A TOAST TO SIR RICHARD BRANSON!

My previous posting referencing the late Marty Shugrue--one of the greatest airline executives that ever lived--and a wonderful friend, led me to a conversation with a colleague of mine from the magazine I write for. I was sharing the great qualities that I admired in Marty, when my colleague told me that this reminded him of his personal experience with Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic Airways. My colleague was interviewing Sir Richard in Atlanta for a magazine article. Things were going well when all of a sudden, one of Sir Richard's aides nudged him and said "We have to be at CNN for Larry King in an hour". Sir Richard, looked at my colleague and said: "Pity. I'm really enjoying this conversation. Look, why don't you join us, then we can pick this up over dinner? I'd really like to continue". So my lucky friend boarded the Limo over to One CNN Center and sat in the wings watching Larry and Sir Richard for an hour! Afterward, they headed to a restaurant for steaks and my friend reported how sincerely down to earth this entrepreneurial genius really is.

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Apart from sharing the experience of crash-landing in a hot air balloon (and surviving with a sense of humor intact), Sir Richard and I have another thing in common. We answer snail mail! Three years ago, I was part of a team assembling a fundraiser for a good cause: a benefit for the National Parkinson Foundation (http://www.parkinson.org) -the world's largest and oldest non-profit organization dedicated to uncovering a cause and cure for Parkinson's Disease (which took my father). One man I contacted directly for underwriting was Sir Richard Branson. One week later, I received a letter from Sir Richard advising me that he had just opened my letter and that either he or a member of his staff would respond within the next two weeks. But he wanted me to know that my letter had, in fact, reached him directly. Imagine a CEO doing this much today! (I know, try not to spit out whatever you happen to be drinking). Well, the following week, he graciously declined. However, I was so grateful that he even took the time to write me, that I immediately sent him a Thank You card! We were having one hell of a time getting local phone calls returned and here is one of the world's wealthiest men, who runs an empire of companies and yet, he made time to contact me! Amazingly, he wrote back again to communicate that he was "relieved" from reading my card that I understood and could only imagine how many legitimate requests his company receives in a given year for worthy causes; he couldn't possibly honor all of them. But he did want me to know that he read my materials and said the project looked sound and wished us well. One of the busiest executives on the planet was considerate enough to respond personally to a letter, accommodate a fellow journalist and all without a glint of ego!

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From starting a recording label to selling books, cell phones, cars, running airlines, setting records in hot-air balloons and sponsoring record-breaking airplane flights, this businessman enjoys a good laugh with a heart to go with it. Business men and women worldwide could learn a thing or two from Sir Richard Branson! Namely, the lost art of being conscientious and caring!