My Journey into Relocation and Global Mobility-For the first time in my career I am now a Mobility Supplier- Part 8

My story last left off where I was faced with an ultimatum at Walmart. After dealing with spiders, an emergency landing, and feuding mobility entities, I decided it was time to move on. While I officially stayed with Walmart until March, in reality, I was back home by November. This transition marked the beginning of my entry into the relocation industry with Carolina Relocation Group (CRG), soon to be rebranded as Continental Relocation Group.

Many years earlier, I had helped a colleague purchase this company. At the time, CRG’s claim to fame was its relationship with Progress Energy, a North Carolina utility company. However, when Progress Energy was acquired by an out-of-state energy company, they switched suppliers, leaving CRG open to buyers.

Interestingly, I had heard a story about how Progress Energy had previously tried to change suppliers but was blocked. The former ownership of CRG argued that a North Carolina company should use a mobility supplier within the state. Leveraging a relationship with an influential politician—they secured Progress Energy’s business. However, once Progress Energy was sold to an out-of-state entity, that protection evaporated, and CRG lost the account. This shift made CRG an attainable purchase.

At the time, I had no experience running a business, but I recognized CRG's potential. I envisioned creating a boutique relocation company offering highly personalized executive moves and services beyond what traditional Relocation Management Companies (RMCs) provided.

Although I was still technically with Walmart, I began meeting with CRG’s president, who was preparing to retire. After some consideration, I decided to step into the role. One key misconception I had about the corporate world was that securing new business would be easier as I knew many people in the industry and assumed they would naturally gravitate toward my services.

I quickly learned that companies rarely change suppliers unless forced by significant events. Many stick with underperforming vendors because transitioning to a new supplier is time-consuming, and results aren’t guaranteed. Reflecting on my corporate experience, I realized I, too, had settled for less-than-stellar suppliers simply to avoid the hassle of switching.

The best advice I received came from Ed Barwick at Budd Van Lines. He told me that in sales, you just have to "get a meeting and wait in line." He emphasized that something would eventually happen to move you up the queue. At the time, I didn’t fully understand how long sales cycles in this industry could be. Maintaining a .100 batting average—terrible in baseball—is actually excellent in sales.

CRG had a solid team, but unfortunately, a significant client never gave us the break we needed. I recall a similar situation from my time at Disney when I wanted to use Orion Mobility for tax gross-ups. Orion was the industry leader in this area, and I had worked with them previously. I knew their now president, Peter Fonseca from his time on the AIG account. However, when I pitched the idea to my boss’s boss, he asked one simple question: "How big are they?" I gave him the approximate number of employees, to which he replied, "No, they’re too small for us." I never understood why a supplier's size seemed more important than their expertise.

While I enjoyed traveling and meeting clients, the results were less fulfilling than I had hoped. Attending conferences as a supplier versus a customer was a vastly different experience. The business dynamics were more challenging than I had anticipated. Around this time, I reconnected with my old friend John B. Sculley , an industry icon, who had supported me throughout my career. I began exploring opportunities in California—ideally with a company specializing in a specific aspect of mobility services.

That’s when the chance to purchase Journeys End Relocation (JER), a destination services company, arose. The idea of having both an East Coast and West Coast division suddenly seemed appealing. Running a business came with its own challenges, but I remained committed to offering clients a unique, tailored experience.

Journeys End provided destination services and some full-service relocation offerings. At the time, it was owned by two individuals—one planning to retire and the other looking for a slower exit. After lengthy negotiations, I acquired 51% of JER. One owner retired, while the other retained 49%.

Unexpectedly, CRG began attracting interest from buyers seeking an affordable entry into the U.S. relocation market with a solid operational foundation. Long story short, CRG was sold, and JER became my primary focus. However, Just as I was settling into this new role, I received a surprise call to interview for the Head of Mobility position at GAP in San Francisco. What followed was a whirlwind—an offer from GAP, hiring several accountants to uncover financial chaos at JER, and experiencing what felt like outright robbery right under my nose.

Stay tuned for the next chapter!