Tom Golisano Quotes

Powerful Tom Golisano for Daily Growth

About Tom Golisano

Tom Golisano, an influential entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political activist, was born on October 20, 1947, in Rochester, New York. Raised by his grandparents after the untimely death of his parents, Golisano showed early signs of business acumen by starting a lawn-mowing service at the age of 10. His first major venture was Paychex, Inc., an automated payroll company he founded in 1971. Growing from a small startup to a Fortune 1000 company, Paychex revolutionized the payroll industry and made Golisano a billionaire. He remains the chairman emeritus of the company. In addition to his business endeavors, Golisano is also known for his political activism. He founded the Independence Party of New York, serving as its leader from 1985 to 2008, and ran for governor of New York three times on the Independence Party ticket. His advocacy focused on reducing government spending, creating jobs, and promoting business-friendly policies. Golisano's philanthropy is also noteworthy. He has donated millions to charities, including Golisano Children's Hospital and the Golisano Institute for Intellectual Entrepreneurship at the University of Rochester. His commitment to improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities led him to found the Golisano Foundation in 1995. Throughout his life, Golisano has remained a strong advocate for independent thinking and self-reliance. He is quoted as saying, "I think there are times when you've got to step out of line, do your own thing." This philosophy has driven his success in business, politics, and philanthropy.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts."

This quote by Tom Golisano emphasizes that success and failure are not static states but rather stepping stones on the path to achievement. Success may provide a sense of accomplishment, but it doesn't mark the end of the journey. Similarly, failure does not mean defeat; instead, it presents an opportunity for growth and learning. The true measure of one's character is the courage to persevere through adversity, learn from setbacks, and continue striving towards their goals.


"If you can't afford to lose money, don't invest in the stock market."

Tom Golisano's quote emphasizes the importance of understanding risk when investing in the stock market. It suggests that individuals who cannot afford to potentially lose their initial investment should refrain from participating in the stock market. This cautionary advice is based on the inherent volatility of the stock market, which may result in significant losses for investors. The quote serves as a reminder that investing always involves an element of risk and encourages potential investors to assess their financial situation before deciding whether or not to invest in stocks.


"The secret of business is to know something that nobody else knows."

This quote by Tom Golisano emphasizes the importance of possessing unique knowledge or insights in business, as it provides a competitive advantage. By having information or skills that others do not, one can gain an edge over competitors and create opportunities for success. The implication is that, to excel in business, it's essential to continually seek out new knowledge, ideas, and strategies to stay ahead in the marketplace.


"In business, you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate."

This quote by Tom Golisano emphasizes that success in business is not solely based on one's efforts or merit, but also on the outcome of negotiations. It suggests that having a good work ethic and being skilled are important, but they are not enough to ensure success in business transactions. Instead, it's crucial to actively negotiate favorable terms and agreements to achieve desired outcomes. In other words, negotiation skills can often be the deciding factor between a successful or unsuccessful business endeavor.


"People who can't take the heat should get out of the kitchen." - While this quote is not directly from Tom Golisano, it's often attributed to him in his speeches and interviews due to its alignment with his business philosophy.

This quote by Tom Golisano, although not originally his, encapsulates a principle of resilience and determination that he embodies in his business dealings. The quote essentially implies that those who are unable or unwilling to handle the pressures, challenges, and risks inherent in a situation should step aside. In other words, if one cannot withstand the heat (tough situations), they shouldn't stay in the kitchen (the arena of challenge). This mentality underscores Golisano's approach to business as he consistently demonstrates courage, tenacity, and the ability to thrive under adversity.


I love New York. But how much should it cost to call New York home? Decades of out-of-control budgets, spending hikes, and relentless borrowing have made New York simply too expensive.

- Tom Golisano

Love, New, Out-Of-Control, Hikes

The National Popular Vote is about getting states to convert from the winner-take-all rule. The states that pass the legislation will assign all their electoral votes to the candidate that got the most votes in the country, not just in the state.

- Tom Golisano

Country, Will, Pass, Convert

I've been paying a lot of money in state income taxes, and I've been happy to do it, but when this last thing happened, this 50 percent increase in the tax rate, it was just too much.

- Tom Golisano

Happy, Income, Been, Tax Rate

If you have fewer teenagers having children, they could focus more on their vocational development.

- Tom Golisano

Development, Could, Having, Vocational

It struck me that most businesses have less than 100 employees, but most payroll services were going after bigger companies.

- Tom Golisano

Bigger, Going, Less, Struck

Like health care, education is something worth spending on and worth investing in, but we're spending more and getting less.

- Tom Golisano

Education, More, Like, Investing

That's part of being an entrepreneur - you watch your pennies.

- Tom Golisano

Watch, Pennies, Part, Entrepreneur

I came up with the idea for what later became Paychex in 1970 when I was working for Electronic Accounting Systems, a company that sold payroll processing to companies with 50 to 1,000 employees.

- Tom Golisano

Idea, Became, Sold, Electronic

Electronic Accounting Systems processed my little payrolls like one big payroll. I did the selling, and the people I hired did most of the operations.

- Tom Golisano

Accounting, Big, Like, Electronic

By the end of 1978, we had 11 partners and six franchisees, we were operating in 22 cities, and we had about 6,000 clients. We had left Electronic Accounting Systems and were doing our own processing on our own computers.

- Tom Golisano

Doing, Clients, Six, Electronic

Anyone who has been as successful as I have should want to share those resources. Why not give some of it to charity?

- Tom Golisano

Give, Some, Been, Why Not

We picked a great marketplace. We were a pioneer in payroll processing for very small companies. And we had the perseverance and good fortune enough to stick it out.

- Tom Golisano

Small, Fortune, Very, Payroll

What made me this way was watching my father go through bad employment experiences. When I was 17, and he was 65, I saw him go through the experiences working for a boss that was rude and obnoxious. I swore if I was ever had the capacity to run a company that I would do it in a different way.

- Tom Golisano

Boss, Bad, Through, Employment

New York state and federal election laws allow us to make unlimited expenditures on behalf of or in opposition to candidates so long as we do not coordinate those expenditures.

- Tom Golisano

Election, New, Allow, Expenditures

Baseball has been my favorite sport all my life.

- Tom Golisano

Baseball, My Life, Been, All My Life

I'm not possessed about owning the Buffalo Bills, just as I wasn't possessed about owning the Buffalo Sabres.

- Tom Golisano

Buffalo, Owning, Possessed, Bills

Politicians like to talk about incentives - for businesses to relocate, for example, or to get folks to buy local.

- Tom Golisano

Like, Buy, About, Folks

In New York, the average total state and local tax burden is $5,260 for every man, woman and child. That's by far the highest in the country.

- Tom Golisano

New, Country, Average, Tax Burden

A lot of politicians say they want to get people out to vote; sometimes you can't totally believe they really want that.

- Tom Golisano

Want, Sometimes, Say, Politicians

Most people don't understand the Electoral College; they don't know why it exists.

- Tom Golisano

College, Most, Electoral, Exists

There are tremendous barriers to building housing. If we could break them down, the need for rent controls would go away.

- Tom Golisano

Housing, Controls, Away, Rent

My original business plan? To work hard, get 300 clients in the Rochester area, and live happily ever after.

- Tom Golisano

Original, Clients, Area, Happily

If we go by the National Popular Vote, we'll get more people voting.

- Tom Golisano

More, Get, More People, Voting

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