We are back from our Telarus President’s Club trip in Saint Lucia and what a great experience! It was filled with fun, relaxation, and networking with the best of the best from our industry. To say I am humbled and grateful for the trip and recognition is an understatement. In 2022 Accelerate Partners was in the Top 4% of partners in the Telarus portfolio, ranked #28 of 3,000. We sold record revenues and created many new relationships. Reflecting on the past 3 years (we began in March 2020; in the midst of a global lockdown), we started from a standstill. We were a small consulting company with only a few clients, no pipeline, and no identity other than my 30+ years in corporate life and a blank canvas. Today, we operate from a position of abundance – not the common measurement of financial abundance, though our position is strong – I’m referring to intellectual and emotional abundance. Let me explain this further, as the power of these two concepts has changed the growth trajectory of our business.
Intellectual Abundance
Thirty years is a long time to spend in Corporate America. My career has been ripe with challenges, success, setbacks, possible and impossible goals, and incredible people who have supported me, pushed me beyond my comfort zone, and helped me grow. As I reflected on my professional journey in the early months of 2020, I realized in very short order that my skill set, insights, experiences, challenges, and success were transferrable to other companies, executives, and investors. The ability to comprehend a complex business problem and then solve it with technology is my sweet spot. I knew most businesses craved growth, brand recognition, asset protection, and the need to satisfy investors. I knew I had the knowledge to do this, and the ability to make it happen. I remember thinking, “I can do this. And if I can’t bet on myself to be successful, why would anyone else?”
Over the past 3 years, we have consulted with small businesses and mid-market enterprises in financial services, healthcare, and other industries to help find technology solutions to solve today’s challenges. Most importantly, as a technology advisor that represents over 300 suppliers, we are solidly positioned to also care for our client’s future needs with zero hidden agendas. Our client’s goals are our goals and we operate transparently. This operating model resonates across all industries, with every company. And because we operate from a place of Intellectual Abundance, we are attracting both employees and clients alike to our platform as we continue to build mindshare and scale.
Emotional Abundance
Emotional Abundance is a concept I’d never heard of, let alone practiced, until it was introduced to me 3 years ago by my wife. As a yoga and meditation instructor, her practice has taken her to a level of inner strength that was admirable, and while I wasn’t sure what it was, I knew I wanted some of it! To be emotionally abundant has a lot to do with your belief in a greater force outside yourself – a belief in the goodness of the Universe “having your back.” For example, if you believe in karma and doing the right thing, your actions will create positive energy in the world, and the universe “rewards” you for your actions. Of course, the opposite is also true. I took a deep look into this concept when my wife gifted me the book, The Buddha and the Badass, The Secret Spiritual Art of Succeeding at Work, by Vishen Lakhiani for my birthday. Once I stopped watching from a distance and began to do this on my own, my life, relationships, and my newfound company began to shift and grow dramatically.
Through hard work, focus, and a strong belief that the universe would reward us if we continue to be guided by our own Emotional Intelligence, Accelerate Partners has been presented with an abundance of opportunities on a grander scale than we ever dared to imagine. Day by day, week by week, year over year, we have taken care of our clients, have done the right thing by people, and as a result, we have been able to bend reality in our favor. Today, our organization has several full-time employees and more than 30 contractors who work with us. I sit on boards of private equity-backed managed service providers and serve on cloud and cybersecurity advisory councils. Our company continues to grow at record levels. At the close of Q1 2023, we are on pace to double revenues again as compared to last year.
As I sat on the beach in Saint Lucia at President’s Club last week, I had the opportunity to truly reflect on this journey. With tremendous gratitude and appreciation for the gifts I’ve been given, I have re-committed my promise to stay open to the universe because I know it has my back. Cheers to continued growth and building mindshare. May you all have greater health, success, and abundance in your own lives, as well.