Roy Reimen Inaugural Lecture (1998)

Roy Reimen President, Reiman Publications

Imagine working in a company without an organization chart, without a budget, without titles, and where creativity is encouraged outside your own department. Sound appealing? Then perhaps you should send your resume to Greendale, Wisconsin, home of Reiman Publications.

Roy Reiman, founder of Reiman Publications, spent two days in Ames to kick off the Reiman Entrepreneurial Speaker Series, an event made possible through a gift to Iowa State by ISU alumnus Reiman and his wife, Bobbi.

At the community lecture event, Reiman shared his entrepreneurial success stories (and failures) and told the audience how Reiman Publications began as an idea in the basement of his home and has grown to a national publishing company with over 500 employees.

Reiman Publications proudly publishes nine national magazines: Country, Country Extra, Country Woman, Reminesce, Reminesce Extra, Taste of Home, Farm & Ranch Living, Country Store, and Birds & Blooms. All of Reiman's publications are advertising free and are filled with beautiful photographs of picturesque countrysides and down home people, as well as tantalizing recipes and stories about families and special kids. The publishing company also produces cookbooks, sells gift items and garden gadgets, and leads country tours all over the world.

As part of the speaker series, Reiman shared breakfast with a few selected students, gave a classroom presentation in a marketing and personal selling course, visited over lunch with the academic and technical contacts from each of the four colleges representing the ISU Pappajohn Center, and gave an enlightening, entertaining, and inspirational lecture to the community at the Iowa State Center. While in Ames, Reiman also met with individuals from the College of Journalism & Mass Communications, where he received a degree in Agricultural Journalism, and the ISU Foundation. He and his family also attended the Iowa State vs. Baylor football game.

Throughout the day, Reiman shared his enthusiasm about entrepreneurship and the challenges and rewards that go along with starting your own business. He encouraged his audience to be "opportunists! You must turn problems into opportunities by thinking creatively." This comes from a man who turns out new ideas on the hour. Are all of his ideas good? Are all of his ideas feasible? Maybe not, but Roy Reiman has learned to always think innovatively and creatively. And he's good at it. He listens to his customers. He listens to employees. He listens to his wife, Bobbi, who often times helps him refine his ideas or titles and who has been very supportive of his creativity over the years. When Reiman decided to leave Agricultural Publishers to start his own business, Bobbi was pregnant with their fifth child. Starting out on his own meant scrimping and sacrificing, but Bobbi supported this entrepreneurial endeavor. Reiman says they "ate a lot of macaroni and cheese and spam in those days."

Reiman pointed out what he feels are the three main benefits of entrepreneurship: it's stimulating, it's satisfying, and it's fun! "If you're not having fun at what you're doing, then you should be doing something else," declares Reiman.

Reiman attributes his success to the following: he surrounds himself with good people, he asks people for advice, he never hires anyone he doesn't like, he ties into experts outside his own company, and he keeps things fun for everyone at his company.

Reiman Publications has built beautiful trails and picnic areas on the company grounds for its employees to share, it is always running some contest for employees and the people in the village, and it welcomes input from its many readers -- many of whom submit articles and photos for Reiman's many publications. One of Reiman's daughters once told him, "Dad, when you pick up one of your magazines to read, it's like getting friendly letters from a hundred people."

A successful entrepreneur himself, Reiman has established the speaker series so that aspiring and existing Iowa entrepreneurs can learn from nationally recognized entrepreneurs and speakers. The series will allow Iowa State to bring individuals to campus who can share their entrepreneurial spirit and wisdom with students, faculty, staff, and members of the business community. Activities during the series will be tailored to the individual interests and areas of expertise of each speaker. The two-day format may include student presentations, faculty forums, a community lecture, a banquet or dinner, and other activities fitting for that particular speaker.