On Thursday 12th October, I won the opportunity to attend Richards Branson’s global book launch. One of the reasons why I wanted to go is so I that I could learn about how he started as an entrepreneur, why failure is important when starting a business and his life beyond his business.
There are so many amazing projects that I learnt about at the event! For example, Branson is working on a project called Virgin Hyperloop, a new train service which has a journey so fast that it can go from Edinburgh to London in 45 minutes. Another idea he is working on is Virgin Galactic, it will be one of the first commercial spacelines. My biggest take away is that he was not afraid to take on new challenges and create something that no one has ever heard before and that’s one of the key things of being an entrepreneur.
Another key message I learnt was the value of trying. Branson talked about the idea of not being afraid to pursue his ideas and become an entrepreneur. Historically, being an entrepreneur was not considered a ‘real’ job. Careers such law or a medicine were considered to be of a higher status. However, Branson still managed to pursue his ambition even though it was tough, seeing as he was creating something totally different which initially, not many people accepted. When he created the company Virgin, people questioned Branson’s ability to make it successful but turns out they were wrong. What I have learned is not be afraid to stand out or create something that is different, as this is what makes a business stand out and become successful.
Finally, one of the biggest lessons I learnt is how being an entrepreneur is awesome!! Entrepreneurs are able to create something or help solve a problem which I think is amazing. Branson talked about some of the entrepreneurs right now making a difference, one example is an entrepreneur that is creating a device that monitors breast milk which collects health data that can guide future diets of mothers’ to ensure young children receive the most nutrient-rich diet. Also entrepreneurs are able to speak out and do something that they believe in - that is amazing! So as a young entrepreneur myself, one of the key things I will take from Richard Branson’s event that I can apply to my own startup is to not be afraid to be different, not to be afraid to fail and that young entrepreneurs like myself have the opportunity to change the world!
By Leslie Sarango
Also published on Medium.