--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I'd really known how hard I was going…" description: "\"If I'd really known how hard I was going to have to work behind the scenes to have any kind of business, I think I would have stopped.\" — Emilia Wickstead" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68c/emilia-wickstead-9136_behind-the-scenes_if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going_2724875.jpg" --- # If I'd really known how hard I was going to have to work… ![“If I'd really known how hard I was going to have to work behind the scenes to have any kind of business, I think I would have stopped.” quote by Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68c/emilia-wickstead-9136_behind-the-scenes_if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going_2724875.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68c/emilia-wickstead-9136_behind-the-scenes_if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going_2724875.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68c/emilia-wickstead-9136_behind-the-scenes_if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going_2724875.jpg) > “If I'd really known how hard I was going to have to work behind the scenes to have any kind of business, I think I would have stopped.” [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing the hidden effort required for success can deter ambition. **In simple terms:** Hard work behind the scenes is often unseen. Key Takeaway Consider the unseen effort before committing. Themes entrepreneurship realism effort expectations Mood cautious reflective Type advice realistic When to use this quote - startup planning - career choice - project management - investment decisions Key Concepts hidden labor business reality risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - Are you prepared for unseen challenges? - How do you balance ambition with realistic expectations? A Different Perspective Hard work is necessary but not sufficient for success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behind the scenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behind-the-scenes/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [So does that mean you're going to fall in love with me again? What makes you think i ever stopped?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/so-does-that-mean-you-re-going-to-fall-in-love-with-me-again-what/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [I can't control what people think of me, and I stopped really caring a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-can-t-control-what-people-think-of-me-and-i-stopped-really-caring-a/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [How lucky I am to have known someone who was so hard to say goodbye to](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-lucky-i-am-to-have-known-someone-who-was-so-hard-to-say-goodbye-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I guess I've always known that it's hard to be just one person. 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But the fact of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/believe-me-i-think-if-i-stopped-writing-when-i-left-the-voice-i-would/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [One of the things that I first remember wanting to be was a 'geolisty' - that was the best I could say when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mello/one-of-the-things-that-i-first-remember-wanting-to-be-was-a-geolisty/) [Craig Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mello/) > [You do anything hard, you are going to be success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaren-jackson-jr/you-do-anything-hard-you-are-going-to-be-success/) [Jaren Jackson, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaren-jackson-jr/) > [Singing in the jungle was very hot and very sticky, which was a bit hard going. I had a little piano, which they trudged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-lynn/singing-in-the-jungle-was-very-hot-and-very-sticky-which-was-a-bit/) [Vera Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-lynn/) > [Going back with you may be hard, but going forward without you is impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/going-back-with-you-may-be-hard-but-going-forward-without-you-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's always hard going a man down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ollie-watkins/it-s-always-hard-going-a-man-down/) [Ollie Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ollie-watkins/) > [I've often thought that when something is hard for you, whether it's going to law school or anything else that challenges you, that's probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-ve-often-thought-that-when-something-is-hard-for-you-whether-it-s/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I'm just going to try to hit the ball hard. If it's going out of the park, that'll be OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanley-ramirez/i-m-just-going-to-try-to-hit-the-ball-hard-if-it-s-going-out-of-the/) [Hanley Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanley-ramirez/) > [That's what I do, I go hard and that's never going to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hinchcliffe/that-s-what-i-do-i-go-hard-and-that-s-never-going-to-change/) [Tony Hinchcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hinchcliffe/) ## More by Emilia Wickstead > [Once, four friends and I cut all our hair off, like boys. A couple of them cried afterwards, but I thought we looked really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/once-four-friends-and-i-cut-all-our-hair-off-like-boys-a-couple-of/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [I would've loved to dress Diana Vreeland. I just loved her work as a creative woman and as a business woman - unpredictable, exciting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/i-would-ve-loved-to-dress-diana-vreeland-i-just-loved-her-work-as-a/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [We're creating a brand image which didn't exist in the beginning, and I want to grow that. And in the way that the clothes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/we-re-creating-a-brand-image-which-didn-t-exist-in-the-beginning-and/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [When I think of Bicester, I think of those beautiful pieces that you might not have been able to purchase before, but they're pieces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/when-i-think-of-bicester-i-think-of-those-beautiful-pieces-that-you/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [I love the idea of a dress or a coatdress rather than a suit with a jacket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/i-love-the-idea-of-a-dress-or-a-coatdress-rather-than-a-suit-with-a/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [The most wonderful thing about having a small business is that every person we dress gets a really intimate process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/the-most-wonderful-thing-about-having-a-small-business-is-that-every/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [It's almost like a chintzy floral that I play on, and sometimes it can get a bad rep. It doesn't necessarily feel modern, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/it-s-almost-like-a-chintzy-floral-that-i-play-on-and-sometimes-it-can/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [The Emilia Wickstead customer is a sophisticated, accomplished woman who expresses her femininity and style through the way she dresses. She appreciates classic with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/the-emilia-wickstead-customer-is-a-sophisticated-accomplished-woman/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [I feel like British designers are having a real moment; there's a lot of freedom to be different, and I think that that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/i-feel-like-british-designers-are-having-a-real-moment-there-s-a-lot/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [There are many bespoke services in the U.K., but everything's quite old-fashioned. There wasn't anything young and modern and fresh. We're this young service,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/there-are-many-bespoke-services-in-the-u-k-but-everything-s-quite-old/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [Red lipstick aside, I firmly believe that less is more in terms of make-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/red-lipstick-aside-i-firmly-believe-that-less-is-more-in-terms-of/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [The minute that a celebrity wears your clothing, that gives you international exposure and the best advertising you can get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/the-minute-that-a-celebrity-wears-your-clothing-that-gives-you/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [I love wearing interesting shoes that work well with my outfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/i-love-wearing-interesting-shoes-that-work-well-with-my-outfit/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [To escape and sit quietly on the beach - that's my idea of paradise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/to-escape-and-sit-quietly-on-the-beach-that-s-my-idea-of-paradise/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [You can see that ladylike kind of dressing with a twist coming back at Dior, and I think that a lot of the fashion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/you-can-see-that-ladylike-kind-of-dressing-with-a-twist-coming-back/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) [Explore all 75 Emilia Wickstead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) ## More Behind the scenes quotes > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [CD's are amazing because you get the artwork, you get to look at the lyrics, you get to look at the behind-the-scenes photos or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-patrick/cd-s-are-amazing-because-you-get-the-artwork-you-get-to-look-at-the/) [Richard Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-patrick/) > [Actors are journeymen. We show up for work. We do the job and then we go. What goes on behind the scenes is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-mantegna/actors-are-journeymen-we-show-up-for-work-we-do-the-job-and-then-we/) [Joe Mantegna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-mantegna/) > [“In the offseason, you should be working, reading, developing, growing, evolving, and becoming your best self. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/in-the-offseason-you-should-be-working-reading-developing-growing/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“There is no shortcut for hard work that leads to effectiveness. You must stay disciplined because most of the work is behind the scenes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/there-is-no-shortcut-for-hard-work-that-leads-to-effectiveness-you/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [When you win a Grand Prix, it's the culmination of everything coming together. Not just trackside, but behind the scenes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-horner/when-you-win-a-grand-prix-it-s-the-culmination-of-everything-coming/) [Christian Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-horner/) > [If the Russians masterminded fraud for 40 years at the highest state level in sports, operating behind the scenes to corrupt sports, what else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fogel/if-the-russians-masterminded-fraud-for-40-years-at-the-highest-state/) [Bryan Fogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fogel/) > [Act as if the universe is a prodigious miracle created for your amusement and illumination. Assume that secret helpers are working behind the scenes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/act-as-if-the-universe-is-a-prodigious-miracle-created-for-your/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [This is something that we talked about for a long time. Going in depth and behind the scenes, and showing things that no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-mayweather/this-is-something-that-we-talked-about-for-a-long-time-going-in-depth/) [Floyd Mayweather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-mayweather/) > [“The Possibility of somebody emerging as a nuclear power or events happening that surprise us on the nuclear stage is still a possibility. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-c-rosenberg/the-possibility-of-somebody-emerging-as-a-nuclear-power-or-events/) [Joel C. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-c-rosenberg/) > [I grew up watching movies and being amazed at the animatronics you'd see in stuff like 'The Dark Crystal,' and all those kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-o-donoghue/i-grew-up-watching-movies-and-being-amazed-at-the-animatronics-you-d/) [Colin O'Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-o-donoghue/) > [I had never done a Director's Cut narration on Beaches so I did in time for the release of the DVD. It was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-marshall/i-had-never-done-a-director-s-cut-narration-on-beaches-so-i-did-in/) [Garry Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-marshall/) > [We all have to hold each other accountable and point that behavior out to each other in a kind way. 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But this pain is not for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/hundreds-have-looked-for-you-and-died-searching-in-this-garden-where/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) [Browse all 423 Behind the scenes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behind-the-scenes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I'd really known how hard I was going to have to work behind the scenes to have any kind of business, I think I would have stopped.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emilia Wickstead" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going-to-have-to-work-behind-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behind the scenes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going-to-have-to-work-behind-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68c/emilia-wickstead-9136_behind-the-scenes_if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going_2724875.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68c/emilia-wickstead-9136_behind-the-scenes_if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going_2724875.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68c/emilia-wickstead-9136_behind-the-scenes_if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going_2724875.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I'd really known how hard I was going to have to work behind the scenes to have any kind of business, I…” — Emilia Wickstead", "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": "Emilia Wickstead", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I'd really known how hard...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going-to-have-to-work-behind-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/if-i-d-really-known-how-hard-i-was-going-to-have-to-work-behind-the/#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 } } ] } ```