Steven Wright is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer who was born in Massachusetts in 1955. He is best known for his stand-up performances, and he is recognized for his lethargic voice and deadpan delivery during comedic performances. He is also known for producing ‘Louie’ between 2010 and 2015. During routines and interviews, Wright has said many things that are funny and either motivational or inspirational, depending on how you interpret the words. Here are the 20 best Steven Wright quotes that apply to business.

20. On Trying New Things

“If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never tried before.”

According to this Steven Wright quote, it is sometimes better to try something new. If the way you are doing things isn’t working well for you, then you should rethink how you do things. Change is often difficult, but it is necessary if you want to make things better. You might find that the new ways you try are significantly better than what you were doing before.

19. On Ignoring the Critics

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.”

Some people like to criticize anything that someone else does that is different from what they are doing. This is often more the case when someone becomes successful and others are jealous. They begin to find fault in every decision you make and every action you take. It is important that you can ignore the critics, and just focus on reaching your goals.

18. On Embracing Change

“Change is inevitable… except from vending machines.”

Whether you like it or not, change is something that is constantly happening. Therefore, it is vital that you can welcome change with open arms. It is likely that you will make many changes over time, either to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your business or to keep up with changing trends. You should not feel afraid to do something different for the benefit of your business.

17. On Having Ambition

“Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.”

This Stephen Wright quote is included in a list on Laughter Online University. If you have ambition, then you must also have a willingness to work hard. Both ambition and a willingness to work are essential if you want to become successful.

16. On Not Giving Up

“If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving isn’t for you.”

One of the main reasons that people do not succeed is because they give up too easily. As soon as they hit the first obstacle, they think it is too hard and that they have failed. Just because something does not work out the first time, it does not mean that you cannot succeed if you try again and do things differently.

15. On Self-Awareness

“I never thought of myself as deadpan until someone wrote an article about me about a year after I was doing comedy. There was a paper called the ‘Boston Phoenix’ and someone wrote a description of what I was doing and that’s where I first saw ‘deadpan’.”

Those who become successful usually have excellent self-awareness. They know where their strengths lie, and they have taken a critical look at themselves and identified their weaknesses. It is crucial that you identify your strengths and weaknesses. You can take steps to improve your areas of weakness, and you can use your strengths to your advantage.

14. On Choosing Your Own Path in Life

“I didn’t want to be selling insurance at 40, wondering what would it have been like to do stand-up.”

Everyone wants something different from life, and the way you want to live your life is entirely your choice. Nobody can dictate to you where you work or how you live your life. Life is too short to spend it doing things that make you unhappy. Having a passion for your work will not only make it more enjoyable, but it will also keep you motivated and give you a better chance of success.

13. On Learning from Your Experiences

“Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.”

This Steven Wright quote is listed on Brainy Quote. It is about how you only get experience after going through a particular situation. Experience is something that you gain over time. Along the way, you will experience many failures, but these are an important part of the learning curve and gaining the experience you need for success.

12. On Facing Your Fears

“I’ve always had to conquer fear when I’m on stage. Basically, I was and still am a very shy person. It’s absolutely in conflict with what I do. But once I deliver the first joke, I’m okay. It’s like I’m out there all by myself just delivering my lines to nobody in particular without ever trying to notice the audience in front of me.”

If you shy away from the things you fear, then you may never have the chance to enjoy success. Everyone has fears, and these differ from one person to the next. To become a success in business, you must do whatever it takes to overcome your fears. Otherwise, they will become obstacles that stand in your way.

11. On Enjoying Your Work

“There’s something about being in front of a live audience that’s fun. It’s really interesting, very electric, very alive, and intense experience, and you can’t get it anywhere else. And I’ve been doing it since I was 23, so it’s part of my being- it’s part of my fabric as a person.”

Enjoying your work means that you have a much better chance of success. This is because when you feel passionate about what you do, you are motivated to work and will give every task everything you have got. On the other hand, a lack of passion will lead to a lack of motivation and you will find it hard to put effort into tasks.

10. On Working Hard to Maintain Your Success

“in a lot of ways, success is much harder than I thought it would be. I figured that you’d get here and then everything would be happily ever after. But, it’s hard work, almost harder once you’re successful because you’ve got to maintain it.”

Becoming successful takes a lot of hard work, and very few people have an easy ride on the journey to success. However, once you become successful, hard work is not over. You may find that it is just as hard work, if not more, to maintain your success.

9. On Adapting to the Trends

“My mother is from another time- the funniest person to her is Lucille Ball: that’s what she loves. A lot of times she tells me she doesn’t know what I’m talking about. I know if I wasn’t her son and she was flipping through the TV and saw me, she would just keep going.”

In this Steven Wright quote, he talks about how his mother was from a different generation and different things were appealing to her than they were to him. This is because trends change in almost every aspect of life. No matter what type of business you are in, you should monitor trends so that you can make sure that you continue to meet the wants and needs of your target market. This is also important if you want to attract new customers.

8. On Facing Your Fears

“A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I’m afraid of widths.”

Everyone has different fears, and fears are something that can hold you back in life. You should identify your fears, and then face them head-on. A common fear of people in business is that they will fail. This then prevents them from launching or expanding a business. If you do not face this fear, then it will prevent you from achieving success. It is only by facing your fear of failure that you will have the chance of becoming successful.

7. On Making the Most of Your Time

“I saw a bank that said ’24 hour banking’, but I don’t have that much time.”

It is possible to interpret this Steven Wright joke as being about using your time well, which is crucial in business. Time is one of your most important resources, but it is also one of the most limited. Therefore, you need to make the most of every minute. Work efficiently and use your time effectively.

6. On Looking for the Positives in Every Situation

“I remember when the candle shop burned down. Everyone stood around singing ‘Happy Birthday’.”

This Steven Wright joke is about people making the most out of a bad situation. In business, you should try to find positives in every situation, no matter how hard things seem. For example, when you fail, use it as a learning experience for how you should do things differently next time. You should also view negative situations as something that will make you stronger and more able to cope with other situations in the future.

5. On Using Your Creativity

“People may think I’m trying something new by telling stories, but they’re just jokes connected to give the illusion of stories. But really, I just continue using my imagination and creating. That’s what I do.”

To make yourself stand out from the competition, you should do things differently. Working out what will make you stand out from the crowd can take some imagination and creativity. If you are not naturally creative or imaginative, then ask a trusted member of your team to put forward their ideas.

4. On Taking Care of the Finances

“If you think no one cares about you, try missing a couple of payments.”

Finances are a crucial part of any business, and how well you take care of your finances can make the difference between success and failure. For a business to become profitable, you need more income than you have expenditure. Therefore, taking care of finances is vital. It is much easier to get into debt than it is to get back out of it again.

3. On Doing Something Purposeful

“There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.”

Appearing to do things and doing something purposeful are two different things. Do not waste your time looking like you are making progress without doing something that is a step towards success. Every task you undertake should have a purpose and should act as one step forward towards your goals.

2. On Predicting the Market

“Only one in four jokes ever works, and I still can’t predict what people will laugh at.”

In this Steven Wright quote, he talks about not knowing what will work in his industry. The same thing applies to all industries, so this applies to business. Predicting what the market wants is a vital part of becoming successful. If you do not sell products or services that people want or need, then you will never become successful. Therefore, researching the market is an essential aspect of making sure your business becomes profitable.

1. On Getting a Good Work-Life Balance

“It seems like we wake up and it’s a race until you get to bed. It gets to you after a while and you think, ‘What the h*** and I doing?’”

According to Quote Tab, this is one of the best Steven Wright quotes that apply to business. It is hard to enjoy your life if all you do is sleep and work. You need to make sure you get a good work-life balance with plenty of time away from work for rest and fun. This will help you to focus more when you are at work and keep your motivation levels high.