I was travelling by train to London a number of years ago, and one of my friends said to me “Travel by Virgin – you’ll enjoy it”. I did- there was a real sense from the staff that they actually wanted me to enjoy my journey.
Ever since then, I’ve found Richard Branson a fascinating character. He was unsuccessful in school – in fact he had dyslexia and had no interest or ability for academic study. He’s gone on to be one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, with a current net worth of something approaching 6 billion US $.
Richard Branson has two passions in life – one is business, and the other is adventure. Among many, his adventures include flying hot air balloons across the Atlantic, kitesurfing across the English Channel, and competing for the fastest powerboat time to cross the Atlantic. At 70, he’s still kitesurfing on a daily basis.
He’s also been immensely successful in business. From early successes like Virgin Records and Virgin Trains, through his airline business, and to his current passion for spaceflight, he has had his ups and downs, but has managed to navigate a path to success through adversity and challenge.
In his own words – “I want to go to the moon; I want to go to space. So, I thought let’s embark on trying to build our own spaceship”. Think about that for a second – not many of us have that sense of vision or purpose, and very few have the courage to state it.
I look to adventurers like Richard Branson for inspiration – we all need big dreams. In Branson’s words “If your dreams don’t scare you, they are too small”
Nice article about him here: 9 Secrets of Richard Branson for Business & Life success | Seven Bosses
Read, enjoy, and be scared!!
