Driven to Succeed is the autobiography of William K. Maas, known to friends, family, and business associates as "The Old Farm Boy." Born in 1924, Bill has seen almost a century of American innovation and advancement. He left his Iowa farming heritage behind in 1942 at the age of 18 to serve his country as a World War II Naval Air Pilot. He continued to fly airplanes for his business travel for over sixty more years, owning several of his own planes. Bill worked for other employers only a few of his sixty-year career. He knew early on that farming was not going to be his life. And if he was going to succeed, he knew he had to make his own way. He took what he learned on the farm and built a successful grain and feed business, eventually adding a turkey and chicken hatchery. He became interested in real estate investment and brokering in the 1960s. He bought and sold many motels over the years and helped others do the same. Community service was a calling for Bill. From an early age, he stepped up to serve in leadership roles and continued serving his community and industry late into his career. Bill loved business, but he is most proud of his family. He and his first wife, Iva, had three children - Will, Beth, and Barbara. Bill's second wife, Marge, brought three more children into his life - Lane, Lynn, and Jim. Over the years, he's enjoyed watching his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow. Driven to Succeed not only talks about Bill's family and business ventures, it shares his secrets to a healthy life and his love for sports and politics. This memoir contains well over a hundred photos and reveals wisdom gained over decades of lessons. Whether you are a family member, friend, or an entrepreneur, you will find insight from The Old Farm Boy's life. But above all, you'll be inspired by his deep love for God and America.
About the Author: Bill Maas, fondly known as "The Old Farm Boy," is a man who loves his family. He loves life and looks forward to each and every day with a positive outlook and lots of optimism and ambition. He taught his family to work hard and never, never, never give up. His whole life was based on the following plan: God and prayer first, then family, then work, then play, and then finally, prayers of thanks before bedtime. He especially enjoys the family tradition of reuniting every five years on his birthday. The practice started in 1999 with his 75th birthday. So far, his family has gathered to celebrate being a family every five years since then - 2004, 2009, and 2014. He's looking forward to 2019! Bill loved to travel to see his family over the years too, meeting up in locations like Santa Fe, New Mexico, and San Francisco, California. He enjoyed going on cruises with family and friends - five cruises in all. The Old Farm Boy is still going at 93 years of age. The world has changed a lot since 1924, and Bill's great anticipation of innovation and advancement is probably what makes him most excited about the prospect of living many more years. He hopes to spend more time with his family.