Career & Work

"Focus on always doing a great job, and I bet you will always have a great job."

"You can never have too many good people — but you darn sure can have too few."

"Spend your time finding a career, not just finding a job."

"You can't be over prepared — but you can sure be under prepared."

"Hope isn't a strategy."

"Bad attitudes are the cancer that permeates businesses and brings them down."

"People don't care what you know till they know that you care."

"When I quit caring, it's time for me to retire."

"If you ever have to choose between a person with ability or one with heart — pick heart. You will never be disappointed."

"Leadership isn't about being in front — it's about making sure nobody gets left behind."

"The best bosses I ever had made me feel like I could do anything. That's leadership."

"My dad used to say — don't tell me how much you sold. Tell me how much profit you made."

"A lot of people think just because they're busy they must be profitable. Not necessarily. A lot of businesses were busy right up until the last day."

"Everyone is in sales — it's just not always on their card."

"I have never had someone do business with us because we had a new computer."

"Good people still matter."

"Technology can be a great asset — embrace it, don't fear it."

"If you can't trust the people who work for you — why do you keep them?"

"Delegating is impossible for perfectionists — no one can do it except them."

"If you can't trust your employees — you can't lead your employees."

"Why do you want new technology or AI? The same insecure manager who doesn't trust his people isn't going to trust them either."

"It's important to recognize that the best skill some people have is getting a job — not doing the job."

"Some people never have an original thought — they only use the boss's thoughts. Then one day someone asks what they do, and nobody can answer."

"If you can't get your employees excited — how in the world are you going to get your customers excited to do business with you?"

"Why do all your weakest employees never seem to get recruited by your competitors?"

"You can't have too many great employees — but you can dang sure not have enough."

"The person who thinks they can't learn anything is probably right. They can't. Probably time for them to go."

"Probably the worst statement you could ever make in a business is — well, that's the way we've always done it."

"Ask yourself two questions — why do people leave your organization? And why do people stay?"

"Don't think for a minute that your customers don't notice why people leave — or why they stay."

"Why can't you be happy at work?"

"The number one reason people stay at a job is they feel appreciated and needed."

"Deal with the issue before it becomes a problem."

"Bad news doesn't get better with time."

"Great salespeople don't always make great managers — and great managers don't always make great salespeople."

"Customers have choices — and they vote with the business they give you."

"Every great salesperson is always looking for one main thing — something great to sell."

"A salesperson is one thing. A relationship builder is something else entirely."

"Working harder or working smarter — a combination of the two works best."

"Good employees know who pays their salary — the customer, not the employer."

"If you constantly worry about the money — try worrying about doing the best job instead. I bet the money takes care of itself."

"Don't take the experience away from a young person busting their chops — learning is lasting."

"If you never sold anything, the manager asks how many calls you made. If the manager has been in sales — he asks how much you sold."

"If the person hiring you has never actually done the job — I would think long and hard before taking it."

"When being interviewed, don't ask about salary and vacation first. Instead ask — what are your expectations for someone to be great at this position?"

"Remember — all customers are equal, but some are more equal than others."

"Companies always say they need motivation. My first question is — why do they need motivating?"

"A talk is not going to undo a company culture permanently."

"The bigger the "I" — the smaller the team."

"A good leader says we did it. A poor one says I did it. The team knows the difference."

"Replace I with we and watch what happens to the people around you."

"Nobody built anything great alone. The ones who say they did are the proof."

"A team that hears we will run through walls. A team that hears I will walk out the door."

"The word I builds monuments. The word we builds legacies."

"Great leaders make others feel like the reason for the success. Poor leaders make sure everyone knows it was them."

"You don't close a sale. You open a relationship."

"People don't buy products. They buy people first."

"The best salespeople don't sell — they solve."

"A great salesperson listens twice as much as they talk — just like we have two ears and one mouth."

"Every no is just a yes that hasn't found its reason yet."

"Selling is not convincing. It's connecting."

"Follow up is where fortunes are made and lazy salespeople are separated from great ones."

"Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets. Protect it."

"You can't sell anybody anything. You can only help them buy."

"Activity fills your day. Results fill your year. Know the difference."

"Before you blame the job, the place, or the people — make sure you're not the common denominator."

"Is the job the problem — or are you the problem? Get real."

"You can change cities, jobs and relationships — but you always take yourself with you."

"If everywhere you go has the same problem — stop looking around and start looking in the mirror."

"Making a baby takes minutes. Raising one takes everything you've got."

"Succeed because everyone who believed in you deserves to see it pay off."

"Succeed because everyone who doubted you needs to see it's possible."

"Succeed because your family's future is worth every sacrifice today."

"Succeed because settling was never part of your true story."

"Succeed because you owe it to every version of yourself that never gave up."

"Succeed because purpose without action is just a dream collecting dust."

"He's looking for a racehorse and keeps interviewing mules with good résumés."

"The best leaders make decisions. The worst ones make meetings about making decisions."

"A title don't make you a leader — it just makes you the one folks blame first."

"He manages by walking around — mostly around the problem."

"Don't tell me how complicated it is. Tell me what to do about it."

"You don't need every feature. You need the right one, done well."

"Forty-eight years later, I still love it. It wasn't my plan — but apparently it was God's."

"You don't need every benefit. You need the right one, done well."

"He's hiring for a sales job and grading on penmanship."

"When someone says they can't help you before they've even heard your request, that doesn't say much for the type of people they hire."

"Even if you can't help a customer, the fact that you honestly tried speaks volumes about how much you value them."

"Look for a career, not a job."

"If you constantly look forward to only the weekend, you don't have a career — you just have a job."

"He hired the fella with the fanciest tie and the weakest handshake — bet on the handshake every time."

"A lot of people will follow you into the water, but not everyone will dive in first. That's called leadership."

"Work like somebody's always watching — because somebody always is."

"A good name is better than a good salary."

"Saying it and doing it ain't the same thing."

"Talk is easy. Follow-through is the whole game."

"Anybody can tell you what they're going to do. Not everybody does it."

"Anybody can say no. The valuable ones find a way."

"Don't bring me problems. Bring me options."

"You don't need a lot of people — unless somebody's out there bringing in customers."

"Respect runs downhill. So does disrespect."

"Every department matters. The ones that forget that — matter less."

"A business without customers isn't a business — it's a hobby."

"Getting it done and getting it done right are not the same thing."

"More paper don’t make a better borrower — it just makes a bigger file."

"The best loan file is a clean one — not a big one."

"Good credit speaks for itself. Bad credit needs a lawyer."

"Theory works perfectly in practice — the only thing that messes it up is that dang reality."

"His secret? Do more than they expect. Say what you’re going to do and then do it. Have good manners. Don’t be afraid to work. He’s so busy people wait in line — and he’s never advertised a day in his life."

"Friends should never have to pay a premium to do business with a friend."

"Relationships matter."

"Remember, all customers are equal — but let’s face it, some are a little bit more equal than others."

"You solve relationship partners’ issues — you don’t create more of them."

"Great relationships are the keys to the kingdom."

"It can take years to build a relationship and only minutes to lose one."

"Bring value to the relationship — not just a price."

"Everybody can tell you how to get business. But how many have actually done it?"

"Remember — the closer you are to the home office, the easier they think it is to do."

"If your boss has never done what you do, I hate to tell you — you’re going to have a challenge."

"Managing by data is great — as long as the data is correct."

"Hiding a problem ain’t the same as solving one."

"Don’t tell me what you’re going to do. Show me."

"No is easy. Solutions are rare."

"Saying no takes no talent. Finding a way — that’s the job."

"Take care of your customers before somebody else does."

"Your reputation is your resume."

"The ones who survive learn to change."

"You never learn anything while you’re talking."

"Want a better business? Get rid of the negative people. Nobody’s going to miss them."

"Never underestimate the power of telling your team they matter."

"Management takes care of employees. Employees take care of customers. Customers take care of the company. It’s that simple."

"Don’t worry about your successes — concentrate on your performance."

"The difference between a boss and a leader? A boss has a title. A leader has followers."

"Everyone loves change — as long as somebody else has to do it."

"Let’s be honest — the only one who truly likes change is a baby with a dirty diaper."

"Want some real perspective? Have your sales people switch places with your credit people for a week. Nothing quite like walking in someone else’s shoes."

"Deserving and doing are two different things — only one pays."

"The world don’t measure intentions. It measures results."

"The most underrated career skill in America today is common courtesy."

"The best business decisions are usually the most obvious ones — that's exactly why people overthink them."

"You don't need an MBA to know when something doesn't add up."

"A lot of business problems could be solved with less strategy and more common sense."

"We compete because we're different — not because we're the same as our competitors."

"Overcomplicating a simple problem is its own kind of failure."

"A transaction is one thing. A relationship is something else."

"Every company looks the same on a good day. The real differences show up on a bad one."

"Common sense doesn't show up on a resume — but it shows up in the results."

"A leader's job isn't to have all the answers. It's to ask the right questions."

"Customers have choices. So do we."

"You can tell a real leader by how the room acts when they're not in it."

"Leadership is not a title. It's a behavior people choose to follow."

"A sale is just a transaction. A relationship is a partnership in essence."

"All companies look alike — until you have an issue. Then all of a sudden they don't look alike."

"The best leaders make decisions. The worst leaders make excuses."

"People don't quit companies. They quit leaders."

"If the only thing you're searching for is the lowest price, you're probably missing something of tremendous value that doesn't show up on the price tag."

"A good leader takes the blame and shares the credit. A poor one does the opposite."

"You need a team with a common goal and different skillsets. — Clay Baum"

"Be the person who makes a difference — not the person who makes a problem."

"If you're unhappy at work, find another job — or take a good look in the mirror."

"What value do you bring to the company? Better yet — what would your employer say?"

"You might think you're valuable. The real question is — does your paycheck agree?"

"Remember, in a work environment, the student doesn't grade their own test. The teacher does."

"Common sense is the rarest form of leadership."

"Customers and clients hear features, but they buy benefits."

"Anybody can give a low price. What makes you matter is everything else you bring to the table — every single time."

"Anybody can make a sale. Not everybody can make a relationship."

"A transaction ends at the register. A relationship keeps them coming back."

"You know what's better than a good customer? Turning that customer into a great friend."

"When it's real and sincere, the relationship lasts forever. The sale is just a transaction. The price is just a number."

"If you dress like a slob and have poor social skills — nobody says it out loud, but nobody wants you meeting their clients either."

"If you send out resumes, land an interview, and show up looking like Bozo the Clown — don't expect a lot of callbacks."

"Clients hear features, but they only buy benefits. That has never changed."

"The best gift you can ever give a new customer is letting them know you believe in them."

"Loyalty isn't given. It's earned. Trust them, go to bat for them, support them — and they won't just become a customer. They'll become a loyal ally."

"The most valuable relationship builders are the ones who believe in someone before everyone else does."

"Balance might be one of the most important things in business — and in life."

"Financials tell you where someone is. Character tells you where they're going."

"High tech will get their attention. High touch will keep their business."

"Being capable and being committed are not the same thing."

"A dad's advice to his son: 'You're going to meet a lot of people smarter than you. I just hope you never meet one who outworks you.' — Marc Laird"

"Anybody can deliver good news and keep a client. It takes real skill to deliver bad news and keep them too."

"We compete by being different. We're different because we care."

"Many companies have a culture they talk about, but only a few companies live it like we do."

"Why do some people always get the recognition, and others never get any?"

"You were hired on potential. Stay hired on performance."

"People don't care about your problem. They care about theirs."

"Capable is common. Committed is rare."

"Their word isn't a promise — it's just what they do."

"Do business with people whose reputation walks in the room before they do."

"In business and in life — deal with people of character, not people who are characters."

"Hire character. You can train skill. You can't train integrity — and you sure can't fix sorry."

"The best companies don't just hire people — they attract people worth keeping."

"Your reputation is your résumé — and everybody in three counties has already read it."

"A company's reputation is built one kept promise at a time. Down here, we still remember the ones that weren't."

"Excellence ain't a moment. It's a habit — and habits don't lie."

"You can hold onto your values and still let go of your resistance to change."

"You can't teach what you don't show."

"The difference between having a job and having a career is — a job is what you do. A career is who you become."

"Careful planning is smart. Ignoring how fast things are changing is not."

"You can't win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket. And you can't change your company's efficiencies unless you're willing to change the way you do things."

"We all want to make more money. Not all of us are willing to do what it takes to earn it."

"Volume fills the calendar. Profit fills the bank account. They're not the same thing."

"Sales without margin is just expensive activity."

"You want to shear the sheep, not slit his throat. Make a profit — don't destroy the customer."

"Pigs get fed. Hogs get slaughtered. Don't be a hog."

"Revenue tells you how much moved. Profit tells you what you actually kept."

"Some people never studied finance. They just never spent more than they made — that's the whole degree."

"You will never go broke taking a profit."

"You don't bring a knife to a gun fight."

"Half-prepared is the same as unprepared when it really counts."

"He never learned how to cut corners. Never saw the point."

"The GPA got her noticed. The personality got her hired."

"I've got an idea for fancy schools — why don't you create a degree in Social Engineering? Somebody's got to teach the nerd herd how to talk to a human instead of a robot."

"Just because you've got all that smarts doesn't mean you can't laugh, enjoy your job, or crack a smile between algorithms."

"It's really true — they know everything except manners and respect. That's a foreign language to a lot of them."

"Old people think 'the cloud' is weather. Young people think a filing cabinet is a museum piece."

"Old people trust a firm handshake. Young people trust a secure Wi-Fi signal."

"Old people write memos. Young people write memes. Somehow they're both trying to say the same thing."

"It's like old folks trying to teach young people the jitterbug, and young folks trying to explain what makes an NVIDIA chip so special."

"The sonar tells you where the fish are. It doesn't set the hook for you."

"Technology finds the opportunity. You still have to do the work to land it."

"He's got an opinion on everything and a résumé on nothing."

"Don't change for the sake of change. Make sure it truly makes things better — not just a new kind of mess."

"Before you change something, ask if it's actually better — or just different."

"Bridge two generations together, and you've got enough to change a company — or the world."

"A dad's advice to his son: 'You're going to meet a lot of people smarter than you. I just hope you never meet one who outworks you."

"The greatest marketing strategy you could ever have is a very satisfied customer."

"Are you selling what you want them to buy - or selling them what they need to buy?"

"Bad attitudes is the cancer that permeates through a businesses and brings it down if you don't eradicate it"

"Don't get activity confused with accomplishment."

"If you constantly look forward to the weekend - you don't have a career. You just have a job."

"If you don't believe in what you're selling - why are you selling it?"

"If you have something important that needs to be done immediately - give it to someone who's busy."

"My hiring philosophy: if I wouldn't want my mother or my wife to meet them - I wouldn't hire them."

"People don't want to know how to build a watch - they just want to know what time it is."

"Sell from the customer's point of view - not from yours."

"We don't compete for the customer who's only searching for the lowest price. We compete for the one who needs a creative solution built around what actually matters to them."

"When you start a new job, recognize that you are a liability - and work like crazy to become a valuable asset."

"Where you bring value to a team, and to the organization."

"People hear features. People buy benefits."

"No one cares how many big words you know. They care whether you can solve their problems."

"Don't take a job just for the money. Take it for the right reasons."

"You can't make a great organization without great people."