---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We start with our consumers and spend an…"
description: "\"We start with our consumers and spend an exorbitant amount of time talking with them, trying to figure out what's driving them, finding out where they ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/cathy-o-brien-226490_amount_we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an_2163951.png"
---

#  We start with our consumers and spend an exorbitant amount…

![“We start with our consumers and spend an exorbitant amount of time talking with them, trying to figure out what's driving them, finding out where they are and how they're changing things.” quote by Cathy O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/cathy-o-brien-226490_amount_we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an_2163951.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/cathy-o-brien-226490_amount_we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an_2163951.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/cathy-o-brien-226490_amount_we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an_2163951.png)

> “We start with our consumers and spend an exorbitant amount of time talking with them, trying to figure out what's driving them, finding out where they are and how they're changing things.”

[Cathy O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-brien/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Understanding consumer behavior requires extensive dialogue and analysis to drive business decisions.

**In simple terms:** Talk to consumers to learn what drives them.

Key Takeaway

Invest time in listening to customers.

Themes

business consumer insight analysis communication

Mood

analytical curious

Type

business marketing

When to use this quote

- product development
- sales
- customer service

Key Concepts

marketing strategy

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you gather authentic consumer feedback?
- What patterns emerge from their stories?

A Different Perspective

Data alone cannot replace empathy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Amount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Changing Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-things/) [Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers/) [Consumers Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers-spend-2557739/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Driving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving/) [Exorbitant Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exorbitant-time-4603751/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Finding Changing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-changing-3205078/) [Findings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/findings/) [Start Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-consumers-4603750/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/)

## Related quotes

> [We compete with all of the time that consumers spend when they're not sleeping, they're not eating, not going to work or going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-fils-aime/we-compete-with-all-of-the-time-that-consumers-spend-when-they-re-not/)

[Reggie Fils-Aime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-fils-aime/)

> [Life is all about change. We cling to what we know and what we have, and then we lose it, and then we regret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-choyce/life-is-all-about-change-we-cling-to-what-we-know-and-what-we-have/)

[Lesley Choyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-choyce/)

> [Thermostats are made by very large companies with no incentive to innovate. Their customers are contractors or HVAC wholesalers, not consumers. So why spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-fadell/thermostats-are-made-by-very-large-companies-with-no-incentive-to/)

[Tony Fadell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-fadell/)

> [Household spending growth has been particularly solid in 2015, with purchases of new motor vehicles especially strong. Job growth has bolstered household income, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/household-spending-growth-has-been-particularly-solid-in-2015-with/)

[Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/)

> [We can't depend on consumers to spend money they don't have on stuff they don't need, so the government has to do it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-sullum/we-can-t-depend-on-consumers-to-spend-money-they-don-t-have-on-stuff/)

[Jacob Sullum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-sullum/)

> [Recycling, packaging, businesses are changing all of those things because that's what consumers want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-greenfield/recycling-packaging-businesses-are-changing-all-of-those-things/)

[Jerry Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-greenfield/)

> [As soon as you start doing that - changing things - it seems self-evident to me that you've entered the world of make-believe. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/as-soon-as-you-start-doing-that-changing-things-it-seems-self-evident/)

[Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/)

> [“Of all the many changing things In dreary dancing past us whirled, To the cracked tune that Chronos sings, Words alone are certain good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/of-all-the-many-changing-things-in-dreary-dancing-past-us-whirled-to/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [I can't remember who said, 'No film is completed, just abandoned,' but I think most filmmakers will tell you that they could endlessly fiddle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-w-s-anderson/i-can-t-remember-who-said-no-film-is-completed-just-abandoned-but-i/)

[Paul W. S. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-w-s-anderson/)

> [When people with power see things happen of which they disapprove, they drop bombs and send in tanks. When people without power see things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-with-power-see-things-happen-of-which-they-disapprove/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Forever is a long long time and time has a way of changing things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/forever-is-a-long-long-time-and-time-has-a-way-of-changing-things/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [There's a sense of knowing when to stop and take a break from things, to step back from the work you're making, and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fox/there-s-a-sense-of-knowing-when-to-stop-and-take-a-break-from-things/)

[Dan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fox/)

> [“The Song Of The Happy Shepherd The woods of Arcady are dead, And over is their antique joy; Of old the world on dreaming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/the-song-of-the-happy-shepherd-the-woods-of-arcady-are-dead-and-over/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [Changing things from the top down works when things are stable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/changing-things-from-the-top-down-works-when-things-are-stable/)

[Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/)

> [Changing is not just changing the things outside of us. First of all we need the right view that transcends all notions including of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/changing-is-not-just-changing-the-things-outside-of-us-first-of-all/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More Amount quotes

> [Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/dating-someone-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-happy-spectrum-teaches-you/)

[Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/)

> [When the amount of change externally exceeds the amount of change internally, the end is in sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/when-the-amount-of-change-externally-exceeds-the-amount-of-change/)

[Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/)

> [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/)

[Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/)

> [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/)

[Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/)

> [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/)

[Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/)

> [The amount you give isn't important. What matters is what that amount represents in terms of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-amount-you-give-isn-t-important-what-matters-is-what-that-amount/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [There's a place in Botswana where there are 100,000 elephants living in a single population. Think of the amount of space they need. Remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bergin/there-s-a-place-in-botswana-where-there-are-100-000-elephants-living/)

[Patrick Bergin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-bergin/)

> [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/)

[W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/)

> [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/)

[Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/)

> [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/)

[Richard Doll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-doll/)

> [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/)

[F. A. Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-a-harper/)

> [You have a little bit of talent, a certain amount of good fortune and a lot of hard work in pursuit of whatever truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/you-have-a-little-bit-of-talent-a-certain-amount-of-good-fortune-and/)

[Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/)

> [I have a tremendous amount of respect for military families. To have to worry about your loved ones and still try and live a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashanti/i-have-a-tremendous-amount-of-respect-for-military-families-to-have/)

[Ashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashanti/)

> [In sports teams, apart from talk of sporting prowess and the imparting of inspirational thought, an extraordinary amount of time is spent discussing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harsha-bhogle/in-sports-teams-apart-from-talk-of-sporting-prowess-and-the-imparting/)

[Harsha Bhogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harsha-bhogle/)

[Browse all 4,202 Amount quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We start with our consumers and spend an exorbitant amount of time talking with them, trying to figure out what's driving them, finding out where they are and how they're changing things.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cathy O'Brien"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-brien/we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an-exorbitant-amount-of-time/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Amount"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-brien/we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an-exorbitant-amount-of-time/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/cathy-o-brien-226490_amount_we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an_2163951.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/cathy-o-brien-226490_amount_we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an_2163951.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/cathy-o-brien-226490_amount_we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an_2163951.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We start with our consumers and spend an exorbitant amount of time talking with them, trying to figure out…” — Cathy O'Brien",
                "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": "Cathy O'Brien",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-brien/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We start with our consumers and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-brien/we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an-exorbitant-amount-of-time/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-brien/we-start-with-our-consumers-and-spend-an-exorbitant-amount-of-time/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
