How an introduction to Richard Branson in 1984 inspired Howdy in 2016
Ben Abbott
I wouldn’t be here today – writing this, launching Howdy – if it hadn’t been for a thoughtful introduction.
It was 1984. Richard Branson took Virgin to new heights, literally, with their maiden flight to New York. Virgin was no longer just about music and Richard needed someone very special to help him run his new empire.
My Dad was an unlikely candidate. He had left school at 16, scraped through his accountancy exams and walked away from the big global consulting firms to work for a maverick record company. He had become well accustomed to making his way through the billowing blue haze of the musicians and rock stars to get to his desk.
However, an old friend of my Dad’s bumped into him and thought this corporate rebel would be perfect for Richard. So he made the introduction. Many people told Dad not to join the “pullover wearing” Branson. They said he was a “one minute wonder” with failure round the corner, that joining him might really damage Dad’s chances of becoming a success. He had the good sense to ignore them, joined Virgin as CFO and went on to become Virgin Group’s CEO in 1989.
Dad delivered many years of success to Virgin and by the time he started to move on in 1997 it had become a multi billion dollar business. The foundations were laid for the remarkable and iconic brand you know today.
A simple, thoughtful introduction changed Dad’s life. And this is why we have launched the Howdy Hub.
We want to make it truly easy to introduce yourself and to make introductions.
Whose life could you change by making a meaningful introduction?
For our launch you’ll need an iPhone and a LinkedIn account. If you’ve got them then please click here. If not, then I’d like to invite you to join the priority waiting list here for when we have developed to other platforms.
