About Us
Years ago, a daily devotional really hit me at a personal level. Especially as it relates to what our team does. The devotional focused on our calling and what drives us to be our best, our purpose…
Before founding Cornerstone I was with IBM in a great job, by most standards. Income was more than adequate and I had a high-profile job as a business development executive responsible for identifying outsourcing opportunities valued at more than $100 million. I had worked on teams that won more than $700 million worth of business.
When traveling for IBM, I read a lot of books on planes. One of them was called Wild at Heart. The essence of the book focused on finding your calling and chasing it with everything you’ve got. We only have one shot at life and there is no do-over. After reading the book I remember coming home and making the decision to start a business. So, I asked myself, what business are you going to start or buy?
I did not know the answer to that question. All I knew is that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I knew this at age 10. I created business plans all the time, implemented a few, and actually made a little money. That passion continued through college but somehow I got sidetracked.
During college, I realized the importance of money and financial security. I graduated in 1994 when the economy wasn’t great. I was fortunate to land a position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The pay was OK, and I thought I was "in the money" since the target salary was $35,000 in 1994.
My ambition drove me to do well in my work. My motivation was focused on money and personal recognition. After five years with the federal government, I realized a government career wasn't for me. I moved on to Accenture, back when it was Anderson Consulting, and became an organizational consultant focused on change management.
Still motivated by money and personal recognition, I investigated top MBA schools and was fortunate to get into Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. I left Accenture in 1999 and graduated in May 2000. I had multiple job offers with great compensation packages. I accepted IBM's offer to become a business / IT strategy consultant because the manager said I could move back to Wilmington. She knew I would be on a plane just about every week.
I did well at IBM, was quickly promoted, and had diverse opportunities within the company, including consulting, finance, M&A, and business development. Our teams won deals and we were rewarded nicely. I was saving 20% of my income and was on track to retire by age 55. I figured I had it made.
Then I read that “dadgum” book and it shook me to my core. My comfortable life was not comfortable anymore. Yeah, I would reach my financial goal, but I was working my tail off and only seeing my children during the weekends. If I died next week I would have so many regrets. The biggest would be not focusing on my family and the second would be a missed opportunity to chase my dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Today, I realize I would have had another -- not focusing on building authentic, genuine relationships and helping others at a personal level.
I was continually searching for business opportunities to fulfill my passion for entrepreneurship. I even told a close friend, John, to kick me in the pants if I hadn’t landed on an idea within 12 months. John too shared a dream of entrepreneurship and we had numerous conversations about chasing our dreams. Four months into my search, I finally decided on what I was going to do.
In purchasing The Alternative Board franchise, my vision was to create a boutique consulting firm. So in October 2007, I moved all of my assets to a cash position and officially launched Cornerstone in January 2008.
We all know that was the beginning of the worst economic recession we've seen since the Great Depression. So the first few years were much tougher than I expected. But somehow we made it through.
My passion for entrepreneurship has never been greater and I know that successful businesses must generate profits and returns for investors. I am a true capitalist and love the game of figuring out how to build profitable businesses and maximize return.
I have gained tremendous respect for business owners. Most importantly, I've learned what is most important to me - to help others and to build great friendships. I've also learned that sustainable, profitable companies do not happen without great teams. Great teams are built with trust, common purpose, candor, genuine relationships, and accountability.
So.... now you understand why that devotional made me step back and think. I'm very proud of what we've done and as everyone knows, I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to serve.
Questions to ponder:
What are you passionate about? Are you pursuing your passions? Why / Why not?
Are you building authentic, genuine relationships at work, at home?
Do those who know you best respect you the most?
Cornerstone Business Advisors provides access to experts in business strategy, management, process, and finance. The Cornerstone team includes former C-Level executives, successful entrepreneurs, and advisors who offer unmatched experience in delivering advanced, custom-tailored, results-oriented solutions for business leaders. Cornerstone has worked with hundreds of companies that range from fast-growth start-ups to Fortune 500 corporations. It developed the Performance Culture System™ to help clients implement best practices and drive high performance throughout their organization.