INSPIRATION

Sir Richard Branson is a British serial entrepreneur and Founder of the Virgin Group, whose over-the-top public adventures and marketing stunts make him a legend in the game of “go big or go home”.

Branson earned his “play big” reputation early. He dropped out of school at fifteen to start a youth-culture magazine, then parlayed his deep love of the music business to build the highly successful Virgin Music. But when an expansion into other ventures left the Virgin brand struggling, Branson was reportedly crushed when he had to sell his original music company to keep the rest financially afloat.

But he forged forward to rebuild Virgin into the global, multi-billion dollar empire it is today, with businesses ranging from travel to space-tourism-and even a foray back into his beloved music scene with Virgin Radio and the V2 record company.

“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
– Richard Branson

ACTION

❶ Acknowledge When Things Go Wrong
It stings to admit failure. But don’t let yourself get mired in a defeat. Accept, let go and find fuel to move forward.

❷ Assess What You’ve Learned
Take an honest look at where things went wrong. DON’T beat yourself up or get lost in every misstep. Flag what you’ve learned and move on stronger and smarter. (And check out this Stout clip on why making mistakes is key to success.)

❸ Build Your Next Level
Now that you’ve identified what not to do next time, challenge yourself to build on your new stronger foundation– make a fresh plan and put it into action.