AKRON — I love words. My favorite songs have lyrics I can’t forget. I don’t care about rhythms or beats. I need the words.

I’m the same way about my favorite books. And I’m the same way about people I most admire.

Case inpoint: two of my absolute favorite people are Audrey Hepburn and Tina Fey.

Their quotes show the power of words. Fey was the first female head writer to work for Saturday Night Live. She’s a smart lady whose opinions I’ve always enjoyed. But her words of wisdom from her book Bossypants and her interviews contain some of my favorite quotes.

I think Tina’s quotes can be applied to my professional life. Her quotes have implications for and so many business situations. In fact, everything I need to know about business, I have learned from Tina Fey.

1. “Confidence is 10 percent hard work and 90 percent delusion.”

Meaning: If you believe you can do something — that thought alone can take you a very far way.

Thoughts: I try to be consistently as positive as I can. This helps me remember that I can accomplish anything if I start out with the idea that it’s possible. Hard work needs to be an ingredient, but hard work and a negative attitude rarely get the job done well.

2. “You can’t be that kid at the top of the water slide overthinking it. You have to go down the chute. “

Meaning: Thinking about doing something and doing it are not the same thing.

Thoughts: Overthinking something too far is dangerous because it can feed fear. Don’t overthink a task that doesn’t require it. Giving it a try will help you learn much more about yourself and what you’re capable of than if you’re busy thinking about what you could be doing.

3. “In most cases, being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way.”

Meaning: Give your employees space to be creative, and give them the right tools to succeed in their job.

Thoughts: The stress from being micromanaged can be exhausting and can make a person feel restricted. And restricted people tend to be less creative and less productive. 

4. “Start with a ‘Yes’, and see where that takes you.”

Meaning: Sometimes the hardest part is getting over the excuses to say no.

Thoughts: If your convictions aren’t strong enough, you will always find an excuse to stand in the way. Sometimes the best way to get started on something new is to launch into it with just a simple, “Yes.”

5. “Many of the world’s greatest discoveries have been by accident. I mean, look at the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, or Botox.”

Meaning: Embrace your mistakes as a learning tool as best as you can. 

Thoughts: It might sound cheesy, but mistakes really can be a great learning tool. Sometimes they’re exactly what you need to get something you didn’t even know you needed.