A lot of drive is innate, self-perpetuated, reinforced energy. As a kid, I could always sell anything I could get my hands on - from newspapers to lemonade to TV Guide. I knew how to make a presentation. Michael Ovitz More Quotes by Michael Ovitz More Quotes From Michael Ovitz The unknown is always interesting. Michael Ovitz interesting It's not about money. The money will flow. It's about power and influence. Michael Ovitz influence flow Hollywood is a small, familial place. Everyone does business with everybody else. The same complications occur in investment banking. Michael Ovitz banking hollywood doe When I get on a plane, I don't want a laid-back pilot. I want a pilot who is a control freak, who is paying attention to every single detail of his job. Michael Ovitz laid-back details jobs Football is the No. 1 sport in America. Michael Ovitz football sports america I learned my first lesson at the Walt Disney Company about not being able to trust my associates. Michael Ovitz able lessons firsts The Internet is the greatest thing that ever happened to the entertainment industry. Michael Ovitz happened entertainment internet I'm not good at being static. I have to be climbing a mountain. Michael Ovitz static climbing mountain The human condition is not perfect. We are not perfect specimens, any of us. We're not robots. Michael Ovitz human not-perfect robots perfect All of us are probably three people. We're probably the person that we think we are, and we're probably the person that you or somebody else perceives us to be, and... frankly, we're probably somewhere in the middle. And I think that it's important that there be a balance with respect to how individuals are - you know, are looked at. Michael Ovitz you respect balance people I have never run a public company. I spent my entire life working for a private company. Michael Ovitz never run company life My whole life has been about risk and reward. Michael Ovitz reward about risk life I've always made my decisions based on two factors: intellectual analysis and my gut. And when they meet, that's a go from me. That's when I see the goal. Michael Ovitz meet go see me I'm interested in what's new. I'm interested in change. I'm interested in a different game in life. Michael Ovitz new game change life I believe sometimes I make some mistakes. And I don't think they are life-threatening mistakes. Michael Ovitz mistakes think sometimes believe When I was at U.C.L.A., I worked my way through school as a tour guide at Universal Studios, and I came in contact with a lot of people in the agency business. Michael Ovitz business people way school In student government in high school, I learned how to deal with people, and in college I studied Eastern philosophy. I'm also an avid team-sports fan. I think I just blended them all together and came out with a business management philosophy that combines the Eastern ethic with the Western sport concept, basically. Michael Ovitz government business together people I must say that in my early years, I was incredibly aggressive. I was working as hard as I could to build a business, to try to dominate a business. And I probably irritated a lot of people. Michael Ovitz say try business people I'm not one to speak about myself. I like to speak about the people around me. Michael Ovitz myself me speak people
