Want entrepreneurial wisdom in bite-sized pieces? Red McCombs, Muhammad Yunus, George Foreman, and more gave some great tips in their graduation speeches.

Now that it’s June, graduation season is almost over (our Acton MBA students graduated on May 2). For the past several weekends, happy grads everywhere have been throwing their caps in the air and popping open the champagne. Every commencement ceremony needs a keynote speaker and this year, hundreds of entrepreneurs filled the role.

Since graduation speeches tend to be filled with life lessons and practical advice, we thought it’d be interesting to see all the wisdom these entrepreneurs had to offer the Class of 2010. And since graduation speeches tend to be a bit long [or boring] we’ve only posted the highlights. (Jeff Sandefer’s was an exception, so read the transcript here. It was really inspiring.)

Everybody who is anybody has a somebody.”

- Red McCombs (quoting Darrell K. Royal), co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, car dealership owner, and real estate developer. Speech at the University of Texas.

We all have dreams and nightmares – my mother knew that whichever you feed will grow. Dwelling on the dream, and not the nightmare, is the spirit behind entrepreneurship….Everyone makes mistakes – and that’s okay. In fact, that’s how you’re going to learn your most important lessons. Don’t be afraid of your mistakes – just be sure, despite the pain and embarrassment,  you pay attention to them. They are gold….At the end of your days, you will be judged by your gallop, not your stumble.”

- John Hickenlooper, Mayor of Denver and geologist turned restaurant owner. Speech at Wesleyan University.

1) You will have both good luck and bad luck in your life and career, but it is your reaction to each type of luck that will determine which variety you encounter most frequently. 2) The business world is often unstable, even chaotic, but that instability often provides great opportunities for careers and investments. 3) Taking risks, like parachuting, is scary, but very often rewarding.”

- J. Marc Myers, co-founder of Myers & Crow Company. Speech at the University of Texas.

They said, ‘we have education, but what about jobs?’ So I started telling them…’You should be taking a pledge and the pledge should be: I’m not a job seeker, I’m a job giver. And prepare yourself to be a job giver. So change your mentality.’”

- Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, banker, economist, and founder of the Grameen Bank. Speech at Duke University.

If you believe in what you’re saying, if you believe in what you’re doing, you’ll be more effective, more passionate, and more authentic in everything you do.”

- Seth Goldman, co-founder, president, and TeaEO of Honest Tea. Speech at American University Kogod School of Business.

I was heavyweight champion of the world. I also started business ventures. I put my name on the George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine. I told people how to eat right and I never told a lie about it….you don’t have to compromise….I stood the test. I went toe to toe. I got knocked down. I kept gettin’ up….I know that a lot of you sitting there today have had your visions blurred, too…We need you. We need your ethics.”

- George Foreman, boxing champion, philanthropist, and entrepreneur known for his eponymous grill. Speech at the University of St Thomas.

There’s one thing other commencement speakers forget when they advise everyone to follow their bliss. Bliss often doesn’t start out as bliss; passion often doesn’t start out as passion. It’s more likely to begin as a quirk or nagging awareness, nagging idea coming in from left field.”

- John Hickenlooper, Mayor of Denver

Sometimes a bridge isn’t the best way to cross a river….Instead of taking the obvious way, sometimes there’s a different way. With business, and with society, so much of what we do is the usual solution….but you create a whole different set of problems….There will be bridges along the way for you. A friend may offer you a job. You may be presented with some great opportunities. I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t take many of the bridges that were put in front of me. But I also know I wouldn’t be here if I only crossed the bridges that were set in front of me.”

- Seth Goldman, Honest Tea

I wish I could tell you the secret to being forever young, but no one’s figured that out yet. But if you see the glass half full, simplify your life, and give yourself to a worthy cause, you will be forever happy.”

- Bert Jacobs, co-founder and “chief executive optimist” for The Life is Good Company. Speech at the University of New Hampshire.

Photo courtesy of josephpetepickle.

Tags: Advice, Class of 2010, Famous Entrepreneurs, Motivation, Speech

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Students