Stefan Ackerie Quotes

104 Stefan Ackerie Quotes

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[In August 2010 on UBS with regards to sharemarket losses of $4 million incurred whilst UBS was his adviser.] The only party to benefit from this relationship ended up being UBS, while I lost millions. There needs to be greater accountability on the banks like UBS, they need to have more respect for the money they invest for clients and recognise where that hard-earned money has come from.
Stefan Ackerie

[In May 2011 on the launch of Hairazor.] It will change the way boats are made. This boat will go to Sydney and back with the same fuel that another boat the same size will go to Tangalooma and back. When people see this boat, when they see the way it was built, the way it moves, the way you don't get sea-sick on it, maybe they will look at it and say, 'Maybe that hairdresser who used to race boats is OK, maybe he knows what he's talking about'. Now we have to see if it floats.
Stefan Ackerie

[In May 2011 more on the launch of Hairazor.] I think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Stefan Ackerie

[In August 2011] I’ve received lots of good advice, and advice changes. For example my grandfather always said ‘Protect your name – under all costs. Make sure your name is never recked. Because once you’ve recked your name – you’re recked.’ I’ve always liked my name so I’ve never wanted to hurt it anyway.
Stefan Ackerie

Young people when they’ve come off the rails think they can do a U-turn like in a car and get back to where they were. Well you don’t.
Stefan Ackerie

Success means a lot to me. The first thing it means to me – it’s a privilege. You can only be successful if people want to work with you – if clients choose to use your services. Because without those two, it doesn’t matter who you are, you can’t be successful. So success is a responsibility and a privilege.
Stefan Ackerie

And I feel very honoured people want to work with me, and honoured that clients choose us. And we’ve been in business now 45 years. Do you know how many businesses survive under the same owner for 45 years? 3% survive 21 years. Under 3% survive 28 years and after 28 years it’s an apex. So it’s a great honour.
Stefan Ackerie

[On being asked if he had an alternative life.] It would be to do with people. Serving people in some way. I am doing three things at the moment, I’m doing hairdressing, we’re doing the restaurant which is an amazing place which I look forward to taking you there, I haven’t taken you there for a long time. And I really believe that the new razorcat thing has a big chance. But it would be to do with people because I like people. I fancy myself as a communicator, I fancy myself as I listen to what people want and I can fulfil it. If I can’t fulfil it, I don’t pretend I can, I say I can’t do that let me help you find someone else who can do that.
Stefan Ackerie

[On his personal drive.] I think protecting your name would drive me the most. I wouldn’t want anyone to do business with us and not be happy. I’d like to keep growing. The fear of failure… any form of failure.
Stefan Ackerie

How would you like not to be a good golfer?
Stefan Ackerie



If I take something on – I like to commit myself. Or like Lindsay Fox say’s – ‘Apply myself.’, until I achieve it.
Stefan Ackerie

[On obstacles.] There’s lots. I had a strike in 1986. I had 50 shops, I was very young. And no electricity for six months. Now tell me how you can blow-dry hair and wash people’s hair and turn the lights on for six months? Not one shop but 50 shops? But luckily I had accumulated some houses. I used to buy old houses and put tenants in them very cheaply. I said ‘Don’t hassle me about what’s wrong, you’re getting to live here very cheaply – you maintain it.’ And they all agreed and so we had a good relationship. And I was selling them at the rate of one a week – to overcome that and people would say ‘Why are you keeping all your staff?’ And I said ‘Well first of all how are they going to live if I let them go, and secondly what do I do when the electricity’s turned on?’ But it lasted six months, but we survived that and learned from that and grew from it.
Stefan Ackerie

[In August 2011] Putting into reality something that you've dreamt is possible is a big thrill.
Stefan Ackerie

[On being the Australian offshore powerboat racing champion six times between 1985 and 2002.] I loved it, the adrenalin, the fear, out on the ocean…
Stefan Ackerie

Whenever a woman wants a son, she goes and prays to St Stephan and, if she has a son, she calls him Stefan. If you go to my city and you yell: `Hey Stefan!', the whole street turns around,
Stefan Ackerie

[On his grandfather being his hero.] He was a hawker. He would carry all his goods and go into the mountains to sell. At night, he would bury them so they wouldn't be stolen and get up in the morning, dig them up and start again. To him, the word `no' did not exist.
Stefan Ackerie

[As a boy hearing that an American visitor owned eight hairdressing salons and him saying that he would one day own 10. His grandfather however encouraged him to think bigger and said to him.] ‘Darling, you can have 100.’
Stefan Ackerie

[On the origin of the ‘Stefan’ rainbow logo – coming from China where keyhole-shaped entries symbolising the entrance to the Temple of Heaven and it being said that if you went to the Temple of Heaven and prayed – you got what you wanted.] I thought this is great. If we can do it in our shops, people will walk out with what they want.
Stefan Ackerie

[In August 2011] My skill is the people. I can train people. I love to train people. We train our people to make people happy.
Stefan Ackerie

We train our staff to feel positive.
Stefan Ackerie



[In May 2013 on ‘Stefan’s’ rainbow logo.] No, there'll be no cuts or curls here. The rainbow's long been my good-luck charm.
Stefan Ackerie

[In 2013 on coming into Brisbane 50 years prior with the top of his MGA sports car down.] I was waving at everybody and everybody was waving at me. I thought wow, this is heaven.
Stefan Ackerie

[In June 2013 on being named one of five Queensland Greats.] The happiest day of my life was when I found Queensland and today is the proudest day of my life. It is an amazing completion of your dreams and all the people who made it happen.
Stefan Ackerie

I knew the day I drove into Brisbane, it was where I wanted to spend the rest of my life.
Stefan Ackerie



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