Mark M. Ford

Last updated

Mark M. Ford
NationalityAmerican
Other namesMark Ford, Michael Masterson
EducationB.A., M.A.
Alma mater Queens College, University of Michigan
Occupation(s)Author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, investor, publisher, consultant
Website MarkFord.net

Mark Morgan Ford a.k.a. Michael Masterson, is an American author, entrepreneur, publisher, real estate investor, filmmaker, art collector, and consultant to the direct marketing and publishing industries. [1]

Contents

Ford is the author of more than 2 dozen books and hundreds of essays on entrepreneurship, wealth-building, economics, and copywriting. He has also written 4 books of poetry, a collection of short stories (Dreaming of Tigers), and a book on word use titled Words that Work. [2] [3] [4]

Much of Ford's business writing is published under the pen name Michael Masterson. His books, Automatic Wealth and Ready, Fire, Aim, were recognized on the Wall Street Journal and New York Times Best Sellers lists. [5] [6] [7]

Ford is active in real estate development both in the United States and abroad. [8]

Since 1993, he has been the chief growth strategist for Agora, Inc., a publisher of newsletters and books. [8]

In 2014, Ford co-wrote the comedic coming-of-age film After Midnight with Steve Cabrera. [9]

Early life and education

Ford was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents, Frank Ford and Joan O'Byrne Ford, were professors of literature and communications, respectively, at Molloy College in Rockville Centre. [10] [11]

In 1962, at the age of 12, Ford launched his first business, a kitchen-table publishing company that produced and sold satirical pamphlets, titled as Excuses for the Amateur. He sold these for a nickel to his classmates. [12] Also in 1962, Ford wrote his first poem. [13]

He graduated from South Side High School in 1968 and earned his Bachelor of Arts from Queens College (CUNY) in 1973. In 1975, he received a Master of Arts from the University of Michigan. He completed his PhD coursework at Catholic University in 1977, but never finished his thesis. [13]

Career

According to TheStreet.com, Ford "launched dozens of successful businesses in several different industries, some of which have grown well beyond $100 million." [14]

In 1976, Ford enlisted in the Peace Corps and spent two years in Africa teaching English literature and philosophy at the University of Chad in Ndjamena. He authored a book about Chadian culture and a newsletter for Peace Corps volunteers. In 1977, he married Kathryn Fitzgerald. [8]

In 1980, Ford took a job at a start-up publishing company in Boca Raton, Florida. [8]

In an interview with Boca Raton News, Ford recalled that the first newsletters they published were typeset and printed with outdated equipment but that the quality of the print didn't seem to bother the customers. The production facilities were improved as revenues grew. [15] [16]

In 1983 Ford was promoted to vice president in charge of marketing and product development. He executed a campaign to launch a new line of newsletter companies targeted to consumers, covering topics from health to travel to investing to astrology and gambling. [15] [16] In 1983 Ford wrote his first advertising campaign for an investment club called The Royal Society of Lichtenstein that covered wealth building, tax deferral strategies, and personal liberty. [8]

By the early 1990s the combined revenues of those companies exceeded $135 million in annual revenues. [17]

In the early 1990s, several of Ford's protégés created a correspondence school to teach the fundamentals of writing for the direct marketing industry called American Writers and Artists, Inc. [18]

Aside from courses on writing advertising copy, AWAI also offers self-study programs on web marketing, resume writing, graphic design, publishing, travel, and photography. [19] Ford, under the pen name Michael Masterson, created the Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. [19]

Ford has been a real estate investor and developer for more than 30 years. He currently has investments in approximately 40 real estate development companies and developments including a 1000-home residential housing project in Panama and a 3,000-acre resort on the west coast of Nicaragua.

Ford is the co-founder of Palm Beach Research Group. [20] His other business ventures include: Lion's Kill LLC, [21] Ford Fine Art LLC, [22] and Paradise Palms of Delray Beach. [23]

Published books

Mark Ford, (also identified as Mark Morgan Ford or Michael Masterson) has authored and co-authored books on marketing, copy-writing, and entrepreneurship. Some of these books include:

In 2012 Ford published a poetry collection called Back and Out Again (Cap & Bells Press) under his full name, Mark Morgan Ford, so as to distinguish his poetry from Mark Ford, a better-known poet.

Controversy

In 1991 the U.S. Postal Inspection Service seized $6.6 million in bank accounts held by Ford and his partner, Joel Nadel, for allegedly violating civil mail-fraud and money-laundering statutes. The case was eventually settled in November 1993 without Ford and Nadel admitting or agreeing to wrongdoing. The government repaid Ford and Nadel more than $3 million, plus interest, and a compensation fund was established. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boca Raton, Florida</span> City in Palm Beach County, Florida

Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. However, many people with a Boca Raton postal address live outside of municipal boundaries, such as in West Boca Raton. As a business center, the city also experiences significant daytime population increases. A part of South Florida, Boca Raton is 45 miles (72 km) north of Miami and is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which had a population of 6,012,331 as of 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm Beach County, Florida</span> County in Florida, United States

Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and Broward County and the 26th-most populous in the United States, with 1,492,191 residents as of the 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is West Palm Beach, which had a population of 117,415 as of 2020. Named after one of its oldest settlements, Palm Beach, the county was established in 1909, after being split from Dade County. The county's modern-day boundaries were established in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens</span> Art center, museum, and gardens in Delray Beach, FL

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is a center for Japanese arts and culture located west of Delray Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The campus includes two museum buildings, the Roji-en Japanese Gardens: Garden of the Drops of Dew, a bonsai garden, library, gift shop, and a Japanese restaurant, called the Cornell Cafe, which has been featured on the Food Network and Vizcaya Television. Rotating exhibits are displayed in both buildings, and demonstrations, including tea ceremonies and classes, are held in the main building. Traditional Japanese festivals are celebrated several times a year.

The Yamato Colony was an attempt to create a community of Japanese farmers in what is now Boca Raton, Florida, early in the 20th century. With encouragement from Florida authorities, young Japanese men were recruited to farm in the colony. There were as many as 75 Japanese men, some with their families, at the peak. There was "a cluster of two-story frame houses, a general store..., some packing houses."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Morikami</span>

Sukeji "George" Morikami was a Japanese immigrant to the United States who farmed in Palm Beach County, Florida, for more than 65 years. He donated his 200 acres of farm land to Palm Beach County in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm Tran</span> Public transit bus system in Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Tran is the public transit bus system run by the Palm Beach County Government, serving Palm Beach County, Florida. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 7,229,000, or about 27,200 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2023. Palm Tran also serves a portion of Broward County, Florida where it overlaps with Broward County Transit. Palm Tran has four main facilities with its main headquarters in West Palm Beach on Electronics Way. The current executive director is Clinton B. Forbes.

The Boca Raton News, owned by the South Florida Media Company, was the local community newspaper of Boca Raton, Florida. The paper began publication December 2, 1955, with a startup circulation of 1200, published by Robert and Lora Britt, and edited by Margert Olsson. Initially a weekly publication, it later began daily operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Heritage School (Florida)</span> School in Plantation & Delray Beach, Florida, United States

The American Heritage Schools are a pair of private, college preparatory, independent, nonsectarian, and co-educational day schools for grades Pre-K 3 through 12. The two campuses together teach 4,200 students and are located in the United States in Plantation, Florida, a suburb just west of Fort Lauderdale in Broward County, and in Delray Beach, Florida, a city just north of Boca Raton in southern Palm Beach County.

WWNN is a commercial radio station licensed to Pompano Beach, Florida, and serving Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. The station is owned by Vic Canales, through licensee Vic Canales Media Group, LLC. The studios are in Boca Raton. Part of the day, the station airs brokered programming, where hosts pay for their time and may advertise their products or services during their shows. The rest of the day, the station carries The True Oldies Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effects of the 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane in Florida</span>

The 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane had widespread impacts in Florida. It produced significant flooding, damage to vegetation, and beach erosion in the Miami metropolitan area. After forming off West Africa on September 2, the storm moved on a parabolic path that brought it through The Bahamas as a Category 3 hurricane on September 16, eventually striking the city of Fort Lauderdale in South Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on the following day. The hurricane later crossed the state, entered the Gulf of Mexico near Naples less than 24 hours later, and went on to strike Louisiana before dissipating on September 21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delray Beach, Florida</span> City in Palm Beach County, Florida

Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population of Delray Beach as of April 1, 2020 was 66,846 according to the 2020 United States Census. Located in South Florida, 52 miles north of Miami, Delray Beach is in the Miami metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Abruzzo</span> American politician

Joseph Abruzzo is a Democratic politician from Florida. He serves as the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller for Palm Beach County, an independently elected office established by Florida’s Constitution.

The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History is a non-profit organization located in Palm Beach County, Florida. Currently the museum is seeking a permanent location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Gladstone</span> American chief executive

Jerry Gladstone is an author, personal life coach and marketing executive. During his 25-year career, Gladstone specialized in the production and distribution of entertainment fine art for major movie studios and celebrities. Gladstone is the founder of The Common Thread Success Academy, The Common Thread Group and author of the International Best-Selling Book, The Common Thread of Overcoming Adversity and Living Your Dreams. The Common Thread includes inspiring stories and insights about overcoming adversity provided by Academy Award and Grammy winners, Super Bowl champions, music icons, Olympians, UFC champions, and billionaires.

Daniel Cane is a founder of Blackboard Inc. and CourseInfo LLC. He is currently the CEO and co-founder of Modernizing Medicine.

Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. Its history dates back to about 12,000 years ago, shortly after when Native Americans migrated into Florida. Juan Ponce de León became the first European in the area, landing at the Jupiter Inlet in 1513. Diseases from Europe, enslavement, and warfare significantly diminished the indigenous population of Florida over the next few centuries. During the Second Seminole War, the Battles of the Loxahatchee occurred west of modern-day Jupiter in 1838. The Jupiter Lighthouse, the county's oldest surviving structure, was completed in 1860. The first homestead claims were filed around Lake Worth in 1873. The county's first hotel, schoolhouse, and railway, the Celestial Railroad, began operating in the 1880s, while the first settlers of modern-day Lake Worth Beach arrived in 1885. During the 1890s, Henry Flagler and his workers constructed the Royal Poinciana Hotel and The Breakers in Palm Beach and extended the Florida East Coast Railway southward to the area. They also developed a separate city for hotel workers, which in 1894 became West Palm Beach, the county's oldest incorporated municipality. Major Nathan Boynton, Congressman William S. Linton, and railroad surveyor Thomas Rickards also arrived in the 1890s and developed communities that became Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and Boca Raton, respectively.

Delivery Dudes was a Florida-based on-demand delivery service founded in 2009. The company delivered restaurant food, groceries, and prescriptions. It was acquired by Louisiana food delivery company Waitr in 2021. In its consolidation, the company changed its name to ASAP.

Frank Varga was a Hungarian-American sculptor. He was the only child of the artist Ferenc Varga and his wife Anna Pázman Varga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duane Owen</span> American murderer (1961–2023)

Duane Eugene Owen was an American convicted murderer who killed Karen Slattery and Georgianna Worden in Delray Beach and Boca Raton, Florida in 1984. Owen was sentenced to death for the murders and was executed in 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Paul Rapa (April 26, 2009). "Review of 'The Fast Track to Becoming a Millionaire' by Michael Masterson". Seeking Alpha. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  2. ↑ Masterson, Michael and Judith Strauss. Words That Work: 117 Ways to Speak More Powerfully. Delray Beach, Florida: Early to Rise, LLC, 2007.
  3. ↑ Bill Glazer. "Inside the Mind of Michael Maestrom, Part 1". DanKennedy.com. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  4. ↑ Ford, Mark Morgan (June 1, 2019). Dreaming of Tigers.
  5. ↑ "Hardcover Business Best Sellers". The New York Times. February 2, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  6. ↑ "It's Bestseller Thursday". EarlyWord. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Best Sellers". Bloomberg Businessweek. 2008. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Bob Bly. "The Making of a Serial Entrepreneur". Bly.com. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Delray to star in movie". Sun Sentinel. July 22, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Deaths FORD, FRANCIS P.(FRANK)". The New York Times. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Admissions & Aid". Molloy.edu. Archived from the original on August 24, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Who is Michael Masterson?". Michaelmasterson.net. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  13. 1 2 "Mark Ford biography". Absolute Wealth. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  14. ↑ Alexander Green (November 17, 2010). "Michael Masterson: The Most Important Person You Don't Know". The Street. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  15. 1 2 Ted Knutson (February 4, 1986). "Newsletters: Money-making magic". Boca Raton News. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  16. 1 2 Suzy Hagstrom (August 18, 1987). "State newsletter publishers wooing back subscribers". Boca Raton News. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  17. ↑ "About Us". Palm Beach Letter. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  18. ↑ Robert McEvily. "Exclusive Advice for Writers and Business Builders from a Copywriting Genius". Copy Blogger. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  19. 1 2 Samar Owais. "Review: Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting". The Writing Base. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Six Fallacies and Six Facts About Building Wealth". Palm Beach Research Group. December 27, 2018.
  21. ↑ "OFF THE RAILS MOVIE PREMIERE". The Atlantic Currtent. February 27, 2019.
  22. ↑ "About Us". Ford Fine Art.
  23. ↑ "Permit". Florida Gov.
  24. ↑ Trent (June 22, 2008). "Review: Ready, Fire, Aim". The Simple Dollar. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  25. ↑ James McNair (November 23, 1993). "Dispute delays payment to Boca scam victims". Boca Raton News. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.