that advertising is just the icing on the cake. It is not the cake.” -Meg Whitman

Barbara Corcoran

Barbara Corcoran, an American busienss woman, built The Corcoran Group, a NYC-based real estate brokerage. Since selling the company, she has made a splash on Shark Tank. Here are some of her top business quotes:

My best successes came on the heels of failure. - Barbara Corcoran

• "Don't you dare underestimate the power of your own instinct." - Barbara Corcoran 
• "The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves." - Barbara Corcoran 

Lori Greiner

Lori Greiner, another Shark Tank star, build her fortune as an inverter and QVC host.

A brilliant idea doesn’t guarantee a successful invention. Real magic comes from a brilliant idea combined with willpower, tenacity, and a willingness to make mistakes. - Lori Greiner

• “Entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week.” Lori Greiner
• “In business, it is most often all about getting your foot in the door and once you do, everything opens up and things start to naturally progress into bigger and more opportunities. ” Lori Greiner
• “Be the kind of person that people will want to work with.” Lori Greiner
• “Reach for the stars; you might catch one.” Lori Greiner

Sara Blakey

Sara Blakey, CEO of Spanx, built a wildly successful company from a single product idea. Here are her top business quotes:

It's important to be willing to make mistakes. The worst thing that can happen is you become memorable." - Sara Blakey

• "Don't be intimidated by what you don't know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else." - Sara Blakey
• "I made a conscious decision not to tell anyone in my life. Now I tell people--don't tell anyone your idea until you have invested enough of yourself in it that you are not going to turn back. When a person has an idea at that conception moment, it is the most vulnerable--one negative comment could knock you off course." - Sara Blakey
• "If somebody can do something 80 percent as good as you think you would have done it yourself, then you've got to let it go." -Sara Blakey

Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel built an iconic fashion brand. Here are her top quotes on success:

Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. - Coco Chanel

• “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” -- Coco Chanel
• “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” -- Coco Chanel
• “Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” -- Coco Chanel

How Successful Female Entrepreneurs Inspire Women in Business

Successful women entrepreneurs are an inspiration for many. After all, women seeking success are likely to find role models in women that have exceeded all of society's expectations.

• Break the mold: Women entrepreneurs who find big success are breaking with society’s expectations. Other women may be inspired to follow in their footsteps. 
• No glass ceiling: In the traditional workforce, many women face a glass ceiling capping their career advancement. Successful entrepreneurs push women to ask for more. 

Final Word

Many women have all the tools they need to be successful in business. Sometimes, inspiration is the final spark that pushes them toward success. As a woman business owner, seek out inspiring stories and quotes that push you to achieve your wildest dreams.

One way to jumpstart your own business is to take out a small business loan. Explore some of the best loan options for women today.