Richard Branson: Secrets of a global icon

 

I’ve always liked Richard Branson, for a variety of reasons. Part of this is because he has been remarkably successful in most of his ventures, and is an entrepreneur at heart. I also like his philosophies and business models, the way he places great value on people and building networks of like-minded individuals. He is an adventurer, a traveler, someone who appreciates life and lives it to the fullest.

I think most of all however I appreciate his personality and character. Obviously I don’t know him personally, but by watching him in his Rebel Billionaire series and reading several of his books, I get the gist of what kind of guy he is. The Virgin brand appeals to me, too – it’s quirky and fun, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Virgin seems to stir up a bit of controversy at times, such as with it’s 80’s retro Virgin Atlantic video shown below. I have to admit I laughed my head off at the World’s Best Airline Complaint Letter which was sent to Virgin, and smiled at Richard’s response.

Setting aside the playfulness of the brand and all of Richard Branson’s boyish larrikinism, you have to admit that even if his character or business practices don’t appeal to you, the level of success he has achieved makes you sit up and take notice. When Richard takes a moment to offer some advice, it’s probably in our best interest to at least listen to what he has to say!

Lessons in Life

A great little quick reference book I have is titled Screw it, Let’s Do it: Lessons in Life. If you haven’t read it, let me encourage you to do so – it’s one of those books that is both inspiring and encouraging, and you can easily (as I do) refer back to various chapters when you need a bit of advice on something.

I wanted to give you a snippet of some of the great suggestions found in this book, check it out:

“I don’t deny that I have done well and had success. It has even been said that I turn what I touch into gold. People ask me what my secret is. How do I make money? What they really want to know is – how can they make money? Everyone wants to be a millionaire.
 
I always tell them the same thing. I have no secret. There are no rules to follow in business. I just work hard and, as I always have done, believe I can do it. Most of all, though, I try to have fun.”

  • Here are some of the truths Richard has learned along the way:

“My motto is, ‘Never do anything if it means you can’t sleep at night.’ It’s a good rule to follow.”

  • Have fun, work hard and money will come
  • Don’t waste time – grab your chances
  • Have a positive outlook on life
  • Chase your dreams but live in the real world
  • Have no regrets
  • Keep your word
  • Make a difference and help others

Sure it’s great to have a list of ideals, such as the one above, but what’s great about Richard is that he expands on each of these with real world examples and tips, making them not only great words to live by, but ones we can actually apply to our own lives.