Richard Branson’s hair was the first thing I noticed about him. His trademark long hair and goatee caught my eye. I had a mindset of what hairstyle a responsible serious man should wear; there’s a CEO look, a corporate look and that long hair didn’t fit in. Richard Branson broke the law and one got to ditch that mind set because not only has Mr Branson got long hair, he’s got a functional brain and great results. He’s an international celebrity entrepreneur.
Under studying Richard Branson is a present pleasure, an act similar to attending a Business School. From his leisure activities, life on boats and yachts, to his amazing leadership skills at Virgin Incorporated, to his eccentric customer service on virgin flights, I have learned so much and even come to think his hairstyle is cute. Forgive me.
Let me share the story of how he started Virgin Airlines, after Virgin Music.
A plane had gotten cancelled. Everyone was upset. Then Richard started looking around. He found a plane that would take him. But he didn’t have the money. Then, he thought to himself, “if I wasn’t worried about money, would I still make this trip?”
He thought up solutions; he arranged to rent the private plane, even though he still had the obstacle no money. Then he put up a sign: “$29 for a plane to Puerto Rico.” And everyone signed up. Suddenly he had the money for the plane.
That was his proof-of-concept for an airline when he started his. Now that is his main business and it’s worth billions.
When a man like Richard says something, follow it to the letter especially if you want his kind of result.
Here are some of my favourites of his popular quote.
“If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity, but you are not sure you can do it, say yes- then learn how to do it later” – everyone learns on the job, don’t excuse yourself out of an amazing opportunity because of knowledge. Take it on as a challenge and learn while others catch some fun. Stretch!
“A business can be started with very little money” – waiting for the big dough may mean you’ll never get started. Take a step, break the business down into units and get started. Grants, loans and gifts are better given to someone who is doing already than someone who plans to do. ‘Do’ no matter how small.
“I’ve always had a soft spot for dreamers – not those who waste their time thinking ‘what if’ but the ones who look to the sky and say ‘why can’t I shoot for the moon?’”- still goes back to say, get off your butts and do. Shoot at your goals, go for your dreams.
“A business is simply an idea to make other people’s lives better” If it’s about making money only, you may fail. If it’s about making the other person’s life better, then you’ll make money as they pay for your services or goods, and you’ll stay in business for a long time.
“There is no such thing as a boring person: everyone has stories and insights worth sharing. While on the road, we let our phones or laptops take up our attention. By doing that, we might miss out on the chance to learn and absorb ideas and inspiration from an unexpected source: our fellow travelers.” – this to me simply means, human connections are still more vital than wi-fi.
The grey-haired man is amazing, right?
Photo-Credit: https://www.justenergy.com