A former presidential candidate who is perhaps better known for his entrepreneurial success than for his politics—Ross Perot, was an over achiever from his childhood—joining the Boy Scouts and earning his Eagle award in just 13 months. He became the President of his college class, and as a salesman for IBM, he filled his annual quota in just two weeks. After he left IBM to found his own company, he was rejected 77 times before he landed his first contract. Despite those humble beginnings, Perot later sold a controlling interest in EDS to GM for $2.4 billion. Here’s a collection of Ross Perot quotes that we find most inspirational.

1. “Spend a lot of time talking to customers face to face. You’d be amazed how many companies don’t listen to their customers.”