'Screw It, Just Do It': Exclusive Video Interview With Richard Branson When the billionaire business mogul launched his first startup at age 15, he didn't even know what the word 'entrepreneur' meant. That was 50 years ago. We caught up with him to see what it means to him now. (Hint: By-the-seat-of-your-pants adventure and loads of it.)

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Richard Branson isn't too busy or too important to answer an extra interview question -- or maybe even two.

I put a few to the legendary entrepreneur last week in Los Angeles at Virgin Atlantic's "Business is an Adventure" event. We sat down in a musty basement screening room at the Theater at the Ace Hotel to talk about starting up, scaling, winning and failing. The Virgin Group founder and chief daredevil has done all of it time and again since launching his first business at only 15. With an estimated net worth of about $5.1 billion, the wild and wacky risks he's taken along the way have more than paid off.

Richard Branson
Image Credit: Virgin

He's crashed a hot-air balloon into the Atlantic, bungee-jumped off a casino in Las Vegas, mooned photographers and dressed in drag. To him, "business is an adventure," and there are no "extreme lengths" he's not willing to go to, risking life and limb included.

Related: Virgin Galactic Lands in Long Beach, Unveils Plan to Launch Small Satellites Into Space

"The main thing is, if you have an idea for business, as I say, screw it, just do it," he told me. "Give it a go. You may fall flat on your face, but you pick yourself up and keep trying until you succeed." You might also slam against the side of a high-rise building and rip the seat of your pants open in front of the world. He should know.

Richard Branson
Image Credit: Virgin

We were getting there, digging into the nutty publicity stunts Branson, a modern-day P.T. Barnum, has dizzingly braved to boost his 200-plus businesses. Then suddenly we weren't. Five minutes into our interview, time was up.

Branson's PR said it was time to wrap it up. But the royal billionaire had other ideas. "One more [question]," Sir Richard said patiently, slowly raising his hand to gesture at the reporter's notebook on my lap. "One...one more." Apparently he had time.

I took a mile and asked two more.

Richard Branson
Image Credit: Reuters

Related: Watch Legendary Entrepreneur Richard Branson Share His Secrets to Startup Success

This video, a brief window into our conversation, is the result of Branson keeping it real, being a gentleman and letting me finish my darn questions. To find out what he said, press play.

Wavy Line
Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Editor's Pick

A Leader's Most Powerful Tool Is Executive Capital. Here's What It Is — and How to Earn It.
Lock
One Man's Casual Side Hustle Became an International Phenomenon — And It's on Track to See $15 Million in Revenue This Year
Lock
3 Reasons to Keep Posting on LinkedIn, Even If Nobody Is Engaging With You
Why a Strong Chief Financial Officer Is Crucial for Your Franchise — and What to Look for When Hiring One

Related Topics

Business News

More Americans Are Retiring Abroad, Without a Massive Nest Egg — Here's How They Made the Leap

About 450,000 people received their social security benefits outside the U.S. at the end of 2021, up from 307,000 in 2008, according to the Social Security Administration.

Business News

Woman Ties the Knot at White Castle Almost 30 Years After the Chain Gave Her Free Food as a Homeless Teen

Jamie West was just 12 years old when she ran away from the foster care system.

Business News

Lululemon Employees Say They Were Fired for Trying to Stop Shoplifters

Two Georgia women say Lululemon fired them without severance for trying to get thieves out of the store.

Business News

7 of the 10 Most Expensive Cities to Live in the U.S. Are in One State

A new report by U.S. News found that San Diego is the most expensive city to live in for 2023-2024, followed by Los Angeles. New York City didn't even rank in the top 10.

Business News

New York Lawyer Uses ChatGPT to Create Legal Brief, Cites 6 'Bogus' Cases: 'The Court Is Presented With an Unprecedented Circumstance'

The lawyer, who has 30 years of experience, said it was the first time he used the tool for "research" and was "unaware of the possibility that its content could be false."