At the end, entrepreneurship is not about wearing expensive suits and earning a lot of money. It is all about being true to yourself, to your values in life. Your dreams.
To be a real entrepreneur you always have to be looking forward. The moment you rest on your laurels is the moment your competition overtakes you.
I know enough to know that no man is an island.
I’ve had to create companies that I believe in 100%. These are companies I feel will make a genuine difference. Then I have to be willing to find the time myself to talk about them, promote them and market them. I don’t want to spend my life doing something that I’m not proud of.
The entrepreneurs who succeed usually want to make a difference to people’s lives, not just their own bank balances.
Most entrepreneurs are not doing it for financial motives in the first place. They’re just people who love creating.
As men, we all have something to give. We all have the power to do our own part to stop the global pandemic of violence against women and girls. It is holding us all back.
If you love what you do and if you believe in what you do, others will share your enthusiasm. Passionate people find their way to the Virgin Group, and when they do, we snap them up and try to keep them within the family.
My philosophy in life is that you only live once. Live life to its fullest.
A setback is never a bad experience, just another one of life’s lessons.
We’ll not be sending anyone into space before it is safe and the vehicle is well and truly tested.
Virgin could never have grown into the group of more than 200 companies it is now, were it not for a steady stream of intrapreneurs who looked for and developed opportunities, often leading efforts that went against the grain.
Don’t just play the game – change it for good.
To be successful, you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running.
I have always been a huge believer in the inestimable value good mentoring can contribute to any nascent business.
Ever since I saw the moon landing as a young teenager, I was determined I would go into space one day.
Because I don’t see Virgin as a company but as a way of life and I fully enjoy it, I don’t think I’ll ever retire.
Learn to raise capital by any means necessary. That’s your primary job as an entrepreneur. You must continually raise capital from family and friends, banks, suppliers, customers and investors.
Don’t think about making money, think about making a difference, spot where others are doing it badly and do it better.
Focus on your business strengths and keep its weaknesses away from the competition or public.