Whatever you do, be different. That was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.

Roddick frames entrepreneurial success as a function of distinctiveness rather than imitation. The “advice my mother gave me” grounds the maxim in personal formation, suggesting that originality is not merely a marketing tactic but a habit of mind and character. For an entrepreneur, “being different” implies developing a recognizable identity—products, values, voice, and practices that are not interchangeable with competitors’. The final line links difference to visibility: in crowded markets, standing out is a prerequisite for being noticed, remembered, and chosen. Implicitly, the quote also endorses risk-taking, since genuine differentiation often means departing from accepted norms.