Women have long powered the direct selling industry. There’s plenty of inspiration to be gained from the words of some of the world’s more prominent female personalities, including QNET’s own leading women.
Ranging from life advice, overcoming doubt and finding balance, the following 25 quotes offer many lessons to take to heart and put into practice as QNET, in its 25th year, looks to empower more women and girls to drive transformative change and realise their entrepreneurial dreams of financial independence.
On Conquering Fear
Whatever your fears, always strive to put one foot in front of the other and move forward. Take it one day at a time, and rest in the knowledge that every new day is a step towards success.
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady of the United States of America
“The very act of doing the thing that scared me undid the fear. It’s amazing the power of one word. ‘Yes’ changed my life. ‘Yes’ changed me.” — Shonda Rhimes, TV screenwriter, producer and author
“The key to my success has always been that my desire to succeed has always been greater than my fear. I’ve been scared to death about a lot of things, but then I think, ‘Okay, you gotta buckle up, girl. You’ve got yourself here, so get out there and just do it.’ And I just ask God to help me, and I follow that light.” — Dolly Parton, iconic country music singer-songwriter
“You have to control your internal thought process. Take a strict decision if you are serious about your dreams.” — V Council Member Pooja Veragiwala
“Fear is nothing. Once you’ve learned and realised that you have everything in you to achieve anything and everything you set your mind and heart into, fear is powerless.” — Malou Caluza, QNET CEO
On Networking
Direct selling, being a business of people, prizes networking. But even as we work with others hand-in-hand and aim to serve the community at large, it’s important to remember that everyone is unique and there may be some who are wary of new connections and/or just need a little time. Always strive to be understanding and patient.
“We need three things to harness the power of people into a successful business: a networker’s head, which gives us the ability to understand our people and their unique strengths, weaknesses and motivations; a networker’s heart, which allows us to love and raise ourselves into able leaders so that we may have the capacity to love others and serve them; and a networker’s hand, which teaches us to help people by adding value to their gifts and driving them to succeed so that they may be inspired to do the same.” ― V Partner Donna Imson-Lecaroz
“People said yes, people said no … It was a big package of rejections. (Even) my best friend said no to me. But that was their choice. I didn’t stop. I moved on.” — Associate V Partner Shipra
“I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity.” — Michelle Obama, lawyer, author and former first lady of the United States of America
“The first and most important thing you must understand is this — achievement is a result. It is a result of our actions.” — V Partner Sharfun Shaikh
“When it comes to direct selling, you meet so many different people from different places; the one thing we all must share is the vision.” — V Council Member Zhupar Alimova
On Taking Risks
Entrepreneurship is never straightforward. Indeed, hurdles, missteps and failure are part and parcel of the journey, and there may be times when you just have to take a leap of faith.
“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes — understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” ― Arianna Huffington, founder of Huffington Post
“When you take risks, you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.” ― Ellen DeGeneres, comedian and TV host
“No one ever became a success without taking chances … One must be able to recognise the moment and seize it without delay.” — Estée Lauder, entrepreneur and founder of her namesake cosmetics brand
“Believe you can do it, believe you deserve it, believe you will get it — and see your dreams become reality.” — Prajna Mallur, Sapphire Star
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.” — Amelia Earhart, aviation pioneer
On Overcoming Challenges
Never shy away from a challenge as it is the trials and tribulations that make us whole. Remember, a lump of coal becomes a diamond only after being subjected to intense pressure.
“I am not a quitter. I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to prove to the world that my decision to do this is right. If I didn’t see rejections and failures, I would not be here today.” — V Partner Kavita Sugandh
“It was difficult to hear ‘no’ from your closest friends. I faced at least 30 refusals before the first purchase. As they say, you must give up the good to achieve the best.” — Alishpayeva Armanovna, Sapphire Star
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” — Maya Angelou, civil rights activist, poet and writer
“I learned to put 100 per cent into what you’re doing. I learned about setting goals for yourself, knowing where you want to be and taking small steps toward those goals. I learned about adversity and how to get past it.” — Kristi Yamaguchi, former figure skater and Olympic champion
“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyse you. They’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” — Bernice Johnson Reagon, composer, scholar and social activist
On Perseverance
No matter how hard things get, don’t throw in the towel. Rather, take a step back, breathe, lay out all your options, and endeavour to go again.
“People were like, ‘You are just a girl from Malaysia.’ But I realised at that point in time that I had made a decision to get that far. I had to move forward and that really made the difference. I could not turn back, and I had to finish.” ― Associate V Partner Kalai Manikam
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” — Marie Curie, chemist, physicist and Nobel Prize winner
“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, legendary jazz singer
“The more failures I faced, the more I learned, and every time I came one step closer to becoming a professional networker.” — Associate V Partner Ainash Zhumadilova
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” — Mary Anne Radmacher, writer and artiste
Remember, we are all more capable than we believe ourselves to be. The key to unlocking that potential, however, is belief. Happy International Women’s Day, everyone. And may we keep aiming for the stars.
Which of these quotes from successful women were your favourites? Tell us in the comments. Feel free to leave your favourite quotes for us as well.
This story was originally published on 1 March 2020.
“What you think, you create. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you become.” when i think about this statement it makes me realise how positive i need to think, feel and imagine