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Get inspired by these super successful women who prove that hard work really does pay off…

Words by Lizzie Lloyd-Wickens

It’s easy to think that fortune favours the beautiful and too often we assume that Heidi Klum, Victoria Beckham and Taylor Swift had their success handed to them. That assumption however, would be wrong.

Here are our favourite quotes by 11 inspirational women who have got to where they are through motivation, determination and a lot of hard work…

1. Heidi Klum

‘It’s not as if I sit back and watch things fly onto my plate. I went for a lot of the things. Success doesn’t happen by waiting for things to happen because there are other people who are hungry. The early bird catches the worm.’

2. Emma Watson

‘I’m my own worst critic. I think that’s really hard, but it also spurs me on. I always want to do better. I’m always striving towards the next thing.’

3. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

‘It’s just the way we are, the way we were raised. Our work ethic was everything, and that never left us. We like to work hard, and we like to try to do everything 100 percent.’

4. Sarah-Jessica Parker

‘We didn’t have a lot when I was growing up, and it’s the best thing that happened to me because I appreciate everything. I developed a strong work ethic, and I don’t take anything for granted.’

5. Victoria Beckham

‘I’ll admit it: I’m a control freak. I am. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it 110% or there’s no point in doing it at all, especially if the work takes me away from time with my husband and children.’

6. Margot Robbie

‘Everyone’s like, “overnight sensation” – It’s not overnight. It’s years of hard work.’

7. Beyoncé

‘I can never be safe. I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am.’

8. Kendall Jenner

‘Some people might think that what I’ve done before made it easier for me to get jobs, but it was actually a disadvantage. I had to work even harder.’

9. Taylor Swift

‘My parents raised me to never feel like I was entitled to success, that you have to work for it. You have to work so hard for it. And sometimes you don’t even get to where you need to go.’

10. Lauren Conrad

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‘There is never just one thing that leads to success for anyone. I feel it’s always a combination of passion, dedication, hard work, and being in the right place at the right time.’

11. Cameron Diaz

‘I think that anything that you do, any accomplishment that you make, you have to work for. I can tell you that hard work pays off. It’s not just a cliché.’