Entrepreneurs and content creators, even successful ones, are only human.
Sometimes, our motivational wells dry up. We get burned out, run-down, and weary.
The problem? Entrepreneurs have to keep hustling even when our energy is gone and our batteries are dead. Nobody is going to run your business for you. Nobody is going to swoop in and say, “Hey, you need a break.”
Beyond the perks of working toward our dreams on our own terms, life can get tough. We don’t have to clock into a 9-5, but sometimes our work hours take over our personal lives because there are no clear boundaries.
If anything, we have to hustle even more than the average person – and we can’t stop.
When you’re running low on fuel, just reading the wise words of some fellow hustlers can boost your spirits and give you the will to carry on.
These quotes for hustle inspiration were carefully chosen because they speak to that inner strength we all have. I scoured the internet, my favorite books, and even hustle quotes on Tumblr to find the best ones.
To help you find the ones that speak to you, I’ve broken them down into categories. I suggest copying and pasting your favorite hustle quotes into a document and printing them out. Stick them above your desk and read them when the going gets tough.
Remember: You can do this.
Table of Contents
Hustle Quotes to Inspire You to Dream
Good Hustle Quotes to Motivate You to Keep Going
Hustle with Faith: Quotes for Tough Times
Hustle Quotes and Sayings to Live By
Hustle Quotes for Her: Motivation for Female Entrepreneurs and Lady Bosses
Motivational Sales Quotes to Push You Toward Success
The Best Hustle Quotes to Remember as You Forge into the Future
107 Hustle Quotes to Inspire You to Dream
Aren’t all entrepreneurs truly dreamers at heart? Here are some inspiring quotes that will encourage you not only to dream big, but to do something about it.
1. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney
Making your dreams a reality takes courage. If you want to see success, don’t just dream – act.
2. “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
The mind is powerful. Succeeding is as much about your attitude as your aptitude.
3. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller
Helen Keller was both blind and deaf, yet she managed to become a skilled and successful writer, speaker, and activist. Every day she faced darkness and silence, but she pushed through. Now that’s daring.
4. “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” – George Adair
If you can push through your fear, great things may be waiting for you on the other side.
5. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
It’s one thing to dream; it’s another thing to believe in your dreams.
6. “Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” – Carol Burnett
This hustle quote is all about understanding that your life is in your hands.
7. “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Stay grounded, but let your mind fly free with the possibilities for what could be.
8. “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” – Rob Siltanen
This motivational quote appears at the end of this famous Apple ad featuring legendary thinkers, dreamers, inventors, and leaders. It’s hard to watch it without getting inspired.
9. “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” – Tony Robbins
Setting goals and working toward them is the only way to make your dreams concrete.
10. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most inspiring speakers and activists of the 20th century. For even more motivational quotes, watch his famous “I Have a Dream” speech:
11. “It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old. They grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.” – Gabriel García Márquez
In this hustle quote, Author Gabriel García Márquez is saying that dreams give us life, color, and youthful vigor. When you give up on your dreams, you lose all that.
12. “Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.” – Abraham Lincoln
Don’t second-guess yourself. Decide you can do it, and then make it happen.
13. “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
According to Maya Angelou, creativity is a well that never dries up. It’s fuel for dreaming!
14. “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” – Paulo Coelho
Don’t let a fear of failure block your road to success.
15. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
Writer C.S. Lewis knew that you’re never too old to pick yourself up and start over.
Good Hustle Quotes to Motivate You to Keep Going
Is today one of those tough days where everything seems to go awry? You need some good hustle quotes and sayings to remind you to keep going – you’ll get through this.
16. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
The impossible is possible. The key is to begin.
17. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
There are always excuses not to start your business, build your new brand, start blogging, or whatever else you want to do. You can say you don’t have the time, the money, or the skills. You might argue that your current full-time gig demands all your attention.
Recognize these arguments for what they are – excuses – and instead take a page from Arthur Ashe: Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.
18. “Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure.” – George Eliot
You have two options:
You can try your hardest and potentially fail equally as hard.
Or, you can give your goals a half-hearted attempt. You can shrug and say it’s too difficult, and not even make an effort.
George Eliot, the female author of Middlemarch, argues that the first of these options is braver, grander, and more worthwhile. What do you think?
19. “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
How can you accomplish your dreams if you don’t even start? Once you begin, half of the hard work is finished.
20. “Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stow
If you give up now, you’ll miss any chance of catching that turning tide. Isn’t the possibility alone worth it?
21. “Today’s accomplishments were yesterday’s impossibilities.” – Robert H. Schuller
What could you have accomplished if you started yesterday? Good news: There’s always tomorrow.
22. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar
Greatness doesn’t just happen. Great people have the guts to dive in and get their hands dirty. Here’s the clincher: When they started, they weren’t great… yet.
23. “It’s always too early to quit.” – Norman Vincent Peale
Norman Vincent Peale was a minister, public speaker, and the author of The Power of Positive Thinking. He helped bring the positive thinking concept into the light. Take it from him: It’s always too early to quit!
24. “Permanence, perseverance, and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” – Thomas Carlyle
The strongest people persist despite the roadblocks and obstacles they encounter along their journeys. Do you have what it takes?
25. “March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life’s path.” – Khalil Gibran
You’ll never actually reach perfection in life, but Khalil Gibran argues that you’ll get as close as you’ll ever come as long as you keep going. As he says, march on.
26. “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Wishing is not enough; we must do.” – Johann Von Goethe
Do you see a theme running through these hustle quotes and sayings? You can’t just wish, dream, and hope – to make it in business, marketing, life, you name it, you have to act, too.
27. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Believing in yourself is half the battle, according to Theodore Roosevelt.
28. “Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you.” – George Whitefield
Keep striving for “the mark set before you”, whatever it may be. You’ll only reach it if you continue on.
29. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi led the Green Bay Packers to no less than 5 NFL championships during his tenure with them as head coach in the 1950s. Needless to say, he knew a thing or two about winning.
30. “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
This ancient Chinese philosopher coined many wise sayings we still use today. This one is especially motivating.
31. “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” – Ella Fitzgerald
In plain language, in the words of jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, “Just don’t give up trying”.
Hustle with Faith: Quotes for Tough Times
There isn’t much you can’t do when you hustle with faith. These quotes are great reminders to keep believing and achieving.
32. “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller
Having faith is also about having optimism that you WILL achieve what you set out to do.
33. “Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” – Leo Buscaglia
When you look at your talents as gifts from above, then using them to their highest potential becomes even more important.
34. “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” – Norman Vincent Peale
Without faith in yourself, too, you can’t be successful OR happy, according to Norman Vincent Peale.
35. “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine
Don’t look at challenges as negative events. Instead, look at them as opportunities to grow, learn, and improve your life.
36. “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie
Without hope, has anything in the history of the world been achieved?
37. “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
Defeats are going to happen all throughout your life. Maya Angelou is saying there’s a big difference between encountering those defeats and moving past them, versus letting them defeat you and stop you in your tracks.
38. “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
You’re not going to be able to see every bend in the road or step along the path. You can’t predict what will happen as you work toward your goals. The important thing is to keep moving one foot in front of the other, having faith you’re moving in the right direction.
39. “They can conquer who believe they can.” – Virgil
Virgil was an ancient Roman poet who composed one of the greatest epics of all time, the Aeneid. It chronicles the life of a Trojan named Aeneus, who founded Rome – one of the greatest conquering civilizations of all time.
40. “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sometimes the path you need to take is the one that’s never been walked before, by anyone. Don’t be afraid to wander off the beaten trail and make your own way.
41. “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” – Roy T. Bennett
Your fears will only restrict you and hold you back. Your dreams, however, will push you forward.
42. “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” – Thomas Paine
If the going is hard right now, consider how amazing an accomplishment it will be to come out the other side.
43. “Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins.” – Jim Rohn
Learning is the beginning of everything! Be open to learning, and have faith in the process.
44. “Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.” – Stephen Covey
Have you invested in yourself? Do you have faith in the self-growth process?
45. “Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.” – Henry David Thoreau
Having enough faith in your beliefs to live them is pretty dang powerful, isn’t it?
Hustle Quotes and Sayings to Live By
These are the hustle quotes you should adopt as your mantras. Print them out, write them on post-it notes, or say them to yourself in the mirror each morning. They’ll guide you to your best self and your best life.
46. “I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.” – Jack London
Jack London was the author of The Call of the Wild and other classic stories. Let this beautiful quote inspire you to live big and bold, no matter how fleeting the glow might be.
47. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs
Do you love what you do? This motivational quote from Apple founder Steve Jobs might inspire you to keep searching until you strike gold.
48. “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” – Oscar Wilde
If you can see the stars while lying in the gutter, your visionary mind may just take you somewhere, someday.
49. “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein
Take it from Einstein: When your intelligence has fun, all kinds of weird, wonderful, and wacky things can happen.
50. “I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.” – Florence Nightingale
Repeat after me: Excuses are roadblocks.
51. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
If “we are what we repeatedly do”, what have you done today to cultivate a habit of excellence?
52. “The most effective way to do it is to do it.” – Amelia Earhart
Before Nike’s famous slogan existed, Amelia Earhart was already putting it into action.
53. “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien
This quote appears in Tolkien’s massively popular Lord of the Rings trilogy. Many of the characters in the story embody this quote, which says straying off the beaten path doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost your way.
54. “Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” – Oprah Winfrey
Imagine what could happen if you switch your mindset to seeing challenges as gifts. What would happen if you didn’t fight them, but looked for new ways to approach them?
55. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson
Take note: The clock doesn’t stop.
56. “The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.” – Hasidic Proverb
As this proverb shows, your attitude is contagious. What you believe about yourself will influence what others believe about you.
57. “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Beckett
It’s that simple.
58. “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Zig Ziglar scoffs at people who think motivation is everlasting. Just like batteries, it needs recharging once in a while.
59. “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” – Lucille Ball
It’s better to try and fail rather than not try at all.
60. “I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. He taught me that if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it, and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be.” – Roald Dahl
Are you an enthusiast in life, or are you going through the motions?
Hustle Quotes for Her: Motivation for Female Entrepreneurs and Lady Bosses
If you’re a woman in business, these hustle quotes for her might resonate with you. It’s hard to be a successful woman in a man’s world, but more and more females are doing it with aplomb every day, pushing the status quo that much further toward balance.
Take inspiration from these words (most of them from daring ladies) to reach for what you want – and grab it.
61. “The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity.” – Ayn Rand
Once you find the next opportunity, jump on it. Do the same with the next and the next.
62. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
You know that saying third-graders love? “I am rubber and you are glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you”? It’s true.
63. “What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.” – Julia Cameron
Are you doing what you’re meant to do? If not, do you have the courage to try? The rewards, as Julia Cameron says, are immense.
64. “Everyone has inside of her a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is.” – Anne Frank
Anne Frank is an inspirational example of hope and strength. In her case, she truly didn’t know how great she could be, or how great she would become.
65. “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” – Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright was the first female secretary of state for the U.S. and is a prime example of a successful woman who paved her own way with intelligence and determination.
66. “You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” – Rosalynn Carter
Confidence and toughness. These two are a magic combination.
67. “Embrace the glorious mess that you are.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
What does your glorious mess look like?
68. “Done is better than perfect.” – Sheryl Sandberg
Getting sh*t done is far better than trying to be perfect and getting nothing done.
69. “Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.” – Anne Sweeney
Success doesn’t look the same to everyone. What does it look like to YOU?
70. “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
It’s impossible to live a full life with big goals without making any mistakes. Oprah encourages you to own your moment, embrace failure if necessary, and try again.
71. “If you don’t value your time, neither will others. Stop giving away your time and talents. Value what you know and start charging for it.” – Kim Garst
Your time is valuable. So is your knowledge. If you don’t value either, nobody else will.
72. “When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.” – Audre Lorde
Speak up. You’ve got nothing to lose.
73. “It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs.” – Jillian Michaels
Effort will take you EVERYWHERE. Period.
74. “What makes you different or weird, that’s your strength.” – Meryl Streep
That thing the other kids on the playground made fun of you for? That might be your superpower.
75. “Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” – Ovid
So many women go, go, go without stopping because they worry if they’re not hustling, they’re falling behind. The thing is, rest and self-care are what recharge and refresh us for the next battle.
76. “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand
Swapping out one word in that phrase changes everything.
77. “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. A woman must do what he can’t.” – Rhonda Hansome
Sometimes you have to step up, step in, and roll up your sleeves.
78. “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” – Katharine Hepburn
What might happen if you color outside the lines a little? If you step out of line, stop following the leader, or get going when someone tells you to “stop”?
79. “Kindness is always fashionable, and always welcome.” – Amelia Barr
Think of it this way: In business, no one expects kindness. When you offer it, it’s a game-changer.
80. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius
Be present with your whole self no matter where you go.
Motivational Sales Quotes to Push You Toward Success
A big part of entrepreneurship, or of growing any business, is making those pivotal sales. Here are some good motivational sales quotes for doing just that.
81. “Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.” – Mary Kay Ash
Does the name “Mary Kay” sound familiar? It should. Mary Kay Ash was the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics – a company that championed women and put them in charge of their destinies. Today, the company is still backed by an independent sales force made up of mostly women working for themselves.
82. “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.” – W.B. Yeats
A huge piece of sales is good communication. If you can speak to the people in the language of the people, you will reach them in more ways than one.
83. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” – Estée Lauder
Success takes work, no matter what kind of success you dream about.
84. “Outstanding people have one thing in common: An absolute sense of mission.” – Zig Ziglar
Approaching every sale as a mission might just make you unstoppable.
85. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James
In every facet of life, sales, whatever – what you do affects other people. You DO make a difference.
86. “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” – George Herbert
Work with the tools you have right now. They’ll be enough to get you to the next stage.
87. “Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.” – Denis Waitley
This is truly the best formula for getting better at whatever task you’ve set for yourself.
88. “Without a customer, you don’t have a business – all you have is a hobby.” – Don Peppers
The customer is what it’s all about. They’re the reason we’re all here!
89. “Most people think ‘selling’ is the same as ‘talking’. But the most effective salespeople know that listening is the most important part of their job.” – Roy Bartell
The best salespeople are the best listeners.
90. “A goal is a dream with a deadline.” – Napoleon Hill
The Best Hustle Quotes to Remember as You Forge into the Future
Here they are: the best of the best hustle quotes to take with you, remember, and heed. Get ready for some serious wisdom bombs dropped on your mind.
91. “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” – Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra was a famous catcher for the Yankees, but in his later life he became known for his “Yogi-isms” – phrases and sayings which sound humorous, but actually, contain a lot of wisdom.
“It ain’t over ‘til it’s over” is all about trying your best until you can’t anymore. It’s about not giving up prematurely when there’s still some game left to play or race left to run.
92. “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott
There will be many storms in your life, but if you learn how to navigate through them, you can do anything.
93. “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” – Thomas Jefferson
A can-do attitude is KEY.
94. “Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” – James Joyce
Don’t look at mistakes as brick walls. Look at them as chances to learn.
95. “Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.” – Les Brown
Is your motivation compelling enough to overcome the obstacles on the horizon?
96. “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.” – Jim Rohn
Jim Rohn spells out the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful. Are you willing to go above and beyond? Do you have what it takes?
97. “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” – Dale Carnegie
Inaction fuels fear and builds it up into a monster. The only thing that can break through? Action. Do what you’re scared of, and you may find it’s not so terrifying.
98. “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.” – Babe Ruth
The person who never gives up is annoyingly relentless, but the thing is, they eventually succeed.
99. “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.” – W. B. Yeats
You don’t need to wait for change to find you. Be the change.
100. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
Your life is waiting. Are you ready?
101. “Resolve that whatever you do, you will bring the whole man to it; that you will fling the whole weight of your being into it.” – Orison Swett Marden
Don’t just halfheartedly push toward your goals – put your whole weight behind it!
102. “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.” – Marshall Ferdinand Foch
Now there’s a vivid image: the human soul on fire in pursuit of passion.
103. “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein
Can you see the opportunity in the middle of your difficulty?
104. “Fortune favors the bold.” – Virgil
Be brave. You’ve got this.
105. “You cannot afford to live in potential for the rest of your life; at some point, you have to unleash the potential and make your move.” – Eric Thomas
Unleashing your potential is a lot like a superhero discovering and using their powers for the first time. Incredible things can happen as a result.
106. “How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” – Seth Godin
Are you settling for less than you were meant for? If so, Seth Godin is asking a startling question: “How dare you?”
107. “Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.” – Zig Ziglar
Success looks different on everyone. Your success is personal, subjective, and yours alone.
I’m Out of Hustle Quotes and Sayings – Now It’s Up to You
It’s your turn.
All the hustle quotes in the world won’t help if you don’t take the inspiration you’ve gained and use it.
Follow in the footsteps of these dreamers, visionaries, thinkers, and leaders. Step up, move, get going, act. You’ll never know until you try.
Mic over to you.
What’s your favorite quote?
Or, maybe you have an inspirational mentor or expert you love hearing wisdom from?
Let me know in the comments right now. 👇
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