Starting Right by Running on EOS™

When Integrator™ Jason Newcomer and Visionary Eric Sheerin founded Dogwood Wealth Management in Lenexa, Kansas, in 2022, they knew they wanted to use EOS®. 

Because the leaders had worked together at a previous employer that ran EOS, Eric said he saw how well it worked when everyone in the organization was held accountable. He likened it to nutrition or exercise: it works if you do it (and do it right). 

Vision

After signing their new office space lease, Eric and Jason immediately called Professional EOS Implementer® Victoria Cabot. Victoria had served as the EOS Implementer for their former employer, and they knew she could guide them toward starting right as owners of the new organization. 

“We talked with Victoria about what metrics to set and goals we wanted to hit,” Eric said. “We started this company to be very intentional in all aspects from the onset.”

Even just setting Dogwood’s core values made them realize they were creating something bigger than themselves. They saw the importance of taking “extreme ownership” as a core value, meaning they had to be responsible for all facets of the client experience.

From the beginning, Jason was adamant that they follow the EOS Model® to a T and not water down the experience upon launch. 

“It felt a little silly at the start when we were going over a to-do and would ask who would do it,” Jason said. “It was just [us two] in the room, so it was obvious. But we didn’t want to cut corners in the beginning and create bad habits.”

Traction®

As they prepare to celebrate their second anniversary, they already see the massive impact of EOS on their business. They’ve hired their first employees, signed a new larger office building lease, and are gaining new clients. 

Both leaders credit weekly Level 10 Meetings™ for helping them break down their big goals into manageable tasks. This way, they go down a To-Do List, check off an item, and move to the next one. 

Having clear core values has had an impact on their business relationships too. 

“We’re already seeing things happening,” Jason said. “The seeds we planted are coming to fruition.”

They’ve begun reevaluating their centers of influence, and if a person isn’t meeting their criteria, they respectfully part ways. 

“We had a few signal fires from clients that things weren’t going well, but we were able to get in front of things and save relationships,” Jason said. “Without the EOS framework to guide us, I think clients would’ve gotten frustrated because we would not be delivering what we promised.”

Healthy

Both leaders have entrepreneurs in their families. Seeing their family members work hard and enjoy it lit their entrepreneurial spark. Once that spark is lit, it’s hard to put out. But they both knew it would take a lot of work, including working hard on their relationship.

Learning to run a business and have a healthy working relationship is just the start. Jason and Eric want their kids to see how much their dads love their jobs so that one day they find that for themselves.

Those intentions extend beyond their families. If clients aren’t happy in their current careers, they help them prepare and plan to do something they enjoy. 

“Time is our most precious commodity, and you never know how much you have,” Jason said. “Neither of us wants to look back in five years and wonder, ‘What if?’” 

“The cool thing is that we’re beginning with the end in mind,” Eric said. “EOS gave us a framework to set our corporate goals. One of the goals was to raise money and awareness for local charities and give back to our community. We have already started this and have very aggressive goals for the next five years. Ten years from now, we will have equity-owner employees beyond founding principles. We also want to help others build their own RIA [registered investment advisor] practices and be ambassadors for our industry. It always comes back to helping people.”