Richard Branson shared some of the thinking that has gone into his business success and philanthropic endeavors this week at LPL Financial's Focus conference in Boston.
Branson, the eccentric and outspoken chairman of Virgin Atlantic Airways, founded Virgin Records, which he recently sold for $1 billion. He also oversees the Virgin Group, an extensive conglomerate encompassing more than 360 companies.
Here are some of Branson’s life lessons and words of wisdom that he shared with the event's 7,000 attendees:
Start Early
Branson said he grew up in a humble family with lots of love and praised his mother for helping him grow up to do great things. “I had a mother that was absolutely determined to have us stand on our own two feet,” he said.
For example, when he was a boy, she once dumped him five miles away from his grandmother's house and told him to find his own way. "She would have got arrested today,” he joked.
Don’t Let Personal Challenges Hold You Back
Branson said he is dyslexic, but rather than holding him back, he believes it helped him be successful. While he struggled in traditional education, the dyslexia inspired him to follow his passions. “Being dyslexic bizarrely helped. It turned my attention to things I was interested in,” he said.
He spoke of starting a magazine to campaign against the Vietnamese war. When the school administration told him to shut it down, he chose not to.
‘Just Get On And Do It.’