Accelerating to Purpose: A Career in Four Acts

After more than thirty years in professional services, I am stepping into the Fourth Act of my career, one defined less by acceleration and more by intention. I hope these reflections resonate with you. Below are my four acts and the lessons I carry forward.

Act One: The Upstart (1994–2002)

Fresh out of engineering school at the University of Iowa, I packed my bags for San Francisco, joining Accenture (then Andersen Consulting) and later diving into Silicon Valley startups. It was a formative, fast-paced time.

I led a bi-coastal life, personally recruited and hired hundreds of team members, and had the honor of returning to my alma mater to hire top talent into my firm. Another standout memory was a marketing campaign that involved cleaning up Mount Everest with an accompanying film narrated by Sharon Stone. These were heady days, and fun too.

In this first act, I didn’t just learn how to work, I learned how to believe in and mentor coworkers, and they in turn supported and believed in me.

Key Lessons:

• Go geographically where things happen. If possible, align with a profit center, not a cost center.
• There is power in pairing confidence with humility.
• Belonging drives performance. The best cultures make people feel like they’re part of something real and aspirational.
• Never rush planning. Planning drives clarity and sustains progress.
• Finish what you start. Act with urgency always, but do not panic.
• The strongest voice in the room typically speaks last and with purpose.

Act Two: The Executive Leader (2003–2010)

In Act Two, I matured as a strategist and leader. Executive programs at Stanford and Harvard Business School refined my thinking and confirmed much of what I had already learned. I learned to scale businesses thoughtfully, mentor teams, and transform ideas into enduring results. I found myself valued for what I built, not just for what I said. This was greatly rewarding.

Importantly, I began to ask myself deeper questions about what success really meant. It wasn’t about titles or income. It was about impact, unsolicited respect for my contributions, and my ability to elevate and support others.

Key Lessons:

• Timing matters. Ride waves of change to grow at the right time with intention.
• Don’t confuse adaptation with inconsistency. Adjusting a plan is not the same as abandoning one.
• Sales is more than outreach. It’s about execution and trust built over time. Think in years, not in months.
• Culture isn’t declared; it’s demonstrated through action.
• Invest in strengths; don’t dwell on weaknesses.
• Seek joy. There is no reason to work all these years and not be joyful.

Act Three: The Entrepreneur (2011–2024/5)

This act was about building and transformation. I earned an Executive MBA from Pepperdine’s Graziadio School, co-founded Global PMI Partners, and helped shape it into a respected global M&A integration firm. We stayed lean, executed with purpose, and raised the bar across continents by publishing books, gathering in person regularly, and always putting people and clients first. I learned a lot from my colleagues during this time, especially Scott Whitaker and our GPMIP partner team.

I also leaned into my international passions joining executive delegations, speaking to larger, televised audiences across borders, and stepping into the intersection of business and geopolitics. These experiences made me a better leader and a more interesting person.

In late 2023, we sold GPMIP USA to E78 Partners. The legacy I’m proudest of is the trust we built in our firm and the friendships that have endured.

Key Lessons:

• Walk through open doors of opportunity, then decide whether to stay.
• Don’t confuse activity with progress. Speak plainly. Deliver quality results.
• Communication includes perception. Understand how others see you.
• Listen more. Compete less. Curiosity beats one-upmanship.
• Diagnose before prescribing. Your initial solution may not be the right one.
• Productize your value. Clients invest in clarity.
• Strategic advantage often comes from life's curves, not its straight lines.
• Own only what you can control. Let the rest go.

Act Four: Purpose, Legacy, and Lifelong Curiosity (2025– )

And now, the Fourth Act. Not a slowdown, but a refocus.

This chapter in my career is about contributing where it matters most. I now aim to serve on nonprofit and for-profit boards, support our family ventures like Alta Wells LLC and ProBalance, Inc., and engage deeply within global forums like the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston and Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.

My wife Ada and I are also planting deeper roots in Mexico, investing in local programs that give back, and shaping our Puerto Vallarta retreat center into a space for wellbeing and connection. Perhaps most importantly, I look forward to continuing to support our daughter Anika, now studying Applied Psychology at NYU, as she begins her own path of purpose that may someday intersect with our family businesses.

My initiatives are now more purposeful than ever. My goals are to:

• Offer strategic wisdom through board service and mentoring.
• Support the next generation of our family’s work and corporate initiatives.
• Live part time internationally, learn Spanish fluently, and engage locally.
• Give back to communities that need support.
• Stay curious, stay connected, and be as relevant as possible as a change agent in our world.

What I have found in this Fourth Act is that time, connections, and continuous learning hold highest value. If you are exploring your own similar journey, building something new, or just navigating what comes next, I’d love to hear your story.

If you read this article to the bottom, check out my follow-up: Lessons to My Past (and Current) Self.

Sincerely,

Stefan Hofmeyer