Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Dorfman.
Adam, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Atlanta and come from a long line of entrepreneurs. I watched my father and stepmother build a company (APCO/EasyCare) from the ground up, and my childhood was filled with stories from both of my grandfathers about the ups and downs of building a company. I watched my mom work hard as a salesperson and consultant in the banking and mortgage industries.
In watching my father build a business, I saw someone working 90-100 hours a week and going years without turning a profit. Because of this, I set my sights on personal fulfillment over financial gain and became a professional musician, majoring in English Literature at Arizona State.
Throughout college, I had the opportunity to play and tour with the likes of John Mayer, Ben Folds, Alison Krauss, and Shawn Mullins. After college, I moved from Phoenix to the DC area to follow love. I graduated, didn’t have a job in DC, Atlanta, or Phoenix, but I had been seeing a girl with whom I saw a future for a while, and she had a few years left at the University of Maryland. I decided to go for it and made the move to DC. It turned out to be a great decision: we’ve been together 20 years, married 15, and have two amazing daughters.
In that time, I saw the work my father had put in building his business pay off. He was able to, in a short time, sell his business, buy it back with a group of investors, and continue to build a company and culture he loved, providing an opportunity to his people and a wonderful lifestyle for his family.
I worked to pursue music in DC but became increasingly unhappy. When music couldn’t pay the bills, I took on various jobs from substitute teacher, to server, to bartender. My grandfather, Bob Krasnoff, always told me, “money doesn’t make you happy, but it gives you freedom and choices, and it’s hard to be happy if you’re not free.” I never understood what he meant until I found the person I wanted to marry, but I didn’t know how I was going to afford the life we wanted to live together – providing safety, harmony, education, and experiences to our future children. In hindsight, I certainly could have worked harder to hone my skills in music, but, when I really looked at it, I did not want to do it to make a living. It is still a passion for me, and I still play, but it’s more fun when it’s not my livelihood. I had not yet found my true calling.
I moved back to Atlanta in February of 2002 with the goal of figuring out my future and finding my path. Try as I might, I could not stay away from the world of business. Working nights in Buckhead bars, I spent my days filling out applications and sending out resumes for sales positions.
My life changed forever when, in June of 2002, I was offered and accepted a position at a direct sales company in Atlanta. I was hired to sell business phone and internet services by Marketing Endeavors, Inc. – a licensed vendor for BellSouth. The company was structured in a way where pay was 100% commission, and I had a chance to move up based on my performance – not based on seniority. My intent was to work there for a year, pad my resumé , make money, and then go get a sexier sales position. I thought I had found a job – I was wrong. I found my calling. The focus of the business was helping other people be successful. I found a place that combined my love of teaching and public speaking with the ability to write my own paycheck. Marketing Endeavors was owned by a young entrepreneur named Brandie Park. Brandie took me under her wing, trained me, developed my mindset and skills, and gave me the opportunity, with her support and blessing, to open my own business in July of 2003.
I discovered my personal “WHY,” the reason I believe I was put on this planet. I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to be as successful as they want to be, provided they are willing to do the work and make the necessary personal changes. In DMC Atlanta, we have built an environment where anyone with the right work ethic, heart, and passion for success has an opportunity to own a piece of the company, a philosophy that has helped the organization expand to over 70 offices nationwide, each run by someone who started as an entry-level rep within the company.
I get to come to work every day with the intention to help people become successful, erase their limiting beliefs, and discover their true potential. I am fortunate to work with the most ambitious, helpful, supportive, and kind group of people imaginable. We are annual winners of both local and national “Best Places to Work,” having been awarded special recognition for our team members finding meaning in their work.
We are active supporters of many philanthropies, including LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, Songs for Kids Foundation, and the Movember foundation – having raised over $150,000 in the last seven years for Men’s Health and Mental Health Awareness.
Has it been a smooth road?
NO!
The road to success in our business has been anything but smooth, but it has been fun. However, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. As FDR said, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”
The struggles we have faced along the way have made me appreciate my success far more than if it had been easy and have developed strong character in myself and our team.
From complete client loss to a massive technology and industry changes, our team understands that true success is based on consistency and persistence.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with DMC Atlanta – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
DMC Atlanta specializes in outsourced sales for large companies in the big box retail space. We are hired by large companies, mostly in the telecommunications, cable, satellite, and energy industries, to represent their brands in big box retail stores and help them to acquire new customers.
This is how we make money, but it’s not who we are.
Our business is a people and entrepreneur development factory. We hire people from all backgrounds and all walks of life and give them an equal opportunity, based on results, to earn unlimited income and to change the course of their lives.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I’m an Atlanta native who left and came back, and I truly can’t picture myself living anywhere else. I love the hospitality of the people, the diversity of the culture, and the overall feel of Atlanta. We have an incredible restaurant scene, great activities for kids and families, and we get to enjoy four true seasons. I love the green of the Summer and the beauty of Atlanta Fall.
In terms of my dislikes, I think I fall in line with the majority – traffic, and pollen!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dmcatlanta.com
- Phone: 7708174646
- Email: adam@dmcatlanta.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmcatlanta/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmcatlanta
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmcatlanta
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