By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Mark Twain, revered by many as the greatest humorist and one of the finest writers that America has ever produced, reportedly spoke often about the need for personal growth, encouraging the hesitant and the timid with a sailing metaphor.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the one you did do,” Twain said emphatically. “So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Alex Drost, the founder and CEO of Connection Builders in Royal Oak, can relate, although not necessarily in nautical terms.
Instead, after beginning his career in investment banking, Drost decided to embrace his “entrepreneurial spirit, a desire for continual growth, and passion for technology” in creating Connection Builders.
The company, according to Drost, is a “tech-enabled growth platform purpose-built to accelerate career advancement for individuals and drive sustainable growth for firms,” including those in the legal profession.
A product of Northwood University where he earned a business degree, Drost grew up on a farm near Clare, raised by a single mom who was a pharmacist in the mid-Michigan town.
“We lived on a nine-building farm, raising pigs and chickens, and all of our neighbors were Amish,” said Drost. “I was fortunate enough to go to Northwood, where I received an excellent education that had a pure business focus in accounting and finance.”
After passing on a job opportunity with Federal Mogul, Drost decided to obtain his MBA from Walsh College en route to becoming a CPA. He then joined Cascade Partners in 2014, where he rose to the position of vice president of investment banking for a firm that focused on “sell-side and leveraged finance advisory for middle-market companies in the manufacturing, health care, and business services.”
While his role there was financially rewarding, Drost said the work eventually “became a grind” and left him with a yearning “to do something on my own” as the next step on his career path.
“I decided it was time to ‘bet on myself’ and to be the kind of entrepreneur that I often dreamed about,” said Drost, who resides in Lathrup Village with his wife Denise, an executive assistant with an ad-tech company based in New York.
So, after 5 years in investment banking with Cascade, Drost took his “leap of faith” in creating a company “focused on helping those in professional services connect, grow, and excel” in their respective careers.
“One of the greatest challenges facing professionals is developing the necessary interpersonal skills that can be critical to achieving long-term success,” Drost said. “Generally speaking, there has been a lack of focus and a lack of resources invested in developing that skillset.”
Drost has “leveraged technology” to help his clients develop those leadership and management skills, a technique that became an “absolute necessity” during the pandemic.
“COVID was a curveball that no one saw coming, but fortunately we had developed a tech-enabled training platform that allowed us to deliver a library of content and our services to clients regardless of their location,” said Drost.
Last spring, Drost expanded the reach of his firm by partnering with Emerson Fisher, a former colleague at Cascade Partners who spent 5 years there after beginning his professional career as a financial analyst with Zurich North America. Fisher is a 2015 graduate of Kalamazoo College, earning a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in economics and mathematics.
True to its name, Connection Builders is grounded on the importance of networking and relationship building, according to Drost.
“Our flagship program is a networking bootcamp, which includes eight courses spread over a 12-month period,” Drost explained. “We hold monthly sessions via Zoom that are tailored to each client, and offer a safe environment for them to develop confidence and build momentum.”
The virtual program, Drost indicated, is designed “specifically to help lawyers, accountants, bankers, private equity professionals, and other professional services providers develop their networking skills and take their careers to the next level.
At a time when companies are “fighting to find talent and to retain talent,” Drost said the bootcamp has proven to be a “recruiting tool” for potential employees.
“It’s an indicator that the company is willing to invest in the development of their employees and their growth possibilities,” Drost said.
Drost, who is a board member and membership chair of the Detroit chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, also is the host of the Branch Out Podcast, where he talks “with today’s industry leaders about their mindsets and the actions they have taken to reach their success.” He began the podcast program in the early stages of the pandemic when uncertainty reigned supreme.
“I had to get creative to get my business message across at a time when face-to-face meetings weren’t possible,” said Drost of his reasons for launching the podcast. “Fortunately, they’ve proven to be popular and also have the additional benefit of having a long shelf life.”
A common theme that runs through the podcasts is “accountability” and Drost believes it is one of the cornerstones of success.
“True success lies in your ability to foster meaningful connections with those around you, and this requires intentional focus and effort,” said Drost. “To achieve success at anything, you must hold yourself accountable for your actions, responsibilities, and goals. It’s part of the blueprint to attaining success.”
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