It’s an inarguable fact that Sir Richard Branson is one of the most successful entrepreneurs on the planet — so when he says he has tips on how you, too, can be successful, you listen.
On his blog, Sir Richard shared some of his best advice for growing a business, being happy, and generally leading a good life. Interestingly, we noticed that a lot of his more unexpected points have been echoed by CreativeLive instructors and friends — especially during our UberLive interviews with Chase Jarvis at SXSW.
Here are some of our favorite moments of Sir Richard and CL synergy:
- Believe in yourself: At SXSW, non-profit founder and CEO Adam Braun told Chase Jarvis that he never doubted that his organization, Pencils of Promise, would take off — and that that knowing was instrumental in its success. Sir Richard agrees, noting that “belief in yourself and belief in your business ideas can make all the difference between success and failure. If you aren’t proud of your idea and believe in your plans, why should anybody else?”
- Make lists and write it all down: “If you don’t write down your ideas, they could be gone by the morning,” advises Sir Richard, which is a great strategy for ensuring that you’re not getting too bogged down trying to remember everything. Getting Things Done founder David Allen is a big fan of clearing out brain clutter; his advice that “your head is for making ideas, not holding them” is so simple, it’s kind of shocking.
- Use criticism to lift you up: Your business will face adversity — but it’s how you react to it that will definite what happens next. Head of Global Operations for Uber Ryan Graves told Chase that he uses his self-doubt to motivate him to do better. And if someone has something nasty to say about you? “Some people will react to success by trying to hang onto your coat tails,” says Sir Richard. “The best thing you can do is to not only ignore them, but to prove them wrong in every single way.”
To read the rest of Sir Richard’s inspirational tips (and see some really adorable photos of him), check out his blog.
