About Us: Founder, Mitch Schlimer
Chief Executive Officer 
917-408-6173
mitch@LTBN.com
Mitch's entrepreneurial career began at the age of 5, selling NYC style pretzels from a cart with his grandfather in Queens. After learning many invaluable lessons "on the street", Mitch went on to see many voids or needs in the marketplace, which he eventually attacked with the same drive that made him one of the nations youngest head tennis professionals at the age of 21.
A playing career shortened by injuries allowed Mitch to eventually stumble upon one of his greatest assets, and that is the ability to coach and deal with all levels of players and people. Before founding Mitch Schlimer Tennis Centers in Houston, he experienced that many students could not fully understand spin, and most importantly, could not see spin. Seeing a need, Mitch created the two-tone (orange & yellow) color tennis ball, which is still sold in stores almost 27 years later. Mitch never made a dime from the balls he created, but learned some very valuable lessons as he began the first mile on his entrepreneurial journey.
While operating his tennis academy and pro shops in 1979, Mitch was robbed many times, and could never get correctly reimbursed from the insurance companies he dealt with. Because of his schooling in TV and radio, Mitch was very familiar with video which at that time was a new medium used solely for electronic news gathering. Seeing a need and understanding the medium, Mitch created a comprehensive system that would video a home or business for insurance purposes. Seeing the void, Mitch retired from Tennis and founded the nations first comprehensive video services company, which did video inventories, video yearbooks, video wills and depositions, sales and training tapes and much more.
Eventually Mitch merged this service with retail outlets, and expanded it through franchising. Today, many of the services Mitch created are household services. Once again, Mitch learned some very valuable lessons from this enterprise as he continued on the journey.
In 1985, Mitch saw a need in the marketplace for a full service marketing communications company ,consultancy and video production division, specializing in entrepreneurial companies who were expanding through franchising. From 1985 to 1991 Impac International and Impac Productions was retained by such companies as Blockbuster Video, Dunkin Donuts and hundreds of others throughout the world. During these years Mitch hosted "Franchising Today" which was a 1 hour TV show that aired on Lifetime. He also produced and directed "Franchise Explosion", which was an award winning how-to video on the franchising industry, and most importantly how to investigate one before buying a franchise. During this time Mitch met and developed relationships with some of the great entrepreneurs of our time, which includes Fred Deluca-Founder of Subway, Tony Martino-Founder of AAMCO and MAACO, Bud Hadfiled-Founder of Kwick Kopy and countless others like the late Bill Rosenberg-Founder of Dunkin Donuts.
All along on his journey Mitch felt that entrepreneurs needed "a voice" and thought the market would benefit from a radio show dedicated to entrepreneurship. While that was a goal, Mitch retired from 1991 to 1993 in order to move into the home he grew up in so he could take care of his parents, while his father was struck with cancer.
In 1994 Mitch came out of retirement after learning some very valuable lessons about life during his special time with his family. He had a new mission, which was to really make a difference for today's entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. He started off by creating and hosting the national radio talk show-Let’s Talk Business, completely dedicated to entrepreneurship, small business and franchising. With this, the Let's Talk Business Network was born and during the last 13 years we have fulfilled our mission, which includes creating and airing our proprietary Let’s Talk Business Live events plus other programming dedicated to letting entrepreneurs learn from the journey of others. Mitch calls it OPE- Other Peoples Experience.
During the last 30 years on his entrepreneurial journey, Mitch has experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat on many occasions, but most importantly, he realized there were many lessons to be learned and these should be shared. If there is one that truly sticks out, it is the building of a profitable business that has real market value and can be sold, only transpires for a select few. The majority of all businesses fail and the journey can be very lonely, isolating and costly. Entrepreneurs and small business owners who are the backbone of this nation, not only need each other, but should never feel alone. You see, once again there is a void in the marketplace and it is our objective to fill it by creating a comprehensive "Entrepreneurial Support" network. Finding a need in the marketplace and filling it, is at the heart of entrepreneurship. Mitch is a serial entrepreneur, who has been called the “entrepreneurs-entrepreneur” and has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, Newsday, Success Magazine and countless other media. A matter of fact, Mitch was voted one of the 100 most important radio talk show hosts in America.
We are thankful to all the LTBN members , coaches, advisors and sponsors who complete the LTBN "family".
Hobbies/Activities: All sports, fishing, photography and various charities.