Where you come from does not always have to dictate where you go to in life. While an Ivy League education or a wealthy background can help generate success, these are optional to create a successful business. The founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, once stated, “The quickest way to become a millionaire in the airline business is to start out as a billionaire” – a statement that can leave many feeling the weight of empty pockets infringing on their goals. However, proving that it is possible to have your dreams take flight is Aleksandr Celiadin, founder of GetJet Airlines, who has dedicated his career in highlighting that serial entrepreneurship does not require the privileged background you may think.
Vilnius, Lithuania, may not be on your radar as a top aviation destination like more well-known areas like Palo Alto or New York City. Still, Vilnius has been assembling a reputation for aviation excellence throughout Europe – and it happens to be the home of Celiadin.
Celiadin’s career expands across various aspects of the aviation landscape. While working on finishing his MBA, his first job in this industry was as a sales executive for a small, privately owned airline in his home country. When this airline experienced turbulence and ran into financial troubles in 2012, Celiadin took it as a sign to enter the aviation space more directly—partnering with a group of colleagues to take over the failing business.
This experience provided Celiadin with a wealth of knowledge and skills that helped pave the way for the entrepreneur to start his own business, GetJet Airlines (which received its air operator’s certificate in 2016). Celiadin now leads a team of 900 aviation professionals, three non-scheduled airline certificates in Lithuania, Latvia, and Malta, and asset management firms in Cyprus and Dubai. Along this expansive journey, Celiadin has learned a thing or two on how to take what you have and turn it into success.
If you want to make changes in your life, you first need to get into the right mindset, the entrepreneurial mindset. While others may have a solid educational background, that does not mean they have the vision or drive to generate a successful business. So, don’t let your background stop you from pursuing your goals, “start cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset,” states Celiadin. “Be curious, and look for innovative solutions to existing problems. Identify your passions, and don’t be afraid to turn them into a business vision.”
Yet, embarking on an entrepreneurial journey is a challenging feat, and there are bound to be challenges ahead. The important thing, though, is to take tough times as learning experiences. The first lesson Celiadin learned when the first airline he worked for failed was that the best time to learn how to run a business was when a company struggled. Survival mode helps you understand how to build back up and begin flourishing again, and part of this comes from hiring the right people.
For those ready to take their dreams to the sky, Celiadin recommends staying agile in the ever-changing entrepreneurial landscape. You won’t always know what lies ahead, so remain resilient. Most importantly, stay humble and don’t lose sight of what matters most to you.
