Interview with Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Empire
The interview is long, I say right away. In .doc turned 14 pages. But, of course, interesting. I decided to publish it in “learn to work”, since Branson talks quite a lot about work and, of course, is useful.
Interview with Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Empire. Recorded at the 2007 Piranha Marketing SuperConference conference. Basically, it is about entrepreneurship as such and social responsibility that lies with successful entrepreneurs. Questions are asked by Joe Polish , president of Piranha Marketing, a consulting and coaching company.
')
Joe : If you still don’t know who Richard Branson is, here are a few facts about him: he flew over the Atlantic in a balloon, signed contracts with the Sex Pistols, Janet Jackson, Boy George and many other famous musicians, and the Queen of Great Britain produced him in knights. The brainchild of Branson - Virgin - brings together more than 350 companies, whose range of interests is extremely wide: from gyms, gambling establishments and boutiques for brides to air travel, railways and parks of limousines. Among the personal possessions of Richard is Necker Island.
Today, Branson moves forward and up, mastering space tourism. By 2009, his company, Virgin Galactic, plans to launch passengers into the thermo-atmosphere. Ticket price - USD 200 thousand. The amount is fabulous, but for the space journey it is quite possible to lay out.
Branson is also a philanthropist. He said that over the next 10 years, all profits from the operations of the Virgin Empire’s transport enterprises — USD 3 billion — will be spent on developing alternative fuels to hydrocarbons.
In addition, Richard Branson is the initiator of the project of the Virgin Earth Challenge, under which USD 25 million will receive the one who offers an economically viable solution to the problem of greenhouse gases.
Branson repeatedly risked his own life. He got involved in a variety of crazy adventures. And despite everything, his tremendous success is astounding. Virgin revenues are USD 25 billion per year. All Richard enterprises employ more than 50,000 people. He knows many people. He also knows a lot about how to conduct your business.
So today I am interviewing Sir Richard Branson, and we will talk about success and participation, and how they apply to your business.
Joe : Richard, I want to immediately thank you so much for agreeing to spend your time on this interview. Where are you now? On the Necker?
Richard : Fortunately, yes, I am now on Necker Island. I would also like to thank you for your generosity, you give a lot to charities in Africa, and for very many people this is very important. Thanks you.
Joe : Of course. Behind this undertaking, as well as behind many others, it is you who stand.
Our guests have already heard something about you. If the world conducted a survey "who is the coolest entrepreneur?", Most likely, your name would be on the first line. You have a huge reputation. Many people study your life as a very successful person.
And since the topic of this interview is success and participation, the first question is: how does Sir Richard Branson define success?
Richard : As a businessman, I define success as creating something that I and the people around me can be proud of. This “something” should affect the current state of affairs, maybe “shake up” entire industries, change people's lives, I hope, for the better.
I want to do what really matters and produces effect.
Joe : I see. So, the question of pure curiosity: as a billionaire, do you feel successful all the time, every day? And what feelings do you have as a person?
Richard : Obviously, I was born lucky. I like people. I enjoy every minute of my life. Of course, not everything goes smoothly. There are ups and downs. But I am an inveterate optimist. In all I am looking for the best. And as a result I get the best, as it seems to me. Nothing to complain about, basically.
Joe : What do you think is a successful day? I am extremely curious how you spend your time? Of course, you do so much, so probably all your days are different. But there are some things in your daily schedule that our guests could use in their lives?
Richard : My life is incredibly diverse, and therefore it is extremely interesting. For example, I make ten-day trips, during which I work 17 hours a day, doing a lot.
Over the past ten days, I have probably visited 12 different countries: in Africa, I spoke with the elders, then I was in Amsterdam at an environmental conference, then Canada, where we organize a concert, followed by New York, talks about the space program. And so on.
So my life is very diverse. As chairman of the Virgin Group, I spend about 25 percent of my time helping with the management of companies around the world, globally. We are trying to develop the Virgin brand as one of the most respected brands in the world. So, I think these 25 percent of my time is spent on marketing and the like.
Another 25 percent I spend on new beginnings. Before launching a new company, we need to know everything that is possible about the upcoming activities.
About 10 percent of my time is occupied by “fire fighting” and its planning, since I have to be sure that if something goes wrong somewhere, I can give it enough attention.
Well, I spend about 40 percent of my time on social tasks and the creation of new organizations whose purpose is to solve environmental problems, health issues and conduct charity events.
Joe : This information is very valuable for me, and, of course, for our listeners. So, 25 percent for new businesses, 25 percent for marketing — this is what I like, since I’m doing it myself — 10 percent for putting out fires and 40 percent for social problems. It seems that with age, your humanitarian and business activities merge together. Do you think that all entrepreneurs should be socially responsible? Should the money be followed by such responsibility, and the measures corresponding to it?
Richard : I think capitalism is the only working system of all known ones. Communism was untenable. The problem of capitalism is that a limited number of people become very rich. And with this wealth comes responsibility.
I do not work more than a really good intern doctor, or a really good secretary, or a really good dentist, or a journalist.
I am a business leader, and therefore I am very rich. Being in a similar situation, or selling a company, it is absolutely critical, in my opinion, not to scatter money on bank accounts, but to use it with benefit, to create new jobs. Part of this amount can be spent on solving the many problems that exist in the world. Then the right balance will be achieved.
As I said, capitalism carries with it the responsibility. And the balance must be correct.
Joe : Were you always in the eyes of ordinary people? What were the defining moments in your life, career, after which you began to devote 40 percent of your time to social issues? Or have you always done that?
Richard : This behavior is not allowed when you build a company. During this period, the only important word is survival. If you can not survive, in the future nothing good can be done.
Perhaps, as a teenager, I was determined to help people. Then I created a counseling center in which young people with problems can get help. After 35 years, this center continues to operate. If at that time I had more global plans of this kind, obviously, I could not realize them, because I did not have financial resources.
But today we have financial resources. We also have our own know-how and entrepreneurial skills that we use to solve social problems in the world. Studying the problems, we look at whether we will be able to act more efficiently than the charitable or volunteer organizations that dealt with these problems earlier.
We have money for this work, but this is not all: we also have experience in creating companies from scratch, knowledge of how to deal with people and how to motivate them from within.
Joe : Of course, I will ask you a few questions about this too. Another of the points I would like to dwell on is entertainment, because you are doing so many crazy things, and it seems that you get a lot of pleasure from it.
I want our listeners to understand the depth of the contribution you make with Virgin Unite. I did a terrific interview with Jean Olewang on social entrepreneurs. And I would like to hear your definition of a social entrepreneur.
Richard : I think the definition of Jean is different from mine. In any case, a social entrepreneur is one who uses his entrepreneurial skills to solve social problems.
For example, in Africa there are thousands of different organizations that do a wonderful job. But their actions are not coordinated. So, someone in Nigeria can develop the best way to deal with mosquitoes, and this information may not get to Kenya. Or in South Africa, they will figure out how to avoid mother-to-child transmission of HIV, but in Morocco this method will remain unknown.
So basically, we use our entrepreneurial skills to organize a “command post” whose task is to coordinate the development of all such ideas, spread information, look for the best practical solutions and, to the extent possible, ensure that Africa’s limited resources are spent on many problems. of this continent in the most optimal way. We hope that we cope with their work.
Joe : I think you solve a lot of problems. I had the opportunity to dine with you in a small company. I have met very successful people, and I can say that success brings with it an exaggerated self-esteem, a swollen ego. Yes, you and I spent some time together, just had lunch, and that was all, but what I liked and remembered was that your first words when you appeared were: “How can I help you? What would you like to talk about? ”The ego was not even a trace. You were just really, genuinely a great person who wants to help people.
You have done so much wonderful things, so with great pleasure I support your undertakings. My goal is to get your ideas across to numerous entrepreneurs so that they too can participate in Virgin Unite projects.
I would like to ask, how do you manage to keep “balance”, having so many things and worries? You look so relaxed, calm. Are you really like this, or do you sometimes lose your temper and stress?
Richard : Fortunately, I am really a very calm person. I certainly never lose my temper, because I consider this behavior counterproductive.
Again, if you manage a company, raising your voice to an employee will be tantamount to striking a stick. So strong will be the effect. So, we must categorically avoid criticism, look for the best in people and praise them.
Very few things can make me nervous. Obviously, if a member of my family gets sick, I will be alarmed. But most of the points that are usually out of balance people simply do not deserve such a reaction, I think so. If you have a roof over your head, breakfast, lunch and dinner, friends who support you in difficult times, everything else should be taken as an additional reward.
If something goes wrong or it can go wrong, I will work day and night to prevent negative consequences. If I did everything I could for this, my sleep will be calm, and then I will start a new business.
So I was lucky - I do not give in to stress.
Joe : OK, great. How do you deal with things that usually hinder the work of most entrepreneurs, including me? Phone calls, appointments, email and the like. Anything that disrupts smooth progress, both in life and in business, how do you deal with it? Or have you developed a scheme in which nothing simply cannot interfere with you?
Richard : Well, I get a lot of emails. I have a good team that processes them, trying to respond to the maximum amount. In any case, I get about a couple hundred letters a day, I must deal with them personally. I respond to the most urgent letters early in the morning, and addressees, whose letters are of lesser importance, receive an answer within 5-10 days.
I am sure that all people should be treated in a decent manner, respond to their letters and be as polite as possible.
I met entrepreneurs who do not read their mail at all. Such people surprise me. They have earned a lot of money, and do not feel the need to respond to letters. They are written by people seeking to build a business, organize charity events, or simply ask for advice. I think that not answering letters is wrong. This approach to life seems to me slightly immoral.
Joe : You touch on a lot of things that help you see your character, the inner core. I think it is to them that you owe not only your financial success, but also an excellent reputation.
I will share my personal experience. A couple of years ago I first visited the UK. For the flight there, I chose the Virgin Atlantic First Class Lounge. And I just saw the light.
I have a friend, Dan Sullivan, the founder of The Strategic Coach, which offers training for very successful entrepreneurs. He is a very intelligent man. By the way, we talked to him many times about Richard Branson. So, Dan often notes: “The motto of the airline industry is“ we are dissatisfied if you are satisfied ”.” This phrase accurately describes my previous air travel experience.
But on the Virgin plane I was given a massage, offered a collection of 160 films, and I could order food anytime. What struck me especially was the team. The flight was long, so I talked a lot with its members. One of the girls said she was married on your island. Well, actually, it’s not she who personally married, but her friend, and she was still there with a bunch of Virgin employees. I asked: “How is Richard there?”, And they told me: “Oh, he's so cool! Just gorgeous! He is the best man. ”
All they could say about you is only good. These people are your supporters.
So, my question has a great practical benefit: why, in your opinion, so many people love you, admire you, respect you? I constantly hear a lot of positive feedback from people who work with you. You created an amazing culture in Virgin. People do not want to leave this company. How do you do it? And how can our students create something similar in their organizations?
Richard : As I said before, I love people. I was lucky that I was raised in this spirit. Some people get a different upbringing, and they treat people worse, which complicates their lives.
My parents constantly praised me, developed the best in me. They could scold me only when I crossed the road in a dangerous place where a car could knock me down. In all other cases, they always encouraged and supported me.
This approach worked in our family. It also applies to 50 thousand Virgin employees. We try to make sure that all companies of the group are managed by people who praise their employees and are looking for the very best in them. They devote the same amount of time to an ordinary telephonist, a cleaner and a colleague director.
If you are the chairman of the board of directors of a company, having a party in the city, you should invite to it all employees who work in the local branch of your company. You can not invite only important customers or directors. And you really have to be at this party with your team. Keep a notebook with you, and write down in it all the ideas that your people express, even when you have already “picked up the color of your face” and are forced to maintain the bar so that it does not fall. It is absolutely necessary to be able to listen to people. Have parties, have fun with your team. Do not even think about the fact that you can make yourself a fool.
Most importantly, the next day, process all recorded and take the appropriate steps. If you know how to listen, in one evening you can write down about 20 interesting thoughts and ideas, and at least 18 of them will have practical value.
If all the little things in your company are taken into account and properly organized, you will have a happy team and a successful business. After all, little things have a huge impact on people.
Joe : According to the latest data I know, there are 50-55 thousand people working for the Virgin Group, and the group's annual profit is USD 25 billion. Is this information still true?
Richard : Yes, about that.
Joe : It sounds like a whole army of people and a bunch of things that need attention. Once in an interview you said that you do not understand the difference between gross income and net profit. It amused me pretty, because my eyes glaze at the sight of the profit and loss statement, although in my company there is a person who does just that. I can hardly comprehend such things.
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Interview with Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Empire. Recorded at the 2007 Piranha Marketing SuperConference conference. Basically, it is about entrepreneurship as such and social responsibility that lies with successful entrepreneurs. Questions are asked by Joe Polish , president of Piranha Marketing, a consulting and coaching company.
')
Joe : If you still don’t know who Richard Branson is, here are a few facts about him: he flew over the Atlantic in a balloon, signed contracts with the Sex Pistols, Janet Jackson, Boy George and many other famous musicians, and the Queen of Great Britain produced him in knights. The brainchild of Branson - Virgin - brings together more than 350 companies, whose range of interests is extremely wide: from gyms, gambling establishments and boutiques for brides to air travel, railways and parks of limousines. Among the personal possessions of Richard is Necker Island.
Today, Branson moves forward and up, mastering space tourism. By 2009, his company, Virgin Galactic, plans to launch passengers into the thermo-atmosphere. Ticket price - USD 200 thousand. The amount is fabulous, but for the space journey it is quite possible to lay out.
Branson is also a philanthropist. He said that over the next 10 years, all profits from the operations of the Virgin Empire’s transport enterprises — USD 3 billion — will be spent on developing alternative fuels to hydrocarbons.
In addition, Richard Branson is the initiator of the project of the Virgin Earth Challenge, under which USD 25 million will receive the one who offers an economically viable solution to the problem of greenhouse gases.
Branson repeatedly risked his own life. He got involved in a variety of crazy adventures. And despite everything, his tremendous success is astounding. Virgin revenues are USD 25 billion per year. All Richard enterprises employ more than 50,000 people. He knows many people. He also knows a lot about how to conduct your business.
So today I am interviewing Sir Richard Branson, and we will talk about success and participation, and how they apply to your business.
Joe : Richard, I want to immediately thank you so much for agreeing to spend your time on this interview. Where are you now? On the Necker?
Richard : Fortunately, yes, I am now on Necker Island. I would also like to thank you for your generosity, you give a lot to charities in Africa, and for very many people this is very important. Thanks you.
Joe : Of course. Behind this undertaking, as well as behind many others, it is you who stand.
Our guests have already heard something about you. If the world conducted a survey "who is the coolest entrepreneur?", Most likely, your name would be on the first line. You have a huge reputation. Many people study your life as a very successful person.
And since the topic of this interview is success and participation, the first question is: how does Sir Richard Branson define success?
Richard : As a businessman, I define success as creating something that I and the people around me can be proud of. This “something” should affect the current state of affairs, maybe “shake up” entire industries, change people's lives, I hope, for the better.
I want to do what really matters and produces effect.
Joe : I see. So, the question of pure curiosity: as a billionaire, do you feel successful all the time, every day? And what feelings do you have as a person?
Richard : Obviously, I was born lucky. I like people. I enjoy every minute of my life. Of course, not everything goes smoothly. There are ups and downs. But I am an inveterate optimist. In all I am looking for the best. And as a result I get the best, as it seems to me. Nothing to complain about, basically.
Joe : What do you think is a successful day? I am extremely curious how you spend your time? Of course, you do so much, so probably all your days are different. But there are some things in your daily schedule that our guests could use in their lives?
Richard : My life is incredibly diverse, and therefore it is extremely interesting. For example, I make ten-day trips, during which I work 17 hours a day, doing a lot.
Over the past ten days, I have probably visited 12 different countries: in Africa, I spoke with the elders, then I was in Amsterdam at an environmental conference, then Canada, where we organize a concert, followed by New York, talks about the space program. And so on.
So my life is very diverse. As chairman of the Virgin Group, I spend about 25 percent of my time helping with the management of companies around the world, globally. We are trying to develop the Virgin brand as one of the most respected brands in the world. So, I think these 25 percent of my time is spent on marketing and the like.
Another 25 percent I spend on new beginnings. Before launching a new company, we need to know everything that is possible about the upcoming activities.
About 10 percent of my time is occupied by “fire fighting” and its planning, since I have to be sure that if something goes wrong somewhere, I can give it enough attention.
Well, I spend about 40 percent of my time on social tasks and the creation of new organizations whose purpose is to solve environmental problems, health issues and conduct charity events.
Joe : This information is very valuable for me, and, of course, for our listeners. So, 25 percent for new businesses, 25 percent for marketing — this is what I like, since I’m doing it myself — 10 percent for putting out fires and 40 percent for social problems. It seems that with age, your humanitarian and business activities merge together. Do you think that all entrepreneurs should be socially responsible? Should the money be followed by such responsibility, and the measures corresponding to it?
Richard : I think capitalism is the only working system of all known ones. Communism was untenable. The problem of capitalism is that a limited number of people become very rich. And with this wealth comes responsibility.
I do not work more than a really good intern doctor, or a really good secretary, or a really good dentist, or a journalist.
I am a business leader, and therefore I am very rich. Being in a similar situation, or selling a company, it is absolutely critical, in my opinion, not to scatter money on bank accounts, but to use it with benefit, to create new jobs. Part of this amount can be spent on solving the many problems that exist in the world. Then the right balance will be achieved.
As I said, capitalism carries with it the responsibility. And the balance must be correct.
Joe : Were you always in the eyes of ordinary people? What were the defining moments in your life, career, after which you began to devote 40 percent of your time to social issues? Or have you always done that?
Richard : This behavior is not allowed when you build a company. During this period, the only important word is survival. If you can not survive, in the future nothing good can be done.
Perhaps, as a teenager, I was determined to help people. Then I created a counseling center in which young people with problems can get help. After 35 years, this center continues to operate. If at that time I had more global plans of this kind, obviously, I could not realize them, because I did not have financial resources.
But today we have financial resources. We also have our own know-how and entrepreneurial skills that we use to solve social problems in the world. Studying the problems, we look at whether we will be able to act more efficiently than the charitable or volunteer organizations that dealt with these problems earlier.
We have money for this work, but this is not all: we also have experience in creating companies from scratch, knowledge of how to deal with people and how to motivate them from within.
Joe : Of course, I will ask you a few questions about this too. Another of the points I would like to dwell on is entertainment, because you are doing so many crazy things, and it seems that you get a lot of pleasure from it.
I want our listeners to understand the depth of the contribution you make with Virgin Unite. I did a terrific interview with Jean Olewang on social entrepreneurs. And I would like to hear your definition of a social entrepreneur.
Richard : I think the definition of Jean is different from mine. In any case, a social entrepreneur is one who uses his entrepreneurial skills to solve social problems.
For example, in Africa there are thousands of different organizations that do a wonderful job. But their actions are not coordinated. So, someone in Nigeria can develop the best way to deal with mosquitoes, and this information may not get to Kenya. Or in South Africa, they will figure out how to avoid mother-to-child transmission of HIV, but in Morocco this method will remain unknown.
So basically, we use our entrepreneurial skills to organize a “command post” whose task is to coordinate the development of all such ideas, spread information, look for the best practical solutions and, to the extent possible, ensure that Africa’s limited resources are spent on many problems. of this continent in the most optimal way. We hope that we cope with their work.
Joe : I think you solve a lot of problems. I had the opportunity to dine with you in a small company. I have met very successful people, and I can say that success brings with it an exaggerated self-esteem, a swollen ego. Yes, you and I spent some time together, just had lunch, and that was all, but what I liked and remembered was that your first words when you appeared were: “How can I help you? What would you like to talk about? ”The ego was not even a trace. You were just really, genuinely a great person who wants to help people.
You have done so much wonderful things, so with great pleasure I support your undertakings. My goal is to get your ideas across to numerous entrepreneurs so that they too can participate in Virgin Unite projects.
I would like to ask, how do you manage to keep “balance”, having so many things and worries? You look so relaxed, calm. Are you really like this, or do you sometimes lose your temper and stress?
Richard : Fortunately, I am really a very calm person. I certainly never lose my temper, because I consider this behavior counterproductive.
Again, if you manage a company, raising your voice to an employee will be tantamount to striking a stick. So strong will be the effect. So, we must categorically avoid criticism, look for the best in people and praise them.
Very few things can make me nervous. Obviously, if a member of my family gets sick, I will be alarmed. But most of the points that are usually out of balance people simply do not deserve such a reaction, I think so. If you have a roof over your head, breakfast, lunch and dinner, friends who support you in difficult times, everything else should be taken as an additional reward.
If something goes wrong or it can go wrong, I will work day and night to prevent negative consequences. If I did everything I could for this, my sleep will be calm, and then I will start a new business.
So I was lucky - I do not give in to stress.
Joe : OK, great. How do you deal with things that usually hinder the work of most entrepreneurs, including me? Phone calls, appointments, email and the like. Anything that disrupts smooth progress, both in life and in business, how do you deal with it? Or have you developed a scheme in which nothing simply cannot interfere with you?
Richard : Well, I get a lot of emails. I have a good team that processes them, trying to respond to the maximum amount. In any case, I get about a couple hundred letters a day, I must deal with them personally. I respond to the most urgent letters early in the morning, and addressees, whose letters are of lesser importance, receive an answer within 5-10 days.
I am sure that all people should be treated in a decent manner, respond to their letters and be as polite as possible.
I met entrepreneurs who do not read their mail at all. Such people surprise me. They have earned a lot of money, and do not feel the need to respond to letters. They are written by people seeking to build a business, organize charity events, or simply ask for advice. I think that not answering letters is wrong. This approach to life seems to me slightly immoral.
Joe : You touch on a lot of things that help you see your character, the inner core. I think it is to them that you owe not only your financial success, but also an excellent reputation.
I will share my personal experience. A couple of years ago I first visited the UK. For the flight there, I chose the Virgin Atlantic First Class Lounge. And I just saw the light.
I have a friend, Dan Sullivan, the founder of The Strategic Coach, which offers training for very successful entrepreneurs. He is a very intelligent man. By the way, we talked to him many times about Richard Branson. So, Dan often notes: “The motto of the airline industry is“ we are dissatisfied if you are satisfied ”.” This phrase accurately describes my previous air travel experience.
But on the Virgin plane I was given a massage, offered a collection of 160 films, and I could order food anytime. What struck me especially was the team. The flight was long, so I talked a lot with its members. One of the girls said she was married on your island. Well, actually, it’s not she who personally married, but her friend, and she was still there with a bunch of Virgin employees. I asked: “How is Richard there?”, And they told me: “Oh, he's so cool! Just gorgeous! He is the best man. ”
All they could say about you is only good. These people are your supporters.
So, my question has a great practical benefit: why, in your opinion, so many people love you, admire you, respect you? I constantly hear a lot of positive feedback from people who work with you. You created an amazing culture in Virgin. People do not want to leave this company. How do you do it? And how can our students create something similar in their organizations?
Richard : As I said before, I love people. I was lucky that I was raised in this spirit. Some people get a different upbringing, and they treat people worse, which complicates their lives.
My parents constantly praised me, developed the best in me. They could scold me only when I crossed the road in a dangerous place where a car could knock me down. In all other cases, they always encouraged and supported me.
This approach worked in our family. It also applies to 50 thousand Virgin employees. We try to make sure that all companies of the group are managed by people who praise their employees and are looking for the very best in them. They devote the same amount of time to an ordinary telephonist, a cleaner and a colleague director.
If you are the chairman of the board of directors of a company, having a party in the city, you should invite to it all employees who work in the local branch of your company. You can not invite only important customers or directors. And you really have to be at this party with your team. Keep a notebook with you, and write down in it all the ideas that your people express, even when you have already “picked up the color of your face” and are forced to maintain the bar so that it does not fall. It is absolutely necessary to be able to listen to people. Have parties, have fun with your team. Do not even think about the fact that you can make yourself a fool.
Most importantly, the next day, process all recorded and take the appropriate steps. If you know how to listen, in one evening you can write down about 20 interesting thoughts and ideas, and at least 18 of them will have practical value.
If all the little things in your company are taken into account and properly organized, you will have a happy team and a successful business. After all, little things have a huge impact on people.
Joe : According to the latest data I know, there are 50-55 thousand people working for the Virgin Group, and the group's annual profit is USD 25 billion. Is this information still true?
Richard : Yes, about that.
Joe : It sounds like a whole army of people and a bunch of things that need attention. Once in an interview you said that you do not understand the difference between gross income and net profit. It amused me pretty, because my eyes glaze at the sight of the profit and loss statement, although in my company there is a person who does just that. I can hardly comprehend such things.
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Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/31642/
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