My quickfire Q&A with Simon Squibb

The Elevator of Dreams is in full swing a Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch and it’s been brilliant to see so many of you saying ‘screw it, let’s do it’ and pitching your ideas to us. In the spirit of keeping things short, snappy and to the point, here’s a quick-fire Q&A I shared with Simon Squibb. I hope you find my answers helpful!

1. What separates successful entrepreneurs from the rest?

- An appetite for risk (calculated ones!)

- The humbleness and willingness to delegate.

- Seeing problems as opportunities.

2. What advice would you give to struggling entrepreneurs?

- Take time to reflect.

- Ask yourself: is my product/business solving a problem?

- Lean on others – you can’t go it alone.

- Do one thing differently every day.

3. What are the best habits for success?

- Look after your health.

- Say yes to the things that scare you.

- Remain curious about everything.

4. Do you feel like you’ve truly ‘made it’?

- Where’s the fun in that?

- I see life as one long university experience I never had

- I want to make it, and keep making it.

5. How important is failure in business?

- It’s vital.

- You don’t learn to walk by following the rules, you learn by trying and failing and trying again.

6. How big of a role does purpose play in your businesses?

- It’s the only reason we exist.

- Businesses should always be a force for good in the world.

- If you don’t have a purpose that’s bigger than yourself, you’ll never be fulfilled.

7. What’s the secret to maintaining your passion after decades in business?

- Try everything once.

- Move on when you stop having fun.

- Saying ‘screw it, let’s do it’.

- Only work on things you truly believe in.

- Hold onto a childlike sense of wonder.

8. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

- Listen more than you speak.

- Hire your weaknesses (aka people with the skills you lack).

9. What is the future of entrepreneurship and business?

- Businesses must be a force for good in the world and be driven by purpose.

- Businesses must harness the wonderful aspects of technology and AI, without losing the human touch.

10. If you were starting from scratch today, how would you quickly generate enough money to get started?

- A Start Up Loan from Virgin StartUp! We launched Virgin StartUp 10 years ago, because it was so difficult for entrepreneurs in the UK to access loans.

- The team has made it so easy and they offer so much support, including a new online Community platform where UK founders can connect and access mentoring and courses, so there’s no need to go it alone or risk your personal savings. If you live in the UK, I would highly recommend you reach out to the team.

11. How can a growing business preserve its identity and values while scaling?

- Hire kind, humble and passionate people. The wrong hire can corrode culture very quickly.

- Never do anything that would make you lose sleep at night, and drill this into your teams.

- Embed a clear and relevant purpose that all employees can buy into and feel inspired by.