--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A great advantage I had when I started…" description: "\"A great advantage I had when I started The Body Shop was that I had never been to business school.\" — Anita Roddick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/anita-roddick-2286_advantage_a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-t_1848817.jpg" --- # A great advantage I had when I started The Body Shop was… ![“A great advantage I had when I started The Body Shop was that I had never been to business school.” quote by Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/anita-roddick-2286_advantage_a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-t_1848817.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/anita-roddick-2286_advantage_a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-t_1848817.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/anita-roddick-2286_advantage_a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-t_1848817.jpg) > “A great advantage I had when I started The Body Shop was that I had never been to business school.” [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lack of formal business education gave a fresh perspective, fostering innovative approaches in entrepreneurship. **In simple terms:** Non‑traditional backgrounds can spark innovation. Key Takeaway Leverage unique experiences. Themes entrepreneurship innovation education Mood optimistic empowering Type business motivational When to use this quote - startup founding - product development - social enterprises - market research - leadership training Key Concepts disruptive thinking consumer ethics brand purpose Questions to Reflect On - How can unconventional founders fill knowledge gaps? - What advantages do outsiders have? A Different Perspective May miss technical fundamentals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Advantage Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage-started-2411268/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Body Shop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-shop/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-school/) [Great advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-advantage/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School bus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-bus/) [Shops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shops/) [Started Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-body-2411269/) ## Related quotes > [Don't go to business school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hawken/don-t-go-to-business-school/) [Paul Hawken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hawken/) > [The Body Shop Foundation is run by our staff and supports social activism and environmental activism. We don't tend to support big agencies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/the-body-shop-foundation-is-run-by-our-staff-and-supports-social/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [I have no interest in being the biggest, the most profitable or the largest retailer. I just want The Body Shop to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/i-have-no-interest-in-being-the-biggest-the-most-profitable-or-the/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [I don't want to be defined by being the founder of the Body Shop, and I don't want to be defined as a woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/i-don-t-want-to-be-defined-by-being-the-founder-of-the-body-shop-and/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [The money that we make from the company goes into The Body Shop Foundation, which isn't one of those awful tax shelters like some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/the-money-that-we-make-from-the-company-goes-into-the-body-shop/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [At The Body Shop we had always been measured by how many jobs we had created, and I got a major award from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/at-the-body-shop-we-had-always-been-measured-by-how-many-jobs-we-had/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [The growth of The Body Shop is testimony to the fact that you don't need to waste money on costly advertising campaigns to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/the-growth-of-the-body-shop-is-testimony-to-the-fact-that-you-don-t/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [I started The Body Shop in 1976 simply to create a livelihood for myself and my two daughters, while my husband, Gordon, was trekking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/i-started-the-body-shop-in-1976-simply-to-create-a-livelihood-for/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [It's about creating a product or service so good that people will pay for it. Now 30 years on The Body Shop is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/it-s-about-creating-a-product-or-service-so-good-that-people-will-pay/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [I run my company according to feminine principles, principles of caring, making intuitive decisions, not getting hung up on hierarchy or all those dreadfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/i-run-my-company-according-to-feminine-principles-principles-of/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [I didn't go to business school, didn't care about financial stuff and the stock market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/i-didn-t-go-to-business-school-didn-t-care-about-financial-stuff-and/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [“Because he was leaving Liberia, Chris had tried selling his Italian made, Vespa motor-scooter. It had seen a lot of use and I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/because-he-was-leaving-liberia-chris-had-tried-selling-his-italian/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [You can literally see the radiance and suppleness being restored and dull skin coming back to life as all of those incredible nutrients go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-fernandez/you-can-literally-see-the-radiance-and-suppleness-being-restored-and/) [Jacqueline Fernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-fernandez/) > [ I was working with Toby Gad, who spent a lot of time in India. There's a sitar \[in "Body Shop"\] and the song has… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-was-working-with-toby-gad-who-spent-a-lot-of-time-in-india-there-s/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [I understand the relationships between the crew chiefs and the engineering or between fabrication and the body shop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltrip/i-understand-the-relationships-between-the-crew-chiefs-and-the/) [Michael Waltrip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltrip/) ## More by Anita Roddick > [There are a lot of dark sides to success, but the light side of it is the ability to be opportunistic, and to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/there-are-a-lot-of-dark-sides-to-success-but-the-light-side-of-it-is/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [What we are trying to do is to create a new business paradigm, simply showing that business can have a human face and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/what-we-are-trying-to-do-is-to-create-a-new-business-paradigm-simply/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [But if you can create an honorable livelihood, where you take your skills and use them and you earn a living from it, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/but-if-you-can-create-an-honorable-livelihood-where-you-take-your/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [Creativity comes by breaking the rules, by saying that you're in love with the anarchist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/creativity-comes-by-breaking-the-rules-by-saying-that-you-re-in-love/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [I'd have opened a bloody library if I'd wanted to be quiet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/i-d-have-opened-a-bloody-library-if-i-d-wanted-to-be-quiet/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [You educate people, especially young people, by stirring their passions, so you take every opportunity to grab the imagination of your employees, you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/you-educate-people-especially-young-people-by-stirring-their-passions/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [The predominant idea behind globalization, in its most virulent form, is an unpleasant kind of social Darwinism - that the world is for winners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/the-predominant-idea-behind-globalization-in-its-most-virulent-form/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [You can't change t he wor ld f rom t he rear view mir ror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/you-can-t-change-t-he-wor-ld-f-rom-t-he-rear-view-mir-ror/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [Business is not financial science, it's about trading.. buying and selling. It's about creating a product or service so good that people will pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/business-is-not-financial-science-it-s-about-trading-buying-and/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [The freedom that comes with globalization is freedom for the rich and powerful nations to further exploit and further marginalize those at the bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/the-freedom-that-comes-with-globalization-is-freedom-for-the-rich-and/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [if companies are in business solely to make money, no consumer can fully trust what they do or say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/if-companies-are-in-business-solely-to-make-money-no-consumer-can/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [Consumers have not been told effectively enough that they have huge power and that purchasing and shopping involve a moral choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/consumers-have-not-been-told-effectively-enough-that-they-have-huge/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [But the minute we went public on the stock market, which is how our wealth was created, it was no longer how many people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/but-the-minute-we-went-public-on-the-stock-market-which-is-how-our/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [Travel is like a university without walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/travel-is-like-a-university-without-walls/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [First, you have to have fun. Second, you have to put love where your labour is. Third, you have to go in the opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/first-you-have-to-have-fun-second-you-have-to-put-love-where-your/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) [Explore all 174 Anita Roddick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) ## More Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [All I ever wanted was an unfair advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-wynn/all-i-ever-wanted-was-an-unfair-advantage/) [Garrison Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-wynn/) > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [Like funny men, skilled diners are apparently perceived to have an evolutionary advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/like-funny-men-skilled-diners-are-apparently-perceived-to-have-an/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [For some reason when I decide to pursue something, I never have any fear that it won't happen. I think it's just ingrained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/for-some-reason-when-i-decide-to-pursue-something-i-never-have-any/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [I think I have good hands, so I try to use them to my advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-andreescu/i-think-i-have-good-hands-so-i-try-to-use-them-to-my-advantage/) [Bianca Andreescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-andreescu/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/live-in-the-world-you-inhabit-look-upon-things-as-they-are-take-them/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I always tell women that the fact that you're different and that you're noticed, because there are few of us in the tech industry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/i-always-tell-women-that-the-fact-that-you-re-different-and-that-you/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) [Browse all 3,503 Advantage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A great advantage I had when I started The Body Shop was that I had never been to business school.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anita Roddick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-the-body-shop-was-that-i-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advantage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-the-body-shop-was-that-i-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/anita-roddick-2286_advantage_a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-t_1848817.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/anita-roddick-2286_advantage_a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-t_1848817.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/anita-roddick-2286_advantage_a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-t_1848817.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A great advantage I had when I started The Body Shop was that I had never been to business school.” — Anita Roddick", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anita Roddick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A great advantage I had when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-the-body-shop-was-that-i-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/a-great-advantage-i-had-when-i-started-the-body-shop-was-that-i-had/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```