100 Quotes on Self-Made Success for Girls and Women

Success does not arrive without effort or steady work. Women earn success through clear goals, grit, and steady action every day.

Being self-made goes beyond money or job titles and means real independence. It asks you to set bold goals, create your own chances, and claim your value amid doubt.

These 100 quotes collect wisdom, encouragement, and practical strength from many voices across history and today. Each quote reminds readers that success depends on hard work, vision, and steady confidence rather than gender.

Pursue a career goal, start a business, or focus on steady personal growth today. Use these words to plan, act, and measure progress toward what matters. Keep this collection close for times you need a clear boost, honest counsel, or bold fuel.

Let each line remind you that your dreams remain valid, your strength suffices, and your story grows through bold choices.

Ambition and Dreams

• A girl should be two things: who and what she wants. – Coco Chanel
• I never dreamed about success. I worked for it. – Estée Lauder
• Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live. – Anne Sweeney
• Little girls with dreams become women with vision. – Anonymous
• Ambition is the most beautiful thing a woman can have. – Anonymous
• Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. – Gloria Steinem
• The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. – Eleanor Roosevelt
• Stay strong. Make them wonder how you’re still smiling. – Anonymous
• Never apologize for being ambitious. – Anonymous
• Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use. – Ruth Gordon

Hard Work and Perseverance

• I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it. – Estée Lauder
• Nothing will work unless you do. – Maya Angelou
• Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. – Eleanor Roosevelt
• Fall seven times and stand up eight. – Japanese Proverb
• Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself. – Anonymous
• Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. – Maya Angelou
• I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse. – Florence Nightingale
• I never lose. I either win or learn. – Nelson Mandela
• Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. – Vincent Van Gogh
• Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. – Mark Twain

Courage and Independence

• Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim. – Nora Ephron
• The question isn’t who’s going to let me, it’s who’s going to stop me. – Ayn Rand
• Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. – Oprah Winfrey
• Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world. – Malala Yousafzai
• No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. – Eleanor Roosevelt
• Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. – Oscar Wilde
• Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got. – Janis Joplin
• She remembered who she was and the game changed. – Lalah Delia
• I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. – Louisa May Alcott
• I am deliberate and afraid of nothing. – Audre Lorde

Power and Leadership

• Power’s not given to you. You have to take it. – Beyoncé
• The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. – Roseanne Barr
• Do not bring people in your life who weigh you down. Trust your instincts. – Oprah Winfrey
• Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticized anyway. – Eleanor Roosevelt
• If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman. – Margaret Thatcher
• A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman. – Melinda Gates
• Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. – Hillary Clinton
• You can never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe. – Leymah Gbowee
• Be the kind of woman who makes other women want to up their game. – Anonymous
• Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on. – Serena Williams

Confidence and Self-Worth

• You get in life what you have the courage to ask for. – Oprah Winfrey
• Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are. – Beyoncé
• Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself. Keep fighting for your dreams. – Gabby Douglas
• Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for. – Jennifer Lopez
• Stop waiting for someone to tell you you’re good enough. You are. – Anonymous
• Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. – Mae Jemison
• Be so good they can’t ignore you. – Steve Martin
• Celebrate every tiny victory. – Anonymous
• Turn your wounds into wisdom. – Oprah Winfrey
• She is clothed in strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future. – Proverbs 31:25

Resilience and Determination

• Well-behaved women rarely make history. – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
• Behind every successful woman is herself. – Anonymous
• Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives. – Michelle Obama
• If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. – Milton Berle
• Stars can’t shine without darkness. – Anonymous
• Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. – William James
• Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. – Helen Keller
• Do what you love and success will follow. Passion is the fuel behind a successful career. – Meg Whitman
• Don’t just stand for the success of other women—insist on it. – Gail Blanke
• Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical. – Howard Schultz

Boldness and Breaking Barriers

• The most effective way to do it, is to do it. – Amelia Earhart
• Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them. – Madam C.J. Walker
• Cinderella never asked for a prince. She asked for a night off and a dress. – Kiera Cass
• If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. – Katharine Hepburn
• Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. – Anaïs Nin
• You must do the thing you think you cannot do. – Eleanor Roosevelt
• I want every girl to know that her voice can change the world. – Malala Yousafzai
• Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today. – Will Rogers
• Sometimes you just have to put on lip gloss and pretend to be psyched. – Mindy Kaling
• You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. – Shonda Rhimes

Strength and Self-Reliance

• Do not tame the wolf inside you just because you’ve met someone who doesn’t have the courage to handle you. – Anonymous
• Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. – Oprah Winfrey
• A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. – Coco Chanel
• Keep your heels, head, and standards high. – Coco Chanel
• Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do. – Brené Brown
• Don’t just stand there. Do something. – Anonymous
• I always wanted to be someone better the next day than I was the day before. – Sidney Poitier
• I was smart enough to go through any door that opened. – Joan Rivers
• Behind every successful woman is herself. – Anonymous
• You are more powerful than you know; you are beautiful just as you are. – Melissa Etheridge

Wisdom and Reflection

• Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. – Maya Angelou
• Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. – Albert Schweitzer
• Don’t let yesterday limit today’s growth. – Anonymous
• The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. – Coco Chanel
• Don’t let yesterday hold tomorrow hostage. – Anonymous
• Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get. – Ingrid Bergman
• There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish. – Michelle Obama
• Stars shine brightest when skies are darkest. – Anonymous
• Behind fear is the person you want to be. – Anonymous
• Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. – Jennifer Lee

Legacy and Inspiration

• One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman. – Simone de Beauvoir
• I never took a day off in my twenties. Not one. – Bill Gates
• I never limit myself. I never think all is lost. – Indra Nooyi
• Don’t be afraid of storms. Learn to sail your ship. – Louisa May Alcott
• Every woman’s story matters. Own it. – Anonymous
• Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill
• Turn obstacles into stepping stones. – Anonymous
• Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine. – Anonymous
• Behind every scar is a story of survival and strength. – Anonymous
• Be the heroine of your own journey. – Anonymous

Conclusion

Every pursuit of success brings tests, setbacks, and hard doubts that demand grit. Many women face added barriers and social expectations that slow forward motion. The voices in these 100 quotes show that self-made success stands within reach for focused effort. Self-made success grows from steady work, clear focus, and firm courage in daily acts. Each line here carries real experience, ambition, and lessons for practical work and growth. Use these words to guide choices, measure progress, and build steady momentum in every effort. Strength comes from steady effort, not from perfection or sudden wins. Small wins combine into larger skills, wider reach, and lasting impact. Keep building skills, name your goals clearly, and protect time for deep work. Share triumphs, teach others, and widen your influence through steady, honest action. Keep building, keep believing, and own the success you create. The world benefits from your voice, clear goals, and hands-on success.