Founders think meeting a billionaire will chance their business.
I met one. What did it change?”
Last week, I spent a few days on Necker Island with Richard Branson as part of an Entrepreneurs’​ Organization event. Beautiful setting, incredible hospitality, unforgettable activities.
I expected some great insights and learnings from the conversations with Richard himself, an entrepreneur who’s achieved what we all can only dream about.
Here’s what I didn’t expect:
The most valuable conversations didn’t happen with Sir R, they happened with the other entrepreneurs in the room.
People solving problems in businesses with real constraints.
People asking the same questions I’m asking.
What stayed with me wasn’t a quote from the stage or a moment of brilliance from Sir R.
It was the honesty in late-night conversations. The feeling of being seen and understood among peers. The shared challenges and the practical ideas. The feeling of, “Oh, you’re dealing with that, too?”
For me, inspiration doesn’t come from proximity to icons, it comes from relatable peers. People who understand my world because they’re living in it.
And that’s the reason I keep coming back to EO over and over again, for the peer-to-peer learning that actually changes how I lead.
The trip was unforgettable, the setting was surreal, but the real value?
 
→ The people sitting next to me, not the one standing on the pedestal.
 
Renie Cavallari Santiago Roa Rebecca Massicotte Jane Bianchini