Behind the Scenes With Richard Branson

This Week’s Highlights:

Core Article: Behind the Scenes With Richard Branson—From Record Shops to Outer Space

Cool Stuff: Scrolling social media for those delicious food recipes? These award-winning photos are mouthwatering

AI Info & Resources: It’s May! Time to uplevel your productivity? 🙂

Behind the Scenes With Richard Branson—From Record Shops to Outer Space

After I got back from our trip to the UK last month, I recovered from some bug I had caught and was flipping through some documentaries on HBO Max. That’s when I saw one about Richard Brandson. (It’s also on Prime and Apple TV.)

I’ve always admired him, and in fact, a little side note—I met him in person when his book came out in 2004. He not only signed it, but he also kissed me on the cheek. And we had this lovely conversation.

That happened in the days before mobile phone cameras, so there is no proof except his signature and my fond memory. (Plus, you know, if I had a pic, it’d be right here. 🙂

What intrigued me about the documentary was how much I didn’t know about Branson. He was an introvert, and his mother was an adventurer, taking him and his two sisters to travel and exposing them to so much.

He started his first company, Virgin Records, because he and his college buddies wanted to offer discount records to their friends.

Branson was so dedicated to his business that he took a lot of chances. Some worked, and some didn’t. He was mainly breaking even in the business until he opened the Virgin Records Studio and started signing artists like Boy George—Culture Club, Nine Inch Nails, Human League, and the Rolling Stones.

Signing the bands that took off created a huge payday for the company, which kept the business afloat until the next big hit.

Listening to Branson tell the story made it more interesting cuz, at that time, he was basically flying by the seat of his pants.

What worked for him was taking huge chances and bets on his business.

He aimed to help the underdog and create more competition by offering different prices. This is one of the many reasons he started Virgin Airlines with just one plane!

It’s worth watching the doc for that story alone and how they won a big settlement from British Airlines for their “dirty tricks” smearing campaign.

Branson has done so much since he started, from buying an island (that story’s pretty amazing) for only $120k to being the first to fly a hot-air balloon across the Atlantic and Pacific.

Here are some core takeaways for inspiration in your life and work:

Pursuit of Big Visions: Branson shows that having grand, seemingly unreachable goals can drive innovation and push boundaries. Maybe it’s time to set some more ambitious goals that challenge the status quo and inspire you and your business.

Embrace ambitious, transformative goals that push you beyond conventional limits. Doing this will encourage innovation and can set you apart in any industry.
Risk-Taking and Resilience: His readiness to take significant risks and face potential failures head-on is a critical lesson.

Maybe it’s time to get the courage to take some risks and know you have the resilience to bounce back from failures. In fact, failures are good because they teach you so much! (And if you need some coaching support, you got me in your back pocket!)
Building a Business Persona: It’s no secret that Branson effectively uses his personality as a branding tool, making him and his ventures like Virgin Galactic highly recognizable. Revel in your uniqueness, and standing out from the crowd.

One way to do this is to use your personal story and values to enhance your brand’s appeal. Being unique and different will resonate with customers and create deep loyalty. Take a risk, be vulnerable, talk about your mission and your values, and connect with your dream clients on a deeper level.
Focus on Customer Experience: Branson knows how crucial it is to build customer loyalty and satisfaction, and he does it in spades in all his businesses.

If you have a website and/or online customer experience, ensure you have walked through it from your dream clients’ point of view. This is one of THE best ways to help increase the success of building your community and increasing sales of your products, courses, and more—seeing it from their point of view. (This is also something I do with clients cuz I know how hard it is to view it from another perspective when you’re so close to it. 🙂 Plus, this is also a good way to ensure all your tech is working as it should.
Adaptability, Innovating, and Learning: Throughout his career, Branson has ventured into various industries, showing adaptability. Plus, he’s always pushing for innovation and adapting ideas from other industries.

As an entrepreneur, be open to always learning, asking how to innovate, or adapting something from another industry to yours. I personally love doing that. And isn’t that why you’re here? (Or is it secretly because you just like seeing my pictures of Emma? 😉

Lots of good stuff from Branson. If this intrigued you, check out Branson’s documentary series for more. And if you’ve already seen it, hit reply and tell me your biggest takeaways.

May is here, yep, and just like that, spring is almost over, and summer is coming. How are you doing with your goals for the year? I’m gonna be honest and tell you, I definitely am not where I thought I’d be. Yet, I’ve invested in some good tools that are whipping me in shape. It’s about waking up every day, and building habits that will sustain you, and being in a like-minded community. If you need a boost, hit me up. I’d love to help however I can.

Paragraph I’m Pondering:

“Believe it can be done. Think of something special you’ve been wanting to do but felt you couldn’t. Now, make a list of reasons why you can do it. Many of us whip and defeat our desire simply because we concentrate on why we can’t when the only thing worthy of our mental concentration is why we can.” ~ The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire:

Today, I will know that I don’t have to worry about anything. If I do worry, I will do it with the understanding that I am choosing to worry and it is not necessary. I am exactly where I need to be. ~ Melody Beattie, Language of Letting Go.

Book Review:

The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz, PH.D.

Cool Stuff:

The Fast Trains Are Finally Coming to California – Yep, connecting LA to Las Vegas – yeah, baby!
This Drone Startup Has Made 1 Million Deliveries Already—Wow…
Food Photography Fans – These award-winning photos will definitely build up your mouthwatering appetite.

AI Info & Resources:

Check Out this Daily and Weekly Planner. It’s powered by AI and will optimize your schedule and to-do list.
Maybe It’s Time To Ditch Your Boring Docs And Create A Video Instead With This AI-Powered Tool
Looking for More AI Tools to Help You Improve Your Productivity? I gotchu!

Weekly Photos:

Emma’s the highlight this week. We went out of town to San Francisco to visit some friends for the night. And our neighbor was watching her, and she got into a bit of a scuffle with another dog, and we had to make a trip to the vet when we got back. The good news, she will make a full recovery. The not-so-good news is that she’s just not been herself. So we are giving her lots of TLC.
San Francisco is such a neat town. It’s where Alice and I met. And it’s only about 3.5 hrs from our home. So we love going and hanging out with our friends. And you can be walking down a street – in the pic below and see the bridge between the buildings.
I loved the view from our hotel room. We usually stay around Union Square, which is great walking distance to lots of things. Doesn’t ever disappoint.
And the food, cable cars, and Casto District never disappoint!