Rick is a lifelong entrepreneur who started his first business - a bicycle repair shop - after the death of his father when he was just 13 years old. He has since founded more than 20 companies. Rick is the 7th of nine children. He learned early in life that it's best to think positively about the cards one's been dealt, no matter how difficult those cards appear. His life's purpose is to inspire entrepreneurship, which led Rick to start Business Finishing School (“BFS”).  Rick learned that business growth and success are accelerated when a few key principles are applied. He found that by learning "The 12 Foundational Principles of Business," which he teaches in the online BFS program; that virtually any individual or company can be put on the path to prosperity. He created these principles to help successful people become more grounded and focused in their business and personal lives. He also founded the non-profit, A Billion Entrepreneurs ("ABE").  ABE motivates people to seek the freedom associated with living a purposeful life. His dream is to motivate people to learn and grow as passionate entrepreneurs, regardless of their age, their starting point, or their current position. For the past 22 years, Rick has been the founder and CEO of a financial holding company. He is proud of being the co-founder and five-time Chairman of the Gathering of Titans Program, an annual, CEO-only event held at the MIT Campus in Boston. He graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in engineering. Rick resides in Dallas with his wife, Melissa, and their four children.