I heard a growing trend is for people to retire to college towns where they can volunteer and keep learning new things.  Good idea.

That’s the thing with retirement is for most life gets really boring which leads to an early death.

My experience seeing my parents and grandparents approaching or in retirement and my recent experience with my Uncle committing suicide has formed my retirements plans.

But it is not really retirement. I don’t believe in retirement at all.

Let me explain.

My plans are to work on what I’m passionate about and slowly over time add charity work to it. Then over the years increase the percentage of time I spend on charity work. My predecessor and business systems slowly take more time from me on business to compensation.

You add the charity work by funding causes you love or volunteering your time. And you only do it once you are stable and are able to afford to do it.  Just paying the bills is not stable. You must be doing very well really before contributing to charities. Because you have to take care of yourself first before you can help others. I know some people are going to disagree with this.

I never get to a point where charity work takes up all my time. I’ll always be involved in my business.

With this system you are never bored. You are involved and you contribute to society over many many years.

You’ll avoid the having something to do one day and then nothing the next. So many people retire utterly bored just waiting to die. Life is worth enjoying. If you are not enjoying it then you are not being creative enough, you’re not being passionate about what you do. Change that and this system will create a legacy that will live on forever.

It’s a simple system which is why I know it works.

Richard Branson is doing this. With Virgin Unite he even let’s other via a social network get involved in charity work. A brilliant idea. Over the years his kids will get more and more responsibility in Virgin and Richard will do more and more charity work.

In over 23 years of working with small business client I’ve heard “I just want to quit my job and do my own business” or “If I just made a bit more money life would be good”.

Maybe you have thought that.  I know I did.

I thought when I started doing my own thing that I just had to work harder in order to be successful.  It took a while but I learned that is the best way to be unsuccessful by working hard.  When you work hard you aren’t thinking about your business, you are doing your business.  And when you are doing your business you are missing out on opportunities galore.

If you want be rich you need to get that.  Think outside the box.  Great accomplishments start inside yourself.

If you are trying to make money you will not succeed.  Go out there and make money.  Make decisions that a successful entrepreneur would make.  Don’t try.  Do.

Pretend you are Richard Branson when making decisions.  “If I was Richard Branson what would I do in this situation.”  I love doing this.

I know when I worked hard I couldn’t think about my business.  I couldn’t think about how to market, improve business or tweak the bottom line.  Now I take time to relax.  Do something creative and non work related every week and enjoy life.  I notice I get better ideas when I do this.

Not everyone is built to be an entrepreneur.  That’s okay.  But if you really want to be one you must master your attitude about business.  Work smart and not hard.

Yesterday I blogged about Virgin and why complaining customers are the best.  Well, today Virgin offers the complaining customer a job.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesman said that an offer has been extended to the complainant to select new meals to serve on the airline.

“While we investigated his complaint seriously, and following Richard Branson’s phone call, we’ve invited him to our catering house to select the next range of meals and wines we serve on board. Then we can ensure his personal taste is well and truly catered for,” said the representative.

This made me laugh.  Richard Branson and Virgin are so smart.  Wouldn’t you want a truly discerning person picking out your meals for your airline?  This is just so brilliant.

via Disgruntled customer offered Virgin job

I blogged about Guy Kawasaki and Richard Branson last week.  Guy got a foot massage from Richard to convince Guy to fly Virgin next time.

This spurred Guy to a chapter of his book Reality Check The Art of Customer Service.  Check out the 16 points Guy talks about.  A great reality check.

OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN | The Art of Customer Service.

Big business isn’t going to save America or the world from a depression.  Small business will.  Entrepreneurs and not big execs will show the way to innovation.

Sir Richard Branson gave a damning verdict on the economy – describing it as “f*****”.

The entrepreneur described the current downturn as “a terrible, terrible mess” and blamed “some very irresponsible people in the banking community” and “lax regulation”.

“I was going to say, it’s f*****, but I think I had better not have said that,” Sir Richard told Five News.

“I think it is a terrible, terrible mess, which has been brought upon us by some very irresponsible people in the banking community, some very lax regulation and we are going to have to work hard to dig ourselves out of it.

“I think governments have moved quickly and hopefully it will be a two-year, two or three-year nightmare not a 1929 nightmare.

“But we are all going to have to work very, very hard to get things back on the even level.”

Branson in blunt message on economy

Here is what Richard Branson’s day was like back in October.

14 hours with Richard Branson – Part 1

14 hours with Richard Branson – Part 2

14 hours with Richard Branson – Part 3

I found it very interesting how many things they did in one day.  Talk about busy.

I’m about to leave for an extended weekend out of town.  I’m taking Richard Branson’s advice in his new book “Business Stripped Bare” and I’m throwing a party.  Yup, Saturday night my girlfriend Nan and I are throwing a party.  I invited all my friends and web clients around the world to come.

I love my clients and I want to celebrate with them their businesses.  I also want to celebrate the launch of my new website TravelUSBDrive.com, my first entry into the travel field.  And my new podcast series for Small Businesses.  Plus my new web design.  I have tons to celebrate.  Business is fantastic and growing and I’m having a blast.  Let’s party.

What are you doing to celebrate your achievements?

This is a good example of inexpensive advertising.  Sending out people in underwear and touting your book.  Funny and affective.

Richard Branson ~ Business Stripped Bare | Richard Branson’s Official Website & Blog » Nearly naked business people take over London!.

Richard Branson’s advice on making mistakes.

One thing is certain in business. You and everyone around you will make mistakes. When you are pushing the boundaries, this is inevitable – and it’s important to realise this. Even when things are running well, there is always the prospect of a new reality round the corner. Suddenly, all the good decisions you made last week are doing you untold damage. What on earth did you do wrong? At Virgin, we have always been prepared to face the facts – however unpalatable they might be. Failure usually occurs when leaders avoid the reality of business. You have to trust the people around you to learn from their mistakes. Blame and recriminations are pointless.

Richard Branson’s story reminds me of the Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger.  When he first became Governor he was coming up with ideas to cut expenses.  One was to reduce the amount of time stray animals were kept in a shelter before being euthanized.  His daughter found this out and asked him why he doesn’t love animals.  Many animal right groups started to make a lot of noise about it.  What Arnold did that unfortunately many politicians don’t do is he admited it was a mistake.  He held a press conference and told the press that it was true they had thought of the idea and were going to do it, but he reconsidered and will not being doing it because it would be a mistake.  That was the end of the controversy and it wasn’t in the news the next day.

Blame is gets you nowhere.  Learn and move forward.

Richard Branson ~ Business Stripped Bare | Richard Branson’s Official Website & Blog » Learning from mistakes

A really cool way to get publicity and have fun is to do something never done before.  Richard Branson and his kids are sailing across the Atlantic Ocean in an attempt to break the world record on the fastest Atlantic Ocean crossing.

Of course you have to be able to accept failure.  Richard Branson has done many world record attempts and failed.  He’s had some companies fail too.  But, don’t worry he is doing very well.

But whether you fail or succeed you get publicity.  As long as you try honestly and with all your effort people will remember you positively.

Right now Richard Branson’s boat “Virgin Money” has torn sails and they are repairing them.  They may not beat the fastest time.  But, they are trying.  How many people don’t even try.  I admire someone that does something.

So see where you can get some unusual publicity.  Get out there.  I’m planning something unusual.

Richard Branson ~ Business Stripped Bare | Richard Branson’s Official Website & Blog » Virgin Money Atlantic record attempt.

Richard Branson’s new book which I reviewed last week has 43 pages available as a preview.  Check it out below.

The Random House – DDC – Widget.

I highly recommend the book.

I have a great aunt with a lot of money.  She has many many accounts in many banks with no more than $100,000 USD in each because that is the limit the FDIC Insurance will pay.  Not many know this, but yes there is limit.  So if you have a lot of money use different accounts and banks.

Also be careful what banks you use.  Many are going out of business.  Big rumors of another big one going under soon.  Don’t ask me who.  And many many regional banks are going out of business.

This story about Virgin Atlantic is sobering.  Richard Branson’s main bank came to the rescue.  Looks like big big banks are going to be the survivors.

“Virgin Atlantic may have disappeared if HBOS had gone, it could have been that serious,” Sir Richard said, adding it would have been “no fault of our own”.

In an interview with Fox News he said: “HBOS looked like it was going to go bankrupt in Europe so Virgin Atlantic rings up HBOS, we have a billion pounds on deposit – not really our money, it’s people who’ve bought tickets, people who’ve bought holidays – and we said, ‘We want it out. We want to move it to another bank.’

“They said, ‘Well, we actually, er,… Look at the small print, you can’t have it out right now.’.”

He went on: “And now, fortunately, Lloyds (TSB) bank made a bid for them and we got our money out.”

Sir Richard made the comments as he explained why he thought governments, both in the US and the UK, should guarantee “all of their depositors’ money in banks”.

Sir Richard Branson: HBOS Collapse Could Have Wiped Out Virgin | Business | Sky News.

I read Richard Branson’s new book Business Stripped Bare over the weekend. My family (all women) went to a women’s retreat so I was all alone this weekend. Except for a friend Ed who came over to watch the last James Bond movie, can’t wait for the new one to come out. So I had a lot of time to read Business Stripped Bare.

First off, excellent book, really excellent.  What I love about the book is that the stories are positive and negative and from someone that actually goes business.  It’s amazing how many business books are written by authors, professional authors who do not run a business.  It’s hard to take any advice from someone that has never run a business.  Richard Branson talks about that in the beginning of his book.  He sees the business books in the airport newstands and find most of them are rubbish.  I’ve noticed that too.  So a book from an actually entrepreneur is refreshing. And Richard Branson I believe is the ultimate entrepreneur.

I learned a lot from his stories of his failures.  How many times do people write about their failures?  Not much if at all.  So Richard’s stories about “Northern Rock” bank in the UK and his unsuccessful bid to buy it was enlightening.  You can learn so much from failure but people don’t want to admit their have ever failed.  I have in the past and it has been so helpful.  Strange but so true.

One of the big points that is sticking with me from the book is what Richard thinks should be written into every business plan.  It’s so important that it should be required by all businesses.  I know when I started reading that I was thinking “Wow, I wonder what is so important?”  And then he says celebrating your wins.  And proceeds to tell a story about the launch of Virgin Direct a UK insurance company.  Richard shows up at the office and see everyone working making sure the launch goes smoothly.  He gets up on the nearest desk with champagne and pops it open yelling and celebrating and getting everyone in the party mood.  Of course he proceeds to short out four of the computers in the process but he gets the celebration started.  The launch parties are so important as it gives the team a chance to stop and see what they have accomplished.  They get recognitionfor their good work.  They also get to see The Richard Branson.  When the big guy is partying with you, you are bound to feel good about the company you work for.  Nobody wants a grumpy boss.  And Richard Branson is definitely not grumpy.

I got a big kick out of that idea that I will implement on my next launch.

His definition of success I think is wonderful and I’m going to end on that.

I think that the more you’re actively and practically engaged, the more successful you will feel.  Actually, that might even be my definition of success.  Right now, I find myself doing more and more to safeguard our future on this planet.  Does that make me successful?  It certainly makes me happy

…

Success for me is whether you have created something that you can be really proud of.  Profits are necessary to invest in the next project – and pay the bills, repay investors and reward all the hard work – but that’s all.  Nobody should be remembered for how much money they have made in life.  Whether you die with a billion dollars in your bank account or $20 under your pillow is actually not that interesting.  That’s not what you’re achieved in life.  What matters is whether you’re created something special – and whether you’ve made a real difference to other people’s lives.

My friend Craig Perrine had an excellent post yesterday about the economic non end of the world.  Nice quote here.

It’s the circle of economic life my friend, not a crisis or the end of the US as we know it (contrary to what all the uber ninnies on the news are telling us).

As you’ll see, the real question is: How do you put yourself in a position of strength to thrive in up and down times?

I have another friend that has made more money in the last two weeks than the last two years.  It’s all about changing your tactics depending on opportunity.

Richard Branson in his new book states that entrepreneurs must adapt.  Some tactics may not work for ever.  Adapt, adapt, adapt.  I just got Richard Branson’s new book today.  Looking forward to reading it.  Plus I got the Virgin Messenger bag I won.  Nice.

Read the rest of Craig’s great blog post at The Maverick Marketer Blog.

I love this quote.

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….So all I can do for you now is map the territory I’ve seen. The good news is, I’ve covered a lot of territory.

Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog @ LeadershipNow: Richard Branson: There Is No Reverse Gear On This Thing

Here is an article that was adapted from Richard Branson’s new book Business Stripped Bare.  I pre-ordered the book yesterday.  Here is an excerpt and the link to the full article is at the bottom.  Enjoy, he makes some very good points and it is very timely.

I learned never do anything that means you can’t sleep at night.

That incident was, as I’ve said, the biggest mistake in my life. But it’s through mistakes that we learn. One thing is certain in business. You and everyone around you will make mistakes. When you are pushing the boundaries, this is inevitable.

Even when things are running well, there is always the prospect of a new reality around the corner – as bankers around the world have been discovering to their horror. Suddenly, all the good decisions you made last week are doing you untold damage. Where on earth did you go wrong?

My philosophy has always been to face the facts, however unpalatable they might be. Failure usually occurs when leaders avoid the reality of business.

In business, as in life, there will always be external risk factors that are beyond your control. Oil prices triple. Hurricanes level entire cities. Currency fluctuations leave behind trails of bankruptcies. But you can take measures to mitigate and manage business risks.

Then, if disaster strikes, at least your attention won’t be split every which way by other worries.

In defence of capitalism: Richard Branson argues that free markets enrich us all and gives his tips on how YOU can be a success | Mail Online.

Richard Branson now has an official website and blog. Just in time to promote his new book "Business Stripped Bare".

Whether you are starting out in business or running the biggest multinational in the universe, there are some common themes that can be applied. There is a plethora of business books out there on the shelves. I see them in the airports and some look rather tedious and dreary. To be perfectly honest, I seldom read any of them. Life is too short to read tomes written by passive observers. Business is about taking action.

I’ve stripped Virgin’s businesses bare. Rather than banging on about how successful they are, I’ve written about what my companies are actually about. What were our intentions? How well, or how badly, did we realise our early hopes? I’ve gone through my notebooks and diaries, hunting for common themes and ideas, and I’ve divided what I’ve found into seven sections. I’ll be looking at:

• People

• The brand

• Why delivery is vital

• What we learn from our mistakes and setbacks

• Innovation as a driver for business

• The value of entrepreneurship and leadership

• The wider responsibility of business

I just ordered the book.  Looking forward to it.

Richard Branson ~ Business Stripped Bare | Richard Branson’s Official Website & Blog.

Another great example of how to publicize yourself.

With Sanderson and Branson at the helm, they will make the crossing in the 30-metre Virgin Money, which is owned by the Team Origin leader, Sir Keith Mills.

Sanderson last crossed the Atlantic in 2003, setting a record of six days, 17 hours, 52 minutes and 39 seconds, beating his previous best by more than a day.

He told the Herald on Sunday he was determined to better the record for the single-hull crossing sailing craft, ‘whether it’s a minute, an hour or a day – this is a race against the clock’.

An average speed of 20 knots is required, a difficult task on one of the roughest oceans.

‘You’re up into the icebergs and the full North Atlantic storms,’ Sanderson said. ‘You can’t take it lightly. To go across the Atlantic in a yacht is always going to be a big ask.’

Virgin Money will be crewed mainly by sailors from Team Origin, which was formed by Sir Keith.

The crew will also include Sir Richard’s children, 26-year-old Holly, a proficient sailor who will double as on-board doctor, and 23-year-old Sam.

Sanderson said his 58-year-old co-skipper, Sir Richard, had a ‘huge wealth of experience’ at sea.

Sail World – Powerboat-world: Sail and sailing, cruising, boating news.