New Q&A series right here

I have always thought there's no better way to avoid mistakes than learn from those who have done it before you. The theory works for parenting, sports and especially business.

With the economy slowly working on a rebound, we thought there was no better time to put this ideology to the test.

The Bradenton Herald this month ran the first in an occasional series of exclusive interviews between myself and prominent business executives who have retired to the Bradenton-Sarasota area. Because I want to give you words just as they came out of the speaker's mouth, the series will be in a Q&A format.

I hope to present readers with a little insight as to what made these folks so successful, what they see in today's changing economy and why they opted to retire in Southwest Florida. Our goal is to publish at least one or two of these articles a month.

The series opened April 16 with Bill Johnston (pictured), who finished an impressive 40-year career as president of the New York Stock Exchange. Read about it here.

The next is scheduled to publish in the paper and Bradenton.com on Monday, featuring Dick Radt, who helped five struggling paper manufacturers become profitable -- turning the largest of them into a $1 billion company with 3,000 employees through seven state locations at the time of his retirement.

If you have any ideas on retirees in Southwest Florida who fit the bill, please share them with me by leaving a comment here or sending me an email at jsalman@bradenton.com. I'm also looking for ideas on interesting questions you would like to see me ask these executives, so feel free to share those as well.

And as always, for the latest business updates, follow me on Twitter @JoshSalman