Project-focused finance and accounting consulting firm. (Woodland Hills)

Growth Rate 200%

Executive:

David Lewis, chief executive and founder

Early Days/Financing:

I operated an executive search firm until June 2001. We converted our recruiting firm. There was a need in the market and we thought if we could bring financial talent together we could identify areas where they could be of help to large companies. What was different about the concept was to be doing it in 2001 during a recession. I raised money and friends of mine helped finance the company when I started the firm in 1993. We’re self-financed, no debt and no outside equity investors.

Big Break:

We were lucky to have direct-calling relationships with Disney and Taco Bell and search relationships at Kinko’s in the beginning. My team stayed healthy enough to work hard with enthusiasm and just grinded it out. The break was having the mental fortitude of people working with me in a time when the consulting services industry was in a recession.

Biggest Challenge:

The hardest part is finding new customers. You design a better process and have the courage to execute it and you’re always scrutinizing on how things can be better. It requires self-discipline and we’re constantly tweaking, tuning and innovating the process.

Secret of Success

: The secret is hiring good people and having a business model that allows us to hire better people so our consultants can outperform the competition. We’re continually dissatisfied with how well things are going. The glass is always half empty; we’re always identifying improvement opportunities. Continuing to execute and being disciplined about what businesses we take on and having the discipline to turn business down that we can’t appropriately service. Everything is a challenge but we’re willing to take them. If you’re not willing to intensely focus on what you do you’re not going to win.

What’s Next:

We’re going to open offices in New York and San Francisco in the next 18 months. In the next three to four years we want to open overseas in the major financial markets. This can be a quarter of a billion dollar company in five years. The long-term plan is for geographic expansion, new distribution channels, and organic growth.

Tried and True:

Luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity.