James Cash Penney

As a rule, we find what we look for; we achieve what we get ready for.

I believe a man is better anchored who has a belief in the Supreme Being.

Determine to do some thinking for yourself. Don’t live entirely upon the thoughts of others. Don’t be an automaton.

My definition of an executive’s job is brief and to the point. It is simply this: Getting things done through other people.

The well-satisfied customer will bring the repeat sale that counts.

It was always my practice to train salespeople under my direct supervision, and to treat children with the utmost consideration.

Every advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol which is the brand image.

While several parties have expressed interest in buying the company, I’m not shopping it, I haven’t sold it and I’m not about to sell it.

I avoid clients for whom advertising is only a marginal factor in their marketing mix. They have an awkward tendency to raid their advertising appropriations whenever they need cash for other purposes.

I do not believe a man can ever leave his business. He ought to think of it by day and dream of it by night.

Founding a company is hard. Most of it isn’t smooth. You’ll have to make very hard decisions. You have to fire a few people. Therefore, if you don’t believe in your mission, giving up is easy. The majority of founders give up. But the best founders don’t give up.

Every business is a monarchy with, not a man, but an idea as king.

Some manufacturers illustrate their advertisements with abstract paintings. I would only do this if I wished to conceal from the reader what I was advertising.

Good publicity is preferable to bad, but from a bottom-line perspective, bad publicity is sometimes better than no publicity at all. Controversy, in short, sells.

My motto is: Always get even. When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.

Never write an advertisement which you wouldn’t want your own family to read. You wouldn’t tell lies to your own wife. Don’t tell them to mine. Do as you would be done by. If you tell lies about a product, you will be found out — either by the Government, which will prosecute you, or by the consumer, who will punish you by not buying your product a second time. Good products can be sold by honest advertising. If you don’t think the product is good, you have no business to be advertising it.

When most people ask about a business growing, what they really mean is growing revenue, not just growing the number of people using a service. Traditional businesses would view people using your service that you don’t make money from as a cost.

In the Ford Motor Company we emphasize service equally with sales.

This is serious business. But it doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun along the way.

A touch of the jitters sharpens the mind, gets the adrenaline flowing and helps you to focus.

They encouraged me to always look for the good in people instead of assuming the worst and trying to find fault.