By Cathy Spaulding
Phoenix Staff Writer
April 26, 2008 08:23 pm
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FORT GIBSON — Ryker Young credits risk-taking, diligence and persistence for his successful journey from a Fort Gibson farm, to the crest of the technology boom, to luxury homes in Hawaii, Idaho and Arizona — and back home again.
Young is founder, chief executive officer and president of Lone Oak Ventures, a Fort Gibson company that deals in luxury real estate, oil and gas development and local commercial development. The 4-year-old company also owns Y Bar Rental and Keith True Value Hardware in Fort Gibson.
The 1982 Fort Gibson High School graduate will share secrets to his multi-faceted success during the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Breakfast Wednesday morning.
Chamber President Sue Harris said Young will be a good speaker because “he is a very successful businessman who has done things the right way.”
To Young, that meant working hard and working smart.
“The Book of Proverbs is one of the best books on being successful in business,” he said, adding that the book in the Bible talks about getting wise counsel.
He said success comes from “the diligence of making good decisions.”
“I took time to make good decisions,” he said. “Over the last 20 years, the days of taking a job and being in there for 40 years is not the way markets have handled themselves. If you are going to go on the fast track, it has to be by taking chances, being decisive. This is not checkers, it’s chess.”
Young said chess involves strategy.
He also compared success to knowing when to walk through the door.
“Too many times, we don’t get out of our chairs and see if the door is open,” he said.
On the other hand, he said, “If the door is locked, it’s locked for a reason. Leave it and move on.”
Success also comes by seeking help from the right people, he said.
“It is defining your mentors and partners,” he said. “It is reaching out and asking a lot of questions. I like to say that I listen to what my gut says, but I want it to be validated.”
A 1987 graduate of Northeastern State University, Young spent several years as a network engineer before moving into sales.
A company he helped develop, Sycamore Networks revolutionized technology by pioneering intelligent fiber-optics and created an entire market. Ryker has held sales and executive positions with American Airlines, Anixter, Cisco Systems, Ascend and Cascade until he retired from technology while senior vice president of Global Sales and Services for Sycamore Networks in 2002.
He and his wife, Tina Young, established Lone Oak Ventures in 2004.
The company is currently building a center on Lee Street in Fort Gibson that will include a family medical practice, a dental practice, retail and possibly a restaurant.
“Fort Gibson is a bedroom community, and for people to come out to Fort Gibson, we needed a family medical practice,” he said.
He said that, barring continued rain, the company is “shooting for September” to have the building open for the practice.
If you go
WHAT: Chamber of Commerce CEO Breakfast.
WHEN: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.
WHERE: Muskogee Civic Center.
COST: $20 per person.
CALL: Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce, 682-2401.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.
Photos
Ryker Young is founder, chief executive officer and president of Lone Oak Ventures.