Meet Don Mardak
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Don Mardak |
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| Q. Market area your exchange covers: | A. We have 14 offices servicing 32 markets across the United States. |
| Q. How long have you been in the barter business?: | A. 21 years |
| Q. How long have you been a NATE member?: | A. Since 1987 |
| Q. How have you participated in NATE?: | A. I am a two-term past president of NATE and served seven years on the Board of Directors. I have also participated in numerous panels at national and regional seminars. Our company has been a sponsor of several NATE conventions. |
| Q. If you could change one thing about the barter industry what would it be?: | A. That exchange owners would not treat their system like a private piggybank. |
| Q. Spouse’s name (if married): | A. Judy |
| Q. How many children (if any): | A. 2 – Dale and Kim |
| Q. How many grandchildren (if any): | A. Four – Randy, Samantha, Shane & Alex |
| Q. Favorite vacation: | A. We had a fabulous trip to Bermuda, and several to Hawaii. But most of all, I prefer to spend time at our oceanfront condo in Delray Beach, Fla. |
| Q. Your hobbies: | A. Beachcombing in Delray Beach, boating at our lake home in Wisconsin, reading, and creative writing. |
| Q. Your education: | A. 2˝ years of college, and the School of Hard Knocks. |
| Q. What's the smartest thing you ever did?: | A. Going public. |
| Q. What's the dumbest thing you ever did?: | A. Going public; also buying a printing company. |
| Q. What's your favorite TV show?: | A. Most live TV insults my intelligence, so we usually tape movies. When we do watch live TV, I prefer sporting events: Green Bay Packers football, Milwaukee Bucks basketball, plus news programs. |
| Q. What's the best book you ever read?: | A. "A Parenthesis in Eternity" by Joel S. Goldsmith |
| Q. What's your favorite movie?: | A. There are too many to mention, but very few have been produced in the last five years |
| Q. What was your first job?: | A. Stocking shelves at a grocery store. |
| Q. What was your last job before you got into the barter business?: | A. I owned a retail piano and organ store. |
| Q. What sports (if any) did you (do you) play?: | A. In high school, I played baseball, basketball, and golf. In later years it was golf, bowling, and tennis. |
| Q. What was your first car?: | A. 1951 Mercury |
| Q. What car(s) do you presently own?: | A. Jaguar Vanden Plas, Volvo Cross Country Wagon, Lincoln Continental. |
| Q. If you could meet one person, who would that person be?: | A. Rush Limbaugh. |
| Q. If you have a motto you try to live by, what is it?: | A. The Golden Rule and treating people fairly – especially employees, without whom none of our business successes would be possible. |