Skip to content

“Screw It, Let’s Do It”: An Entrepreneurial Spirit

Entrepreneur Matthew Toren has picked up what lessons he could from business mogul Richard Branson. Among them is Branson’s desire to live fully in the moment.
Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

What’s the Latest Development?


When Matthew and Adam Toren bought a struggling pool hall, the brothers didn’t know much about the game of billiards or about running a business. But after accepting substantial risk, they turned the business around and began to see success. Throughout their entrepreneurial journey, they’ve looked to business mogul Richard Branson for tips on starting businesses, staying profitable and giving back to society. Matthew has found living in the moment and having fun to be two important lessons.

What’s the Big Idea?

Besides having a good time running a business, the Toren brothers saw how Branson used his skills as an entrepreneur to contribute to society. It’s a lesson they’ve taken to heart by authoring children’s books and making speaking engagements at youth organizations. They say that generosity had an unexpected reward: It made them feel better as businessmen and individuals. The most important lesson Branson has given Matthew, which he considers the key to success, is to never consider defeat as an option.

NORTEAMERICANA
Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Related
The hospital where Rainn Wilson’s wife and son nearly died became his own personal holy site. There, he discovered that the sacred can exist in places we least expect it. During his talk at A Night of Awe and Wonder, he explained how the awe we feel in moments of courage and love is moral beauty — and following it might be the start of our spiritual revolution.
13 min
with

Up Next