Richard Branson Quotes

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!

Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.

Life is a helluva lot more fun if you say yes rather than no

Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to.

The brave may not live forever – But the cautious do not live at all

You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.

Throwing yourself into a job you enjoy is one of the life's greatest pleasures!

As soon as something stops being fun, I think it’s time to move on. Life is too short to be unhappy. Waking up stressed and miserable is not a good way to live.

I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive then I believe you are better off not doing it. A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.

Business opportunities are like buses; there’s always another one coming.

Only a fool never changes his mind.

There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions – in a way that serves the world and you.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.

It is only by being bold that you get anywhere. If you are a risk-taker, then the art is to protect the downside.

A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.

Most "necessary evils" are far more evil than necessary.

Do you know great minds enjoy excellence, average minds love mediocrity and small minds adore comfort zones?

Business isn't about ties, suits and briefcases. It's about adventure.

to be successful, you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running

Good brands reflect the histories of the time and the group of people that made them. They can not be copied. They can not be recycled.

I have always believed that the way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers, and that people flourish when they are praised.” Sir

When you walk in silence your excellence will always speak for you.

You need to choose your association according to your vision.

The best lesson I learned was to just do it. It doesn’t matter what it is, or how hard it might seem, as the ancient Greek, Plato, said, ‘The beginning is the most important part of any work.

In the same way that I tend to make up my mind about people within thirty seconds of meeting them, I also make up my mind about whether a business proposal excites me within about thirty seconds of looking at it. I rely far more on gut instinct than researching huge amounts of statistics.

If you opt for a safe life, you will never know what it's like to win.

I have always believed that the only way to cope with a cash crisis is not to contract but to try to expand out of it.

When you walk in distinction, even the photocopying machine can’t replicate your unique quality.

What the average call excellent, the excellent call average.

You’re guaranteed to miss every shot you don’t take.

One of the things I’ve learned about vision is people will grab it mentally or, have a crab mentality.

Yes, content is king but excellence is his queen. ~ Onyi Anyado.

How you react when your back is against the wall will determine if you see what's actually over the wall.

the best motto to follow is ‘Nothing ventured; nothing gained’.

I believe that listening is one of the most important skills for any teacher, parent, leader, entrepreneur or, well, just about anyone who has a pulse.

Listen – it makes you sound smarter

You get the idea. Every business, like a painting, operates according to its own rules. There are many ways to run a successful company. What works once may never work again. What everyone tells you never to do may just work, once. There are no rules. You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over, and it's because you fall over that you learn to save yourself from falling over. It's the greatest thrill in the world and it runs away screaming at the first sight of bullet points.

They encouraged me to always look for the good in people instead of assuming the worst and trying to find fault.

Acquiring the habit of note-taking is therefore a wonderfully complementary skill to that of listening.

Richard Branson likes to say, is that “business opportunities are like buses; there’s always another coming around.

Whatever your goal is you will never succeed unless you let go of your fears and fly.

Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.

There have been times when I could have succumbed to some form of bribe, or could have had my way by offering one. But ever since that night in Dover prison I have never been tempted to break my vow.. My Parents always drummed into me that all you have life is your reputation: you may be very rich, but if you lose your good name you'll never be happy.

If someone offers you an Amazing opportunity and you're not sure you can do it, say Yes - then learn how to do it later.

The call of distinction cannot be heard by the average, neither can the vision of distinction be seen by the eyes of the mediocre.

A person who values their goals actually values their achievements.

Whenever you are setting up a new project, the most important thing is to surround yourself with people who are better than yourself, have different skills and a healthy combination of enthusiasm and experience.

Developing mental toughness isn’t just about being resilient – it’s about accessing your reserve tank when you think you just can’t go any further.

Live for the present –’ I heard my parents’ old maxim in the back of my head ‘– and the future will look after itself.

Serving my generation with excellence will in turn mean my generation can lead with excellence.

In five minutes you should know if people have confirmed, calculated & considered your vision.

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a ride!

Fun is at the core of the way I like to do business and it has been key to everything I've done from the outset. More than any other element, fun is the secret of Virgin's success. I am aware that the ideas of business as being fun and creative goes right against the grain of convention, and it's certainly not how the they teach it at some of those business schools, where business means hard grind and lots of 'discounted cash flows' and net' present values'.

Throughout my business life I have always tried to keep on top of costs and protect the downside risk as much possible. The Virgin Group has survived only because we have always kept tight control of our cash. But, likewise, I also know that sometimes it is essential to break these rules and spend lavishly.

If only we had the power to see ourselves in the same way that others see us.’ Of all the mantras one might adopt in life, this is surely one of the better ones and for anyone in a leadership role it should be an essential part of the checks and balances that are built into a company’s standard operating procedures.

In 2015, Cuba became the first country in the world to eliminate the mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. More recently, even Richard Branson felt compelled to pen an article about Cuba’s extraordinary medical achievements and how the idiotic embargo prevents ordinary Americans from benefiting from Cuba’s medical innovations.

The way to become a great leader is to look for the best in people – seldom criticise – always praise.

Success is more than luck. You have to believe in yourself and make it happen.

Respect is about how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.

is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

how slim the line is between genius and insanity and between determination and stubbornness.

Listen more than you talk. Nobody learned anything by hearing themselves speak

Your distinction shouldn't be measured by your duration but rather, your donation.

Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.

When you walk in distinction, you don’t compete with anyone but competition wants to compete with you.

Do you know invisible determination and effort will always accomplish visible distinction and excellence?

Writing and achieving your goals is not failure, not having a goal to write in the first place is the start of failure.

One of the things I’ve learnt about goals is people will write them or wrong them.

With the world now a global village, your vision has to transcend different races and faces in different places around the world.

The key enterprising skills I used when first starting out are the very same ones I use today: the art of delegation, risk-taking, surrounding yourself with a great team and working on projects you really believe in.

What we are trying to do at Virgin is not to have one enormous company in one sector under one banner, but to have two hundred or even three hundred separate companies. Each company can stand on its own feet and, in that way, although we've got a brand that links them, if we were to have another tragedy such as that of 11 September - which hurt the airline industry - it would not bring the whole group crashing down.

If I had to give one reason why I have been fortunate enough to experience some success, it would be my knack of bringing together wonderful people.

Some you win and some you lose. Be glad when you win. Don’t have regrets when you lose.

Never do anything if it means you can’t sleep at night.’ It’s a good rule to follow.

If you aren’t having fun, you are doing it wrong. If you feel like getting up in the morning to work on your business is a chore, then it's time to try something else.

hard-won things are more valuable than those that come too easily.

It’s so much better, where possible, to try and forgive offenders and give them a second chance, just like my mother and father did so often with me as a child.

Success for me is whether you have created something that you can be really proud of.

A touch of the jitters sharpens the mind, gets the adrenaline flowing and helps you to focus.

Entrepreneur, if you're going to start up, make sure you start up with excellence in mind”.

Entrepreneur, don't just read history, write it so people can see the future in the present.

Entrepreneur, either your brand is distinct or your brand is distant.

The only day you should never write and achieve your goals is when the day ends with the letter y.

You have to grab the goal, visualise your vision, excel in excellence and then become distinct in distinction.

When I asked Richard Branson if he felt luck played a part in his success, he answered, “Yes, of course, we are all lucky. If you live in a free society, you are lucky. Luck surrounds us every day; we are constantly having lucky things happen to us, whether you recognize it or not. I have not been any more lucky or unlucky than anyone else. The difference is when luck came my way, I took advantage of it.” Ah, spoken like a man knighted with wisdom. While we’re on the topic, it’s my belief that the old adage we often hear—“Luck is when opportunity meets preparation”—isn’t enough. I believe there are two other critical components to “luck.

Capitalism – which in its purest form is entrepreneurism even among the poorest of the poor – does work; but those who make money from it should put back into society, not just sit on it as if they are hatching eggs.

There are many ways to run a successful company. What works once may never work again. What everyone tells you never to do may just work, once. There are no rules. You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over, and it's because you fall over that you learn to save yourself from falling over.

Or as billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson said far more colorfully in an interview: “I don’t know why the tie was ever invented … now everyone looks the same and dresses the same. I often have a pair of scissors in my top pocket to go cutting people’s ties off. I do think that ties most likely are still inflicted on people because the bosses, they had to wear it for 40 years and when they get into positions of responsibility they’re damned if they’re going to not have the next generation suffer.

I don’t believe it can be taught as if it were a recipe. There aren’t ingredients and techniques that will guarantee success. Parameters exist that, if followed, will ensure a business can continue, but you cannot clearly define our business success and then bottle it as you would a perfume. It’s not that simple: to be successful, you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running; and, if you have a good team round you and more than your fair share of luck, you might make something happen. But you certainly can’t guarantee it just by following someone else’s formula. Business is a fluid, changing substance.

never just try to make money. Long-term success will never come if profit is the only aim.

Roman philosopher Seneca who some two thousand years ago said, ‘Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

when you make mistakes at least try to make them quickly.

expected, look for someone with a sense of humour, who is fun, friendly and caring, because that is a person who likely understands teamwork and will help others.

It’s easy. Make every second count.

Listen. Take the best. Leave the rest.

In every potential sponsor’s eyes, I was a nobody. And soon I had notched up more rejection letters than is healthy for any one man to receive. I tried to think of an entrepreneur and adventurer that I admired, and I kept coming back to Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin. I wrote to him once, then I wrote once more. In all, I sent twenty-three letters. No response. Right, I thought, I’ll find out where he lives and take my proposal there myself. So I did precisely that, and at 8:00 P.M. one cold evening, I rang his very large doorbell. A voice answered the intercom, and I mumbled my pitch into the speakerphone. A housekeeper’s voice told me to leave the proposal--and get lost. It’s not clear quite what happened next: I assume that whoever had answered the intercom meant just to switch it off, but instead they pressed the switch that opened the front door. The buzzing sound seemed to last forever--but it was probably only a second or two. In that time I didn’t have time to think, I just reacted…and instinctively nudged the door open. Suddenly I found myself standing in the middle of Sir Richard Branson’s substantial, marble-floored entrance hall. “Uh, hello!” I hollered into the empty hall. “Sorry, but you seem to have buzzed the door open,” I apologized to the emptiness. The next thing I knew, the housekeeper came flying down the stairs, shouting at me to leave. I duly dropped the proposal and scarpered. The next day, I sent around some flowers, apologizing for the intrusion and asking the great man to take a look at my proposal. I added that I was sure, in his own early days, he would probably have done the same thing. I never got a reply to that one, either.

Hardy reinforces his narrative with stories of heroes who didn’t have the right education, the right connections, and who could have been counted out early as not having the DNA for success: “Richard Branson has dyslexia and had poor academic performance as a student. Steve Jobs was born to two college students who didn’t want to raise him and gave him up for adoption. Mark Cuban was born to an automobile upholsterer. He started as a bartender, then got a job in software sales from which he was fired.”8 The list goes on. Hardy reminds his readers that “Suze Orman’s dad was a chicken farmer. Retired General Colin Powell was a solid C student. Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, was born in a housing authority in the Bronx … Barbara Corcoran started as a waitress and admits to being fired from more jobs than most people hold in a lifetime. Pete Cashmore, the CEO of Mashable, was sickly as a child and finished high school two years late due to medical complications. He never went to college.” What do each of these inspiring leaders and storytellers have in common? They rewrote their own internal narratives and found great success. “The biographies of all heroes contain common elements. Becoming one is the most important,”9 writes Chris Matthews in Jack Kennedy, Elusive Hero. Matthews reminds his readers that young John F. Kennedy was a sickly child and bedridden for much of his youth. And what did he do while setting school records for being in the infirmary? He read voraciously. He read the stories of heroes in the pages of books by Sir Walter Scott and the tales of King Arthur. He read, and dreamed of playing the hero in the story of his life. When the time came to take the stage, Jack was ready.