I’ve screwed up more than most people have even tried
And that’s exactly why you should listen to me.
Twenty-five years ago, I was sitting at a kitchen table in the middle of nowhere Michigan, watching a man decide whether to sign documents he knew would cost him his house.
That moment changed everything for me.
Here’s the truth: I didn’t become a business coach because I had some grand plan. I became one because I made every mistake in the book and somehow figured out what actually works.
The Early Years
Started Selling Bootleg Tapes in 6th Grade
I’ve been an entrepreneur since I could hold a cassette tape.
Picture this: Catholic school, 6th grade Greg selling Color Me Bad bootleg tapes to classmates for five bucks each. Cost me a dollar to make. I thought I was a genius.
Then the nuns heard the lyrics to “I Wanna Sex You Up.”
My empire came crashing down real quick.
But I learned something that day: there’s always a way to create value for others. You just gotta be smarter about it than a 12-year-old with a boom box.
(This is, of course, completely hypothetical 😉)
Growing up around entrepreneurs shaped everything.
My dad ran his own businesses. My grandfather was a butcher in Eastern Market back in the ’50s and ’60s. My mom raised two boys by herself with no child support, then later started flipping houses with me in the ’90s.
I learned early that building something meaningful isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.
Learning the Hard Way
Every Mistake Was Expensive Education
The Car Lot (2004-2007)
Started Crystal Clean Pre-owned Autos in my early 20s. Got to drive cars I’d never normally afford, learned to buy and sell, discovered I loved the challenge of turning inventory.
It was expensive education, but man, I loved solving problems and taking care of customers.
The Mortgage Years (2003-2023)
Started as a notary doing witness-only closings. Became a loan officer. Eventually built my own brokerage.
This is where I really learned what it means to run a business – and what it costs your soul to do it wrong.
The Night That Changed My Life
Here’s Why I Do What I Do
I’m driving to Bath, Michigan (middle of actual nowhere) in my Ford Aspire. And yes, the driver’s seat was basically optional in that thing.
I show up for an 8 PM closing. There’s this family with two beautiful little girls playing in the background.
The borrower takes off his glasses, rubs his eyes, and says to his wife: “I know if I sign this, we’re going to lose our house in two years.”
His wife asks what they’re gonna do.
The loan officer – making over $20,000 on this deal – just looks at him and says, “What are you going to do?”
I left sick to my stomach.
My wife was pregnant with our first kid. I knew I couldn’t keep being part of a system that hurt people just because it was profitable.
That’s when I decided to become a loan officer myself. Not to make more money, but to treat people the way they deserved to be treated.
Building Something Different
Putting People First Actually Works
When I started GFG (my mortgage company), we had four core values:
Clients First
Always.
Simply Easy
We have to do our job so well, we make it easy for everyone involved.
Getting Better Every Day
Continuous improvement.
Family and Fun
Work should add to your life, not consume it.
Here’s the crazy part: I talked more people OUT of mortgages than INTO them.
A client would call wanting to refinance because rates dropped. Instead of just taking their money, I’d ask what they really wanted to accomplish.
“I’d like to pay my house off faster.”
I’d bust out my calculator. “Add $58 to your principal payment each month. You’ll pay it off in 20 years instead of 30. Save you thousands.”
“Really? Should I refinance?”
“Listen, it’s gonna cost you about $5,000 in fees. I make money when you refinance, but I wouldn’t feel good about it. Add the 58 bucks and you’re good to go.”
The result? We built a business generating $700,000 to $1 million monthly through referrals alone. No advertising. No cold calls. Just people who knew we’d take care of them.
I did three generations in one family because they trusted me to do right by them.
The Hard Lessons Nobody Talks About
Success Brings Its Own Problems
Building GFG taught me what every business owner learns eventually:
People are everything.
I had team members tell me they were better fathers and husbands because of the culture we created. One guy said he wished he’d found us 20 years earlier.
That’s when I realized we weren’t just processing loans – we were changing lives.
But systems matter more than good intentions.
I was passionate about helping people, but without the right systems, passion isn’t enough. I had to figure out how to get my knowledge out of my head and into my team’s hands.
Growth creates complexity.
We grew to over 20 people. Suddenly, I was the bottleneck everyone needed answers from. Sound familiar?
The owner always gets paid last.
My wife came to me one day: “Greg, I know we’re playing the long game, but when does it end? When do we start doing things for us? It’s been 20 years.”
That hurt. But she was right.
Seeing the Future Before It Hit
Why I Made the Switch
By 2022, I could see the writing on the wall. The mortgage industry was about to get eaten alive by AI. I started telling my team we’d be obsolete in 10 years.
I’ve since revised that to 3 years. It’s moving faster than I thought.
But I’d also discovered something else: I wasn’t passionate about mortgages. I was passionate about helping people solve problems.
That’s when I made the transition. Instead of helping one family at a time with their mortgage, I could help business owners improve entire organizations.
Impact their teams. Their families. Their communities.
Why Family Businesses Get It
I Know the Weight You Carry
Family businesses are different.I know because I’ve run one with my wife.
I’ve had to make decisions that affected people I love. I’ve fired family members. I’ve had to choose between what’s best for the business and what’s comfortable for relationships.
I’m comfortable with those conversations because I’ve lived them.
Most of my clients are in their 60s and 70s. They’ve built something amazing, but they’re starting to think about what comes next.
- How do you pass on 30 years of knowledge?
- How do you trust your “baby” to someone else?
- How do you make sure your team and family are taken care of?
These aren’t just business questions – they’re legacy questions. And they deserve someone who understands the stakes.
My Approach
The answers are already in your business
I don’t come in with some magic formula. Every business is different.
What I do is ask the right questions to help you see what you already know but can’t quite put your finger on.
I remember this one client, cigar company owner. At the end of our first day, he’s irritated: “I didn’t learn anything.”
His whole team is looking at him like he’s crazy. “Are you kidding? We learned so much!”
Then it hit me. I said the same thing after my first session years ago.
You already know everything. You just spent the day doing a brain dump to your team. Getting all that knowledge out of your head and into theirs.
That’s the magic. Not some complicated system – just helping you organize what you already know so everyone else can run with it.
The Personal Side
Still that kid from dearborn
Been married to my college sweetheart for 25 years. Met her at Schoolcraft College when I was 19.
We’ve lived all over Michigan, spent seven years full-time RVing with our kids, learned that home is wherever your family is.
When I’m not working with clients, I’m thinking about how to help more business owners get unstuck from the problems I’ve already solved.
Every day, I wake up grateful that I get to help business owners and their teams grow.
When you help a business owner succeed, you’re not just changing one life. You’re impacting everyone who depends on that business.
Ready to Talk?
No Pressure, Just Conversation
I don’t have all the answers, but I know the right questions to ask.
I can’t solve every problem, but I can help you find the solutions that are already inside your business.
If you’re tired of being the bottleneck in your own success story, let’s have a conversation.
No pitch. No pressure. Just two business owners talking about what it takes to build something that lasts.
“Every business owner deserves to build something they’re proud of – something that serves their team, their family, and their community. That’s what I’m here to help you do.”