Chief Change Officer Podcast Episode #208: Ral West’s Wild Ride: From the Cockpit to the Boardroom
Release Date: March 1, 2025
Host: Vince Chan
Guest: Ral West
Introduction
In this compelling episode of Chief Change Officer, host Vince Chan welcomes Ral West, a seasoned entrepreneur with over 40 years of diverse business experience. Ral's journey from aviation to real estate and her commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs offer invaluable insights into navigating multiple career transitions successfully.
Career Journey and Major Transitions
Ral West begins by tracing her entrepreneurial roots back to her upbringing in an entrepreneurial family in Seattle. At the age of 25, she ventured into the tourism industry in Alaska, recognizing a niche opportunity to aid small tourism businesses with marketing and advertising.
Ral West [04:41]: “I think it was the main criteria—there was an opportunity because there were many small tourism businesses that didn't know how to get their product out to market.”
Ral, alongside her husband, expanded their initial venture into a charter air service between Alaska and Hawaii, operating widebody jets for 25 years before successfully selling the business to Alaska Airlines. This strategic exit marked a significant milestone, providing the capital and freedom to explore other ventures.
Subsequent ventures included owning small cruise ships tailored to offer unique wilderness experiences in Alaska and investing in multifamily real estate syndications. Ral emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities and staying attuned to global economic shifts, which guided her pivot towards real estate post-COVID-19.
Ral West [06:58]: “If you're not staying aware and keep your eyes open to what's going on around you, you can miss some of these opportunities.”
Business Approach and Philosophy
Vince Chan delves into Ral's business persona, highlighting her disciplined approach to wealth building and opportunity recognition. Ral describes herself as a calculated risk-taker grounded in thorough research and market analysis.
Ral West [12:55]: “I definitely am a risk taker... But I do take calculated risks and I do the homework and I run the numbers.”
Her philosophy centers around leveraging opportunities, continuous learning, and adapting to changing markets. Ral's latest venture focuses on mentoring entrepreneurs, aiming to streamline their paths by sharing her extensive knowledge and experiences.
Challenges and Advice for Women Entrepreneurs
Addressing the unique challenges faced by women in business, Ral reflects on her early experiences with gender bias while working for her father. However, upon establishing her own ventures, she overcame these barriers through confidence and determination.
Ral West [15:01]: “I think that for women, all women, whatever age, you have to believe in yourself and you have to have the confidence that you know what you know and you can do the job.”
Ral candidly shares the struggles of balancing business, family, and personal health, especially between the ages of 35 and 55. She underscores the necessity of building robust systems and delegating effectively to manage stress and maintain work-life balance.
Ral West [17:37]: “Use leverage and get out of that stress and overwhelm by building a real system and structure around me so that I could operate the business whether I was there or not.”
Her advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs emphasizes self-belief, confidence, and the strategic implementation of systems to create sustainable businesses.
Building Systems and Processes
Vince Chan inquires about Ral's strategies for developing resilient business systems. Ral attributes her success to meticulous documentation of procedures, delegation, and fostering a strong company culture.
One notable example involves the transformation of their reservation system for the air service business. Originally reliant on phone bookings handled by agents, Ral spearheaded the development of an automated online reservation system over two years. This innovation allowed 24/7 bookings without agent intervention, significantly boosting revenue and operational efficiency.
Ral West [21:52]: “It was able to take the bookings 24/7 without any of our reservation agents talking on the phone at all. That was a huge transition for our company.”
Ral emphasizes the importance of breaking down daily tasks into transferable components and establishing decision-making frameworks that empower team members to operate independently.
Views on Retirement and Future Trends
When discussing retirement, Ral offers a progressive perspective, diverging from traditional notions of ceasing work entirely. Instead, she envisions retirement as the freedom to pursue personal passions while maintaining entrepreneurial engagements.
Ral West [24:05]: “My definition of retirement is just living the life that I want and having whatever business I want to have. I don't need it for monetary reasons. I just want it because it's my passion, it's my joy.”
Ral predicts that the concept of retirement will continue to evolve, with financial independence allowing individuals to pivot into passion projects, volunteer work, or intermittent entrepreneurship rather than complete withdrawal from work.
Ral West [26:22]: “People can reinvent themselves and develop new ways to keep themselves occupied and follow a passion.”
She advocates for financial strategies that support such flexibility, including passive investments like real estate, enabling sustained income without active management.
Conclusion
Episode #208 of Chief Change Officer with Ral West offers a rich tapestry of entrepreneurial wisdom, highlighting the significance of adaptability, strategic planning, and empowering others. Ral's journey through diverse industries underscores the value of seizing opportunities, building resilient systems, and redefining personal success beyond conventional metrics. Her insights are a beacon for growth progressives, visionaries, and changemakers striving to outgrow themselves and achieve transformative outcomes.
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