I have always found Broadway lyrics to be an inspiration for so many different moments in life. Most recently, I have reflected on Rent’s hit song “Seasons of Love,” on this first anniversary of Avanti Advisor’s launch on May 4, 2023.
On the occasion of my 52nd birthday, I went public with a lifelong dream to create a consulting business that offered a new way of approaching old problems in the private education and non-profit sectors. So, I guess it’s time now to measure the year … but how?
One measure is, of course, sales. As we tell our own clients, “Every mission has a margin.” Having seen this work as a mission, we have been less concerned about the bottom line and more concerned about momentum, impact, and customer satisfaction. Still, as we look at those projections from a year ago (when I told my wife we’d be spending more money than we’d be making), we are proud to say that Avanti has sold more than three times our expected revenue for the year.
As we review our current client list, we also go back and measure against our expectations and the relationships upon which we are building the business. As of today, we can say that we have made a significant impact on multiple clients in places like Florida, Illinois, Washington, D.C., South Carolina, New York, Indiana, and here in Pennsylvania.
The work has included non-profit organizations looking for creative ways to increase revenue, individual Catholic schools longing for a turnaround plan, Catholic high school boards open to training in best practices, schools wanting to embrace innovative enrollment or development tactics, and multiple other clients looking for culture assessments with strategic planning.
But perhaps the only measure that really matters is customer satisfaction. When Avanti can meet and exceed the expectations of those with whom we partner, we know we are heading in the right direction.
Anecdotally, we know that we get great feedback from our clients. But the greatest compliment that they can pay us is in keeping us on as a partner for a second year. If that matters to us (and it does), we have already met 50 percent of our sales goal for the coming year (July 1, 2025) based on clients who have renewed or expanded our contracts.
Our gratitude is beyond words!
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t address one final measure that people ask me all the time: How happy am I as the founder and principal of this organization? Maybe it’s too early to say this is the best job I have ever had; after all, it’s only been 525,600 minutes!
Still, I can say with certainty that this has been some of the most rewarding and impactful work I have ever done. With great pride, I have engaged 5-6 former colleagues, friends, and family to work under the Avanti banner. These are people aligned with my own vision and core values and who share my mindset for growth, innovation, and change. And, like all of my clients, these collaborators have taught me more than I can ever teach them.