"I think it's important to have a big dream and make sure you have a backup plan. Because in this industry, it's hard to make it"
About this Quote
The subtext is class-aware without waving a flag. For most people, especially young performers without family money or connections, chasing a dream isn’t just romantic risk; it’s rent, healthcare, time, and the emotional toll of constant rejection. Zendaya’s “because in this industry, it’s hard to make it” doesn’t dramatize hardship; it normalizes it. That matters coming from someone who, on paper, “made it.” She’s using her credibility to stress that her outcome is not a template.
Contextually, it fits her public persona: disciplined, strategic, and careful about being turned into a fairy-tale. She’s also speaking to a generation raised amid economic volatility and side-hustle realism. The quote doubles as career counsel and brand ethic: ambition is admirable, but so is contingency. In a business that monetizes people’s hopes, that’s a subtle act of honesty.
Quote Details
| Topic | Goal Setting |
|---|---|
| Source | Seventeen magazine interview/profile (2013) |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Zendaya. (2026, February 16). I think it's important to have a big dream and make sure you have a backup plan. Because in this industry, it's hard to make it. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-its-important-to-have-a-big-dream-and-184654/
Chicago Style
Zendaya. "I think it's important to have a big dream and make sure you have a backup plan. Because in this industry, it's hard to make it." FixQuotes. February 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-its-important-to-have-a-big-dream-and-184654/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I think it's important to have a big dream and make sure you have a backup plan. Because in this industry, it's hard to make it." FixQuotes, 16 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-its-important-to-have-a-big-dream-and-184654/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.













