Bob Rief and George “Skip” Mergatroid
Bob Rief and George “Skip” Mergatroid
Business visionaries
Bob Rief is the Executive Director of San Diego Sports Innovators that runs a mentor-led Business Accelerator that supports the sports and active lifestyle industry. The company, founded by NBA legend Bill Walton, has matriculated 140 new companies in the last 10 years, 78% of which remain in business today - an amazing metric considering the national 90% failure rate for startups. 36% of all SDSI graduate companies are female founded.
Along the course of his long career Mr. Rief comments that he learned true “visionary people” see opportunity thru a different prism. And that their steadfast devotion to “the idea” pushed it through to success but that, behind the scenes, there is an amazing commonality to the tasks that have to be done to convert the idea to reality.”
George “Skip” Murgatroyd is an AV rated attorney (highest) and listed in Marquis Who’s Who in American Law and recipient of the Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.
Wanting to try something new, in 2009 he teamed up with the former designer of K-Swiss Shoes who he met while walking his dog on a beach in Malibu, CA. Together they created OTZShoes. Knowing they needed management help, they convinced Bob Rief to join the company. Bob righted the ship and took the company to a very profitable exit.
Skip is currently legal counsel for two startups which he helped found - VIBAe shoes headquartered in Helsinki, Finland and Gutzi Foods, Inc., a California corporation, that is in the process of making yogurt-based products that are healthier alternatives to several commercially successful products currently on the market.
After The Idea - How To Turn Your Idea Into A Business
After the Idea consists of a concise checklist laying out sequential steps for those who want to break out on their own and create their own business. The book was conceived, designed and created by those who have already been “there.”
“There” is a funny place, because there is no “there.” It’s a state of mind and a practical state of achieving what was first only an idea. Getting there is achieved by nothing short of hard work, sleepless nights, and taking risks when rewards are not guaranteed.
The information in this book did not come easy. It’s authors come from completely different backgrounds but what they have in common is the desire to help others succeed in business.
Virtually millions of ideas die in the ideation stage because the practical task of birthing a new company can be formidable to some. But by reading After the Idea and utilizing its checklist, readers will walk away with a comprehensive understanding of the critical steps necessary to transform your idea into a successful business. You will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence needed to embark on your entrepreneurial journey with clarity and purpose.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for someone to write a book like this. No one is more qualified to write it than a legend who’s seen and done it all. I wish someone would’ve written this book when I was just starting out, it would have saved me a whole lot of pain. Finally, a complete step-by-step entrepreneurial guide from the guy who’s been there and actually done that more than most.”
-- Tom Rinks, Founder of Sun Bum