Pickard: Failure is part of entrepreneurial process

William F. Pickard, a former Board of Trustees member and namesake of the William Pickard Living Center on the Allendale campus, told students, "Don't be afraid of failure, no one has failed more than William Pickard."

Pickard spoke to students, faculty and staff members in the Kirkhof Center October 5, to share insights on how to overcome barriers to success, outlined in his upcoming book, Seven Principles of Entrepreneurship. "I like what Winston Churchill said about failure — failure is never fatal and success is never final," Pickard said.

As founder and chairman of Global Automotive Alliance, LCC in Detroit, Pickard is considered one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the state. He is a co-managing partner of the MGM Grand Detroit Casino, CEO of Bearwood Management Company and co-owner of five black-owned newspapers. 

He shared a time when "never again" became his slogan after he failed a college exam. "I left class, drove to a nearby rest stop and had a long talk with myself," he said. "I knew I needed to begin to study two or three times more than my colleagues."

Pickard owned and operated several McDonald's restaurant franchises at a young age; he said it took vision and the willingness to seize an opportunity — two critical components he said are part the entrepreneurial process. "You will never be what you cannot see," he said. "You must see it if you want to be it. Your vision must be greater than the window you are looking through."

Pickard came to Grand Valley when he was 28. "Life is about finding yourself and creating yourself," he said. "I came to Grand Valley during the foundation of my life and when I was just starting out in business. This is a special place for me. Grand Valley has evolved into a great place for learning."

Pickard was the first in his family to earn a four-year degree. He earned a bachelor's degree from Western Michigan, a master’s degree from the University of Michigan and a doctorate from Ohio State University. He established the Dr. William F. Pickard Business Scholarship at Grand Valley to inspire and encourage first-generation students. 

His visit was sponsored by the Office of the President, Enrollment Development, Office of Multicultural Affairs, and Division of Inclusion and Equity.