Selected Quotes by Richard Branson
Richard Branson- Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is a British business magnate and commercial astronaut. He founded the Virgin Group in the 1970s, which today controls more than 400 companies in various industries.
He started his business empire at the age of 16 when he published a magazine called "Student". He then opened a mail-order business, a chain or record stores which would be known as "Virgin Records" and later renamed as "Virgin Megastores" in 1972. In the 1980s. he started "Virgin Atlantic Airline". In 1997, he created the "Virgin Rail Group". In 2004, he founded spaceflight corporation Virgin Galactic.
In March 2000, Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace for "services to entrepreneurship" which includes his efforts in retail, music and transport which includes land, air, sea and space travel. His adventurer image and humanitarian work made him a global celebrity. In 2007, Time put him in their "100 Most Influential People in the World list". In June 2023, Forbes estimated his net worth to be USD 3 billion.
On July 11, 2021, he became a passenger on Virgin Galactic Unity 22 which traveled on the edge of space, in a suborbital test flight for his spaceflight company Virgin Galactic. At 70, Branson became the third oldest person to fly to space.
Selected Quotes by Richard Branson:
“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!”
Richard Branson, Opportunities
“Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.”
― Richard Branson, Screw It, Let's Do It: Lessons in Life
Richard Branson, Life
“The brave may not live forever – But the cautious do not live at all”
― Richard Branson, Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You at Business School
Richard Branson, Life
“You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
Richard Branson, Life
“Only a fool never changes his mind.”
― Richard Branson, Like A Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You at Business School
Richard Branson, Life
“Most "necessary evils" are far more evil than necessary.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Life
“The best motto to follow is ‘Nothing ventured; nothing gained’.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Life
“Acquiring the habit of note-taking is therefore a wonderfully complementary skill to that of listening.”
― Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership
Richard Branson, Life
“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.”
― Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead
Richard Branson, Life
“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!”
― Richard Branson, Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography
Richard Branson, Life
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography
Richard Branson, Life
“A touch of the jitters sharpens the mind, gets the adrenaline flowing and helps you to focus.”
Richard Branson, Life
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Screw It, Let's Do It: Lessons In Life
Richard Branson, Life, Happiness
“If you opt for a safe life, you will never know what it's like to win.”
― Richard Branson, Screw It, Let's Do It: Lessons in Life
Richard Branson, Life, Success
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Life, Success, Happiness
“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to.”
Richard Branson, Management
“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.”
Richard Branson, Management
“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.”
― Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership
Richard Branson, Management
“Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.”
― Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership
Richard Branson, Management
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography
Richard Branson, Management
“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.”
Richard Branson, Management
“The way to become a great leader is to look for the best in people – seldom criticise – always praise.” ― Richard Branson, Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography
Richard Branson, Management
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography
Richard Branson, Management, Business
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Business
“A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.”
Richard Branson, Business
“Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
Richard Branson, Business
“Business isn't about ties, suits and briefcases. It's about adventure.”
― Richard Branson
Richard Branson, Business
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur
Richard Branson, Business
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Business
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur
Richard Branson, Business
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Business
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Business
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Business
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Business, Success
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography
Richard Branson, Business, Success
“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'.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Business, Success, Happiness
“Business opportunities are like buses; there’s always another one coming.”
Richard Branson, Business, Opportunities
“Throwing yourself into a job you enjoy is one of the life's greatest pleasures!”
― Richard Branson, Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur
Richard Branson, Work, Happiness
“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.”
Richard Branson, Work, Life, Goals
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
― Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership
Richard Branson, Courage
“It is only by being bold that you get anywhere. If you are a risk-taker, then the art is to protect the downside.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Courage, Goals
“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”
Richard Branson, Goals
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Screw It, Let's Do It: Lessons In Life
Richard Branson, Goals
“They encouraged me to always look for the good in people instead of assuming the worst and trying to find fault.”
― Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership
Richard Branson, Goals
“Live for the present –’ I heard my parents’ old maxim in the back of my head ‘– and the future will look after itself.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Goals
“Listen more than you talk. Nobody learned anything by hearing themselves speak.”
Richard Branson, Goals
“Never do anything if it means you can’t sleep at night.’ It’s a good rule to follow.”
― Richard Branson, Screw It, Let's Do It: Lessons In Life
Richard Branson, Goals
“Whatever your goal is you will never succeed unless you let go of your fears and fly.”
― Richard Branson, Screw It, Let's Do It: Lessons In Life
Richard Branson, Goals, Success
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
― Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership
Richard Branson, Planning, Opportunities
“to be successful, you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Success
“You’re guaranteed to miss every shot you don’t take.”
― Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead
Richard Branson, Opportunities
“Listen – it makes you sound smarter.”
― Richard Branson, The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership
Richard Branson, Intelligence/Wisdom
“How slim the line is between genius and insanity and between determination and stubbornness.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson, Intelligence/Wisdom, Life
“Success is more than luck. You have to believe in yourself and make it happen.”
― Richard Branson, Screw It, Let's Do It: Lessons In Life
Richard Branson, Success
“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.”
― Richard Branson, Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way