Today we’d like to introduce you to Karlo Bustos.
Karlo, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
KBRG was founded in 2011 in the midst of the recession. I had been working for CFO Publishing, post their Management Buy-out (MBO) from The Economist Group. As you would imagine, during that time the publishing industry took a massive hit, and as a result I was charged with a key team to identify new opportunities to monetize the 400,000+ senior finance executive audience captured over the 30+ years of the publications existence. During that time, I worked with the Private Equity partners that supported the MBO to develop strategic relationships and boot strap a potential new offering.
With a full business plan in hand, we unfortunately did not get the funding to proceed with the business, leaving me with no further opportunity at the company. The management team was great and supported my exit to create my own consulting firm using the research and relationships created there to develop my initial client base. With the help of my wife and 3 children, I found the strength and sleepy “passion” to be a leader and forged my way into entrepreneurism.
From there, I was fortunate enough to be tapped on the shoulder to help Citizens Bank in MA (over $140 billion in assets) implement the Dodd-Frank legislation as the financial controller of a massive and multi-year transformation. Once I bit into the financial services apple, I fell in love with the continued opportunity and growth in the market and have since focused my vision to helping Community Banks have access to the same, if not more, refined expertise that the larger financial institutions have access to. And as they say, the rest is history….
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t know that self-employment exists on a smooth road! There are bumps and unexpected turns at every corner, but that’s the beauty of it. Just when I think I have it all figured out, something changes and I have to adapt and rise to the occasion. But, if I’m being truly honest, it is exactly that ebb and flow that keeps me going. I thrive when I’m a bit stressed. I guess you can say I was meant for this job.
As for specific struggles, I would say having to wear so many hats while still delivering work is always difficult. On any given day, I’m CEO, CFO, HR, IT, analyst, and intern! Having to deliver work while simultaneously backfilling a pipeline and planning for the future, is one of the hardest balancing acts I’ve pulled. On top of all of that, I have to be a husband and father first. One of the greatest benefits of self-employment is the ability to enjoy the majority of the important moments in life…I’ll be honest that has taken some time to figure out, though; definitely part of the bumpy road.
I do feel, however, that experiencing each of these roles first hand along with balancing a work/life balance, as made me a better leader. Knowing what is needed at all levels of the business is unique- like working from the top down instead of from the bottom up!
KBRG – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
KBRG was founded in 2011 out of a strong desire to help organizations “bring it back to the basics”. I’d spent so many years throughout my career, as both an FTE and as a consultant, watching essential change and growth get stalled by rhetoric and unnecessary meetings. It was my belief then, as it is now, that the “basics” of business are the crux of forward movement and success in all organizations.
When processes are simplified and the most basic of questions are asked, work gets done. When people speak in person instead of via email, things move forward.
This philosophy is the basis of KBRG, and we take this into all three of our ventures: Regulatory Cost Assessment, Management Consulting, and Content Development.
We strive to be a firm that simply gets the job done. We will execute in the most efficient manner, while ensuring success of our clients long after we leave.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There have been many proud moments in my career, but if I had to pick one, it would be from the early years, pre-KBRG. When I was a young consultant and my mentor (who at the time was the CEO of the consulting firm I worked for) asked me to take a press interview with the Wall Street Journal on new research I had developed and worked on. It was published shortly after, and quite honestly, seeing my name in print in a such a prestigious business publication was pretty awesome. I’m pretty sure all of my family members got a copy of that one.
Contact Info:
- Address: 56 Depot St. #1617 Duxbury, MA 02331
- Website: www.kbrg.co
- Phone: 617-898-7476
- Email: kbustos@kbrg.co
Image Credit:
Getty Images
Dora Bustos
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