Top 20
These are the top 20 entrepreneurs and business persons we follow and admire.
Who are yours?
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| Bill Marriott Chairman and CEO of Marriott International
Why: Shows you that customer service is still a valued principle
Quote:
"It's the little things that make the big things possible. Only close
attention to the fine details of any operation makes the operation
first class."
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 | Warren Buffett One of the world’s most successful investor Why: Shows that you are never too old to be enlightened Quote: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." |
 | Alexander Hamilton A Founding Father and first Secretary of Treasury Why: A Caribbean-American Immigrant with a phenomenal understanding of financial systems. Quote: "Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” |
 | Oprah Winfrey The World’s most known media personality and entrepreneur Why: Shows that with a purpose and plan, you can become a force to reckon with Quote: “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.” |
 | Mark Victor Hansen Creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul book series and co-author of The One Minute Millionaire Why: Shows that inspiring and motivating people is always a guaranteed way of making money. Quote: “What's possible exceeds what's impossible” |
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Margaret “Meg” Whitman Former President and CEO of the online auction site eBay Why: She shows that you can make your project succeed as long as you put your mind to it. Quote: “You can kill a man but you can't kill an idea.” |
 | Marshall Sylver World renowned hypnotist and entrepreneur Why: Shows that your ability to succeed is dependent on your desire and actions Quote: “When you change your habits you change who you are. Better still, when you change who you believe you are you will automatically change your habits.” |
 | Catherine Hughes Founder of Radio One, the 7th largest radio network and No. 1 in the African American community Why: She shows that no matter how much discouragement has come your way, to never give up on your dream. Quote: “It's so embarrassing, but the moment I started making money I called up my accountant, and I cursed him out. I was in a bad mood, so I called him and said, "Listen, as much trouble as I've had, you've sent over this financial statement without the brackets." I was accustomed to seeing brackets, showing a loss, on every report.” |
 | Robert Kiyosaki Author of the Rich Dad Poor Dad book series Why: Shows that the lessons you learn as a child are the building blocks of your future Quote: “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” |
 | Madame CJ Walker First female millionaire through her work with African American hair care Why: Shows that no obstacle is too great to overcome when you know what you want Quote: “I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. From there I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations” |
 | Bill Gates Founder of the software company Microsoft and is a world leading philanthropist Why: Show that there is no limit in life. Quote:
“If you give people tools, [and they use] their natural ability and
their curiosity, they will develop things in ways that will surprise you
very much beyond what you might have expected.”
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 | Sir Richard Branson Creator of the Virgin brand, which includes an airline and record company Why: Shows how with high energy and a good plan one can spread your brand throughout the world. Quote: “Business opportunities are like buses, there's always another one coming.” |
 | Larry Page and Sergey Brin Founders of the search engine Google Why: Shows that your idea and product can have an irrevocable change on the way the world works Quote: "I think it definitely helps to be really focused on what you are doing. You can only work so many hours." |
 | Mark Zuckerberg Creator and CEO of social networking site FaceBook Why: Shows that you are never too young to become wealthy Quote: "I just wanted to show that it could be done" |
 | Susan L. Taylor Former Editor-in-chief of Essence Magazine Why: Shows that you can transform a small idea into a big success Quote: We don't have an eternity to realize our dreams, only the time we are here. |
 | Audrey Rice Founder of Integrated Business Solutions, a computer systems company Why: She shows that people’s low expectations of you can be used as ammunition to achieve the seemingly impossible. Quote: "In sixth grade, our teacher gave us an aptitude test. She came to me and said, 'It looks like you could be a telephone operator.' I told my mother, and she said, 'Maybe you should think about being president of the telephone company." |
 | Tina Wells Trendspotter who started at 16 and had her first paying client her college freshman year Why: Shows that you can do what you love and still get paid for doing it. Quote: "I talked to the director of marketing of a company for which I'd written up a really cool report. She said she'd just paid someone $25,00 to do what I'd done-and that I had done it better. I was like. 'People get paid for this?'" |
 | Victoria Knight-McDowell School teacher who created the anti-cold product Airbourne Why: Living proof that your “average” ideas are unique and worth millions Quote: “People will say, 'Oh, what a crazy idea!' or 'You can't do that.' You have to ignore them."
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 | Cheryl Womack Founder of VCW, an independent truckers insurance company Why: She shows that if you think your talent is underestimated, rather than finding a better boss, become your own boss. Quote: "I was working for an insurance company in the department that covered trucking. I was so mad that my boss wouldn't let me take the next step in sales that I thought, 'If I can't be my own boss, I don't want to be in business.' It was anger that got me going." |
 | Liz Elting Co-Founder of TransPerfect, an international translation and interpretation service takes in more than $65 million a year
Why: Shows that if you see a problem, creatively fix it and wealth will follow. Quote: "I'd worked in a translation company, first coordinating projects and then in sales, for almost three years after college, and I'd seen a gap between the service and quality that was available and what my clients really needed." |