Richard Branson’s Enlightened Corporate Management Style
I attended a Q&A session with Richard Branson as the main attraction at the National Achievers Congress 8-9 May 2013 in Adelaide.
I came away with the conviction that I am on the right track because he confirmed my beliefs about how people tick and therefore how to get the best of people in organizations of any size.
The notes below are a summary of his personal and professional work ethos that I furiously scribbled down; get ready to pump your fist into the air and go Yes! as you read the points that you too agree with.
- Don’t go into business solely with the aim of making money-it probably will not survive the process.
- Go into business because you want to serve people or make a difference in peoples’ lives eg, you have identified a large gap in the market that’s crying out to be filled.
- Think British Airway’s monopoly and cheeky upstart Virgin Atlantic offering prisoners er I mean passengers a choice.
- Have fun creating the product or business. He figured that since most people spend from 8-10 hours at work, it should be a fun place. I was literally jumping for joy when he listed the following initiatives:
- Allow staff to work from home
- Encourage them to take time off
- Be flexible in working arrangements
- Job share
- Create a product or service that your people can believe in and by inference they put their heart and soul into too. Build a brand that is respected, provides great value and quality. It is your job as the MD/leader/CEO to instill that 100% belief of the product/service in your staff.
- Dream big because you never know where this may lead
- In the case of Virgin Galactic it will be commercial space travel; now that’s a first in anyone’s book
- As a bonus it has opened up the potential of this business to launch satellites for other telecommunications companies (can you already hear the cash registers ringing?)
- Listen to your people; they probably have great ideas
- This makes a lot of sense as your staff members are at the coalface, factory floor, frontline service desk…you know what I mean.
- Be big enough to take criticism from them. Acknowledge that you have heard them and then take the appropriate action.
- Keep your word. If you say you’ll get back to them DO so within a reasonable time frame
- Carry a notebook (which he does). Speaking with his many staff in different businesses and locations can cause things to blur. He writes them down rather than depending on his memory recall.
- An interesting aside was his comment that he did not think much of Managing Directors (he called them “weak”) who just flapped their gums. In his own words he wondered about the benefit of attending meetings where nobody took notes. The implication was that these people were not serious about the outcome of said business meeting (and the unsaid is why bother doing business with them).
- Treat people well; praise lavishly (I loved this one!)
- Learn the art of delegation; because he has surrounded himself with good people it has allowed him to spend time on Necker Island connecting with his wife and kids as his trusted people have his back
- Find time to be fit; prior to coming on the Q&A session he had had an hours bike ride around the city of Adelaide. Later it emerged that he received a caution from the local constabulary for riding without a bike helmet but that’s a story for another day.
- Do not be embarrassed by failure, but learn from them. Give it a go, if it floats other people will get on board with your business idea and maybe even become a source of finance
- Do not hide your talents under a “bushel” but share them. He recounted that he was shy as a child and his mother’s words were something to the effect that shyness was a form of selfishness. Go out and contribute to the world was her advice.
- Make friends with people you have fallen out with; in his case it was inviting the Chairman of British Airways to lunch after their protracted and acrimonious court battle.
- And finally, screw it just do it.
Lorwai TAN and Stephanie KAKRIS: The Language of Success
The Power of the Spoken Word
Would you be surprised to know that happy, wealthy and successful people choose their words carefully?
A verse in the Bible comes to mind; “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was made Flesh”
Our thoughts and feelings are expressed as the words we have incorporated into our vocabulary.
Our words take on physical form via our action which when repeated become habits.
Our habits determine our level of success; in other words life is a self fulfilling prophecy
Our vocabulary reflects how we think and feel about ourselves and others (as discussed in this conversation I had with Stephanie Kakris, Founder of HighPerformanceClub.com).
Lorwai and Steph Part1 11Sept2012
Lorwai and Steph Part2 11 Sept2012
Can you see then that our words when repeated often enough become our reality; if that is the case wouldn’t you rather that they be empowering words that will put you in the right head and heart space to problem solve, be creative and succeed?
I do not believe in such a thing as a casual remark. The words some people use to describe themselves (e.g., not good enough, could do better, just average) are hallmarks of subterfuge.
These are self sabotaging and undermine a person’s efforts at becoming successful.
I believe that when we change the way we think and speak we change the amount of money we earn/make.
What is in your vocabulary when it comes to investing, making money or running a business?
Here are some phrases I often hear that are disempowering or as I call like, “Shooting yourself in the foot” language. Such words and phrases roll off the tongue so easily that people can slip into the “being average is ok” groove that is destined to keep them just over broke.
I have in parentheses my interpretation of what a person is really wanting to say. Feel free to disagree!
- Oh, I am just dabbling in the stock market (Lack of commitment to giving it your all and going for it because of a fear of failure or success)
- They are filthy rich, obscenely wealthy (The implied is that having a lot of money or being interested in making a lot of money is crass, unrefined and not genteel. A person is somehow crude and base for openly talking about making money and wanting to be rich.)
- The taxman is always out to get you (Victim mentality?)
- Making money is hard work and not fun (Limiting self belief)
- I don’t want to take on any debt (Not understanding the difference between good and bad debt)
- It scares me to be self employed (Unclear about financial goals coupled with low self confidence)
- Don’t tell me what to do (Why so defensive??)
Shivani Gupta Interview: Passion and Profits
As an executive, do you entertain the idea that you can run a profitable organization founded on your passion and principles?
I am sure the thought has crossed the minds of countless CEOs who intrinsically recognize and acknowledge their inner higher calling.
My guest Shivani Gupta is the CEO of “Passionate People Institute”, executive coach, mentor to small business owners, and highly sought after corporate speaker. This corporate warrior turned business butterfly is also a wife and mother of 4.
Her company tagline says it all, “Inspire, Challenge, Transform”.
Qualifying as an electronic and electrical engineer with an MBA, she moved into senior management with BHP Billiton.
But it was not enough as Shivani discovered that starting her own business was where her heart and passion lay.
It paid off as her business expertise was recognized when she won the ‘Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year’.
This 60 min interview has some gems of advice and insight for anyone who has been ignoring their inner yearning for creating a meaningful and lucrative business.
My advice: Don’t let the dream die
Find Shivani at
Meet Victoria’s best boss who gave his staff a $15m bonus: This is how you do it Mr CEO
I love when a boss gets it that his most precious assets are his employees. 
Ken Grenda is on such boss. His tips on how to be a great boss should be compulsory reading for any aspiring CEO
A MELBOURNE boss has stunned his staff by giving them a staggering $15 million gift -the ultimate pay-off for their hard work and loyalty.
Workers at bus company Grenda couldn’t believe their good fortune when surprise bonuses averaging $8500 were paid into their accounts – with some staff receiving as much as $30,000.
“A business is only as good as its people, and our people are fantastic,” he said. “This is to recognise that. We have had people here who are second generation, and one fellow in the same job for 52 years.
Grenda bus driver Heath, with the company for just 10 months, received less than the average bonus, but was dumbfounded by his windfall of around $850.
“Some employees were calling their banks assuming it was an error,” he said. “Good bosses are hard to find and Ken was a very good boss, one of a kind.”
By Elissa Doherty Herald Sun February 01, 2012
Sue and Steve Soucy Interview: The “Social Media Attractionaire” Experts
It is always nice to talk to people who generously share their knowledge and honestly state that becoming successful is a work in progress. 
Sue and Steve Soucy Interview You can download the mp3 recording and pdf transcript of this interview by going to http://yourmoneyandyourmindset.com/online-store/
Not only that, Sue and Steve Soucy have documented their journey to wealth and financial independence in a very public way that let’s the rest of us see real people launching real internet based businesses on line, and doing very well, thank you.
This is a couple who believes that by focusing and being clear on what they want and practicing what they preach, they can manifest their goals-Law of Attraction, anyone?
Yes, Sue and Steve stepped out of their comfort zone and in front of a camera and posted their wealth creation journey in real time on FaceBook, Youtube and Twitter. Now that is a bold move if you ask me.
However, do you not feel privileged to witness two seemingly “regular” people having fun along the way in their quest for financial freedom?
Does it not challenge the stereotype that rich people have no sense of humour or are unapproachable?
I sincerely hope that when you listen to this interview, you one day can picture yourself in a similar position.
Do me a favour and drop me an email saying that day you started to believe in yourself and that it made a world of difference to the quality of your life.
Sue and Steve Soucy Teach Passionate Entrepreneurs Worldwide How to Make Their Lives Better with the Law of Attraction, Videos and Social Media.
Dr John DeMartini Interview: Living Your Inspired Destiny
Dr John DeMartini can only be described as a person who chooses to see the upside of events and situations that would otherwise crush the spirit of a less aware and enlightened soul. He considers the early childhood physical and learning disabilities as gifts and opportunities to design the life he has now.
At age 7 his first grade teacher pronounced him dyslexic and suggested to John’s parents that he play sport as academic achievements was out of the realm of possibility. Thankfully her prediction was incorrect as today John DeMartini is a highly influential speaker, author, coach and master in the study of human potential.
His latest book “Inspired Destiny-Living a Fulfilling and Purposeful Life” is aimed at people who have yet to find their purpose and direction in life. “We all have a teen or early twenty year old still in us who has a passion and purpose to live and fulfill”, says John.
What I found most encouraging in this interview was his firm belief that we can pursue our passion and be well paid for it.
And here’s the clincher we all know what we would really love to do; as John explains, “We just have unfounded and unjustified fears (of failure and rejection) that can be overcome using the DeMartini method as set out in the book”.
John DeMartini Audio Part1 and John DeMartini Audio Part2
This is a man with a vision, an astronomical vision of leaving this world a much better place than when he found it. John’s passion for positively affecting every person who has crossed his path makes the enormity of his vision an achievable certainty, this I truly believe.
Find Dr John DeMartini at:
Perry Marshall Interview: How to get Google Adwords to sit, stay, heel and roll over
If you are an internet marketer you will probably have a love hate relationship with Google Adwords.
Let’s face it, Google Adwords can be capricious, fickle, and infuriatingly challenging. This means that most people (read men) can’t seem to stay away from trying one more attention grabbing two liner and praying that they paid the right amount for each pay per click ad. When you understand how Google thinks (today) you’re in the money-literally.
I caught up with Perry Marshall who together with Bryan Todd authored “Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords” and asked how a graduate in electrical engineering came to be known as the guy who can read Google Adwords like a book.
Click here to listen Perry Marshall Interview 19April2011 (unlinked)
Perry has some real gems for anyone who is serious about this line of business. We discussed the importance of mindset and below are four key points he made in this regard.
Firstly be helpful to your customers, over deliver on your service and don’t just sell them a product/widget or whatever it is you are selling. In other words, solve their problem for them. You’ll get repeat business if you are seen as the “go to” guy or gal.
Secondly, don’t take customer rejection personally and as Perry says, “It comes with the territory”.
Thirdly, have enough self awareness to realize you may be a square peg in a round hole if you are in a job that feels like one long hard slog from when you clock on till when you can sprint out the office door at 5pm. This means do something else!
Finally, value your self, your time and your special talents that in one context is seen as a liability but when applied in a different environment really is your key asset to wealth creation.
If you want to understand the nuts and bolts of how to make Google Adwords your best advertising tool, head over to Perry’s website and sign up for some solid mentoring from the guru himself.
Jason Cunningham Interview: Where’s My Money?
Jason Cunningham is a thirty something boyishly good looking Certified Practicing Accountant with a sense of humor, and is the author of the financial self help book Where’s My Money.
Beneath the affable exterior is a person who at 13 witnessed first hand his parents’ efforts at recovering their financial standing after an unscrupulous business partner absconded with the cash. Jason states that the adversity he and his family faced shaped character and forged his entrepreneurial spirit.
As a founding partner in his highly successful accounting firm The Practice, he saw the all too familiar financial train wrecks of business and personal clients. An inability to consciously monitor their cash flow and expenditure for the financial year meant that Jason would invariably be faced with his clients’ plaintive and supplicatory pleas of “Where’s my money?”
In response he wrote Where’s My Money, aimed squarely at the financially illiterate who walk amongst us. Judging by the parlous state of most peoples’ bank accounts, it should cover approximately 90 % of the population.
In this interview, Jason describes how our personalities can greatly influence our desire to save, hoard or divest ourselves of our cash, in no particular order.
Jason Cunningham Interview (unlinked)
In addition to the safe and sure methods of long term wealth creation that includes investments in property, the share market or sound businesses he addresses the Gen Y expectation of instant gratification by throwing down the challenge that they provide more value if they want more money from their employers.
His concern that children are not taught the basic financial skills at school has him putting his money where his mouth is. Asked about his legacy, Jason replied, “In time to come I’ll sell the business, not have to worry about the money and become a primary school teacher”. Happy Days, Mr Cunningham
You can contact Jason at http://www.thepractice.com.au
Level 1, 200 Lygon St, Carlton Vic 3053 AUSTRALIA
Ph: +613 8888 4000; Fax: +613 8888 4099
Katana Abbott Interview: It’s Never Too Late To Become A Millionaire
If I said to you that a child can grow up in poverty with an abusive stepfather and then at 18 marry a violent man, walk away from that marriage virtually penniless, hit rock bottom physically, mentally and emotionally before coming back as a self made millionaire at 47 years of age, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a Cinderella story of feel good fiction.
Let me introduce you to Katana Abbott, the lady whose life I just described. 
I have no doubt that countless women can identify with Katana’s early financial circumstances. However, this is not the point of the exercise because I invite you to listen to my interview with a woman who took action on a number of fronts to change her life.
Katana Abbott Interview You can download the mp3 recording and pdf transcript of this interview by going to http://yourmoneyandyourmindset.com/online-store/
The most obvious was to qualify as a certified financial planner and grow a multi million dollar business. Equally important but not as apparent is Katana’s commitment to becoming a life long student of personal development.
Katana is living proof that when you change your thought and beliefs from can’t to can, positive actions that support your new beliefs pave the way for financial and personal success.
Her concern for the financial futures of Americans entering their golden years prompted her to coin the clever analogy of the “three legged stool” of Social Security, Savings and Pensions as the highly unstable but fundamentally the default option of many peoples’ retirement plan. Know as the Midlife Millionaire Coach, Katana is focused on helping women entrepreneurs, ages 43-65, create financial freedom whilst following their passion.
Her generosity knows no bounds so if you go to http://www.smartwomenscafe.com you will get a free membership to the community and can participate in a free monthly coaching call beginning in April.
And there’s more!
If you go to http://www.Katanaabbott.com you will get her free midlife millionaire success system and for everyone listening to this interview receive Katana’s signature financial organizer planner to get your finances in order.
Ladies and gentleman, you are witnessing the actions of a woman who not only knows that her life has a higher purpose; she lives it.
Robert Jordan Interview: Six Success Tips for Aspiring Billionaires (How They Did It)
If you are like me, you too will wonder about what sets these seemingly ordinary people apart from the rest in terms of their capacity to recognize and identify a need, develop a service or a widget that addresses that need and then go on realize their goal of turning their ideas into millions of dollars.
I asked Robert Jordan who has compiled interviews with 45 billionaire entrepreneurs and published his book telling us how they did it. Below are six indispensable tips that helped them succeed. 
Click here to listen Robert Jordan Interview (unlinked)
Robert Jordan is an entrepreneur and author who has made it his mission to discover the “secret sauce” used by self made billionaires to launch themselves from growing an idea into $100 million dollar companies or if it suits, taking their pride and joy public to the tune of $300 million or more.
Robert’s entrée into their world is paved by his own success when he launched and grew his startup company, Online Access, the first Internet-coverage magazine that made it on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies.
As is quintessential a characteristic of all serial entrepreneurs, he then sold his highly profitable Online Access and proceeded to start up a couple more companies, RedFlash, a project implementation team, and interimCEOinterimCFO, a worldwide network of interim, contract, and project executives.
Robert’s gift for getting consensus saw 21 of the eventual 45 founders agreeing to meet and freely share their insights, occasional pain and billion dollar experiences.
Their collective wisdom has been distilled into his latest book, How they did it: Billion Dollar Insights from the Heart of America. 
He freely admits this book was a labor of love, driven by an insatiable curiosity to know the minds and passions of this select group of diverse individuals.
All aspiring entrepreneurs who believe they are billionaires in the making will do well to heed the advice of the 45 who have gone before them. Here are just six tips to steer you to success:
1. Do not be afraid to fail; if and when you do, make sure you fail fast.
2. Do not be precious about your idea, be willing to tweak it
3. Leave your ego at the door; be astute enough to hire people smarter than you
4. However, make sure they are nice not just smart.
5. Honestly is still the best policy, so be on the level when communicating with the people who work for you because no one becomes a billionaire on their own.
6. Believe in the goodness of your angel investors but have Plans B, C and D just in case they decide to bail
Find Robert Jordan on http://www.HowTheyDidItBook.com