Screw It, Let’s Do It
The Quid On:
Screw It, Let’s Do It - Lessons In Life
By Richard Branson
Preview
Life’s too short to
learn from one’s own mistakes. It always helps to draw inspiration from other’s
experiences. Screw It, Let’s Do It is
a quick read in which author Richard Branson shares the many truths he has
learned in his life’s journey. The road to success is far from easy and
Branson’s wasn’t any different. Despite his set of challenges, he managed to
succeed. These life lessons right from never giving up and taking calculated
risks to spending quality time with oneself and family, and not compromising on
integrity, will encourage people from all walks of life.
About the Author
Richard Branson is a
billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist. A mildly dyslexic child, he set up
his own magazine at the age of 15; an adventure that began in a basement in
London made way for greater things and today, Richard is the owner of Virgin
Group, which has over 400 companies across business interests which include
airlines, record stores, and spaceflights.
The Big Idea: Dream
on, and make it happen
We must eliminate the word
‘can’t’ from our dictionaries. The world may try to bring us down and tell us
otherwise, but it’s important that we believe in ourselves and the beauty of
our dreams. That being said, it’s vain to take uncalculated risks. We must have
fun doing whatever we decide to pursue. Then it will never seem like work.
Even if we’re stuck
in a job that we don’t like, we must find the time to do things we
enjoy; that’s what will keep us going in life. Everyone needs a challenge. It
helps us grow. While it’s okay to have a dream, it’s important to have a
realistic plan to achieve it. We may be swimming upstream but the one who can
find opportunity in any situation no matter how bleak, is a winner all the way.
The world will not be kind to you, but you have to make your way through. While
it’s good to plan and analyse past experiences, it’s important to live in the
moment. Regret is a bad habit and can never do anyone any good.
On life’s journey, no
matter what our goals are, all of us need a support system – family and
friends. We must also respect everyone including those who cannot do anything
for us.
What you will learn as you read:
· How to ensure you’re making
progress
· What the importance of
people in our lives is
· Why a guy named Shawn
Nelson became the President of Virgin
If you have the right
attitude, you will find a way to overcome your weaknesses
If you really want to
achieve success, you must let nothing stop you; not even yourself. Richard Branson
was a mildly dyslexic child and found it very difficult to read and write at
school. As there wasn’t much awareness about the condition back in the day,
most of his teachers thought he was simply being lazy. Instead of giving up and
wallowing in self-pity, he used his energy to find a way out. He decided to
learn everything by heart. Today, he has an amazing memory, and believes it’s
one of his strongest tools as a businessman.
Richard didn’t stop at
that. He further challenged himself and got out of his comfort zone. He participated
in an essay writing competition and won. This spurred him on to set up his own
magazine at the age of 15! He, along with his friend, worked towards establishing
Student Magazine. Right from making
calls from a public phone to selling ad space, and conducting interviews with
the likes of John Lennon, Mick Jagger and Dudley Moore, to working out the cash
flows, Richard successfully did it all. He used his weakness to empower rather
than embitter himself.
When Richard won the
essay competition mentioned above, his mother encouraged him. She herself was
one with a positive attitude, something which Richard seems to have inherited.
During the second world war, she wanted to become a pilot, but women in those
days weren’t allowed to. Needless to say, that didn’t stop her! A determined
Eve Branson approached the Heston airfield dressed up as a man and got the job!
Like in business, take
calculated risks even in life
‘Never say never’ doesn’t
mean you go all guns blazing without giving things a thought. The trick lies in
knowing which risks to take and which to pass. In the 2004 TV series, The Rebel
Billionaire, Richard Branson offered the unsuspecting prize winner a gamble: he
could either take the cheque for the million dollars that he’d won or toss a
coin for a bigger mystery prize. After a lot of thought, Shawn Nelson decided
to trade off the bigger mystery prize for his prize money. He believed he could
use it to further his current business and help his employees. A coin toss
wasn’t a calculated risk. Shawn ended up winning the one million dollars as
well as the mystery prize – an opportunity to be President of Virgin for three
months.
Richard got many business-offers
that he believes were good, but he turned them down. Lloyd’s, the biggest insurance
company, for instance, offered to take him on board but he declined. In
retrospect, he believes it was a good decision because had he taken it up, he
would have lost a fortune.
When one tries
something new, one won’t always be lucky, and sometimes, may end up paying a
high price. While we must take calculated risks, we must understand that we
can’t always protect ourselves. Richard has also had his share of luck in
personal life. He survived a crash with minor injuries when flying in an
experimental flying machine built by an inventor named Richard Ellis. Ellis
himself suffered a fatal crash in the same machine the week after!
It’s important to
enjoy and be happy no matter what you pursue
Many of Richard
Branson’s well-wishers have asked him to retire or simply relax considering
Virgin Group is doing so well. But he doesn’t see a reason to change his life,
because he has fun when he is working on various ideas for his businesses.
When something stops
being fun, it’s a red flag that you need to move on. Nik Powell was with
Richard from the start of Virgin. While the latter handled the creative side of
things, the former handled the finances, and his main job was to run the Virgin
record stores. When they started Virgin Atlantic airlines, British Airways
offered them tough competition. As a result, Virgin Atlantic didn’t do well
initially, and major earnings from the record stores that were booming were
used to keep it afloat. Unlike Richard, Nik wasn’t too comfortable with this.
He believed it was too risky to continue to fund one business with the earnings
of another. Their different approaches towards the business meant that one
couldn’t be happy while the other was. That’s when they decided to part ways
amicably. If Nik had continued at Virgin even after things had stopped being
fun for him, odds are that they would have both ended up unhappy, and in the
process, they would have ruined their friendship.
Beauty and body care
product store, Body Shop is also a great example of what happens when you’re
having fun. Anita Roddick started off making skin creams in her kitchen, but
today, Body Shop is a global empire.
Being preoccupied with
the past, and worrying about the future, takes the focus off the present
Most of us spend a lot
of time regretting or overanalysing past mistakes, and/or fretting about the
future. We forget to live in the moment. When Spanish painter, Salvador Dali used
to get bored with life, he would walk in his cliff-top garden. He would then
pick a peach, ripe and ready, and admire its sun-kissed golden skin. He would
sniff it and allow its perfume to intoxicate his senses. He would bite into it
and savour its juices slowly. Lastly, he would spit it out and throw the
remaining fruit. He derived more pleasure in the moment he bit into the fruit,
than in eating baskets full of it.
Often, we go through
life as an automaton. We live on auto-pilot. We must be alive to each moment
and make every second count. Richard Branson’s grandmother was the oldest
person at 89 years of age to pass the advanced Latin American ballroom dancing
exam. She was 90 when she became the oldest person to hit a hole in one at
golf. Shortly before her death at the age of 99, she went on a cruise around
the world and even got left behind in Jamaica wearing nothing but her swimming
costume. Even at that ripe age, she ensured she lived life to the fullest.
Richard’s parents
share the same traits and though in their 80s, they travel around the world and
are present at the start and end of all of his adventures, cheering him on.
It’s important to have
a support system in life
Everybody needs
somebody to fall back on. It’s important to have a support system like family
or even friends who are like family. Richard Branson learned the value of family
very early in life. His mother always found things they could do as a family.
He even considers Virgin Group a big family of some 4000 staff members.
Richard dreamed of
setting up a recording studio where bands could enjoy playing; they didn’t need
to get their gear from all the way to the studio, as the studio would have its
in-house gear. Moreover, the atmosphere wouldn’t be as formal as in most
studios during those days. This led to him buying what is now called The Manor
Studio. He didn’t have enough money to buy the studio himself. But, his parents
and relatives pitched in, and helped him buy it. This kind family support
showed Richard that his family trusted him and his dreams.
Richard has grown to
put the same kind of faith in his employees. There is a culture to reward
talent at Virgin. Even if someone is hired for a particular job but shows flair
in another area, he or she is given a chance to try their hands at the new
role.
Do the right thing
always
In his show, The Rebel
Billionaire, Richard Branson dressed up as an old cabby and drove the
contestants to the manor house. On the way, he tried listening to their
conversations and also noted how they treated him – an old man – when he
couldn’t lift their heavy luggage. He learned a lot about their true nature and
character from this.
Like respecting
people, it’s also important to respect the law. Richard once fell into trouble
because he tried selling tax-free records in his stores. These were meant for a
Belgium-based order where tax doesn’t need to be paid. Richard couldn’t get the
order to Belgium because he would have to pass through France, and they
insisted on tax payments, which Richard didn’t want to pay. He then thought,
why not sell these at the stores and make a quick buck! Richard didn’t know
that he was being observed. His warehouse and stores were raided and he was put
in prison.
It’s important to try
and do the right thing even when no one is watching. You never know who you
touch along the way. Even if our good deeds don’t lead to something productive,
at least we will have a good name.
Always pay it forward
It’s important to have
a social context to all our endeavours. Especially if we are financially
blessed or have fame, power, and connections, we must use them for the larger
good. During the Iraq invasion of Kuwait, Branson discovered that numerous
refugees had crossed into Jordan. Richard reached out to the King and Queen of
Jordan as he had good relations with them and asked them if he could help in
any way. They responded by saying they would need hundreds of thousands of
blankets. Despite Virgin airlines not doing too well at the time, Richard
arranged to send jets carrying blankets and other supplies for the refugees.
Even when he found out
that Saddam Hussein had held some British nationals as human shields, he
leveraged his connections with Jordan’s King and Queen, and, as requested by
Iraq, went along with Sir Edward Heath, the former prime minister, to
negotiate. They risked their lives as many thought Hussein would take them
hostage too, but they were successful.
Richard persuaded
Elton John to sing ‘Candle in the Wind’ for Princess Diana’s funeral. The
record sold 33 million copies, and all the proceeds were given to charity. In
2004, Richard started Virgin Unite, which brings Virgin staff all over the
world together to do something for social causes. Richard has inculcated the
habit of paying it forward in his children as well. Holly, his daughter, feels
strongly about youth in the UK grappling with sexual issues and volunteers with
Virgin Unite.
Final Summary
No
matter what you’re pursuing in life, you must have a go-getter attitude. While
it’s important to take calculated risks, it’s vain to overanalyse a situation
or even regret the past. No matter how careful we are, mistakes are inevitable.
You will grow, only when challenged. We must dare to get out of our comfort
zones. We must not sit around waiting for fate to favour us, rather, seize the
moment. It’s important to have fun no matter what we pursue. That way, we will
ensure we’re using every moment wisely.
People have a very
important role to play in our lives especially family and friends. Strangers we
meet along the way also matter. It’s wise to be good to, and respectful of all,
because we usually meet the same people we met on our way up the ladder, as we
do on our way down!
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