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Virgin Newsletter December 2016 Dear friend of [Virgin.com], Thank you for your support in 2016 – oh, what a year it’s been! We kicked things off [embracing failure and the lessons it teaches us]. I have made hundreds of mistakes – and I'm sure I'll make many more in 2017 – but I’ve learnt valuable lessons from every error. Failure is life's greatest teacher, and has certainly driven the many successes we've achieved at Virgin. Learning from the past and looking towards the future, we set off on a US adventure in February; with our inaugural [Business is an Adventure event in LA]. Throughout the year, the adventure also took us to [Washington DC] and [Boston], where we uncovered and spoke with so many bright business leaders who are shaking things up and making a real difference. In an effort to make a positive difference ourselves, our foundation [Virgin Unite] published [Ending the War on Drugs] in March – a collections of essays written by my fellow members of the Global Commission of Drugs Policy – to shine a spotlight on the failing war on drugs and create much-needed drug policy reform around the world. It’s our belief that the world needs to support not punish; if we do, the wellbeing of all those affected will greatly benefit. In April we took this message of wellbeing a step further, by publishing a huge variety of content on [Virgin.com] around the question: [How well do you know your wellbeing?] It’s a subject close to my heart, as I have worked hard to keep my own health in check so that I can get the most out of life. It’s also an area in which we strive to be innovative in at Virgin, and what keep our team members thriving. Another area that drives us is our focus on creativity, so we collaborated with CreativeLive in May on their [30 Days of Genius video series]. The series interviews thought leaders, who share their successes and failures, and turn them into actionable insights. The way we see it creative impulse should be used as both fuel and a compass in business. It’s certainly been the key to my big thinking and breakthroughs. On the subject of big thinking, in June we expanded [VOOM] into UK and Ireland’s biggest and most valuable business pitching competition. After three long months of campaigning, six entrepreneurs stood in front of expert panel of business leaders – including Tyra Banks, Sara Blakely and yours truly – in a dramatic, action-packed finale. I’m already looking forward to what VOOM brings next year. July is always a big month for me, as it’s my birthday month – but this year it was that much more memorable as I raced to complete [Challenge Richard]. Last year on my 65th birthday I asked people to challenge me to achieve various tasks, with the aim to finish 65 of them before my 66th birthday. I’m proud to say I made it across the line in time, even adding in one extra, just for fun. We dished out the fun and games in August, setting [Virgin.com] readers challenges of our own, as part of Virgin Red’s [V Marks the Spot treasure hunt]. Along with Virgin companies from the UK, we hid a number of coins, just waiting to be found to reward people with great prizes. We love giving back to our readers, and the treasure hunt did just that; flying 10 lucky winning pairs to hunt for real treasure with me on Necker Island. Challenge and adventure were also my focus, as I joined my children Holly and Sam and nephew, Noah on the hardest mental and physical challenge of my life, the [Virgin Strive Challenge]. Over the month of September, we made our way from the base of the Matterhorn in Switzerland to the toe of Italy, under human power. What’s more we finished it off by swimming to Sicily – with Adrian Grenier in tow – to [Make A Splash] for ocean conservation. Be it ocean conservation, ending the war on drugs, or promoting diversity in the workforce, purpose is always at the heart of what we do at Virgin – and October showcased this. With the belief that business can drive change and do good, we held our sixth [Virgin Disruptors event], around the subject People Creating Change. It was a wonderful day of disruption and collaboration – the results of which can be explored on [Virgin.com]. Purpose was firmly on our agenda all throughout November too, as Virgin Unite fought to end the death penalty in the US. Adding weight to the argument, my son’s film company, Sundog Pictures produced a series of thought-provoking films under the banner [Death Penalty Fail]. We promoted the short films in the lead up to the US election, where California had the opportunity to abolish the barbaric practice once and for all. Which brings us to now; wow has this year flown. In December we’ve been focusing on, and will continue to shine a light, on the theme of [Give and Take]. Concentrating on the things that we’ve learned this year and how we’re going to put them into action next year, it’s a wonderful way to wrap up 2016 – one of the most tumultuous years I can remember! Do you have a favourite piece of content or a theme which you saw on [Virgin.com] this year? I’d like to hear about it on social media. Personally, I’ve loved they way the team have explored different technology, in particular [360 videos] and [podcasts]. I hope you’ve enjoyed logging on to the world of Virgin – we look forward to welcoming you back in 2017. In the meantime, happy holidays from and the [Virgin.com] team. To win, answer the above question. Good luck! [T&Cs] [Virgin homepage] [Facebook] [Twitter] [LinkedIn] [Instagram] [YouTube] Wow you got this far! Here’s a [surprise for you]! Copyright © 2016 Virgin Group Digital, All rights reserved. Virgin Newsletter Our mailing address is: Virgin Group Digital The Battleship Building 179 Harrow Road London, W2 6NB United Kingdom [Add us to your address book] You can [update your preferences] or [unsubscribe from this list] [View this email in your browser]