Richard Buettner believes that adaptation is the key to success in modern entrepreneurship, and he is a great example of this. Whether moving from small-town basketball to the professional world, or shifting between social media stardom and writing books, Richard knows and shows what it takes to successfully adapt.
Born shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall in Magdeburg, Germany on June 14th, 1994, Richard knew that the life of dull conformity taught in school was not one for him. “Ever since I was a teenager, I knew having a job that I didn’t like to make money that barely got me by was not how I wanted to spend the rest of my life,” Richard remembers. “First, I focused on understanding money and energy to become financially independent. The next step was finding out what I really wanted to do with my resources: energy, time, and money.”
Thus began Richard’s search for meaning in his work. Past making money alone, the young entrepreneur knew that he wanted to build something that would outlast him. That “thing” came in an unusual form; not a specific product or appliance, but in knowledge itself. As a public speaker and author, Richard’s chief mission in life is to actually transfer the knowledge that he has accumulated through his own life into the lives of others, thereby showing them a better way forward in their own lives and careers.
“Now looking back I found what I was looking for in the process, during the journey; the goal was never to reach a destination but to discover the way,” shares Richard. “Everyone has their own understanding and perspective based on their experience, yet almost all success stories start with a dream or desire. Having something to drive towards that’s worth the pain is key to creating a path to success. Working late nights and early mornings, sacrificing your time with friends, family and hobbies are all things that I’ve seen in successful entrepreneurs; they sacrifice instant gratification for long term satisfaction.”
Richard found this desire early on, albeit in a different field. Magdeburg Germany is a small, nowhere town in Eastern Germany, and Richard’s ticket out first appeared to be sports; basketball in particular. At age 14, Richard began attending a sports highschool and played in Germany’s semi-professional basketball league, the JBBL. Although basketball stardom wasn’t in his cards post-high school, Richard had had a glimpse of the outside world and decided that nothing would get between him and claiming it as his own.
“That was the first and most important obstacle I had to overcome,” says Richard, “I had to overcome my own beliefs that coming from a small town meant I would never become successful. I thought the only thing that would get me out into the world was ‘luck’ or fame. What I didn’t understand until later, is that luck and fame follow hard work and success. Putting in the time to build yourself, your business, and your path in life will make you feel like the luckiest person in the world once you’re already successful.”
This idea – that luck and fame follow hard-one success, rather than vice-versa – has helped Richard design his roadmap for building the successful entrepreneur and financial independence. Learning to work hard, to adapt and overcome when presented with obstacles, is what Richard has built his success on. Although he claims he was a slow learner in school, his ability to quickly adapt to real world situations and to learn while doing have been the lasting keys to sustaining his success.
“Learning is the key to building success. This may sound strange; we spend the first twelve years of our life ‘learning,’” shares Richard, “but nobody ever really taught us HOW to learn. Understanding why you learn is therefore a key to success. I went from being a slow learner to becoming a fast learner by adaptation. I believe in today’s age, the ability to adapt is far more important than any other skill. A few hundred years ago the strongest people succeeded. In the last 200 years the smartest and most-educated people were succeeding. I believe now the most adaptable people will succeed. We truly live in a new time!”
If adaptation is the key to success, then Richard Buettner is the man to look to. Whether moving from small-town basketball to the professional world, or shifting between social media stardom and writing books, Richard knows and shows what it takes to successfully adapt in an ever-changing world. Going forward, he now hopes to share his expertise and adaption know-how through more public speaking events and his bestselling book, “The Success Formula.”
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