Today is International Women’s Day, and what better way to mark it than by acknowledging that there’s always a story, a bigger picture behind every successful woman – often one that you wouldn’t expect. For instance, before author J.K. Rowling was a household sensation, she was an impoverished single mother who took the risk of her life to write the first Harry Potter book. Before eventually finding success with her billion-dollar Spanx empire, Sara Blakely went door to door selling fax machines, as she told Savoir Flair in this interview.
From lessons on failure, self-doubt, and focus to ones on money, learning, and courage, we’ve curated the best advice from female poets, artists, architects, authors, actresses, comedians, and entrepreneurs that will leave you feeling next-level motivated. Read on for quotes from Oprah Winfrey, Zaha Hadid, Angelina Jolie, Madonna, and more.