The Best Entrepreneurial Motivational Speeches
These speeches are great for entrepreneurs or those seeking motivation. Whether you are a full-time undergraduate student, a corporate or startup employee, or are just someone looking for inspiration, you’ll find these videos useful.
Steve Jobs - How to Live Before You Die
An excerpt from Steve’s speech reads, “…I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?”
To view the entire transcript of Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement speech, please click here.
Al Pacino - Inch by Inch
While this speech might be about football, it’s also about winning, overcoming obstacles, and life.
One of my favorite lines is as follows, “In either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half a step too late or too early, you don’t quite make it. One half second too slow or too fast, you don’t quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us.”
J.K. Rowling - The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination, June 2008
In this brief, 20-minute commencement speech, J.K. Rowling explores how both failure and imagination are crucial for success.
“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”
Jim Carrey - Maharishi University of Management Commencement, May 2014
Jim Carrey spoke about his childhood, how he was raised, and how fear can shape our lives. This one isn’t without its own jokes, but near the end it’s definitely on the more serious side.
Ellen DeGeneres - Tulane University Commencement, Fall 2005
Ellen delves into her personal life by disclosing how she persisted in her career despite her sitcom being canceled as a result to her coming out as gay. Now, she says, “I don’t live in fear. I’m free. …and I know I’ll always be OK, because no matter what, I know who I am.”
Sheryl Sandberg - Harvard University Commencement, May 2012
Sheryl describes how leading with “your heart as well as your mind” is essential to win the same. With a light splash of humor, Sandberg provides career advice and a bit of how she paved her own way to success.
To read her speech in its entirety, check out this article on Poets & Quants.
Entrepreneurial Motivational Speeches - Honorable Mentions
If you are an entrepreneur or business owner building a brand, it pays off to those that are heavily invested. In other words, if you are fully committed, you’ll be more likely to find success.
In this video, motivational speaker Eric Thomas talks with TEAM USA Olympic and Paralympic Contenders 100 days out from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The repeated phrase, contrary to what you may think from the title, is, “I can get through this.”
In Conclusion
Lastly, we hope you’ve now found the motivation you needed to do whatever that thing was. Whether you’re aiming for an internship, a full time role, or your next big career move, these speeches should get your mindset right.
Resources & Further Reading
Devaney, E. (2019, January 31). The 24 Best Motivational Speeches Our Employees Have Ever Heard. Retrieved January 13, 2021, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/best-motivational-speeches
Hooper, S. (2017, October 08). 5 of The Best Motivational Speeches of All Time. Retrieved January 13, 2021, from https://addicted2success.com/motivation/5-of-the-best-motivational-speeches-of-all-time/
Roach, A. (2020, December 17). 13 Best Motivational Speeches for Entrepreneurs. Retrieved January 13, 2021, from https://www.oberlo.com/blog/best-motivational-speeches-entrepreneurs
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