Chapter 7

Eager Reward-Seekers and Vigilant Risk-Mitigators

Imagine what it must be like to be Sir Richard Branson. I’m not talking about what it’s like to be a multibillionaire or befriend Nelson Mandela—although those both sound pretty good. Imagine what it must be like to think like Branson. The billionaire philanthropist and serial entrepreneur has led a life jam-packed with risk and adventure. (As I write this, he is probably bungee jumping off something, somewhere.) I like to think that over the course of his life, his inner monologue has sounded something like this:

“Should I start a chain of record stores? Yes. Great idea!”

“Why not a record label? Why not, indeed?”

“And then, I don’t know, maybe an airline? What about trains? Perhaps ...

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