Selected quotes from J.C. Hall’s 1979 memoir, “When You Care Enough,” reveal the thinking of the man behind Hallmark Cards.

On growing up poor: “Poverty for me was a tremendous spur. It actually gave me an advantage over a lot of folks when I was starting out.”

On failure and success: “I had already seen that the difference between failure and success was making the best use of time. I never could sit around waiting for things to happen; it’s more fun making them happen.”

On the influence of Hallmark Cards: “Sometimes we have been credited with practically inventing greeting cards. However, it certainly can be said that we played a large role in popularizing them—and greatly enlarging the custom of sending them.”

On hiring employees: “One of the most frequent mistakes made in hiring people is to confuse ability and affability.”

On pushing for quality over popularity on TV’s “Hallmark Hall of Fame”: “I’d rather hold the attention of 25 million people than just ‘reach’ 50 million.”