Truett Cathy Quotes & Sayings

If it takes seven days to make a living, you ought to be doing something else. — S. Truett Cathy

Putting people before profits is how we've tried to operate from the beginning. — S. Truett Cathy

Sometimes success is disguised as hard work. — S. Truett Cathy

I had a low image of myself because I was brought up in the deep Depression. — S. Truett Cathy

We live in a changing world, but we need to be reminded that the important things have not changed, and the important things will not change if we keep our priorities in proper order. — S. Truett Cathy

Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done. — S. Truett Cathy

My riches are my family and my foster children. I try to store any material wealth in my hand, not my heart, so that I always feel free to give it away when the opportunity arises. — S. Truett Cathy

I've experienced poverty and plenty, and there's a lesson to be learned when you're brought up in poverty. — S. Truett Cathy

I had to create some good work habits and attitude. — S. Truett Cathy

I was not so committed to financial success that I was willing to abandon my principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this is our decision to close on Sunday. — S. Truett Cathy

I'm planning to be here forever, but I know at some point I'll probably have to give it up. If you live to 100, there's a very good chance you'll live forever. Because very few people die after 100. — S. Truett Cathy

You don't have to make the headlines to make a difference. — S. Truett Cathy

The one thing I take more joy in than anything else in the world is seeing young people develop — S. Truett Cathy

I see no conflict whatsoever between Christianity and good business practices. People say you can't mix business with religion. I say there's no other way. — S. Truett Cathy

Learn to love your work and you'll never have to 'work' again. — S. Truett Cathy

I struggled to get through high school. I didn't get to go to college. But it made me realize you can do anything if you want to bad enough. — S. Truett Cathy

We tell applicants, 'If you don't intend to be here for life, you needn't apply.' — S. Truett Cathy

Whatever you do ... put your heart and soul into it! — S. Truett Cathy

As a kid, I can't remember having anything to play with except a loose tooth. And that wasn't mine. It was my brother's. — S. Truett Cathy

I lost two brothers in an airplane crash, both of them leaving a wife and kids. When I get to Heaven, that's probably the first question I'd like to ask: 'Why was it necessary?' — S. Truett Cathy

Every child I know who overcame long odds and grew into a responsible adult can point to an adult who stepped into his or her life as a FRIEND, a MENTOR, and a GUIDE. — S. Truett Cathy

I motivate what I see in young people because we employ about forty thousand young people in our various Chick-fil-A units. Some of them come to work because they need to work; others just work because they just like to work. There's nothing wrong with that. — S. Truett Cathy

I have always encouraged my restaurant operators and team members to give back to the local community. — S. Truett Cathy

We don't expect every operator to be Christian, but we tell them we do expect them to operate on Christian principles. — S. Truett Cathy

To take advantage of unexpected opportunities, we must leave ourselves available. — S. Truett Cathy

Food is Essential to life, therefore make it good. — S. Truett Cathy

You know what ego stands for: Edging Out God! — S. Truett Cathy

Success in any relationship or endeavor begins with trust. — S. Truett Cathy

Chick-fil-A is what it is today because of its people, purpose and product. — S. Truett Cathy

No goal is too high if we climb with care and confidence. — S. Truett Cathy

I believe no amount of business school training or work experience can teach what is ultimately a matter of personal character. Businesses are not dishonest or greedy, people are. Thus, a business, successful or not, is merely a reflection of the character of its leadership. — S. Truett Cathy

If a man can't manage his own life, he can't manage a business. — S. Truett Cathy

How do you know if someone needs encouragement? If they are breathing! — S. Truett Cathy

If it took seven days to make a living with a restaurant, then we needed to be in some other line of work. — S. Truett Cathy

It's OK to have wealth. But keep it in your hands, not in your heart. — S. Truett Cathy

People want to work with a person, not for a company. — S. Truett Cathy

If you have debt, you have to worry about it. I would challenge each of you to try to be debt-free. — S. Truett Cathy

Why would I retire from something I enjoy doing? I can hardly wait to get here. — S. Truett Cathy

I have people say, 'I'll come to work for you for free,' and I tell my employees they have to compete with that. — S. Truett Cathy

We should be about more than just selling chicken: we should be a part of our customers' lives and the communities in which we serve. — S. Truett Cathy

Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business. — S. Truett Cathy

If you wish to enrich days, plant flowers; If you wish to enrich years, plant trees; If you wish to enrich Eternity, plant ideals in the lives of others. — S. Truett Cathy

Several years ago we added "my pleasure" to the manners chart after we read the book How Did You Do It, Truett? by S. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A. In it, Mr. Cathy tells how he studied the methods of five-star hotels and found that workers are required to say "My pleasure" instead of "You're welcome" when being thanked for something. In essence, one is saying, "Thank you for giving me the pleasure of serving you," and not, "Yes, it was such a sacrifice on my part. You're welcome." He found a direct link between business success and employees learning to treat costumers with the utmost courtesy and respect, and that was one of the principles he adopted for all Chick-fil-A workers. — Jill Duggar

I cook chicken for a living. — S. Truett Cathy

The people are more important than the food. We want a person to be as successful as he can be, and it works the other way around, too. — S. Truett Cathy

In the Great Depression, you bought something if you had the cash to buy it. — S. Truett Cathy

I'd be resentful if shareholders who don't know the business tried to tell me what to do. — S. Truett Cathy

Opportunity presents itself sometimes in unusual situations. What you think is the worst thing turns out to be a good thing. Different circumstances challenge people to do things they didn't know they could do, and in those times when the outlook appears the worst, we find new reasons for optimism. — S. Truett Cathy

If we get better our customers will demand we get bigger. — S. Truett Cathy

If you're excited about what you're doing, it's a lot more likely that your employees will also be excited. People want to work for a person, not a company. It's about relationships. — S. Truett Cathy

As Christians, we have an obligation and responsibility to abide by the principles of the Bible. — S. Truett Cathy

It's better to build boys than mend men. — S. Truett Cathy

It's a silent witness to the Lord when people go into shopping malls, and everyone is bustling, and you see that Chick-fil-A is closed. — S. Truett Cathy

We must motivate ourselves to do our very best, and by our example lead others to do their best as well. — S. Truett Cathy

Each person's destiny is not a matter of chance; it's a matter of choice. It's determined by what we say, what we do, and whom we trust. — S. Truett Cathy

Nearly every moment of every day, we have the opportunity to give something to someone else - our time, our love, our resources. — S. Truett Cathy

In most cases we perform better when we're busy than when we're not busy. When we're slow, our mind wanders. We're not as attentive to our business. When we're on the firing line, we're sharper. We move more quickly and get the job done right. — S. Truett Cathy

Ringing the cash register is not the name of the game. It's only the scorekeeper, and it's not what motivates me. I'm motivated in my business by the compliments I receive about our people, our service, and the quality of our food. — S. Truett Cathy

You don't have to be a Christian to work at Chick-fil-A, but we ask you to base your business on biblical principles because they work. — S. Truett Cathy