Meet Richard Wagner | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Richard Wagner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Richard, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I can identify five primary reasons I always wanted to start and have my own business as follows:

1. I thrive on responsibility and making decisions, therefore I want to be in charge.
2. I like and want to be the leader.
3. I want to control my own life and future.
4. Having others directly affecting my career path was always an issue.
5. Accomplishing my own goals was always important to me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I decided to write this book, “Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree,” due to a real-life experience. When I was fourteen, a business associate of my father’s delivered a Christmas tree to our home as a gift. However, we already had a decorated tree. We couldn’t find anyone to take the tree, so it stood alone and forgotten outside on the side of the house for the entire holidays. I always felt sorry for that little tree, and over the years I thought about writing a story in its honor, but with a better ending. Having always been a good writer and communicator, I finally sat down one day and wrote a story about a forgotten Christmas tree. What I have learned about writing is that frankly, the creative writing part of the process was the easiest. The harder parts were finding a publisher and a good illustrator. Now the challenge is marketing, and that is proving to be the greatest learning curve.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For someone visiting Southern California and, in particular, Orange County, on Day 1 we would hit the beach at Newport. Later in the afternoon we would stop for a drink at the Blue Beat Cafe, and then dinner at Billy’s at the Beach along Mariner’s Mile in Newport. Day 2 would be Disneyland/California Adventure with dinner at Club 33 at Disneyland. Day 3 would be a day at Knott’s Berry Farm with dinner at the White House in Anaheim. Day 4 would be a Dodger game in LA. Gotta have a Dodger Dog! Day 5 would be Universal Studios, with dinner at Moonshadows overhanging the beach in Malibu. Day 6 has to be a trek to Catalina Island via the Catalina Express out of Long Beach, with dinner before returning at Luau Larry’s. And Day 7 would be a a trip to San Diego to see the USS Midway, and have dinner in the Gas Lamp District.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife encouraged me to jump in and write this story, and has been supportive throughout the process.

Website: needlesthechristmastree.com

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/richard-k-wagner/10/837/716

Image Credits
Images from the book are by Sydni Kruger