15 Motivational Quotes by Some of The Most Influential Women in Business

Every day, girls and women all over the world, young and old, are standing up for their rights. You've probably seen photos of iconic women who have already achieved incredible things, but have you ever stopped to consider the women who are still working towards the same things you are, still striving for just a little bit more? As a society, we have come so far, but do we really think we are there yet?

At WomELLE, we are lucky to work with powerful women every day. So, we thought we'd highlight some of the influential women in the business working towards the same goals as you and share their message of empowerment.

Here are some of our favorite motivational quotes from influential women in business:

"Find the smartest people you can and surround yourself with them." — Marissa Meyer, Former Yahoo CEO & Co-founder, Sunshine Contact

"There is nothing like a concrete life plan to weigh you down. Because if you always have one eye on some future goal, you stop paying attention to the job at hand, miss opportunities that might arise, and stay fixedly on one path, even when a better, newer course might have opened up."—Indra K. Nooyi, CEO of Pepsi Co. 

"A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult." – Melinda Gates 

"Expect the unexpected, and whenever possible, be the unexpected." – Lynda Barry 

"Don't just stand for the success of other women – insist on it." – Gail Blanke, President and CEO, Lifedesigns 

"I'm tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay." – Madonna 

"Know what you bring. Know what you don't bring. And build a team that covers everything you need."—Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List 

"Don't be intimidated by what you don't know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else."—Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx 

"Whatever you do, be different – that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can't think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you're different, you will stand out." Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop 

"So often people are working hard at the wrong thing. Working on the right thing is probably more important than working hard." – Caterina Fake, Co-founder of Flickr 

"If People Are Doubting How Far You Can Go, Go So Far That You Can't Hear Them Anymore." Michele Ruiz, Co-founder and CEO of BiasSync

"Change is inevitable. Growth is optional." - Maria Penelope Guerrero, former executive at Hewlett-Packard and now owner of InterTech Group LLC.  

"People respond well to those that are sure of what they want." – Anna Wintour, editor-in-Chief of American Vogue 

"We spend so much time on trivial things that can really improve our life." - Cheryl Duggan-Johnson, CEO and co-founder of LuxeBranded. 

"Sometimes things just don't work out, but you can't let that stop you. The best response is one that moves you forward, not one that minimizes or eliminates the setback." - Wendy Liebman