Phil Knight Quotes

Phil Knight Quotes

1. “We wanted Nike to be the world’s best sports and fitness company. Once you say that, you have a focus. You don’t end up making wing tips or sponsoring the next Rolling Stones world tour.”
“Play by the rules, but be ferocious.” – Phil Knight

2. “Up until the time I was 14 years old, I was sure that I was going to be a big-league baseball player. But that dream came to a rude awakening when I got cut from my high school baseball team.” – Phil Knight

3. “I’m Phil Knight, and I don’t believe in advertising.” – Phil Knight

4. “Dream audaciously. Have the courage to fail forward. Act with urgency.” – Phil Knight

5. “In periods of stress and grief, not only does your mind do funny things, you say things that surprise you.” – Phil Knight

6. “I don’t consider myself enigmatic, but I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my public persona.” – Phil Knight

7. “It’s alright to be Goliath but always act like David.” – Phil Knight

8. “Sports is like rock ‘n’ roll. Both are dominant cultural forces, both speak an international language, and both are all about emotions.” – Phil Knight

9. “Make history or be a part of it.” – Phil Knight

10. “I am a man who has always needed heroes.” – Phil Knight

11. “I’m in the shoe business. Look at these things. They’re called Tigers. I faked out the company. I’m the US distributor. Come with me.” – Phil Knight

12. “It’s not enough to do good things. You have to let people know what you’re doing.” – Phil Knight

13. “You can’t explain much in 60 seconds, but when you show Michael Jordan, you don’t have to. It’s that simple.” – Phil Knight

14. “Now we understand that the most important thing we do is market the product. We’ve come around to saying that Nike is a marketing-oriented company, and the product is our most important marketing tool.” – Phil Knight
15th Phil Knight Quote –“You’ve got to worry about what’s coming up to stay ahead of the curve…” – Phil Knight

16. “If you want to spend time saying this is cool, you’re going to get your ass kicked.” – Phil Knight

17. “There is an immutable conflict at work in life and in business, a constant battle between peace and chaos. Neither can be mastered, but both can be influenced. How you go about that is the key to success.” – Phil Knight

18. “I’ve always believed that businesses should be good citizens…” – Phil Knight

19. “There is no shoe school, so where do you recruit people for a company that develops and markets running shoes? The running track… We and the consumer were one and the same.” – Phil Knight

20. “Marketing knits the whole organization together.” – Phil Knight

21. “Access to play should be a kid’s inalienable right.” – Phil Knight

22. “The way to stay ahead was through product innovation. We happened to be great at it.” – Phil Knight

23. “While technology is still important, the consumer has to lead innovation.” – Phil Knight

24. “We have to innovate for a specific reason, and that reason comes from the market. Otherwise, we’ll end up making museum pieces.” – Phil Knight

25. “My job is to listen to ideas, maybe cook up a few of my own, and make decisions based on what’s good for the shareholders and for the company.” – Phil Knight

26. “I truly believe the American consumer doesn’t want to buy products made under abusive conditions.” – Phil Knight

27. “Dare to take chances, lest you leave your talent buried in the ground.” – Phil Knight

28. “A brand is something that has a clear-cut identity among consumers, which a company creates by sending out a clear, consistent message over a period of years until it achieves a critical mass of marketing.” – Phil Knight

29. “Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are really part of a very big advertising program, and the fact that they make so much money is because the markets have dictated that they get that money, and the fact that they endorse our products allows us to sell more products and create more jobs.” – Phil Knight
30th Phil Knight Quote – “Perception can be changed.” – Phil Knight

31. “There comes a time in every life when the past recedes and the future opens. It’s that moment when you turn to face the unknown. Some will turn back to what they already know. Some will walk straight ahead into uncertainty. I can’t tell you which one is right. But I can tell you which one is more fun.” – Phil Knight

32. “The trouble in America is not that we are making too many mistakes, but that we are making too few.” – Phil Knight

33. “It is possible to tell a customer “no”, and have the customer thank you for doing it.” – Phil Knight

34. “It doesn’t matter how many people you offend, as long as you’re getting your message to your consumers. I say to those people who do not want to offend anybody: You are going to have a very, very difficult time having meaningful advertising.” – Phil Knight

35. “You only have to succeed the last time.” – Phil Knight

36. “Meeting sports athletes that are the best in the world is a thrill to this day.” – Phil Knight

37. “I still get real nervous when I go in front of more than two people.” – Phil Knight

38. “We used to think that everything started in the lab. Now we realize that everything spins off the consumer.” – Phil Knight