34 quotes from Nike’s founder that every entrepreneur should read

Undertaking is not an easy task, it is always going uphill and sometimes the strength is lacking. In these moments we can always look for words of inspiration and strength from other successful leaders.

One of the best examples of this is Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, who does not inspire us by the value of his company, but by his story of personal improvement. That is why we always recommend reading his book “Never Stop“.

If you are thinking of starting your own business to seek financial freedom, read this book first. Each of its pages is full of inspiration, motivation, experiences and learning.

This is the story of a man who, feeling dissatisfied with his work and his life, decided to change his situation until he succeeded in creating one of the most important sports companies in the world.He succeeded in creating one of the most important sports companies in the world.

This is not just another story, not just another of those perfect tales, but the very life of its author. A book that speaks with a great dose of humility and courage, where he recounts his many mistakes, openly tells of not knowing how to be a good leader, his mistakes and successes, the importance of his work team and much more!

Phil Knight quotes to inspire you:

Phil Knight has not kept the secret of his success to himself. That is why he has 10 books under his authorship. This successful entrepreneur has so much to teach and inspire entrepreneurs, that we compiled 34 of his best quotes that you need to read at least once in your life.

1. “We wanted Nike to be the best sports company in the world. Once you say that, you have a focus; you don’t end up making products that aren’t, or sponsoring a Rolling Stones concert.”

2. “Play by the rules, but be ferocious”.

Until I was 14 years old I was sure I would be a professional baseball player, but I woke up from my dream when I was cut from my school team.

4. “Dream boldly, have the courage to fail and act with urgency.

5. “In times of stress and pain, not only your mind does funny things, you also say things that surprise you”.

6. “I don’t consider myself enigmatic, but I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my public persona.

7. “It’s okay to be Goliath, but always act like David.

8. “Create your story or be part of one.

9. “I am a man who has always needed heroes”.

10. “It’s not enough to do good things. You need people to know you’re doing it.”

11. “We now understand that the most important thing we do is to create a market for our product. We have been saying that Nike is a marketing-oriented company, and our products are the most important marketing tool we have.”

12. “The problem is not that we are making too many mistakes, on the contrary, we are making too few”.

13. “You have to worry about what’s ahead of the curve.”

14. “If you want to spend your time saying what you do is cool, be prepared to get your ass kicked.”

15. “There will always be an immutable conflict in work, in life and in business, a constant battle between peace and conflict. Neither can be dominated, but both can be influenced. How you deal with it is the key to being successful.”

16. “I have always believed that businesses should be good citizens.”

17. “Access to play should be an inalienable right of children.”

18. “The way we stayed on top was through product innovation. We turned out to be great at this.

19. “While technology is still important, it is the consumer who must lead innovation”.

20. “My job is to listen to ideas, maybe cook up some of my own, and make decisions based on what is good for the shareholders and the company”.

21. “Dare to take a risk, lest you leave your talents buried in the ground”.

22. “Perception can be changed”.

23. “There comes a time in every life when the past recedes and the future opens up, that is when you face the unknown. Some will turn their backs and retreat to what they already know. Some will walk straight into uncertainty. I can’t tell you which one is right, but which one is more fun.”

24. “It is possible to tell your customer “no” and have him thank you for doing so”.

25. “It doesn’t matter how many people you offend, as long as you get your message to your consumers. To those who don’t want to offend anyone, I say: you’re going to have a very difficult time creating worthwhile advertising”.

26. “The only attempt you should not fail at is the last one”.

27. “I still get very nervous when I go out to talk to more than two people.

28. “We used to think that everything was born in a laboratory. Today I understand that everything revolves around the consumer.”

29 “Any entrepreneur has to prepare for a lot of dark days, and they really have to like what they are doing for them to succeed.”

30. “When you really understand who you are, you allow yourself to fight and to believe”.

31. “But that’s the nature of money. Whether you have it or not, whether you want it or not, it will try to define your days. Our task as human beings is not to let that happen.”

32. “Beating the competition is relatively easy. Beating yourself is a never-ending commitment.”

33. “Have faith in yourself, but also have faith in faith”.

34. “When you only see problems, you are not seeing clearly”.

Phil Knight teaches us that the only person who has the power to change your life is YOU. The one who achieves the objectives is not the one who has all the resources, but the one who, even if he has nothing, does not give up. Entrepreneurship requires courage and perseverance.

This is no time for doubts, if you are thinking of starting a business, the ideal time is right now!