‘The Day You Find Out Why’: Bill Orender’s Story of Purpose, Perseverance, and Passion

Local author’s journey from humble beginnings to inspirational leadership

Story by Mary Hill

For author and PK resident Bill Orender, seeing people find their path and mission in life is his passion.

To that end, Orender, who was born in 1944, said one of his favorite quotes is by Mark Twain: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.â€

Orender, who was raised on the south side of Chicago, said both of his parents were factory workers, with his mom working nights and his father days. Because of their disparate work schedules, Orender said he rarely saw his folks together except on weekends.

He also recalled what living in an apartment with no hot running water until he was 10 years old was like.

“Every Saturday night, Mom heated water for the galvanized tub,†Orender said. “My sister would take her bath, then me, and then Mom. Dad showered at work.â€

Orender said his family later moved near Chicago’s Midway Airport, where he spent his high school years, and he admitted that he did not do well academically. After going off to college, Orender said he flunked out immediately, which led to a two-year stint as an hourly paid factory worker where his dad worked.

He then went back to junior college – and flunked out again – but Orender said he now views that academic setback as a positive instead of a negative.

“That was one of the best things that ever happened to me,†he said. “I got serious and decided to figure out why I had such a study problem.â€

On a downtown trip with his mom, Orender said he looked for a book to help him study. The book he found led him to discover that he had a goal problem instead of a study problem. After coming to that realization, Orender said he set goals for the first time in his life – and that was when everything changed for him.

“I have been a fanatic about goal setting since then,†he said.

His eagerness to learn more led him to read “Think and Grow Rich,†a self-improvement book published in 1937 by Napoleon Hill and Rosa Lee Beeland. The book emphasizes the necessity for a detailed plan to succeed, and the power of goal setting became so important to Orender that he said he has read Tommy Newberry’s “Success Is Not an Accident†26 times.

Orender’s next academic stop was Eastern Illinois University, where he met his wife, Carol. They got married in 1968, and Orender moved on after graduating there to Northern Illinois University, where he earned his MBA because he assumed he needed one to succeed in corporate America. He subsequently accepted a job with a steel company that transferred him to Atlanta in 1971, where Orender met Virginia Carter, a life-changing acquaintance who became “like his second mom,†he said.

That connection led to Orender’s job with Waddell and Reed, a financial services company out of Kansas City, Missouri, and to Art Williams, a man Orender referred to as a father figure, a mentor, a coach, and someone an individual could model his or her life after.

After coming to the realization that Waddell and Reed was not a long-term fit, Williams and a team of 85 associates (including Orender) left to form A.L. Williams and Associates in February 1977, where they revolutionized the insurance industry.

Orender described his work with the company, now called Primerica, as his passion, his calling and his mission. He said it was a place where clients with just a dollar or two a day to invest could provide financial security for their families and fund their retirement dreams.

Orender, who credited Williams as the inspiration for his writing, has his fifth book coming out in August. Titled “Everyone Wants To Be Somebody,†it will include interviews from 27 team members defining their inner drive. His other published books are:

• “Locker Room Notes,†written from 15 years of Orender’s original meeting notes taken as Williams spoke on winning, toughness, leadership and building a business.
• “The Art Williams Phenomenon,†which details how the company got started.
• “A.L. Williams Changed My Whole Life,†which includes life stories of company leaders and how their lives were changed.
• “Wish You Were There,†which describes being at war with the largest industry in the world, and winning.

When reflecting on his life, Orender referenced a famous quote by Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backward.†Orender said he realized the importance of following one’s

Bill Orender, author and PK resident, sharing his story with PK Magazine. Photo by Matthew Renfro

passions and trusting that the dots will connect in the future, and he recounted two instances of his connected dots.

“Why did I flunk out of college? To meet Carol,†he said. “Why did I go to work for the steel company? To get to Atlanta and meet Virginia.â€

Orender and his wife bought their PK home in The Ranch in 2006 for a weekend getaway, then relocated from Frisco in 2021 to make PK their full-time residence. Their Frisco neighbors Jay and Jenny Allison, who also are Ranch property owners, introduced the couple to this community, and it didn’t take the Orenders long to make the move.

Orender said the couple’s four children and 10 grandchildren come to visit often and have helped share their beautiful respite with others, including hosting youth groups, Catholic ministry events, business retreats, and various friend and family events.

Orender said he has many reasons to enjoy his surroundings and the breathtaking views of the lake and nature at play. He said his backyard is the wintertime setting for turkey vulture “air shows,†and he described how 50 to 75 birds that nest on the low side of the dam will warm up around 7am before the show.

Orender said the Graham Country Club’s nine-hole golf course has become his weekday destination, where he can arrive just after 7 a.m. and have a relaxing time. He noted that he would rather find a golf ball than hit one, though.

“The thing we love about this place is that every day is different,†Orender said. “The skies are different, the lake is different, and the smells are different. My wife and I have each other and the kids come visit, and that is all we need.â€Bill Orender’s books are available on Amazon