Seth Godin

"At the age of four, you were an artist. And at seven, you were a poet."

"Art isn't only a painting. Art is anything that's creative, passionate, and personal. And great art resonates with the viewer, not only with the creator. What makes someone an artist? I don't think is has anything to do with a paintbrush. There are painters who follow the numbers, or paint billboards, or work in a small village in China, painting reproductions. These folks, while swell people, aren't artists. On the other hand, Charlie Chaplin was an artist, beyond a doubt. So is Jonathan Ive, who designed the i Pod. You can be an artists who works with oil paints or marble, sure. But there are artists who work with numbers, business models, and customer conversations. Art is about intent and communication, not substances. An artists is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. And an artists takes it personally. That's why Bob Dylan is an artist, but an anonymous corporate hack who dreams up Pop 40 hits on the other side of the glass is merely a marketer. That's why Tony Hsieh, founder of Zappos, is an artists, while a boiler room of telemarketers is simply a scam. Tom Peters, corporate gadfly and writer, is an artists, even though his readers are businesspeople. He's an artists because he takes a stand, he takes the work personally, and he doesn't care if someone disagrees. His art is part of him, and he feels compelled to share it with you because it's important, not because he expects you to pay him for it. Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient. The medium doesn't matter. The intent does. Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another."

"...all tribes are made up of partisans, the more partisan the better. If you're a middle-of-the-roader, you don't bother joining a tribe."

"For me, marketing works for society when the marketer and consumer are both aware of whats happening and are both satisfied with the ultimate outcome."

"The best reason someone talks about you is because they're actually talking about themselves."

"There’s a gap in the market where your version of better can make a welcome change happen."

"Whether something is remarkable isnt up to you, the creator. You can do your best, but the final decision is up to your user, not you."

"If you need to be authentic to do your best work, you’re not a professional, you’re a fortunate amateur."

"Authenticity in the marketplace is a myth, what people want is to be understood and to be served, not merely witness whatever you feel like doing in a given moment."

"It's not for you shows the ability to respect someone enough that you're not going to waste their time. It's the freedom to ignore the critics who don't get the joke."

"-It's not for you-It shows the ability to respect someone enough that you're not going to waste their time. It's the freedom to ignore the critics who don't get the joke."

"Choose the people who want what you're offering."

"Yes, I think it's okay to abandon the big, established, stuck tribe. It's okay to say to them, You're not going where I need to go, and there's no way I'm going to persuade all of you to follow me. So rather than standing here watching the opportunities fade away, I'm heading off. I'm betting some of you, the best of you, will follow me."

"Difference between TV and the internet was how far you sat from the screen. TV was an 8 foot activity, and you were a consumer. The internet was a 16 inch activity, and you participated. I think the sitting down thing is similar. You're not going to buy an armoir while standing on the subway."

"...treasure what it means to do a day's work. It's our one and only chance to do something productive today, and it's certainly not available to someone merely because he is the high bidder. A day's work is your chance to do art, to create a gift, to do something that matters. As your work gets better and your art becomes more important, competition for your gifts will increase and you'll discover that you can be choosier about whom you give them to."

"If you are deliberately trying to create a future that feels safe, you will willfully ignore the future that is likely."

"In a battle between  two ideas, the best one doesn't necessarily win. No, the idea that wins is the one with the most fearless heretic behind it."

"Leadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work."

"How was your day? If your answer was fine, then I don't think you were leading."

"Leadership, on the other hand, is about creating change you believe in."