COVER STORY
RICK
SINGH
ORANGE
COUNTY
PROPERTY
APPRAISER
A Culture of Change
and Innovation
E
ntrepreneurs of all kinds have a
back story, the catalyst for who
they are today. In cultures around
the world (especially third world
countries), children are taught at an
early age how to be the breadwinners of
the family—securing odd jobs to pay the
collective bills and negotiating for groceries
down to the penny. Children become
budding entrepreneurs out of necessity
in impoverished conditions. This classic
example of young entrepreneurs is the
childhood Rick Singh remembers. As the
Orange County Property Appraiser (OCPA),
many of the skill sets ingrained within were
learned from his mother who set examples
of developing interpersonal and financial
skills in competitive environments.
From then on, Singh has approached
everyday life with an entrepreneurial spirit—
"with the mindset to always seek out ways
to enhance and improve service. Along
the way, the most successful business
owners reached their current stature
through trial and error. “It's a lot of failure.
Success ultimately comes from trying
and trying again. Larry Page, founder of
Google, pitched his business plan for
By Kathryn McHenry
funding hundreds of times before securing
investors. If he'd have stopped short,
we'd have never heard of Google. It's
tenaciousness, resiliency and persistence
—but most importantly, passion—which you
have to put into business practice and bring
to the table each and every day.”
While in the military stationed at Fort Polk,
Louisiana, Singh recognized a need for entry-
level soldiers to be fitted with affordable
automobiles and finding transportation
for families. After being honorably dis-
charged, Singh started an automotive
business with his brother in Orlando—
entering into unforeseen cyclical changes. It
thrived when the economy was up, but when
business stagnated, they closed the doors
and moved on. Ultimately that business failed,
however Singh learned a good deal from it
and how to make adjustments. From there,
Singh served six years as an entry-level field
appraiser at OCPA's office, simultaneously
attending schooling to become licensed
as a private appraiser. While serving in this
role, his entrepreneurial hat was always on—
constantly searching for ways to save time
and money by once again summoning an
entrepreneurial spirit in all decision-making.
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