Kemmons Wilson – Founder of Holiday Inn

 A true pioneer in the hospitality industry and a consummate entrepreneur, Kemmons Wilson left an indelible stamp on the culture of American commerce. As the founder of Holiday Inn, he used his vision and determination to build a company that revolutionized an industry and – in the process – changed the way we travel, the way we live and the way we do business.

 “My own success was attended by quite a few failures along the way. But I refused to make the biggest mistake of all: worrying too much about making mistakes.”

 “The most successful people are those who take pride in their work, pride in their family … It is great to attain wealth, but money is really just one way – and hardly the best way – to keep score.”

 ”Sometimes the first step is the hardest: coming up with an idea. Coming up with an idea should be like sitting on a pin – it should make you jump up and do something.”

 “Remember, a person who wins success may have been counted out many times before. He wins because he refuses to give up.”

 “Eliminate from your vocabulary the words, ‘I don’t think I can’ and substitute ‘I know I can’.”

“Remember that success requires half luck and half brains.”

“The secret of happiness is not doing what one likes, but in liking what one does.”

“In evaluating a career, put opportunity ahead of security.”