Question

What is Rich Strozewski responsible for in his job?

What does your job entail?

My job consists of controlling all day-to-day operations of the golf club, our alternative revenue outlets, and our personnel. Additionally, my responsibilities include all human resources decisions, P&L (profit and loss) development and execution, marketing, event sales and coordination, and capital improvement decision making.



Are you involved in the business field in any other ways in addition to your job?

I also help to run a family photography business and work with several charities throughout the Phoenix area.



What was it that first attracted you to the business world?

Passion for the game of golf, combined with my passion for running a business.



What types of projects do you work on?

Yearly P&L statements and Capital Improvement Projects are two of the largest projects I work on regularly. They both greatly impact the way the business is currently run and how it will be run in the future.



What resources do you use in your work (software, equipment, reference materials, websites, etc.)?

I use a number of different business software to accomplish my work, including IBS™ (our point of sale system), Adobe Photoshop™, Microsoft Office™ suite, social media platforms (Facebook™, Twitter™, and LinkedIn ™), websites (both for our business and aggregate booking engines for our consumers), and an established network of other professionals in the industry.



What were you most surprised about when you started working in business?

I fell in love with being in business because it gave me the same competition high as when I was competing in sports. I loved that the competitive fire I had for athletics was able to carry over to the business world in such a seamless manner.



What are some of your favorite parts about the work you do?

I love the day-to-day challenges of working with different customers with different sets of expectations. The constantly changing challenges keep work fresh and keep me working to get better daily.

What are some of the greatest challenges of running a business?

Navigating an ever-changing global economy that causes significant fluctuations in prices of materials and service expectations while maintaining a low cost of operation is the greatest challenge we currently face. It is imperative for us to strive to continually stay ahead of industry fluctuations to maintain our business’ profitability.



What project(s) are you most proud of?

I’ve had the opportunity to take two golf courses that were headed toward bankruptcy (losing $500K+/year) and rebuild their operations to be a profitable enterprise for their owners.



What are your greatest achievements in your professional life?

My greatest achievements are being able to see the number of assistants that I have mentored throughout my career move on to run successful enterprises of their own—both inside and outside of the golf industry. Knowing that I have been able to positively influence their lives and the lives of their workers gives me a great deal of satisfaction.



What kind of educational background or training did you need to get started working in business (Please include degrees, certificates, or training resources, if any)?

A college education was a must for my industry. Although our industry offers a number of additional certifications, there is no greater influence on moving up in business than a college degree. My particular degree is in Global Business Administration, which was able to open up a world of resources I have used over my career.



What qualities are most important for a business person to have?

The drive to work harder than your competition will serve an individual greater than nearly any other quality. Creativity, a positive attitude, and a lack of fear with regards to failure are also key components of success.



What advice do you have for someone interested in getting started working in business?

Find what you are passionate about and commit to doing it better than everyone else. Do this, and you cannot help but be successful.

Answer 1

Rich Strozewski is responsible for running all aspects of the golf club’s business. In short, his job entails:

- Controlling day-to-day operations of the golf club and its alternative revenue outlets
- Managing all personnel and making human-resources decisions
- Developing and executing the P&L (budgeting, financial performance, profitability)
- Overseeing marketing and promotional activities
- Selling and coordinating events
- Making decisions on capital improvements and long-term investments