Daily Archive

Before Nike, there was Art Williams.  You may have thought that Nike coined the phrase Just Do It … but they didn’t.

Art Williams, the founder of the company that eventually became Primerica, was bought by Citigroup, then was spun off this year as a private company, was the person that coined the phrase.  His focus was on the need to “Do it” in business to succeed.  When asked what “it” was … his reply was “just do it.”

Art was originally a football coach and started a life insurance business back in the mid 1970s.  I joined primerica briefly during 1995 and found Art’s speeches to be the most inspirational words I had heard … because he was talking to business people like a preacher.  He was amazing.  Tape after tape.  He was amazing.

While I didn’t stay with Primerica for very long, Art’s words helped shape me as a business person.  There is never enough to be done, so just go do some more.  As one colleague many years later said – nothing great happens between 9 and 5.  The point, Just Do It.

If you are starting a business, just do it.  Stop planning, start doing.  Stop writing, start doing.  Stop dreaming, start doing.

This is one of the best speeches he ever gave.  It was given to a religious group, and Art is a religious man.  The message is not religious per se.  However, the point that doing it comes from commitment certainly can be taken that way … watch, learn, and apply to your life.  If you can “do it” more often, your life will be changed.