A Facebook Friend asks – “Where does Fred get all his quotes?”
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“So little time – so many interesting things people have said.” – Anonymous
What do quotes have to do with selling custom embroidered and printed apparel? That’s a tough one!
I have always liked quotes. Maybe it is just my attention deficit nature. I have also always liked haikus. And I have always liked logos. All share an extreme economy of expression. With the good ones, much is often said with little. The mind is required to do as much work as the words or images.
We communicate a lot with our quotes, just as you communicate a lot with your logo. And just like no one ever likes being told directly what to do, we believe an indirect method of communicating who you are, like with a well thought out and designed logo, or a well-chosen quote, can be very effective in making a point, and a connection.
Where do we get all our quotes? Of course, with the internet, we are all just a click away from all the greatest things anyone has ever said. The challenge is not to find them, but to pick the good ones. We try to find quotes that reflect our three core values: Always do the right thing, Value relationships above all, and Innovate and have fun. We also try to stick with quotes from people we respect and share our view of good leadership (more on this later). This is expressed in our 4 R’s of leadership – Relationships, Relentless, Reflective, and Reconnect. Finally, our primary company goal, as reflected in TGP (The Greatness Project) initiative is to be a great company, so we are also looking for quotes that inspire us towards greatness.
What are a few of my favorites? (In no particular order):
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But If I am only for myself, what am I? And If not now, when?” – Rabbi Hillel the Elder
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is today.” – Old Chinese proverb
“Be fearful when people are greedy, and greedy when people are fearful.” – Warren Buffet
“Don’t mistake goodness for stupidity.” – Gladys Mills (my grandmother)
“Direction is more important than speed. Many go nowhere fast.” – Unknown
“Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker
“Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful. Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” – John Wooden
“The strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong.” – Pete Carrol
And here are a couple of timely ones:
“I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s.” – John McCain
“Who hasn’t had a weight issue? If it wasn’t the body, certainly the big head.” – Aretha Franklin
“The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation but rather in her ability to repair her faults.” – Alexis de Tocqueville