The Road to Recovery: Learning to Become a Better Person with Rick Ricart

Rick Ricart is the President of Ricart Automotive Group in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded as Ricart Ford in 1953 by his grandfather, whose philosophy for leadership was to work alongside your employees before you are ever fit to lead. Rick started in the business painting light poles around the lot and has since worked in every aspect of the operation.

Rick grew up spending a lot of time with his dad, but he didn’t spend a lot of time talking about business – which was kind of odd, considering Rick saw his dad on television during practically every commercial break. It was nice having a dad who knew how to create some work-life balance, but it was also confusing knowing his father was something of a local celebrity but not having a great handle on why.

Out of college, Rick wanted to break from his old identity. He was always known as “Fred’s son,” Ricky Ricart. When he went to Dallas, Texas for college he legally changed his name from Ricky to Rick and began figuring out who he was on his own. But after a few years away, a transition took place that led him right back to the family business – and he couldn’t be happier about it.

We go over his whole career, how he fell back in love with the automotive industry, and how his battle with alcoholism has played a role in who he is today.

What Brett asks:

• [01:38] Let’s hear about your childhood, your parents, and your upbringing
• [05:39] What was it like having a dad that was such a big personality in the town?
• [14:51] How did you decide what to study in college and how does that lead into your profession?
• [22:03] What led you to come back and join the family business?
• [36:20] How are you similar and how are you different from your father?
• [41:05] What are you up to now?
• [48:05] Can you tell us more about your recovery process through Alcoholics Anonymous?

Lessons for intentional living:

• The road to finding what we do professionally in life is rarely straight. For Rick, that road took him to dead ends and detours that ultimately led him back to where he started. But without ruling out the options that weren’t working for him, he never would have known that was the right place for him to be.
• Modern life puts so much pressure on us collectively. We’re all expected to be incredibly successful, comparing ourselves to others’ highlight reels. That pressure can push us to do things that we don’t want to do, or that we know aren’t healthy for us. If you get pushed to that place, know that it’s okay to seek help.

Resources:

• Twitter: @rickricart
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rickricart