Richard Branson: The Unconventional Entrepreneur Entrepreneurs are willing to risk their time and personal fortune to start a business. Sir Richard Branson is an entrepreneur many times over, having created more than 350 companies, including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, Virgin Records, and Virgin Mobile. Branson got his start publishing a student magazine, but his companies represent a wide range of consumer products and services. Branson has become a media icon despite his introverted nature. Over the years, he has relied heavily on publicity to promote his businesses, dressing up as a bride for the launch of Virgin Brides and launching several attempts to fly around the world in a hot air balloon. By the 1980s, Branson was interested in starting an airline to compete with the venerable British Airways. Before diving in, le consulted with Freddie Laker, who had failed in a similar attempt. Laker's advice was critical: rather than competing only on cost, a successful airline must provide both quality and value. Today, Branson operates both Virgin Atlantic, a London-based airline that flies to destinations across Europe and around the globe, and Virgin America, which flies to major cities in the United States and Mexico. Both airlines epitomize Branson's vision of fun and top-notch service. Branson's strategy is innovative: he makes people, not planes, the most important asset for his Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America airlines. Most CEOs focus on increasing shareholder value, having learned in business school that this is the real goal of a corporation. Branson instead has a three-layered set of priorities. His first priority is employees: he believes that happy employees do a better job. Customers are Branson's second priority: he believes that happy employees lead to happy customers. Finally,