Great to learn more about Lauri-Ann Ainsworth, the new CEO at the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship - Caribbean and her vision for the centre: https://virg.in/5Ps #VirginFamily

No matter where I’ve been in life – happy, success, sad, or smart – bad things always happen. Life is not a straight line. It’s a zig zag. It’s a maze. It’s a treasure hunt.  We’re always lost with no GPS. I can’t use GPS to navigate my way out of sorrow or pain or fear. This is what beats the fear. This is what turns a failure into future great success. http://bit.ly/2xHySMO …see more

Management starts with listening. If you’re talking all of the time, you’re not listening. If you're a manager, learn this and learn it well, otherwise you'll soon be talking to yourself

A PERSONAL NOTE: Folks, after close to 12 years, I have left Mint, with which I had been associated from Day 1 as part of the core editorial team that founded the paper. I had the privilege of working with some of the best minds in journalism in India and overseas. My weekly column, Banker's Trust, first appeared on 5 February, 2007, the second edition of Mint. It ran till 30 September, 2018. During this period, only twice I took break --once in August/September 2007 when I had a serious, life-threatening accident and, the second time, in early 2012 when I took a two-month `book leave' to write my first book, "A Bank for the Buck". HT Media has been an amazing employer which had given me freedom to do a lots of things beside journalism -- writing books, public speaking, running a weekly episode on banking and finance on a TV Channel. Over the last 12 years, I have written at least 700 pieces of Banker's Trust, some of which have been compiled in the form of a book, "From Lehman to Demonitization", a Penguin Random House publication. I will continue to chronicle the enormous changes that Indian financial sector has been undergoing. Till such time you find my column in media, do look for it on my website www.bankerstrust.in Good Bye. Au Revoir …see more

No big #goal is achieved overnight, but if you are willing to build foundational #strength step by step, and don’t give up, no matter how long it takes, you will get there.

From my ideal superpower to my favourite ice cream flavour – here are some odd answers to 10 questions I’ve never been asked before: https://virg.in/5H3

My near monthly line on pitching me or people like me in the modern age. 1) Tell me how your company / you, best solves a problem I have. 2) Or tell me how your company can do something unique that I'm likely to find interesting. 3) In less than 30 seconds, with no buzzwords, with simple, clear language. NOTE: This means you need to research the person's business. I don't care about anything else. Sorry. Where you went to school, your founders being ex-Google, your growth rate, your Clients, your funding, your location, I don't care yet. Maybe I won't ever. …see more

I’ve always thought companies should employ people of reasonable intelligence and a decent world view as “global heads of common sense”. They would just sit in meetings and call out stupidity and nonsense by saying “really?” Or “are you sure” or “is this really what people want” or “is this as complex as you are making it” They’d also get those in a meeting to make decisions and give withering looks to those who talk too much. …see more

I wish I had known these 12 rules to avoid going broke when I first made money. Or when I next made money after going broke. Or when I made money the time after that. Or the time after that. Many people say, "I learned the hard way" and they are proud of that. I am not proud. Maybe I can help someone learn the easy way. Many people say, "You have to pay your dues". No you don't. The dues are free. But they never tell us this. In any case, this brought back a lot of bad memories but hopefully it will help others create some good ones. #entrepreneurship #finance #economy #wealth #rich #broke #failure #investing …see more

Deploying Decoys is not new. You see the fake ducks in a pond used to attract birds. A scarecrow in a farm is used to keep birds away from the crop. But even the birds get smart and figure out it is a decoy. I don’t know how a police decoy can fool anyone to follow the rules. Heck, even when there are real police officers, rules don’t get followed sometimes. It will be interesting to see how effective this strategy will be. #WeekendMusings …see more

#StartupLife is filled with highs and lows. But the lows might also help you regroup, pick momentum and bounce back faster towards your goals. The more you learn, the more you grow and the faster you achieve your #goals . It is the journey that teaches you about the destination. …see more

Artists are original, sometimes esoteric, but they have a vision, an idea. This is the story of a retired man with an idea to paint, but on excel. He started off with this small idea and now makes art masterpieces on excel. Also, it is truly inspiring to see, that #art can be a possible use case of a product as serious as Excel. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Every artist was first an amateur." #WeekendMusings Video Credits: https://lnkd.in/efDcmrd …see more

This was sent to me by a friend in London on Day 1 of the city's major new re-opening phase. To the extent that this Soho image is a representative one, it would highlight a misalignment that the US is far too familiar with: Between individuals' assessment of risks and those facing society and, therefore, between individual and collective responsibilities. The larger the scale of this misalignment, the greater the likelihood of a reversal in re-openings/economic re-engagement (again as illustrated by the US). #london #uk #covid19 #covid #soho #reopenings …see more

20 Books You've Probably Never Heard Of, But Will Make You Smarter (And Maybe Richer) http://bit.ly/2osuzyL

I picked out 20 books to help you. 20 books that will make you smarter (and maybe richer). Remember I always go broke when I stop reading. So I choose these books as the cure for fear about money. And I want you to have them. All 20. I will pay for them and ship them to you. Enter my book giveaway here: http://bit.ly/2p4GW7D …see more

Big thank you to everyone who joined us for Part 2 of Book Club over the weekend. Technical glitches and all, you showed up to give and asked great questions. If you missed it, you can watch the full recording here: https://lnkd.in/d765hbi Mark your calendars for Part 3 this FRIDAY, April 17th @ 3pm ET, so grab your book club, read the next section of Start With Why and submit your questions to bookclub@simonsinek.com . Then tune in to YouTube.com/simonsinek at 3pm ET this Friday to discuss your questions live. #BookClubwithSimon #StartWithWhy #TogetherisBetter …see more

Virgin Radio UK DJ Tim Cocker used to be a psychology teacher - and he reckons being a DJ isn't all that different... https://virg.in/iy8

An interesting look at the role business has played in the fight for LGBT+ equality over the past 40 years. Encouraging to see the progress that has been made: https://lnkd.in/dxTGE6H #ReadByRichard

Distractions are always going to be there. How to stick to a plan and ignore distractions: 1. Be in touch with your goals. Often review why this goal is important to you. 2. Learn how to say no. Count how many times you said yes to something you wish you hadn't. 3. Meditate to develop the ability to focus. Train your mind to succeed. 4. Understand the cause of chaos in your #life and be brutal about reducing it. 5. Don't multitask as a habit. Do one thing at a time. 6. Limit #technology interruptions, so you stay focused. 7. Plan things and activities to do when stressed and unfocused. #PersonalDevelopment #Productivity …see more

“intangible industries work differently than tangible industries”. Great read for anyone who wonders why some companies get high valuations that is not easily fathomable. At this inflection point in Indian startups, it is useful to think about asset light models. #success #startups #entrepreneurship …see more