Brent Warnock, adjunct professor at Salt Lake Community College and author of “Fill a Need: 13 Critical Steps for Success in Business and Life,” addressed the SLCC Collegiate Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) on Monday September 26, 2011 in the Oak Room of the Student Center at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus.
Warnock shared his business knowledge and entrepreneurial experiences with the club’s student members. Warnock’s business advice to those in attendance was to learn to identify and fill the needs of others. He believes that everyone has the opportunity to become a successful entrepreneur if they can learn to identify consumer needs and find profitable ways to fulfill those needs.
“I am not wise beyond my years. I am not more intelligent than you. I am not luckier. I did it! You can too!” is the mantra Warnock maintains in his new book.
He describes his book as, “an attempt to provide you with some words from one who has gone before. Lessons learned through experience will help you traverse a little safer through the rapids and waterfalls of business and life.”
Warnock’s primary business success is in the real estate industry. He founded a company called Landvoice that sells monthly real estate leads subscriptions to real estate brokers.
Landvoice became his “golden ticket” to early retirement, a life long dream of his. He sold this company and retired at age 38, leaving him free to explore other endeavors and spend more time with his family.
“I believe that most of the greatest lessons learned are not a result of one’s successes, but rather from one’s failures,” said Warnock. “It is precisely the lessons learned from failures that lead to eventual success. Experience is a great teacher – but wiser still are those who are humble enough to learn from the experiences of others.”
Warnock teaches COMM 1120 Principles of Interviewing, COMM 1020 Principles of Public Speaking and COMM 1050 Communication Theory at SLCC.
Additionally, he founded The Communication Organization (TCO), an organization that provides business, communication and relationship information to an international audience (www.thecommorg.com) and was a finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2003.
Warnock holds both a bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Communication from the University of Utah, where he also completed his Ph.D. coursework and is presently working to finish his dissertation.
According to the organization’s website, “Collegiate DECA is a student driven organization that values competence, innovation, integrity, and teamwork. We prepare students for careers by integrating skills learned in the classroom into real world experiences. Collegiate DECA programs assist in developing academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible, experienced leaders.
Our students major in a variety of academic programs with a strong focus on business-related fields. Collegiate DECA conferences and other activities give students unique access to internships, scholarships, competition, and professional networking.”
(www.deca.org/membership/college)
Students interested in joining, or for more information about Collegiate DECA at Salt Lake Community College, please contact Ali, the student liaison via email at areid771@gmail.com.
Warnock’s book is due out December 8, 2011 and is now available for pre-order from Amazon.com. For more information about this book please visit www.fillaneedbook.com.