The thing that got us going early was the running boom. And then, I think, we rode the Jordan bit, which then kind of crossed us over into the pop culture.
— Phil Knight
We knew we could fail; we just didn't think we would.
I think a businessman can be an artist just as much as a writer or a sculptor, so I'm real proud of what the company has become.
We took advantage of the running boom, which became the jogging boom, which became the fitness boom... and we've benefited from all of that.
If you're trying to get into the sports business, you really have to find a niche.
Every businessman, or every person who has a passion for his work, is torn for the time spent at work and the time spent with your family.
I think I'm not a natural-born salesman, for sure, but If I have a product I really believe in, I can overcome some of the shyness and get through the things that aren't natural to me.
Running is a basic ingredient for your health, just as much as eating and sleeping, but going out for a run by yourself and taking a moment to think also creates a certain peace.
I think everyone born in Oregon is an environmentalist by birth.
Meeting sports athletes that are the best in the world is a thrill to this day.
You can't explain much in 60 seconds, but when you show Michael Jordan, you don't have to. It's that simple.
At first, we couldn't be establishment, because we didn't have any money. We were guerrilla marketers, and we still are, a little bit. But, as we became No. 1 in our industry, we've had to modify our culture and become a bit more planned.
The trouble in America is not that we are making too many mistakes, but that we are making too few.
I've been fortunate to be around good people.
I do believe that international trade agreements benefit both nations, always.
In running, the only equipment that really matters - at least the mentality was in those days - were the pair of shoes that you wore.
A shoe dog is somebody that really loves shoes, and that was me. I was a runner... that became important to me, and it's been with me ever since.
I didn't say I'm walking away. I said I was stepping down as chairman. I won't walk away. I'll be carried away.
When you really understand who you are, it enables you to fight and believe.
When I took the entrepreneurship class at Stanford, the first lecture was about an entrepreneur and his personality. They described it as being different than a businessman, who is an overall scientific manager.
If there was no Bill Bowerman, there would have been no me. He had about as much of an impact on my life as any one person could have. He taught me about competition and ingrained it in me. He taught me not to praise ordinary performances.
I still get real nervous when I go in front of more than two people.
Up until the time I was 14 years old, I was sure that I was going to be a big-league baseball player. But that dream came to a rude awakening when I got cut from my high school baseball team.
We could see that he was a charismatic guy who jumps over the moon and is very competitive, but nobody could have predicted what he would become to our culture.
We wanted Nike to be the world's best sports and fitness company. Once you say that, you have a focus. You don't end up making wing tips or sponsoring the next Rolling Stones world tour.
There is no drama like the drama on the athletic field.
I know when the Berlin wall went down and I walked into what was East Berlin and saw two big Nike banners - that gave me a chill.
When we changed from Tiger to Nike, we had to have a design for the shoe. And where do you go to? There's no 'dial 9-1-1' for design.
If there's one thing, I've been pretty good at evaluating people.
No parent should have their child die before he or she does.
Any entrepreneur has to prepare for a lot of dark days, and they've got to really like what they are doing, and they have to have a reason for it to succeed.
Obviously, the bulk of my Nike shares have been set up in a trust.
I've said many times that I might as well have webs between my toes.
I'm Phil Knight, and I don't believe in advertising.
I don't consider myself enigmatic, but I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my public persona.
Sports is like rock 'n' roll. Both are dominant cultural forces, both speak an international language, and both are all about emotions.
There is an immutable conflict at work in life and in business, a constant battle between peace and chaos. Neither can be mastered, but both can be influenced. How you go about that is the key to success.
