Top 35 S. Truett Cathy Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “Learn to love your work and you’ll never have to ‘work’ again.”

— S. Truett Cathy

Featured in: Positivity Quotes, Fulfillment Quotes, Career Development Quotes, Satisfaction Quotes, Joy Quotes

2. “No goal is too high if we climb with care and confidence.”

— S. Truett Cathy

Featured in: Believe in Yourself Quotes, Dreaming Big Quotes, Goal Setting Quotes, Good Day Quotes, Positive Morning Quotes

3. “If we get better our customers will demand we get bigger.”

— S. Truett Cathy

4. “How do you identify someone who needs encouragement? That person is breathing.”

— S. Truett Cathy

5. “A business, successful or not, is merely a reflection of the character of its leadership.”

— S. Truett Cathy

6. “Food is Essential to life, therefore make it good.”

— S. Truett Cathy

7. “Sometimes success is disguised as hard work.”

— S. Truett Cathy

8. “The difference between success and failure is often about 5% more effort.”

— S. Truett Cathy

9. “We must motivate ourselves to do our very best, and by our example lead others to do their best as well.”

— S. Truett Cathy

10. “Each person’s destiny is not a matter of chance; it’s a matter of choice. It’s determined by what we say, what we do, and whom we trust.”

— S. Truett Cathy

11. “Nearly every moment of every day we have the opportunity to give something to someone else – our time, our love, our resources. I have always found more joy in giving when I did not expect anything in return.”

— S. Truett Cathy

12. “To take advantage of unexpected opportunities, we must leave ourselves available.”

— S. Truett Cathy

13. “Success in any relationship or endeavor begins with trust.”

— S. Truett Cathy

14. “You don’t have to make the headlines to make a difference.”

— S. Truett Cathy

15. “I believe no amount of business school training or work experience can teach what is ultimately a matter of personal character. Businesses are not dishonest or greedy, people are. Thus, a business, successful or not, is merely a reflection of the character of its leadership.”

— S. Truett Cathy

16. “I’d like to be remembered as one who kept my priorities in the right order. We live in a changing world, but we need to be reminded that the important things have not changed, and the important things will not change if we keep our priorities in proper order.”

— S. Truett Cathy

17. “You know what ego stands for: Edging Out God!”

— S. Truett Cathy

18. “The one thing I take more joy in than anything else in the world is seeing young people develop.”

— S. Truett Cathy

19. “It’s better to build boys than mend men.”

— S. Truett Cathy

20. “If you wish to enrich days, plant flowers; If you wish to enrich years, plant trees; If you wish to enrich Eternity, plant ideals in the lives of others.”

— S. Truett Cathy

21. “My riches are my family and my foster children. I try to store any material wealth in my hand, not my heart, so that I always feel free to give it away when the opportunity arises.”

— S. Truett Cathy

22. “It’s OK to have wealth. But keep it in your hands, not in your heart.”

— S. Truett Cathy

23. “As Christians, we have an obligation and responsibility to abide by the principles of the Bible.”

— S. Truett Cathy

24. “People want to work with a person, not for a company.”

— S. Truett Cathy

25. “You have to be very careful about what you say. More importantly, you have to be very careful about what you do. You never know how or when you influence people – especially children.”

— S. Truett Cathy

26. “Opportunity presents itself sometimes in unusual situations. What you think is the worst thing turns out to be a good thing. Different circumstances challenge people to do things they didn’t know they could do, and in those times when the outlook appears the worst, we find new reasons for optimism.”

— S. Truett Cathy

27. “Many of the unexpected opportunities we encounter are small but significant.”

— S. Truett Cathy

28. “Ringing the cash register is not the name of the game. It’s only the scorekeeper, and it’s not what motivates me. I’m motivated in my business by the compliments I receive about our people, our service, and the quality of our food.”

— S. Truett Cathy

29. “If you’re excited about what you’re doing, it’s a lot more likely that your employees will also be excited. People want to work for a person, not a company. It’s about relationships.”

— S. Truett Cathy

30. “In most cases we perform better when we’re busy than when we’re not busy. When we’re slow, our mind wanders. We’re not as attentive to our business. When we’re on the firing line, we’re sharper. We move more quickly and get the job done right.”

— S. Truett Cathy

31. “I realized I could do anything if I wanted it badly enough.”

— S. Truett Cathy

32. “If it takes seven days to make a living, you ought to be doing something else.”

— S. Truett Cathy

33. “As a kid, I can’t remember having anything to play with except a loose tooth. And that wasn’t mine. It was my brother’s.”

— S. Truett Cathy

34. “I had to create some good work habits and attitude.”

— S. Truett Cathy

35. “Sometimes, but not often, I am thoroughly convinced that the decision I have made is the right one, even though it differs from the others, and I will exercise my authority to approve or reject a decision against their wishes. In most cases, though, if we can’t agree on something, a better idea is to table the decision rather than to exercise the power.”

— S. Truett Cathy