Hey friend. I'm Calvin Cummings.
Thanks for stopping by!
You might know me as one of the co-founders and officers of Valbridge Property Advisors, the largest independent commercial real estate franchise organizations in the United States.
While we were growing Valbridge nationwide, I was busy back in LA systemizing and scaling my own franchise, recently selling it for seven figures, all cash. I would never have been able to do this without completely overhauling my business operating system.
Starting with just two books, I implemented what I learned and finally built a business that didn't depend on me. Now, I'm helping struggling business owners achieve the same freedom and flexibility.
Have you ever asked yourself...
- Is it really possible to build a business that runs independently of me as the business owner?
- I'm busy enough as it is with work and family. Do I really have the time to systemize a business?
- How can I build and grow a business that actually gives me not just income, but freedom and flexibility?
- Where do I even start to pivot out of wearing all the hats and everyone coming to me with their problems?
If so, then you've come to the right place!
Whether you've just started your business and have no idea where to begin with systemizing, or you've been in business for years and are simply tired and overwhelmed, I can help you. Keep reading to discover how I got here...
Out of the Frying Pan: Into the Fire
I was never what I would call a true entrepreneur. I worked as an employee for 20 years with some of the biggest firms in commercial real estate: Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE Group, and LoopNet.
But when LoopNet decided to sell one of the business line I'd helped build, I decided I'd had enough and went out on my own as an MAI-designated, California-licensed real estate appraiser.
I thought it would be easier working for myself than for one of these major corporations.
Boy was I in for a rude awakening!
They Don’t Teach You This Stuff in College!
Although I had a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, they don't really teach you much in college about how to start, grow, and run a small business.
I was also a prestigious MAI-designated member of the Appraisal Institute but, again, although they taught you how to be a great professional appraisal "technician", there was virtually no training or education on how to become a great appraisal "business owner." You were totally on your own in that department!
And I certainly didn't have all the support systems you have when you work for a big corporation. So, here I was at the age of 50, trying to figure it out on my own -- by trial and error.
One of the Lowest Periods in My Life
Those first few years, first working out of my home and later in a small basement office space, almost cost me my marriage!
I was working 12+ hours a day, seven days a week, and I was barely scraping by income wise.
Here I was, college educated, professionally designated and licensed, and I was still barely scraping by and nearly killing myself and my marriage in the process!
My basement office space in 2010. Notice the lack of windows!
Michael Gerber and E-Myth Revisited to the Rescue!
It was in that season of despair that I happened to pick up a book by Michael Gerber titled The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It.
The first time I read this book, I was working so fast and furious that I really couldn't embrace the concepts the author was espousing:
- The Entrepreneurial Myth
- The Turnkey Revolution
- The Business Development Process
- The Three "Jobs" - Technician, Manager, and Entrepreneur
The second time I read it, I was in so much pain from working night and day "in" my business that, finally, the bells and whistles went off in my head and "I got it!"
I didn't really know what I was doing. Whatever I thought I knew didn't work. And if I didn't make a radical change soon, I was either going to go bankrupt, be divorced, or both!
So, I re-read The E-Myth Revisited, and several other similar books. I got involved with E-Myth Mastery and other business coaching programs and, slowly but surely, things started to change, for the better!
A Paradigm Shift and Proven System Made All the Difference!
Fast forward 12 years and I had helped co-found and grow a high eight-figure organization, scaled my own business to seven figures, and sold it for seven figures, all cash.
Most small business owners in the professional services space aren't able to sell their businesses, because those business revolve around and are totally dependent on the business owner. No savvy investor wants to buy a job, so these business owners typically work well into their retirement years and then, unfortunately, simply "turn off the lights" on their way out the door on their last day of work.
It's sad really, and it doesn't have to be that way.
In the last few years of my business ownership, I was making more money that I had ever made in my life, and I had more time freedom and flexibility than ever before.
The business did not depend on me: It was Systems-Dependent NOT Owner-Dependent.
I had successfully systemized and scaled the business and, as a result, was able to sell it for a higher-than-average multiple, and for all-cash, with no earn out!
You’ve Come to the Right Place!
If any of that sounds good to you, then you've come to the right place. Let me show you all that I've learned over more than a decade of running a very successful, systemized business.
I literally spent well over one hundred thousand dollars on high-end coaching and consulting over the years. I want to share what I learned -- the most devastating lessons and the greatest "aha" realizations -- for only a small fraction of what I paid for this knowledge and wisdom.
Are you ready to systemize and scale?
Here are 3 different ways I can help you...
The Founder Coffee Break
Weekly Newsletter
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Every Saturday morning, you'll get actionable tips on how to systemize & scale your professional services business.
The Founder Coaching Program
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We use a 5-Step Proven Process with you, and possibly your leadership team, that is also very flexible and customized to the unique needs of your business.
The Founder Operating System (FOS)
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Self-paced modules & an exclusive membership community that teach you how to systemize and scale your business so you can live the life of your dreams.
Delivering one high-impact business tip every Saturday morning.
Join 600+ subscribers. Get actionable tips to help you systemize and transform your professional services business into a streamlined vehicle to reach your dreams.