The Joan Effect
She was never the loudest in the room, her humility gave her a gentle power that touched so many lives. She was and will remain the heart of Virgin and Virgin Unite through the incredible love she shared with Richard, Sam, Holly, and her family.
I’ve had the good fortune over the last 25+ years to watch Joan in action – to see how she loved into being her own children, then her grandchildren – and of course Richard. Joan and Richard are forever deeply connected, two people who brought out the very best in each other, who were constant rocks for each other, through the good and the bad. An example to all of us of the importance of depth and longevity in a partnership.
She also generously shared her love with everyone around her. She was always the one to notice if someone was going through a rough time or feeling like an outsider. Joan was there for all of us to be a gentle ear through a tough breakup, to have a giggle and to share a moment of joy, to share her wisdom grounded in years of being a great listener, to teach us that healthy relationships are the most important measure of a life well lived.
Joan was there for all the big moments with Virgin Unite over the years as a constant source of strength. What I will remember the most are the moments where she watched with such delight and sheer joy when her family did something extraordinary – from Holly stepping in to help lead Virgin, to Sam performing to an audience suspended in time through the beauty of his music. Those were the moments where she completely lit up not just the room, but the world.
It has been heartwarming to see all the wonderful tributes to Joan and embraces of love for the family pouring in over the last few days. One of my favourites was from someone who benefited from the Help Counselling centre, a mental health support organisation on Portobello Road in London that the Branson family quietly supported for decades before it was successfully taken over by the community. This kind man wrote that decades ago when he was having a tough time, his life was positively changed by the centre. Now he wanted to reach out and share his condolences to Richard and the family. Like Joan, this centre has quietly and behind the scenes changed the trajectory of thousands of lives for the better. This is just one example of the exponential impact one woman, and one family can have on a world that desperately needs it.
May we all work to keep Joan’s legacy alive through living with kindness, compassion, and a good dose of joy. Remembering that true success is measured by the number of deep relationships we love into being.