JAMES

RUESCH

In 2002, after gaining inspiration from his family, James Ruesch founded the first trade magazine that featured trends and retail solutions. He named it Scrapbook Premier. At first, James had hesitations because he thought that the nature of the business didn't quite suit him. However, he later discovered the gold bars between the pages of colorful memory books. His magazine was distributed 6 times each year, multiplying the company's gross deals annually.

Through the scrapbook industry, James eventually came up with an idea to establish another company that specializes in market research and campaign management. He called it Ruesch Media Group. The company was originally built to aid the media demands of James's magazine company. He was unsatisfied with ridiculous fees, missed due dates, and the breakdown of correspondence between one service package and another from previous agencies he worked with. When he realized the negative effect the organizations were partaking in his business, he started purchasing them and merged all of the services under one roof. Soon after, James Ruesch extended Ruesch Media Group's services beyond his company, offering market research, data analysis systems, marketing strategies, and campaign management to industry leaders who were looking for answers in their very competitive world.

In the following year, TMG, an international consulting firm for retailers in the memories industry, took James Ruesch in their association.

In 2006, driven by his passion in cars and racing, James Ruesch established Ruesch Motor Company, setting foot in a high-end vehicle manufacturing industry. James led the fastest growing dealer network in America and dominated the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) trade. As part of team Ferrari and Maserati with 16 grand prix wins throughout Europe, Ruesch Motors became known worldwide in circles of racing.

Unfortunately, the Great Recession, a global financial crisis, unexpectedly surfaced and shook the lives of American businessmen, affecting banks, corporations and the companies James Ruesch built. People began losing their jobs and soon they stopped paying attention to fun treats and luxuries, focusing more on their basic needs like food and rent. Nobody seem to care anymore about racing and such. Eventually, Ruesch Motors lost millions of dollars and not a single bank was willing to offer an advance. This paved way to the company's failure.

One of the misfortunate incidents that happened during that challenging period was when some of his dealers became frustrated with their declining sales that used to be higher than their expectations. These people who misunderstood the company's status and were shocked by the impact of America's economic crisis, later turned their back on James.

Because everyone's luxurious life suddenly turned upside down, everyone wanted to blame someone for their mishap. James Ruesch gained false accusations and after being the man who brought dollars to numerous pockets, he was charged with complaints that no one could even prove. With this, his competitors finally found a weak spot. James Ruesch faced online defamation and allegations from people who wouldn't reveal their true identities. Still, James remained positive and lifted up everything to God. He knew he was innocent.

James Ruesch's companies failed then, but it was certainly not the end for him.

Resiliency. Anyone who wants to survive life needs to fully understand and act towards the true meaning of the term.

After experiencing the ups and downs of business, James Ruesch continued his drive for success. He did not stop searching for greater opportunities and later discovered a new venture. His love for travel and exceptional talent in blending with other nationalities became stepping stones in establishing his next company. James founded Stimet, a CEO adviser company that currently offers consultations regarding international sourcing, logistics, and brand development.

Today, James Ruesch is also the Chief Executive Officer of Meristone, a Web development company that has offices in USA and Asia. The company serves system solutions to different industries and he envisions it to dominate the market, just like his former companies.

James never had a perfect life in business. He went through both prosperous and difficult times. Everything was a fruit of hard work and luck. He learned that nobody's certain about the future, one day you're on top, the next day you could be at the bottom again. Nevertheless, success isn't defined by winning the game, it is how well you played it. Standing up each time you fall and keeping the passion burning, that's the meaning of true victory.