Skip to content
Advantage Performance Group • We help organizations develop great people.

We're looking for a few great entrepreneurs

Could YOU be the one?

Advantage Partners are an elite team of individuals that come from diverse backgrounds in consulting, sales, and learning and development. We have come together to build an incredible business that is like no other in the world. The spirit of collegiality and abundance at Advantage truly sets us apart.” – Jon Hodge, President  and CEO

Advantage will help the right individuals start their own performance consulting practice. As independent business owners, Advantage Partners:

  • Develop new business through existing relationships, referrals, networking, organizationally generated leads, and prospecting
  • Build long-term relationships within client organizations
  • Leverage the world-class solutions of our thought leader partners to meet clients’ learning and strategic needs
  • Develop and execute projects and long-term implementation plans that are tied directly to clients’ business results
  • Consult and provide facilitation on projects
  • Leverage Advantage’s design, development, production, facilitation, and back-office resources in support of projects
  • Use the Advantage network for sales and consulting support, collaboration, and professional growth

Get in touch

What's it like to be an Advantage partner?

Steven Orova reflects on his first 12 months

Why join Advantage?

Bennett Phillips

Partner
Nashville, Tennessee

“I always had a wild hair to be in business for myself one day. Advantage provided a way for me to do that but still have a strong support system and a network of colleagues who knew exactly what I was going through. It was great to know that I didn’t have to start from scratch.

More from Bennett

Mary Steiner

Partner
Minneapolis, Minnesota

“The first time I talked to Advantage Partners, I was intrigued by the way they talked about the business, the work they did for their customers, and their relationships with their customers and peers. It wasn’t about what they could sell to customers. There was a curiosity and eagerness there, and a sense of commitment to doing something that had an impact for their customers. I quickly realized that I needed to be with these people.”

More from Mary

Kelvin Yao

Partner
Washington, DC

“I had gotten to the point in my career where I was running my territory like a business, but I wasn’t being compensated like a business owner. I realized that I wanted to be in business for myself so that I could offer clients a broader set of capabilities as well as maximizing my financial return.”

More from Kelvin

Peg Ruppert

Partner
Cincinnati, Ohio

“When I considered the alternatives of starting my own business or working for a traditional consulting firm, I chose Advantage. Advantage provided an existing foundation of marketing and back office support and a network of colleagues to connect with, while at the same time giving me the freedom to creatively support my customers and bring them best-in-class thought leadership to address their needs.”

More from Peg
Advantage CEO offers tips on winning enterprise sales

Jon Hodge
President and CEO
Salt Lake City, Utah

We are looking for entrepreneurs, not employees. The ideal potential partner is someone who is ready to build a business — someone whose best years are ahead of them. We’re looking for entrepreneurs with the right mix of experience, drive, creativity, and cultural fit. In return, we provide training and development, mentoring, tools, and resources to help our partners reach new heights of success.”

The Advantage Partner Value Proposition

A Culture of Abundance and Collaboration

Although Advantage Partners are independent business owners, you will not be alone. You will be part of a collective, elite team of 30 partners and growing. Your colleagues’ stories become your stories, their successes are your successes, and their knowledge and expertise are at your disposal. This concept of abundance is a key aspect of our culture and values.

Strategic Alliances and Thought Leadership

While independent entrepreneurs can forge relationships and alliances on their own, they can’t do it at the strategic level that an established, respected organization like Advantage can. We have strong, collaborative relationships with more than 20 key thought leader organizations. As a partner, you will get a higher level of support and remuneration from our thought leader partners, as well as the ability to collaborate with them to ensure that their solutions fully meet your customers’ needs.

Business Process and Marketing Support

Advantage has a team of talented individuals ready to take the day-to-day tasks of running a business off your shoulders. We provide email and website services; financial services such as invoicing and collections; marketing materials, articles, white papers, and showcases; and other financial, sales, and administrative support. We generate and qualify leads to support you and ease your transition to an independent business. Advantage is a true marketing powerhouse that will help you grow your business.

Bennett Phillips, Partner

On why he joined Advantage:
I always had a wild hair to be in business for myself one day. Advantage provided a way for me to do that but still have a strong support system and a network of colleagues who knew exactly what I was going through. It was great to know that I didn’t have to start from scratch.

On customer relationships:
Because Advantage is “content agnostic,” I can be a truly consultative long-term partner, not a temporary vendor. In my previous position at an e-learning company, I was limited to selling a small set of products. Now I can bring my customers exactly what they need, and if it doesn’t exist, we have the resources to build it.

The biggest surprise about partnering with Advantage:
I knew Advantage would provide a great way of being in business on my own without having to do it all myself, but I didn’t consider the power of collaboration with my colleagues. There is a wealth of experience that I can draw from, and everyone is eager to help. The thought leaders also go out of their way to do anything we ask them to do. I’m in the world of selling intangibles, so my product is the people who create it, develop it, deliver it, print it, and ship it. I can’t think of a single partner who has ever disappointed me.

Bennett Phillips

Nashville, Tennessee
With Advantage since 2010

mary-steiner-2016

Minneapolis, Minnesota
With Advantage since 2000

Mary Steiner, Partner

On why she joined Advantage:
The first time I talked to Advantage Partners, I was intrigued by the way they talked about the business, the work they did for their customers, and their relationships with their customers and peers. It wasn’t about what they could sell to customers. There was a curiosity and eagerness there, and a sense of commitment to doing something that had an impact for their customers. I quickly realized that I needed to be with these people.

On the Advantage value proposition:
No other company offers a business model like Advantage: A combination of autonomy and ownership with affiliation and collaboration. I have the responsibility and flexibility of managing my business and my clients, but I also have the opportunity to tap into my peers’ knowledge, points of view, and experience. Partnership comes with a network of colleagues and resources, a catalog of best-in-class projects and solutions, and expertise from thought leaders.

On Advantage’s culture of abundance:
It’s so cliché when you talk about values and culture, and yet it’s really important. Advantage’s culture is why I’m here. I didn’t really understand the solutions when I joined, but Advantage’s leaders, my peers, and the partner companies were happy to give me support and collaborate with me right away. There is something special about how we work, how we talk about each other, and how our clients talk about us – that is the essence of abundance.

Kelvin Yao, Partner

On why he joined Advantage:
I had gotten to the point in my career where I was running my territory like a business, but I wasn’t being compensated like a business owner. I realized that I wanted to be in business for myself so that I could offer clients a broader set of capabilities as well as maximizing my financial return.

On the Advantage team:
Every Advantage Partner brings in a unique perspective and runs their business the way they think is best. Our partners are able to leverage their skills as well as learning new skills from others.

The biggest surprise about partnering with Advantage:
It was great to discover that I am surrounded by like-minded people who are very much motivated in the same way that I am. Everyone has a similar dual purpose: to run our businesses the way we think they should be run, and to meet a broad set of client needs.

kelvin-2015-sq

Washington, DC
With Advantage since 2000

Peg Ruppert, Partner

On why she joined Advantage:
When I considered the alternatives of starting my own business or working for a traditional consulting firm, I chose Advantage. Advantage provided an existing foundation of marketing and back office support and a network of colleagues to connect with, while at the same time giving me the freedom to creatively support my customers and bring them best-in-class thought leadership to address their needs.

On customer relationships:
I’ve worked with many of my clients for my entire tenure at Advantage. I’m not a vendor to them. Instead, I’m seen as an extension of their performance and training departments, which allows me to create value as I expand the business and grow with them. While I continue to develop relationships with current clients, Advantage marketing provides me with opportunities to meet and acquire new customers.

On the advantage of Advantage:
“I love my job” is a sentiment I heard from an Advantage colleague at my first national meeting. But I say, “What job?” I love my life! Advantage has been a great fit for me. I have been able to manage my own business, significantly grow a mid-market territory, and net a six-figure income, all while actively raising my two kids.

peg-edited-sq

Cincinnati, Ohio
With Advantage since 2000

What clients say about working with Advantage

We sought a partner who would be hands-on, seek to know the causes of our pain, bring discernment and understanding into resolving our problem, and suggest complementary resources to meet our challenges with measurable ideas. Advantage delivered on all of this and more.”

John Carlson
Director of Learning and Development
Red Gold

We consider Advantage to be a partner, not a vendor. It never feels like they are trying to sell us something. We talk about what we need and their design team works with us to develop it. Even when working with competing vendors, it’s always collaborative. There’s a huge level of trust in our relationship.”

Donald Hill, Senior Director
Learning and Organizational Effectiveness
Varian Medical Systems

Advantage guided my team toward the right solutions and made sure all the content was relevant and completely customized to our audience.  I am very glad I made the decision to work with them for this project. It made all the difference!”

Associate Director
Global Leadership Development
Bristol-Myers Squibb

What we’re looking for in new partners

Based on our history, we have identified a set of vital criteria for success as an Advantage partner.

Successful Advantage Partner candidates have:

  • Experience in B2B sales, performance improvement, or consulting, whether as an employee or an independent consultant
  • A passion to run an independent business and create something bigger than they could achieve working for someone else
  • The desire to work independently but at the same time be part of a larger professional network
  • The intention to make a long-term commitment to building and running a successful business
  • Strong business acumen
  • An extensive network of contacts in potential client organizations (in sales or learning and development)
  • Proven ability to build relationships at the executive level
  • The ability to identify and create client value
  • Strong collaboration and team working skills

Are you the right match for Advantage?

Advantage is serious about partnering with only the top candidates, individuals who possess the right entrepreneurial spirit and the right cultural fit.

You may not be a good fit for Advantage if you:

Can’t handle the risks associated with being an entrepreneur

It takes time to build a business, and you may not be profitable right away. We will do everything we can to support your efforts, including providing leads and consulting with you to expedite the sales process, but we can’t guarantee your success.

Prefer neatly packaged solutions and processes and a predictable work environment

Our model ensures that each customer reaps the benefits of the solutions and knowledge available through our many thought leader partners and Advantage colleagues. Every customer relationship is different, and we expect our partners to be nimble and creative in how they approach each new opportunity.

Are not curious, inquisitive, and always looking for a better way of doing business

Our most successful partners are those who continue to stretch and look for new ways of delighting their customers. Our thought leaders are some of the best in the business, and they inspire us to keep pushing forward, growing individually and as an organization.

Have left your best sales years behind you

We are looking for new partners who have their best sales years ahead of them. We want your years with us to be the most fruitful and rewarding of your career, both financially and personally, and we are set up to support you in that endeavor.

Are looking for a part-time, lifestyle business

Being an entrepreneur naturally allows you the flexibility to work around personal obligations and take needed breaks and vacations. At Advantage, we believe that balance is important. However, we expect our partners to be 100-percent committed to growing and maintaining a full plate of business.

Key thought leader partners

Located around the globe, Advantage thought leaders deliver world-class performance solutions. Because of this network, the best ideas, best practices, and best results in the world are always at your fingertips.

A 2012 study of 11,000 graduates of the Wharton School of Business determined that entrepreneurs are significantly more satisfied with their careers and with their jobs than non-entrepreneurs.

Are you ready to find out how we can help you succeed?

Scroll To Top