I am incredibly lucky to be able to live in the British Virgin Islands, one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. My family's home is on Necker Island, which is both our home and a luxury resort. Here, I'm much more likely to do my thinking in an office hammock rather than an office chair.
Seeing guests exploring the beach reminded me that one of the first charming things visitors to the BVIs see are signs in the airport arrivals area that designate the immigration channels. Unlike the rest of the English-speaking world, here the signs read "Belongers" and "Non-Belongers," rather than "Residents" and "Nonresidents."
Since I became a resident, I've come to find the term "belonger" amazingly powerful. When a nation embraces its own as "belonging here" as opposed to just living there, it breeds a different form of loyalty. It reminds us that this is where we belong, and so our efforts are not just on our own behalf, but also to benefit the community.
Although I don't agree with Sir Richard Branson, I have always admired his genius at thinking outside the box, his sense of adventure, and his fresh approach to life. Openly a confessed dislexic, who is said to be unable to make sense of a balance sheet, his alternate wiring more than off-sets any downsides he experiences from such "hnadicaps". It's good to check in on his thoughts regarding marketing regularly for both inspiration and sound new ideas.
