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Born in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, I graduated from Rutgers University in 1972 with a BA in English.  The following year, I moved to Houston, Texas, with my degree, car, a bit of advertising experience, and $300 in hand.  After a series of “lucky” decisions, I met George Zimmer and went on to help create Men’s Wearhouse, one of the largest men’s apparel retail companies in North America. 

While at Men’s Wearhouse, I was the general merchandise manager for many years and was responsible for the marketing and advertising of all brands.  In 1992, Men’s Wearhouse went public (NYSE:MW).  During my tenure, Forbes Magazine recognized Men’s Wearhouse as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” and Men’s Wearhouse was named “Retailer of the Decade” by MR Magazine, the leading national trade magazine for menswear retailing. Luck by Design is the story of how YOU can bring luck into your life.

Thank you Richard for taking the time to answer a few questions for us!  Please tell us about your latest project.
 
I’ve recently written Luck by Design: Certain Success in an Uncertain World.
 
Have you received any awards for your work?
 
Yes, my book won “Best Non-Fiction” at the San Francisco Book Festival.
 
Do you also do speaking engagements, or seminars?
 
Yes…I have spoken at colleges, high schools, and business organizations.
 
How has your education, profession or background helped you in your writing career? Or conversely, how has you writing success helped you in your  profession?
 
Believe it or not, the best education I received relative to writing came from high school.  I went to a small, private school—MMI Prep (26 boys in my class—divided into 2 sections).  I had the same English teacher for 4 years and every year, for the first 2 months, we had the same training—learning how to write a paragraph. 

From this instruction, I learned to how be concise and coherent, and learned that every word counts. I was also an English major at Rutgers, specializing on 20th Century American Fiction.  Most of my “tests” were papers, again, forcing me to think and write using clear language.
 
Is there any aspect to your profession that gets you in touch with your readers directly?
 
Not now.
 
What will your next project be?
 
Probably a book aimed at Boomers and talking about what the “new” economy means for them, especially in light of current economic conditions.
 
Who inspires you on a personal or business level?
 
Teachers, mostly.
 
What can you recommend for writers who are just getting started and are trying to make a name for themselves?
 
Forget about “making a name for yourself”.  Pick a topic, start writing, and then write your heart out.  Stay focused—the rest will fall into place.
 
Who is your favorite writer/author?
 
Fiction—probably Pat Conroy and Dave Eggers.  Non-fiction—Eggers and Michael Chabon.
 
Finally, a most important question: what was the last song you sang out loud when you were by yourself?  :)
 
The Motorcycle Song—Arlo Guthrie.

Thank you Richard! We wish you ongoing success with Luck by Design!