50 Motivational and Inspirational Quotes for Working Women
/Are you a working woman looking for motivation and inspiration? We’ve all been there! Juggling work, family responsibilities, social obligations, and more can be overwhelming.
That's why it's important to remember that you are strong, capable, and powerful - something we sometimes forget amidst the day-to-day pressures of our lives.
To help remind yourself of your awesome power while staying motivated in all areas of life, we’ve collected 50 inspirational quotes specifically designed with women in mind – so read on and get ready to be inspired!
1. “Dreams are lovely but they are dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.”
-Shonda Rhimes
2. “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint—and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”
-Oprah Winfrey
3. “I never dreamt of success. I worked for it.”
-Estée Lauder
4. “Some women choose to follow men and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.”
-Lady Gaga
5. "If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair."
-Shirley Chisholm
6. “I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.”
-Madame C.J. Walker
7. “If you’re not making some notable mistakes along the way, you’re certainly not taking enough business and career chances.”
-Sallie Krawcheck
8. “Whenever I feel bad, I use that feeling to motivate me to work harder. I only allow myself one day to feel sorry for myself. When I’m not feeling my best I ask myself, ‘What are you gonna do about it?’ I use the negativity to fuel the transformation into a better me.”
-Beyoncé Knowles
9. “No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you've come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.”
-Madonna
10. “Sometimes the future changes quickly and completely, and we’re left with only the choice of what to do next. We can choose to be afraid of it. Just stand there trembling, not moving. Assuming the worst that can happen. Or we step forward into the unknown and assume it will be brilliant.”
-Sandra Oh
11. “Don't let fear stop you. Don't give up because you are paralyzed by insecurity or overwhelmed by the odds, because in giving up, you give up hope. Understand that failure is a process in life, that only in trying can you enrich yourself and have the possibility of moving forward. The greatest obstacle in life is fear and giving up because of it.”
-Sonia Sotomayor
12. “Do not whine...do not complain. Work harder. Spend more time alone.”
-Joan Didion
13. “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
-Helen Keller
14. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, and how you can still come out of it.”
-Maya Angelou
15. “Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that’s the one that is going to require the most from you.”
-Caroline Myss
16. “Run to the fire, don’t hide from it.”
-Meg Whitman
17. “If you are successful, it is because somewhere, sometime, someone gave you a life or an idea that started you in the right direction. Remember also that you are indebted to life until you help some less fortunate person, just as you were helped.”
-Melinda Gates
18. “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 we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
-Marie Curie
19. “Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.”
-Diana Ross
20. “We learned about dignity and decency—that how hard you work matters more than how much you make...that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.”
-Michelle Obama
21. “As a leader, I am tough on myself and I raise the standard for everybody; however, I am very caring because I want people to excel at what they are doing so that they can aspire to be me in the future.”
-Indra Nooyi
22. “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be."
-Rosalynn Carter
23. “There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success...but if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you’re going...you’ll know that it was you and the people who love you that put you there.”
-Taylor Swift
24. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.”
-Dolly Parton
25. “Write your own part. It is the only way I’ve gotten anywhere. It’s much harder work, but sometimes you have to take destiny into your own hands.”
-Mindy Kaling
26. “I never dreamt for success. I worked for it.”
- Estee Lauder
27. “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”
-Ayn Rand
28. “There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise.”
- Korhan Erdol
29. “Do not whine…do not complain. Work harder. Spend more time alone.”
- Joan Didion
30. “Behind every working woman is an enormous pile of unwashed laundry.”
- Barbara Dale
31. “I am a working woman. I take care of a home. I hold down a job. I am nuts.”
- Barbara Dale
32. “I’m tough, ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a b**ch, Okay.”
- Madonna
33. “When you live for a strong purpose, then hard work isn’t an option. It’s a necessity.”
- Steve Pavlina
34. “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a b**ch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.”
- Maya Angelou
35. “Lean in, speak out, have a voice in your organization, and never use the word, ‘sorry’.” -Trish Bertuzzi
36. “The most successful entrepreneurs I know are optimistic. It’s part of the job description.
- Caterina Fake
37. “You will be defined not just by what you achieve, but by how you survive.
-Sheryl Sandberg
38. “Trying to do it all and expecting it all can be done exactly right is a recipe for disappointment. Perfection is the enemy.
- Sheryl Sandberg
39. “Growth and comfort do not coexist.”
- Ginni Rometty
40. “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
41. “Be an amateur. Not everything you do has to be good, especially at first.”
- Ann Handley
42. “I’ve never thought of myself as a female engineer, or founder, or a woman in tech. I just think of myself as someone who’s passionate.”
- Leah Busque
43. “Stick to your true north― build greatness for the long term.”
-Ruth Porat
44. “Building a brand means knowing your story and building and sharing that story”
-Tamara McCleary
45. “It is pure mythology that women cannot perform as well as men in science, engineering and mathematics. In my experience, the opposite is true: Women are often more adept and patient at untangling complex problems, multitasking, seeing the possibilities in new solutions and winning team support for collaborative action.”
- Weili Dai
46. 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
47. “Fearlessness is not the absence of fear. It’s the mastery of fear. It’s about getting up one more time than we fall down.”
-Arianna Huffington, editor in chief of The Huffington Post
48. “Follow your passion — and if you don’t know what it is, realize that one reason for your existence on earth is to find it.”
-Oprah Winfrey
49. “Build your business success around something that you love — something that is inherently and endlessly interesting to you.”
-Martha Stewart
50. “Surround yourself with a trusted and loyal team. It makes all the difference.”
-Alison Pincus
Final Note
We hope these quotes will be a source of inspiration to you and help you stay motivated in your journey as an empowered working woman. Remember, anything is possible when you take control of your destiny.