Bill Bartmann
America loves a "rags to riches" - an "underdog" - an "against all odds come-back." Bill Bartmann has been a millionaire three times, bankrupt twice, and a billionaire once. He is the ultimate underdog/survivor/achiever, overcoming personal circumstances and tragedy, to rise to the top of corporate America. Homeless at age 14, a member of a street gang and a high-school drop-out. He took the GED exam and put himself through college and law school.
At the request of a bank, he took over a foreclosed oil-field pipe manufacturing plant and turned it into a million dollar a month business, until OPEC slashed the price of oil - leaving Bill out of business and a million dollars in debt.
Refusing to give up, Bill and his wife and business partner, Kathy, borrowed $13,000 and created a new industry ... Debt Resolution. Three years later they had repaid the entire million-dollar debt. Over the next 13 years they grew the new company to 3,900 employees with revenues in excess of $1 billion and earnings in excess of $182 million.
There, they pioneered novel financial instruments still utilized today on Wall Street. They also implemented unheard of perks and benefits for their employees, such as salaries at two times the industry standard, free health care, free on-site day care, 250% 401K match program and legendary company trips where they took ALL of the employees and their spouses on annual trips to the Bahamas, Las Vegas, and ocean cruises. One year they leased 27, 747's so they could fly 6,000 employees and spouses to Disney World.
Bill and Kathy have individually graced the covers of national business magazines, Kathy on the cover of Forbes, and Bill on the cover of Inc. They were listed individually in the Forbes 400 wealthiest people in America. One national magazine ranked them number 25.
In 1998, tragedy struck when Bill's former business partner committed fraud and sent the company into bankruptcy. Although Bill's former business partner told the prosecutors he had acted without Bill's knowledge; admitted his guilt and was sent to prison - in the post Enron environment, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft indicted Bill on 57 felony counts relating to Bill's partner's activities. Five years later, after a 2 1/2 month long trial where the government called 53 witnesses and produced over 1,000 exhibits, Bill rested his case without calling a single witness or producing a single exhibit. The jury unanimously acquitted Bill on all counts.
Ironically, 17 months after his acquittal and six and a half years after his company was liquidated, the Federal Bankruptcy Trustee issued his report, which publicly acknowledged for the first time, "CFS was not a fraud."
This experience would have embittered most people, but not them. Bill and Kathy now travel the country, sharing their stories of how they created their successes and how they dealt with their challenges. It is their life's goal to do for "failure" what Betty Ford did for alcoholism, and what Susan Komen did for breast cancer.
Bill Bartmann understands success and failure. He also understands the business world from the ground up - all the way to the top - and back down again - to the top again. He made corporate history by creating companies that transformed him from poverty to millionaire - to bankruptcy - to billionaire - to bankruptcy - to indicted - to acquitted - and to the top again.
MOST REQUESTED TOPICS:
Bill Bartmann delivers a genuine message that applies to every business, profession and - human being. His motivational style, laced with humor, leaves his audience approaching situations with a never-before, fresh perspective, attitude and solutions-focus. And, audiences retain for a long time Bartmann's Guidelines because they are based on memorable, logical, real-life experiences.
Billionaire to Bankruptcy to Beyond
This program is Bill Bartmann's central theme, which has inspired audiences from all backgrounds. More than just motivational, beyond unreal, Bill's message within moments fills every attendee with an "I-see-the-light" inspirational moment. The audience is quickly swept from a struggling under the circumstances mode to one of leveraging from these circumstances back on the road to success.
Ten Steps to Overcome Any Failure
This no-nonsense presentation leads audiences on a roller coaster of discovery as seen through the eyes of a world-class entrepreneur who has been richer than Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner. Bill offers Ten Solid Truths for leaping past the circumstances of failure and fast-forwarding to overcome all challenges.
Success and Failure
Bill's jaw-dropping views on "Success and Failure" give his audiences a truly unique point of view that could come only from Bill Bartmann. The one-time captain of a billion dollar enterprise, Bill started with a $13,000 loan. Capitalizing on every situation (good and bad), overcoming depression and self-doubt, and focusing on the Hot Buttons are Bill's bullet points in this truly life-altering and attitude-changing message.
America loves a "rags to riches" - an "underdog" - an "against all odds come-back." Bill Bartmann has been a millionaire three times, bankrupt twice, and a billionaire once. He is the ultimate underdog/survivor/achiever, overcoming personal circumstances and tragedy, to rise to the top of corporate America. Homeless at age 14, a member of a street gang and a high-school drop-out. He took the GED exam and put himself through college and law school.
At the request of a bank, he took over a foreclosed oil-field pipe manufacturing plant and turned it into a million dollar a month business, until OPEC slashed the price of oil - leaving Bill out of business and a million dollars in debt.
Refusing to give up, Bill and his wife and business partner, Kathy, borrowed $13,000 and created a new industry ... Debt Resolution. Three years later they had repaid the entire million-dollar debt. Over the next 13 years they grew the new company to 3,900 employees with revenues in excess of $1 billion and earnings in excess of $182 million.
There, they pioneered novel financial instruments still utilized today on Wall Street. They also implemented unheard of perks and benefits for their employees, such as salaries at two times the industry standard, free health care, free on-site day care, 250% 401K match program and legendary company trips where they took ALL of the employees and their spouses on annual trips to the Bahamas, Las Vegas, and ocean cruises. One year they leased 27, 747's so they could fly 6,000 employees and spouses to Disney World.
Bill and Kathy have individually graced the covers of national business magazines, Kathy on the cover of Forbes, and Bill on the cover of Inc. They were listed individually in the Forbes 400 wealthiest people in America. One national magazine ranked them number 25.
In 1998, tragedy struck when Bill's former business partner committed fraud and sent the company into bankruptcy. Although Bill's former business partner told the prosecutors he had acted without Bill's knowledge; admitted his guilt and was sent to prison - in the post Enron environment, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft indicted Bill on 57 felony counts relating to Bill's partner's activities. Five years later, after a 2 1/2 month long trial where the government called 53 witnesses and produced over 1,000 exhibits, Bill rested his case without calling a single witness or producing a single exhibit. The jury unanimously acquitted Bill on all counts.
Ironically, 17 months after his acquittal and six and a half years after his company was liquidated, the Federal Bankruptcy Trustee issued his report, which publicly acknowledged for the first time, "CFS was not a fraud."
This experience would have embittered most people, but not them. Bill and Kathy now travel the country, sharing their stories of how they created their successes and how they dealt with their challenges. It is their life's goal to do for "failure" what Betty Ford did for alcoholism, and what Susan Komen did for breast cancer.
Bill Bartmann understands success and failure. He also understands the business world from the ground up - all the way to the top - and back down again - to the top again. He made corporate history by creating companies that transformed him from poverty to millionaire - to bankruptcy - to billionaire - to bankruptcy - to indicted - to acquitted - and to the top again.
MOST REQUESTED TOPICS:
Bill Bartmann delivers a genuine message that applies to every business, profession and - human being. His motivational style, laced with humor, leaves his audience approaching situations with a never-before, fresh perspective, attitude and solutions-focus. And, audiences retain for a long time Bartmann's Guidelines because they are based on memorable, logical, real-life experiences.
Billionaire to Bankruptcy to Beyond
This program is Bill Bartmann's central theme, which has inspired audiences from all backgrounds. More than just motivational, beyond unreal, Bill's message within moments fills every attendee with an "I-see-the-light" inspirational moment. The audience is quickly swept from a struggling under the circumstances mode to one of leveraging from these circumstances back on the road to success.
Ten Steps to Overcome Any Failure
This no-nonsense presentation leads audiences on a roller coaster of discovery as seen through the eyes of a world-class entrepreneur who has been richer than Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner. Bill offers Ten Solid Truths for leaping past the circumstances of failure and fast-forwarding to overcome all challenges.
Success and Failure
Bill's jaw-dropping views on "Success and Failure" give his audiences a truly unique point of view that could come only from Bill Bartmann. The one-time captain of a billion dollar enterprise, Bill started with a $13,000 loan. Capitalizing on every situation (good and bad), overcoming depression and self-doubt, and focusing on the Hot Buttons are Bill's bullet points in this truly life-altering and attitude-changing message.
