Christine Khor’s Insights from Necker Island

“From the 12th to the 15th of July, I was fortunate enough to attend a conference hosted by Richard Branson on his private island. It was an amazing experience! Here are my insights, having spent my time surrounded by the world’s most passionate, inspirational and courageous leaders. Enjoy.”

~ Christine Khor, Managing Director of Chorus Executive ~

1. You can do amazing things when you dream big.Richard dream’s big, follows his intuition, embraces his failures as opportunities for learning and gets up one more time than he falls over.

2. Surround yourself with amazing people who challenge, support & inspire you.

The people in this photo were all inspiring and successful business leaders and entrepreneurs, but inspiration can come from your family, your staff and your friends. Always be open to learning.

3. Fight! Fight! Fight! For what you believe in.Gabby Giffords was a prominent US politician who survived an

assassination attempt in 2011. She was shot in the head. She fought to regain her ability to walk and talk. Now she campaigns for gun

control legislation in the US.

4. Innovation doesn’t always come from years of industry experience, education and contacts. Alexa Von Tobel, CEO of LearnVest spoke to us about the concept of simple ideas that help. Innovation occurs when you can identify the real problem, create a workable solution and then work hard to make that dream a reality.

5. Industry is changing to recognise that scarcity is a myth.Traditional industry had a mindset of scarcity and ownership, however with people like Matt Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress, the technical era has changed this. Now industry is about sharing and abundance. Matt wants to see a world that is fairer, where we share what we have for the benefit of all.

6. The importance of having support behind you.

They say behind every great man there is a great woman. The same goes for great women. Gabby’s

husband Mark, a successful Astronaut, has stood behind her and supported her through her recovery. They now both work together to put an end to gun

related crimes in the US.

7. Take risks and back yourselfThis is Marianne Williamson, the prominent US

author. Marianne believes that we are all special, but no one is more special than anyone else. She stands for taking risks and trusting that everything

will work out in the end.

8. Family is importantDon’t let things get in the way of what is really important.

9. Find your true purpose and persevere to achieve it.Jane Wurwand is the Founder of Dermalogica. From very humble beginnings, Jane found her passion was to make people feel better about themselves. Her passion drove her from working in a beauty salon to creating her own line of products. She made sacrifices along the way and it was a long road to success, but her perseverance paid off.

10. Find your community and be part of something bigger than yourself.This is the Global Leadership team of The Hunger Project who tirelessly work to end world hunger. It is crucial to be a part of a community with a larger purpose.

11. Smile.Emma Isaacs is an amazing woman. Four children, an international empire, no sleep and still smiling.

She taught me that when you smile, life feels better, you feel better and people feel happier around you.

12. Make time for fun and laughterYou are never too old to get up on a bar and

dance!