Unique Beautiful Fun
11 November 2016 by Sarah-Jane Smith
sjsmith.com.au - blog
Finding Inspiration
Business Icons
When I think about the business people I admire, I sometimes find it difficult to stay away from the temptation to compare. I think that's one reason I'm drawn to people in such diverse occupations because it then becomes a mute point. Let's leave the comparison as the thief of joy conversation for another day!
When thinking about business people it's hard to avoid some of the big names because they are often the ones that make the headlines.
I love Sir Richard Branson for his fearlessness. He's so unafraid to try a new avenue that at the moment he's working on making space flights available commercially. He's been involved in airlines, music stores, music publishing as well as credit cards. I also like that one of his favourite approaches is to give it a try. He's failed more than he's succeeded but, he tries a lot of things. Those that do succeed, sustain him and propel him forward. What's that saying? Fail fast, fail often!
One of my other big favourites is the late, great Anita Roddick, the woman who founded the Body Shop. I love that she took what could be considered two unaligned businesses and managed to combine them into a successful worldwide brand. Integrating green practices, fair trade and small business manufacturing (often from indigenous communities) are not things you would instantly associate with a cosmetic manufacturer. She not only did it successfully but managed to use it as her point of difference.
Finally, I am a big fan of the American financial guru, Suzie Orman. I love the passion she brings to educating people (particularly women) about being financially literate. Starting from a point of poverty, she educated herself to turn her life around and now, she educates others about how to manage their finances. Using your own life lessons to help others is one of the most potent sources of passionate business people. These are just of three of the people I admire and each of them for very different things. We can all take something from their journey to success whether that's in business or in life.
Till next time,
Sarah-Jane X
