Rich Von Alvensleben on Measuring Commitment
Talk is cheap, says Rich Von Alvensleben. Anyone can make noise. After more than a dozen years as an entrepreneur, this California businessman says the best way to judge commitment is by the level of risk one is willing to take to grow their business and their income.
Dollars, the Mortar of the Economy
Cash is what makes the economy strong just as mortar holds together the bricks of a building. Without the mortar, Rich Von Alvensleben says, all you have is a pile of rocks. In any business venture, there are those who are committed to success and those who are loyal to the idea of success. According to Rich Von Alvensleben, the dream chasers are the people who stand amongst the pile of rocks hoping they stay stacked. The ones who really want to achieve are the ones who get their hands dirty and take the financial responsibility to go out and buy the mortar.
According to Rich Von Alvensleben, it is the ones filling the joints who have the most to lose. They are the ones in a corporation who have put their cash on the table – the ones who ante up and who have to win to keep playing. Their belief in the business, and therefore their level of commitment, is measured in dollars. Once a player lays his cash on the table, it becomes his game. This is important because, as Rich Von Alvensleben has seen, before they’ve made a financial commitment, they were simply playing around with other people’s money.
Winning the Race
Winning a race isn’t done in one lap, says Rich Von Alvensleben. A business does not become successful overnight. Once an investment has been made, there must be a period of longevity to ensure that all bets are on. In other words, “You can’t bet on the first half alone.” In order for an investor in his or her new business to really make it, he or she has to be willing to establish goals and timelines. Rich Von Alvensleben says that commitment, and its accompanying success, can also be measured over time by the amount of consistent persistence one applies.
Many people believe that making it big means jumping in head first with a blind passion and nothing else. Not so, insists Rich Von Alvensleben. As he’s witnessed time and again, it’s the ones who think it through, weigh the benefits against the risks, and keep pace with what they can do that will eventually find themselves in a position of financial freedom. The ones starting out “gung ho” with big ideas but little staying power are the ones who fizzle, fade, and forget what they were even there for, laments Rich Von Alvensleben.
About Rich Von Alvensleben:
Rich Von Alvensleben did not begin his journey to the top as many do – leaving school straight for the concrete jungle. Instead, this thrill-seeking risk taker started at the bottom…of the ocean. After graduating college with a degree in Marine Technology, Rich Von Alvensleben donned diving gear and a wet suit for the United States Antarctic Program. The USAP is a unique research program that focuses on the preservation of Antarctica and the study of its delicate ecosystem. Only a select few ever get to participate in the globally cooperative program.
Later, Rich Von Alvensleben founded his own drilling firm, Associated Drilling, in San Francisco. Concurrent to this project, Rich Von Alvensleben also began his work in sales and marketing via the company he founded, World Concepts, LLC. These ventures laid the foundation for his current endeavors in real estate, as CEO of One Up Construction, a California Licensed General Contractor and Operations Manager of Von Vesting, Inc., a real estate investment firm focused on distressed property
In the world of real estate investment, Rich Von Alvensleben and Von Vesting, Inc. have amassed a considerable track record. With Rich Von Alvensleben as Operations Manager, Von Vesting and its investor arm, the American Redevelopment Fund, LP buy, rehab and sell single family homes. In the past 12 years, Rich Von Alvensleben has flipped over 1700 distressed properties. Rich Von Alvensleben also serves as CEO of LKT, Inc., d.b.a., OneUp Construction, a California Licensed General Contracting firm. Prior to his time in real estate investment, Rich Von Alvensleben held the post of Sales Manager for World Concepts LLC, a company he co-founded in 1993. Rich Von Alvensleben and World Concepts, LLC was personally responsible for $100 million of their parent company’s 2005 sales.
Rich Von Alvensleben is a resident of greater Sacramento, where he’s actively engaged with his community in volunteer work; Rich Von Alvensleben also sponsors & is actively involved with his town’s high school athletic teams. Away from work, Rich Von Alvensleben enjoys spending outdoor time with his family.
(Source: richardvona)
