ORANGE COAST MAGAZINE
Ruth Ko (www.orangecoastmagazine.com) left home at the age of 15 to pursue acting. She was cast in small television roles in the 1970s but eventually wanted a job with more security. That led her to take a position selling advertisements at ORANGE COAST MAGAZINE, a regional publication. Ruth took on many roles at the company and eventually became the executive publisher. However, her career was in jeopardy when the magazine owner filed for bankruptcy. Determined to survive professionally, Ruth financed for a year and purchased Orange Coast Magazine after outbidding other interested buyers in court. Despite her triumph, Ruth soon faced challenges as the new owner of the magazine. She was confronted with staffing issues and problems that resulted from the bankruptcy. In addition, poor-performing industries discouraged many of its potential advertisers. Fortunately, the company’s circumstances improved after Orange County’s economy recovered from the downturn. Today, Orange Coast Magazine is standing strong after 30 years in business and has a circulation of 60,000 readers.

SUPPORT SERVICES OF AMERICA, INC
Alex Fortunati (www.supportservicesamerica.com) is a risk-taker. This is exemplified in his migration from Argentina in 1983. Upon his arrival to America, Alex possessed a little more than $100 and had no place to sleep. Astonishingly, he created a career for himself in the next several years and worked his way to a district manager position at his firm. He enjoyed the stability but longed for the excitement and unpredictability of entrepreneurship. So in 1997, he and his wife started SUPPORT SERVICES OF AMERICA, INC., which provides janitorial, food and landscape services, among others, to various institutions. In the early days of the business, the couple cleaned offices at night after they finished their day job. Their commitment earned them an excellent reputation and demand for their services soared. Currently, Support Services of America, Inc. is a $20 million-dollar company with a presence in 23 states.

In Secrets of Success, the author of Cracking the Millionaire Code, Mark Victor Hansen (www.markvictorhansen.com), gives advice on growing a business by asking questions from a billionaire’s perspective.

Studio Guest is Carmen Murray (800-533-3292; info@rodeocarpetmills.com) of Rodeo Carpet Mills who talks about how to go from working for an employer to becoming one.