Today, at 41, Rich is realizing his dreams. He runs a multi-million dollar home-based business and is recognized as one of the leaders in the online and offline marketing industry.

Over the years, four things have dominated his life - love for family, an incredible work ethic, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a great passion for fishing.

Much of his childhood was spent in an old rented farmhouse near a creek where he caught bluegills no bigger than his fist. Money was tight. He knew if he wanted a fancy fishing pole, he'd have to buy it himself.

At age four, Rich started his first business, pulling plump worms from the earth and selling them to local fishermen. He bought his first pole, then a swing set, and later a new bicycle. Within a few years, he diversified his income by picking up aluminum cans from the country roadsides. As he got older, he fantasized about Florida, dreamed of bigger fish in the ocean of life. He mowed grass, babysat, collected scrap metal, worked as a grounds keeper, and he saved.

By the time Rich was 14, he had a thriving scrap metal business and bought a GMC pickup to haul it to the recycling center. "I'd pile two tons of scrap onto the bed of my one-ton pickup. I wasn't old enough to drive, so my mom drove me to the city and helped me unload it. Then I'd come home, tuck away my profits and go fishing.

The Journey Begins

Like many young guys, Rich was charmed by exotic sports cars, and as a fisherman he was also fascinated with the yachts that graced the Atlantic Ocean. Florida was teaming with both. Although he couldn't afford either, he settled for the next best thing and within a year had saved enough money to start a company named Mobile Detailing, his first full-time business. "It was exciting to be around those cars and boats, even if I was just cleaning them up for the owners," he said. He remembers the day when one of his clients summed up the secret of success in just one word - timing. "He told me if I ever have the opportunity to position myself in front of growth, and become part of that growth, I could profit. The product, service, or industry wouldn't matter if the timing was right. At 18, I didn't know what that meant, but it all came together later," Rich said.

While building a successful detailing business, Rich supplemented his income by selling sports collectibles and memorabilia at flea markets. He also got involved with a network marketing company and sank all the profits from his other businesses into the new venture. "It didn't work out, and after a few years I lost everything. It was a good learning experience though, and it gave me the building blocks to be successful in future ventures. More than anything, I learned to be careful who I'm in business with," he said.

Rich looks back on the experience as "a short-term failure with a positive long-term outcome." Ironically, it was during this tough time that he realized life's greatest catch doesn't come at the end of a fishing pole - he met his wife, a parochial school teacher. "She always believed in me and my dreams even when it wasn't easy. Within a few years, we married. Her steady income helped get us through some pretty rough times," he said.