101 Inspiring Boss Lady Quotes & Mantras
Searching for inspiring girl boss, strong woman, or boss lady quotes to help you stay motivated and inspired as a female freelancer or entrepreneur? We got you covered!
As a female entrepreneur, I know that it’s tough going against the grain in order to follow your dreams and reach your goals. I’ve been a business owner since 2005, starting an ecommerce clothing store that I grew into two retail stores – then selling this business and starting from scratch to build a freelancing business that allowed me to work and travel.
It hasn’t been easy – but going out on my own has been the best decision I ever made.
When the going gets tough, I read about mindset strategies, which includes reading inspirational quotes from other inspiring women (and men!). This helps me keep my head up when I feel like giving up on everything.
Check out this list of best boss lady quotes to help you improve your productivity, motivation, and mindset. You can use these strong woman quotes on social media, print them and frame them for your office, or write them on a sticky note to put on your desk or laptop when the going gets tough.
What is a lady boss, or girl boss?
The term “Girl Boss” or “Lady Boss” is not derogatory. A boss lady has just come to mean a confident, entrepreneurial woman who runs her own business and lives life her own way.
She doesn’t want to follow normal, boring conventions, has an idea that she’s confident will work – and gives it her everything to make it happen – despite the roadblocks, problems, and naysayers she encounters along the way.
Traits of a great boss lady:
- Consistent
- Determined
- Productive
- Passionate
- Motivated
- Driven
- Focused
- Balanced
- Smart
- Confident
- Goal-oriented
- Listens
- Learns
- Takes action and implements what she learns
Looking for more inspirational quotes? Check out our other articles here:
- 115 Best Business Quotes For Entrepreneurs
- Daily Self Love Affirmations To Improve Confidence & Self Worth
Inspiring Boss Lady Quotes
- Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world
Hillary Clinton - Be so good they can’t ignore you
Steve Martin - A woman’s best protection is money of her own
Clare Boothe Luce - I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger
Serena Williams - When you learn how much you’re worth, you’ll stop giving people discounts
Karen Salmansohn - The question isn’t who is going to let me – it’s who is going to stop me?
Ayn Rand - If you’re too comfortable, it’s time to move on. Terrified of what’s next? You’re on the right track
Susan Fales Hill - A wise girl knows her limits – a smart girl knows she has none
Marilyn Monroe - There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.
Brené Brown - Sometimes you gotta be a beauty AND a beast
Nicki Minaj - The key to success is to start before you are ready
Marie Forleo - I invented my life by taking for granted that everything I did not like would have an opposite, which I would like
Coco Chanel - Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve
J.K. Rowling - The more we can break the rules, the better off we’re going to be
Indra Nooyi - Act like a lady, think Like a boss
Keita B. - You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think
A.A. Milne - Work until you no longer need to introduce yourself
Unknown - There will be people who say to you, ‘You are out of your lane.’ They are burdened by only having the capacity to see what has always been instead of what can be. But don’t you let that burden you
Vice President Kamala Harris - If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door
Milton Berle - At 70 years old, if I could give my younger self one piece of advice, It would be to use the phrase ‘f*** off’ much more frequently
Helen Mirren - Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door
Kyle Chandler - Stop telling yourself you don’t know what to do. Yes, you do. Listen to your intuition and trust yourself
Katherine Sullivan - Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally. It comes from what you do consistently
Marie Forleo - Life is tough, my darling, but so are you
Stephanie Bennett-Henry - If you want it bad enough, you have to be willing to fight for it
Charlene Johnson - Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness
Oprah Winfrey - 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
Madam C.J. Walker - Every strike brings me closer to the next home run
Babe Ruth - I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept
Angela Davis - I just want to hustle in peace, surround myself with positive vibes only, eat good food, and define my own version of happiness and success
Unknown - Women are like tea bags. You never know how strong they are until they are in hot water
Eleanor Roosevelt - We need to get women to the point where they aren’t apologizing. It’s time to take ownership in our success
Tory Burch - I am a woman with thoughts and questions and sh*t to say. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story — I will
Amy Schumer - The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.
Coco Chanel - Dreams are lovely. But they are just 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 - Some women fear the fire, some women simply become it
R.H. Sin - Do one thing every day that scares you
Eleanor Roosevelt - Do not be obsessed with expensive things. Instead, be obsessed with excellence. Things don’t make you excellent. However, excellence will make you expensive
Janna Cachola - If you live for people’s acceptance, you’ll die from their rejections
Lecrae - The woman who doesn’t require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet
Mohadesa Najumi - You can’t have a million-dollar dream with a minimum wage work ethic
Stephen C. Hogan - I want every little girl who’s been told she’s bossy to be told again she has leadership skills
Sheryl Sandberg - You can say a lot of things about me, but you cannot say I don’t work hard
Kim Kardashian - A wise woman once said, ‘f**k this sh*t’ and she lived happily ever after
Unknown - I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse
Florence Nightingale - You’re not in competition with other women. You’re in competition with everyone
Tina Fey - A woman with vision is unstoppable, a woman who is always increasing her skills multiplies. Along with passion this woman is undeniable
Janna Cachola - I’m tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch…okay!
Madonna - I am not lucky. You know what I am? I am smart, I am talented, I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way and I work really, really hard. Don’t call me lucky. Call me a badass
Shonda Rhimes - Great people do things before they’re ready
Amy Poehler - A true diva is graceful, and talented, and strong, and fearless and brave and someone with humility
Beyoncé - Smile and Slay. You have to slay it in life or life will slay you
Janna Cachola - Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve
J.K. Rowling - Do not be afraid. Do not worry about fear of failure and fear of what others think
Bola Sokunbi - I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass
Maya Angelou - I learned to always take on things I’d never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist
Ginni Rometti - Strong women don’t have ‘attitudes’ – we have standards
Unknown - If you are giving a lot of value, if you are making an impact in people’s lives, it will be reflected in your bank account
Mille Leung
- If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one
Dolly Parton - A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult
Melinda Gates - Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful
Mary Shelley - In whatever you do, you’re not going to stand out unless you think big and have ideas that are truly original. That comes from tapping into your own creativity, not obsessing over what everyone else is doing
Sophia Amoruso - Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you
Oprah Winfrey - It is within everyone’s grasp to be a CEO
Martha Stewart - Be humble. Be hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson - “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants
Coco Chanel - People respond well to those that are sure of what they want
Anna Wintour - Don’t give up, don’t take anything personally, and don’t take no for an answer
Sophia Amoruso - I am no bird, and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will
Charlotte Bronte - You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default
J.K. Rowling
- Stay on your game and keep going for your dreams. The World needs that special gift that only you have
Marie Forleo - Even if your dream seems unattainable, you can achieve it if you stay focused, driven, and diligent
Rebecca Minkoff - Abandon anything about your life and habits that might be holding you back. Learn to create your own opportunities
Sophia Amoruso - There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women
Madeleine Albright - Who you are today . . . that’s who you are. Be brave. Be amazing. Be worthy. And every single time you get the chance? Stand up in front of people. Let them see you. Speak. Be heard.
Shonda Rhimes - Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve
Mary Kay Ash - If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore
Michele Ruiz - I dream it, I work hard, I grind ’til I own it. I twirl on them haters
Beyoncé - You can be an absolute woman and also be smart and tough and not lose your femininity
Priyanka Chopra - If you want to be successful in this world, you have to follow your passion, not a paycheck
Jen Welter - The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it
Roseanne Barr - 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 - Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility
Michelle Obama - Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacle
Tina Fey - I love celebrating other people’s wins as much as my own. It doesn’t intimidate me when others are winning. I believe there’s enough success to go around for everyone
Unknown - I like it when people tell me that I’ve changed. That’s the point. I’m not trying to be the same me doing the same stuff that I’ve always been doing. That’s not going to get me the results I want
Unknown - Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears
Les Brown - I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint
Oprah Winfrey - The power lunch is no longer just for men. We all deserve a seat at the table
Whitney Wolfe Herd - Be the kind of woman that makes other women want to up their game
Unknown - I’m not bossy, I’m the boss
Beyoncé - When they go low, we go high
Michelle Obama - Eighty percent of success is showing up
Woody Allen - Noone is an overnight success. Put in the work
Unknown - I’ll never apologize for being ambitious, passionate, and strong minded. If it offends you, you know where the door is
Unknown - Whatever it is that you think you want to do, and whatever it is that you think stands between you and that, stop making excuses. You can do anything
Katia Beauchamp - If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs
Dhirubhai Ambani - Well behaved women rarely make history
Unknown - I never really like to see myself as the queen. I’m not playing queen, I don’t want to be the queen. I’m the boss. I’m the mother, I’m the boss, I’m in charge of my decisions with my team. I try to make the best of myself, to accomplish something, to always put the bar as high as I can
Celine Dion - Being the boss anywhere is lonely. Being a female boss in a world of mostly men is especially so
Robert Frost - Believe you can and you’re halfway there
Theodore Roosevelt
In Summary – Inspiring Boss Lady Quotes
I hope you’re feeling fired up and motivated after reading the list of inspiring boss lady quotes!
Mindset is a key part of achieving any goals that you’ve set yourself – so be sure to check back in on this list to give yourself a mental boost whenever you need it.
