Jim Rohn: Modern Day Will Rogers

For over 40 years as business coach and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn has influenced countless of people by conducting seminars to individuals and companies. His teachings are published in books that cover diverse subjects including motivation, customer relations, self-development, business skills and leadership.

According to people touched by Rohn’s life, he is one person that needs to be experienced, not described. His message combined with his personal style, are doing wonders in people which cannot otherwise be captured by any published materials. There is an exceptional power behind those words that enable his audience to learn and feel. His live seminars and audio and video presentations offer extraordinary emotional journeys that boost self-confidence, awaken the will power to succeed, and enhance attitude that intensifies desire to reach personal goals.

Rohn has won the National Speakers Association’s CPAE Award in 1985.  He was the author of 17 books and video and audio programs. He is known in the corporate world as the modern day Will Rogers.

Suzzanne Uhland: Spotlight on a Prominent Specialist

As a member of the Policy Committee and Chair of the Restructuring Practice at global legal firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Suzzanne Uhland mines her comprehensive background in bankruptcy law to assist a varied client base in Chapter 11 filings, out-of-court restructurings, and U.S. Bankruptcy Code section 363(b) distress transactions. Working in close collaboration with O’Melveny’s Transactional arm, Ms. Uhland represents major banking institutions, publicly traded and private companies, investment fund partners, and other parties, implementing and closing mutually beneficial credit financing agreements and facilitating the mitigation of minimal to extensive bankruptcy-related risks.

A Partner in O’Melveny’s Newport Beach and San Francisco offices, Suzzanne Uhland garners consistent accolades for her contributions to the firm and the legal community as a whole. Recognized for her restructuring endeavors by Chambers and Partners USA since 2008, Ms. Uhland boasts distinction as a Who’s Who of Legal Insolvency and Restructuring in California and as one of Orange Coast magazine’s Best Lawyers in Orange County. Additionally listed in The Best Lawyers in America, an esteemed network of attorneys chosen for the honor by a group of their peers, Ms. Uhland was recently inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and featured prominently in the Eighth Annual Women Worth Watching edition of Profiles in Diversity. Well known as a vocal proponent for mentorship as avenue to facilitate career success, she has written and lectured extensively on her chosen area of legal specialization and her journey from academia to the top levels of America’s bankruptcy and insolvency law sector.

With Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School, Suzzanne Uhland undertook her clerkship under the Honorable Mariana Pfaelzer of the U.S. District Court Central District of California. The mother of two teenage daughters, Ms. Uhland is a history aficionado who enjoys reading about ancient Roman culture in her free time. 

Peter Lynch: Blend of Investment Genius and Philanthropy

Peter Lynch rose to popularity in the investments and business world when he worked for the Magellan Fund through Fidelity Investments. When he started his work at the Magellan Fund, the funds were reported at $18 million. In 13 years, the fund grew to $14 billion. He wrote about his investment policies and strategies and his publications are read worldwide. Lynch believes he has reached the peak of his career and has shifted his focus on philanthropic and charitable works.

Lynch was born in Newton, Massachusetts on January 19, 1944. He studied finance at Boston College. His first job was with the Fidelity Investments in 1965 as an intern. His assignment as an intern was to be Fidelity president’s caddy. They became friends.

Lynch served for two years in the army. After his tour of duty, Fidelity hired him for a fulltime work with the company’s investments in mining, textiles, metals and chemicals. His potential shone while working as investments in-charge. In five years, he was named Director of Research in 1975. He was named head of the Magellan Fund three years after that. During his thirteen-year tenure, the Magellan Fund experienced phenomenal growth.

Because of his success in investments, Lynch published books on the subject of investments. His publications included Beating the Street, Learn to Earn, and One Up on Wall Street. The books were co-authored by John Rothchild.

Peter is not known for just one specific style. Instead, Lynch changes his investment strategies as market conditions change. He calls this strategy the “chameleon” approach. Lynch admits that though there is not one specific style he sticks to, he believes on the effectiveness of the core investment principles. According to him, it is a useless effort to try to predict interest rates and investment fluctuations because no one can exactly predict what will happen. As an alternative, Lynch advocates that investors should research and take the time to identify the great companies in which to place investments.

Lynch is the vice chairman of Fidelity Management & Research. When he is not at work, he spends time in philanthropic and charitable endeavors. He established the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund and the Lynch Foundation in support of cultural and historical institutions, religious organizations, medicine and education.

Benjamin Graham: The Father of Investing

Ben Graham is a stock trader who wrote numerous books in investment, earning him the title “Father of Investing.”

Graham was born in London as Benjamin Grossbaum in 1894. His family migrated to the US when he was just one year old. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Columbia University. He worked with Newburger, Henderson and Loeb as a Wall Street researcher. Later, he became a partner and earned an annual salary of $500,000.

Graham and a stock broker named Jerome Newman formed a partnership in 1926. But a stock market crash in 1929 almost left Graham broke. Graham and Newman sold even their personal assets to help the partnership survive. The partnership continued until his retirement 1956. The venture never again experience losses. In fact, the partnership returned 17% to its investors.

Graham’s investment books included “Security Analysis” which Graham wrote with David Dodd in 1934, and “Intelligent Investor,” which Graham wrote in 1949 and was known as the Bible of investing. Both books have never gone out of printing.

Vince Lombardi: American Football Icon

Vince Lombardi became popular with the sport he really loved – football. He played football in his youth but his real success in the sport was as an NFL coach. He has two Super Bowl and five NFL championships to his win, along with 105 wins against 35 loses in his coaching career.

Lombardi was born June 11, 1913. He almost became a priest. At 15, he begun studying to become priest but he moved to St. Francis Preparatory School before he could finish the program. There, his career in football started.

As a football scholar, Lombardi attended Fordham University in 1933. He was coached by the legendary Sleep Jim Crowley. He was light as a 170-pounder, but he had an important role in the offensive line. He earned the moniker “Seven Blocks of Granite.” At 24, he finished with a business major; this was in 1937.

He pursued law at Fordham while managing his own business. At the same time, he played semi-pro football with the Wilmington Clippers and Brooklyn Eagles. Just one semester through the law school, Lombardi dropped to become the assistant football coach of St. Cecilia football team. He also taught Latin, physics and chemistry at St. Cecilia. He was just 26 then.

He became the head coach of St. Cecilia football club in 1942. In 1947, Fordham asked Lombardi to help coach Fordham’s freshman football team. A year later, he became the university football team’s assistant coach.

In 1949, Lombardi received an offer to help coach the varsity football team of the US Military Academy. He worked with head coach Earl Blaik in the defensive line. For five years under Blaik, Lombardi’s coaching skills were honed. At 41, Lombardi got an assistant coaching job with NFL’s New York Giants. He was the Giants’ defensive strategist. The Giants were the champions that year.

In 1959, Lombardi became the head coach and GM of the Green Bay Packers at a time when the team was struggling, having won only two of twelve outings the previous season. Within just two years after his arrival, he used the techniques he learned while at West Point and led the Packers to the 1960 NFL championship with the Philadelphia Eagles. The championship game was known as the turning point in NFL because it was Lombardi’s lone playoff defeat.

The next year started the Packer’s dynasty, winning five NFL titles from 1961 to 1967. He also led the team to win two Super Bowl championships. He was known for the play called “Lombardi Sweep,” where the right offensive lineman blocks the pulling guards by sweeping to the outside. In 1967, Lombardi retired from coaching the Packers.

In 1968, Lombardi was hired to coach the Washington Redskins. The Redskins had their winning season after 14 years under Lombardi. However, he got very ill after a year with the Redskins. He died of intestinal cancer on September 3, 1970.

In 1971, Lombardi was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His contributions in shaping American Football cannot be disregarded.

Ralph Lauren: Leading Designer of Casual and Business Attires

Ralph Lauren is a world-renowned fashion designer who owns the clothing and apparel brand that bears his name.

Lauren was born as Ralph R. Lifshitz on October 14, 1939 and grew up in New York City. He had a passion for expensive clothes early on and would often work hard to earn enough to buy one.

Lauren worked for several clothing companies as a salesman. Later, he was employed by A. Rivetz & Co. During this time, Lauren began designing ties. He started his own company in 1968 from a loan he secured from Norman Hilton. Later, Lauren purchased the Polo brand from Hilton.

Soon, Lauren’s tie business expanded to include all kinds of casual and business attires. He also introduced the Ralph Lauren and Polo brands of linen, colognes and perfumes, paints and various household goods.

Ralph Lauren stores are scattered throughout the world and are found in countless malls and stores.