Verde Valley News – Learning Business isn’t simply a matter of careful study and good grades. A world of variables awaits each graduate – and the Yavapai College School of Business is hosting a series of successful businesspeople to talk about them. Join us for “A Conversation with…” YC Business’s new guest speaker series, with real estate and publishing expert Richard Bitner, Tuesday, February 27, at 2:30 p.m., in the Prescott Campus Community Room.
After three decades in the housing and publishing industries, Richard Bitner still describes himself as a serial entrepreneur: “I have owned and operated several different businesses and had a lot of amazing experiences along the way.”
The NAU and Cornell graduate has started seven companies since 2000, including Kellner Mortgage Investments – a mortgage lender that thrived during the housing boom. But Bitner recognized the flaws and excesses in the mortgage industry and divested before the 2008 crash. He became a nationally recognized expert on its causes and wrote a book – Confessions of a Subprime Lender – articulating the systemic problems that led to the collapse. Now residing in North Carolina, he was the founding partner and publisher of HousingWire, a financial trade media and publishing company.
Bitner’s talk will be the first of a series of free “A Conversation with…” events, each one featuring an accomplished veteran of the business community, sharing lessons learned along the way. The idea is to inject some working world understanding from people who have found success. Bitner hopes his Feb. 27 event will be more of a dialogue.
“I want to have a conversation. I find people learn by stories. As I share my story, I talk about the lessons I’ve learned, and the inflection points I’ve faced.”
Though his own career has taken him many places, Bitner enjoys entrepreneurship and the process of shaping a clever idea into a business opportunity. “Maybe you’re not ready to do it right now. But it’s good to start thinking about it.” Entrepreneurial thinking requires a healthy blend of imagination, inspiration and bottom-line practicality. “I love to see the passion of early-stage entrepreneurs.”
A good idea, he says, isn’t necessarily a billion-dollar idea, but one that’s personally fulfilling and sustainable. “I tell people: ‘Where do you want to end up? Start with the end in mind. Finish your last chapter and then work backward to figure out all the stuff in between.’”
Whatever path a student chooses in the business world, Bitner counsels them not to go it alone. “Mentorships are a big thing to me,” he says. As a rising star in the business world, he relied heavily upon the counsel of others. “Different mentors, at key points, played a monumental role in my success.” He is a strong advocate for the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and participates in talks like this one as a means of paying it forward. Business students “should be finding people who will help and guide you.” He says. “You can start with me. If you come to me with a problem, we will talk it through.”
“A Conversation with Richard Bitner” will be held Tuesday, February 27 from 2:30 – 4 p.m. in the Prescott Campus Community Room, Bldg. 19-147. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. For more information about the School of Business “A Conversation with…” series, please visit: www.yc.edu/bsbspeakers