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4 Common Sayings in Business Translated -- Finally! Business is full of clichés. Three successful entrepreneurs turn all that "blah blah blah" into a real advantage.

This story appears in the May 2016 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »

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People in the business world use a lot of jargon and idiomatic expressions, but as common as certain words are, we sometimes find ourselves asking, "What does that even mean?" Finally, we've found some answers. Read on to learn what these cliches really mean, and how you can act on the advice behind the adage.

1. Follow Your Passion

"When people hear "passion,' they think "hobbies' -- which is not helpful. Every successful entrepreneur I know has followed a sort of formula: Passion + mastery + difficult skill + value = success. Translation: Use your motivation to sustain you through hard times, become great at what you do, make something hard that your competition can't, and focus on the benefits to your customer."
-- Phil caravaggio, CEO, Precision Nutrition