1. Serena Williams – On Growing
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“I feel like I have a desire to be better than ever. I am never, ever, satisfied. I always want to do more, be more; reach a new level. Not just in tennis but in everything I do.”
2. Janice Bryant Howroyd, Founder of Employment Agency ACT-1 Group On being the First African-American Woman to Own a Billion Dollar Business
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“I never imagined this. I always imagined success, though. You see the evolution in technology, you see the transparency that the world offers, but the fundamental things that we built the business from have stayed the same, and I really think that’s more the secret to the success.”
3. Cathy Hughes Founder Of RadioOne & TVOne On the Aspect of Business
Source:via MONARCH
“Everyone’s life has ups and downs, so I don’t take it personally. As the Good Book says, ‘this too shall pass away’ and I live by that adage that bad times will not only pass, but so will good times. I’ve had challenging times, but it’s kind of dangerous to say what was the lowest because you don’t know what the good Lord has in store for you in the future. It may be yet to come.”
4. Russell Simmons, Businessman & Activist On Being an Activist and Business Figure
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“When you have a voice, you use it, if you can. So, I have a voice — I use it. So, as a person who runs a company, I’ve been to the Congress to promote a law, you know? I influence — I promote for the president, to get him in office, right? So I have an undue amount of power. I shouldn’t have that.”
5. Robert “Bob” Johnson, Founder of BET On The Legacy of BET
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“It is, it was at the time, and still is one of the greatest financial achievements by anybody African-American in this country. And it has, in my opinion, served the African-American community very well. So if they put on my tombstone, “Founder of BET,” I’m not going to get up and erase it.”
6. Sean P. Diddy Combs – Businessman On Following Your Dreams
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“Be fearless. Stay hungry. Don’t make excuses. Invest in the people around you. Also, don’t be scared to make mistakes – it is important that you learn new things along the way, stay sharp and get smarter. Stay focused and be ready for whatever happens.”
7. Michael Jordan, Athlete & Businessman On the Importance of Failure
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“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
8. Folorunsho Alakija, Founding Grand Matron of Africa Cinematography Festival On Passion and Success
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“The mere fact that you’re passionate about anything doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be successful in it. You may not make money out of it, but you’ll enjoy it. It does not guarantee you’re getting to the top of the ladder! It will put food on your table if you decide to make it a source of livelihood, and it will set you apart from others because it gives you place.”
9. Oprah Winfrey, Businesswoman & Philanthropist On Remaining Humble
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“My ability to get people to open up is only attributed, I think, to the fact that there is a common bond in the human spirit. We all want the same things. And I know that. I really do know that I am no different than anybody else. I think the moment you start thinking that you are better than somebody else; you’ve lost sight of who you are. Because the truth of the matter, we are all the same.”
10. Beyonce
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“Power is not given to you. You have to take it.”
