What if the most powerful tool for growing your business was simply being in the right room? Peer advisory groups are changing how business owners lead, grow, and connect. On Metcalf Money Moment, Jeb, Ethan, and Eric sit down with Dan Cooper, CEO of Acumen, to unpack the real value of executive coaching and mastermind groups for today's leaders. Dan shares how bringing diverse professionals together sparks a personal renaissance through what he calls the Medici Effect. From accountability partnerships to faith-infused leadership development, this conversation goes beyond profit and digs into the whole person. Whether you run a startup or scale a billion-dollar operation, there is a peer group built for your season.

What you will learn in this Episode:

✅ How peer advisory groups create powerful accountability that drives real change in your business and personal life, moving leaders from isolation to intentional community built on trust and shared experience.

✅ Why executive coaching combined with mastermind group dynamics produces the Medici Effect, helping business owners collect best practices across industries to accelerate their own business growth.

✅ How Acumen's faith-infused approach to leadership development encourages whole-person conversations covering family, health, and faith alongside profit and business performance.

Tune into the Metcalf Money Moment podcast for expert insights on wealth management and retirement planning! Join Jeb, Ethan, and Eric for practical Estate Planning strategies that you can implement to unlock financial clarity and confidence. Listen now to inspire your financial journey!

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Dan Cooper on why executive leadership feels isolating and the power of peer advisory groups

02:25 Meet Dan Cooper, CEO of Acumen, and the mastermind group model

03:52 What makes a great peer advisory group member: ownership, decision-making, and business stage

05:23 How Acumen's faith-based leadership approach creates a safe space for whole-person conversations

08:30 Real stories of business owners tackling family, toxic employees, and business challenges together

14:26 Acumen's business growth expansion into Denver, St. Louis, and Phoenix and what cities share

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Leadership at the top is not lonely; it is isolating, and the antidote is a trusted peer advisory group where you receive as much as you give. Dan Cooper built Acumen on this truth.

💎 The most valuable outcome of mastermind groups is not one great idea but ongoing accountability. When you commit to something in front of peers, real and lasting change follows in your business performance.

💎 Faith-based business communities like Acumen create permission for deeper conversations. When one person is vulnerable about a hard challenge, it opens the door for everyone to bring their full selves to the table.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Dan Cooper co-founded ej4, a video-based online training company, in 2003 and served as its CEO until its sale in 2012. During his time with ej4, he grew the company from a startup to a nationally-recognized firm, serving clients including Pepsi-Cola, Dr. Pepper Snapple, Honeywell, Monsanto, and Syngenta. Channel partners included SAP and Oracle. As of 2012, ej4 was serving 1,000+ customers, delivering millions of program views, was highly profitable, and debt-free. Today, he is the CEO of Acumen, a mastermind community platform for CEOs and Owners of strong, growing companies.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dancooper2/

Podcast: https://acumenimpact.com/sharpen-podcast

DISCLAIMER:

This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax or legal advice. We recommend discussing your particular situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Metcalf Partners - Website

Jeb Graham - LinkedIn

Ethan Hutchison - LinkedIn

Eric Wymore - LinkedIn

And what happened, [00:00:30] uh, was the Renaissance. And so when you put a bunch of people from a bunch of different, [00:00:35] um, expertises and verticals, uh, together, what [00:00:40] happens is all the sorts of best practices come out, um, and you can have [00:00:45] your own personal renaissance, uh, by being put in the room[00:00:50]

Now your hosts[00:01:20]

Um, but, uh, and Dan and I happen to be in [00:01:50] the same, uh, small group in Acumen as well. And so we wanted to talk today, you know, maybe kind [00:01:55] of to our business owner clients, corporate executive clients, about value of peer-to-peer groups [00:02:00] and kinda how it works, maybe a little bit about Acumen. So, so Dan, you wanna tell us about [00:02:05] who you are, what you do?

So, uh, power of [00:02:35] the peer, uh, as well as getting into all things, uh, in people's lives in [00:02:40] business. Um, and this is the most impactful thing I've done in my career.

It's not always something you can, like, pinpoint and say, "Well, because [00:03:00] of this, this happened." But what it does is it, it... At least when you meet [00:03:05] once a month, you're like, "I'm not the only insane person in the world," or, "I'm not the only one dealing with this issue or [00:03:10] that issue or trying to figure this out or that out."

Dan Cooper: So what's funny is most people don't eat their own [00:03:20] cooking, and I finally got to the point where I became... I needed to be served as much as [00:03:25] serving. And so I j- I joined a team in our platform 'cause I needed it just [00:03:30] as bad as, uh, I felt like others did, too.

Ethan Hutcheson: So Dan, w- when you're sitting down with... I mean, when you're building a [00:03:40] group, I would say, um, what are some characteristics that you're kinda looking for? Is it whoever [00:03:45] wants to join, sign up, we'll, we'll kind of bring you in and f- fill a spot? Is there, like, a criteria you're [00:03:50] looking for?

What's your ideal, uh, mix of, of professionals?

My thought in my head was, "Oh, my gosh. She is just [00:04:15] grinding on me." Um, and the next thought I thought was, "And guess what? This is the [00:04:20] only room I'm not grinding in." Um, like, someone else is actually doing the work, [00:04:25] and I'm just hanging out and, like, being served, if you will. And so I, I think the first [00:04:30] reality is, um, do I lead everywhere I go?

Um, [00:04:55] and you gotta be a decider, right? Uh, and then there's probably a certain size. We, we [00:05:00] group people by affinity, right? So there's different stages, like kind of that, uh, [00:05:05] startup, ramp up, and scale up. So, um, and we have people all along the thing from [00:05:10] a million dollars all the way up to a billion dollars and everything in between

[00:05:20] Um, so, so can you talk a little bit about just Acumen? Like, obviously there's several different [00:05:25] peer-to-peer groups for executives, for owners. Like Acumen, r- you know, [00:05:30] versus some of the others, big thing that stan- stands out to me is there's the faith aspect of Acumen which, [00:05:35] um, you know, so... And all of them kinda have their own thing, right?

Dan Cooper: You bet. [00:05:45] So the big challenge when you sit in a [00:05:50] seat is, um, you know, people say it's lonely at the top, and actually, I, I believe that's the [00:05:55] wrong word. I think it's isolating. You're not doing this by yourself, right? So there's people around you. [00:06:00] Um, and so you're, you're isolated.

And so when you put a bunch of people from [00:06:35] a bunch of different, um, expertises and [00:06:40] verticals, uh, together, what happens is all the sorts of best practices come out. [00:06:45] Um, and you can have your own personal renaissance, uh, by being [00:06:50] put in the room, right? So everybody's drinking, uh, coffee and putting their worst foot [00:06:55] forward.

Eric Wymore: Yeah.

One of our uniqueness, we run, do a deep community. And so, [00:07:20] um, are, do you just have 12 or do you have more? And then finally, [00:07:25] we wanted to have, uh, a value driver. Uh, people don't agree on anything now [00:07:30] this w- this divided, uh, country that we're in, and so we chose, uh, this F [00:07:35] word, faith. Um, and so, uh, this is not a, a Bible study.

Ethan Hutcheson: That's cool. So it's kind of a, a melting pot of topics rather than, than just [00:08:05] sitting there focusing on how do we increase revenue? How do we, you know, be more efficient? You, you kind of blend a [00:08:10] lot of those other things into the, into the conversation.

Uh, uh, people and performance and profit are [00:08:20] extremely important. Um, without profit, why are we here, right? Uh, and yet we're faith [00:08:25] infused, and so what is this infusion into us? So, um, one of [00:08:30] my... W- a, a recent situation or challenge. So when you're, you're sitting in a team, um, [00:08:35] you throw stuff on the table and, um, the person was like, "Hey, [00:08:40] this is affecting my business, but I have a kid in the basement who has [00:08:45] graduated and won't launch, can't launch, and it's, it's affecting my marriage, it's affecting [00:08:50] my relationship with my, with my son.

And everything... We're all integrated, right? We try to segment everything out, but we're [00:09:15] all integrated. And so, uh, it all affects work and life and business. So why don't we [00:09:20] throw it all on the table together?

Like, so, like, [00:09:45] I remember, you know, one of my first meetings, there was, uh, a, a person in the room that [00:09:50] had a cus- basically their biggest customer that got bought out and just stopped paying them, [00:09:55] right? The, the, the parent company stopped paying them, and it was like they had all this inventory they had sent out, they [00:10:00] were, that they owed on, and basically di- they, and then they filed bankruptcy, and they [00:10:05] just never knew if they were gonna actually get, get paid on it.

So, so it also kinda gives you some gratitude, [00:10:30] uh, sometimes for what you're going through relative to other people. And, and it, and it is [00:10:35] interesting. Yeah, I, I feel like in general you just learn a lot about business, right? About, about different [00:10:40] businesses, different things people are dealing with. Uh, and you can apply it.

Dan Cooper: So people show up and they think, "If I could just get one [00:10:55] idea a year, this would be worth it. If I could just, like, one great idea." And then what happens is they [00:11:00] learn that everyone's awesome at something.

And [00:11:20] so I said I was gonna do this this month, um, and then I [00:11:25] show up and did I do it or not? And that's when real change starts to happen is, you know, this me focus, [00:11:30] right? What can I get out of this? And then this we focus, what do we all know that we can share? And then it's [00:11:35] this you focus. Like, hey, I'm holding you accountable.

Eric Wymore: Well, yeah, I was gonna say, yeah, it sounds like, I [00:12:10] mean, you create, you know, you get a bunch of, executives in a room and, and, and, you know, having [00:12:15] to create that atmosphere where they can be vulnerable and share with what their deepest, [00:12:20] darkest secrets of their business are. Like to, you know, maybe share a little bit of [00:12:25] how Acumen and, you know, creates that environment, that atmosphere for them to be able to do that.

Dan Cooper: Yeah. Um, so [00:12:40] usually we come and we, we put on, you know, we already have the cape on, right? 'Cause [00:12:45] we're, we're, we're being superheroes every day. And so when you come in, [00:12:50] um, there, there's a, there's a methodology of how we're going to unpack things, and so [00:12:55] some of it is how you set up the day.

Um, and this employee had just been, [00:13:30] just it's been hard and, but also in a key spot, and they've been dealing with this person for [00:13:35] six months. Um, and he just stopped and said, "I, [00:13:40] I was so frustrated, like literally I was in my car and I'm driving home [00:13:45] and like I'm almost in tears, like trying to figure out what am I gonna do."

Oh, I got one of those." Uh, and [00:14:10] so it's amazing. And, uh, the faith aspects helps, um, [00:14:15] because there's also a, a depth that, that we can peel the onion on. Um, so [00:14:20] it's who wants to, who wants to go first. Uh, and so it's our job to, to put that [00:14:25] together.

Are you in expansion mode and kind of branching out? What does that look [00:14:35] like?

Um, and our babies, uh, our new, [00:14:50] uh, places are in St. Louis, uh, and then Phoenix, which, um, I don't know if you [00:14:55] can tell, but it's all fun places that we wanna go to. Um, and so, uh, you [00:15:00] know, look out fun cities near you.

Dan Cooper: Yeah. I'm sure that's a challenge everybody has, right? [00:15:10] Like,

Dan Cooper: Uh, you know, doctor heal thyself, right? Um, you're sitting in [00:15:20] the seat, and when do you realize that, hey, in order- I'm, I'm the barrier to growth?

So, uh, I'm not only a believer, I'm a [00:15:55] client, right? Like, I'm not only the CEO. I don't, I also don't have hair like him, [00:16:00] right? If you all remember the old commercials,

Dan Cooper: Okay. So I'm born in St.

So [00:16:35] yes, culturally it's all different. I would tell you though, business owner challenges, executives in [00:16:40] business is the same every- everywhere. So, um, I, I would say there, that [00:16:45] common theme, it's thread throughout. But culture and network and, [00:16:50] um, also verticals that are in cities, uh, are different. Some are more manufacturing based, some are more [00:16:55] service based.

Jeb Graham: Yeah. Nice. Well, very good. Well, hey, we appreciate you coming on and I think [00:17:05] hopefully clients will get out of this. You know, if you're in that key executive position or [00:17:10] business owner and you're, uh, going through a time where you feel like you could use some [00:17:15] peer-to-peer, I think looking into groups like this are super, super valuable and I [00:17:20] know...

You know, I [00:17:35] was like, "Hey, this is a new network of people that..." Not saying that I was coming into it to sell [00:17:40] something, but it's like, "Hey, we're gonna... We're basically, I'm gonna be around a bunch of business owners that are ideal clients [00:17:45] and I'm gonna get some stuff." And like, as I've gotten into it, the value is, is way deeper in a [00:17:50] lot of ways, uh, than what I originally thought it was gonna be.

Dan Cooper: Well, and I think you've, you probably feel it, so if you're a client [00:18:00] of Metcalf, uh, you probably feel a little bit different 'cause Jeb and team get a little [00:18:05] bit of different, um... They're, they're developing themselves and which [00:18:10] means they can come alongside you in a different way.

Jeb Graham: Yep. Well, appreciate you coming on and, uh, we'll be seeing you soon. Actually, I'll see you tomorrow. [00:18:20] So-

Dan Cooper: Right on. Thanks, gentlemen. Peace.

Voiceover: Thanks for tuning in to Metcalfe Money Moment, the podcast. We hope today's episode [00:18:35] provided valuable insights to help you unlock financial clarity, confidence, and [00:18:40] peace of mind. For more expert advice and resources, visit metcalfepartners.com. [00:18:45] Until next time, make every money moment count[00:18:50]

The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general [00:19:10] information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may [00:19:15] be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a decision.