What Cultivate Advisors does

Cultivate Advisors (legal entity HFI Consulting LLC, Illinois; also filing as Cultivate Brands LP) is a privately held business advisory firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. It sells monthly subscription-based 1:1 advising partnerships to U.S. small business owners, pairing each client with a senior advisor — every advisor is a former successful business owner — and applying the proprietary Propeller Methodology across six practice areas: Sales, Profit Management, Talent Management, Leadership Management, Marketing Management, and Performance Improvement. The firm reports it has advised 2,000+ business owners across 160+ industries, with self-reported client outcomes of 43% average top-line revenue growth and 65% average bottom-line profit growth over a 12-month period.

The product stack centers on a proprietary online Advisor Platform (LMS-style portal at my.cultivateadvisors.com) supplemented by AcuMax Assessments for team evaluation, financial-forecasting tooling, and a soft-skill catalog. Delivery is sales-led: free 2-hour assessments and discovery calls convert prospects into recurring monthly subscriptions paid via Stripe (credit card or ACH) with auto-renewal and a 30-day non-renewal notice. Marketing is multi-channel — blog, podcast, free toolkits, fireside-chat webinars, NAWBO event presence, and an active LinkedIn/Instagram/Facebook/YouTube footprint — and bottoms out in a referral/case-study engine anchored by a 5.0-star Google rating across 457 reviews.

Operationally the firm runs lean (51–100 employees, 60+ advisors, US-only), backed by a WordPress/WooCommerce/ActiveCampaign/Hotjar marketing stack. Capital structure is private with no institutional investor disclosed; a January 2024 SEC Form D exempt offering (Cultivate Brands LP) raised approximately $1.5M. The company carries Inc. 5000 (2024), Inc. Best Workplaces (2023), Best Small Business of 2023, and Stevie "Best Entrepreneur" recognitions. No AI/ML, M&A, geographic expansion, or patent portfolio is disclosed.

Name

Cultivate Advisors

Legal name

HFI Consulting LLC

Website

https://cultivateadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cultivate Advisors is a U.S. small-business advisory firm that sells monthly subscription-based 1:1 advising to SMB owners, delivered by former business owners through its proprietary Propeller Methodology and Advisor Platform across sales, finance, talent, leadership, and marketing practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Brook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Monthly Advising Services: Cultivate Advisors generates revenue through monthly subscription-based advising services for small business owners. Clients pay recurring monthly fees for access to expert business advisors, the proprietary Propeller Methodology, the Advisor Platform, and ongoing accountability support. Payments are processed monthly via credit card or ACH with automatic renewal terms.
2. Training and Content Access: Revenue from providing free training resources, toolkits, and educational content to attract and engage potential clients. Free resources include webinars, fireside chats with entrepreneurs, and downloadable guides on topics like delegation, automation, recruiting, and vision planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cultivate Advisors provides monthly 1:1 business advisory partnerships to small business owners, pairing them with experienced former-owner advisors who apply the proprietary Propeller Methodology across sales, financials, marketing, talent, leadership, and productivity. Clients gain access to the proprietary Advisor Platform (online LMS), AcuMax Assessments, financial forecasting tools, and accountability support via recurring monthly subscriptions. Free toolkits, webinars, and fireside chats serve as top-of-funnel acquisition channels.

Product overview

Cultivate Advisors operates as a small business advising firm offering a comprehensive suite of advisory services organized around its proprietary Propeller Methodology. The core offering is one-on-one business advisory partnerships where experienced advisors work with small business owners to assess and improve across six key areas: Sales, Profit/Financials, Marketing, Talent/Recruitment, Leadership, and Performance/Productivity. The service architecture combines a central Business Advisory Services platform with specialized service modules covering Sales Advisory, Profit Management, Talent Management, Leadership Management, Marketing Management, and Performance Improvement. In addition to paid advisory services, the company provides free resources including the Vision Development Whitepaper, Recruiting Process Guide, and Recruiting Candidate Selection Toolkit, as well as free training content such as Fireside Chats with entrepreneurs and webinars on topics like Delegation & Automation and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Clients access the Advisor Platform, a proprietary online portal that delivers training materials, assessments, and business tools through a subscription model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Propel Your Business: The company's proprietary advisory methodology that guides business owners through the growth process, focusing on financials, sales, marketing, leadership, recruiting, and productivity.

Products and services

• Business Advisory Services
• Sales Advisory

Quantifiable outcome

• 43% average top-line revenue growth for clients over 12 months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Brian Scudamore (Founder of 1800-GOT-JUNK)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Featured in Fireside Chat training session. Serial entrepreneur who pioneered professional junk removal at age 19 and scaled into O2E Brands expected to achieve $700M in 2022. Brian shares insights on entrepreneurship, scaling, and business growth through interviews with Cultivate Advisors.
• Magie Cook (Founder of Maggie's All Natural Fresh Salsas)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Featured in Fireside Chat training session. Magie founded Maggie's All Natural with $800 and grew it to a multimillion-dollar business with 500+ employees, sold to Campbell's Soup for $231M. She specializes in mindset optimization and helping entrepreneurs unlock potential.
• Xavier Ramey (CEO of Justice Informed)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Featured presenter in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion webinar. International DEI leader who engages audiences on DEI for 21st Century Companies, presenting a systems-focused lens rather than individual initiatives.
• Elmdale PartnersminorOthersReal estate investment firm that acquired client Center Coast Realty in early 2022, demonstrating the value of Cultivate Advisors' exit planning services. Connection facilitated by advisor to help client transition successfully.
• NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry organization where client Pro-Am Team Sports founder Mary Dolan met her Cultivate Advisors advisor at an event, demonstrating referral channel through industry associations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Strategic Coach: Premium business coaching and advising firm serving entrepreneurs and small business owners with structured 1:1 and group programs. Closely comparable to Cultivate in target customer (owner-operators), subscription model, and emphasis on growth frameworks.
• ActionCOACH: Global business coaching franchise targeting SMB owners with sales, marketing, and operations advising. Comparable in customer segment, coaching methodology, and subscription pricing model.
• Vistage: Peer advisory and executive coaching organization for SMB CEOs and business owners. Directly comparable in serving small business leaders with recurring advising engagements and group/1:1 formats.
• EOS Worldwide: Provider of the Entrepreneurial Operating System, a proprietary framework plus certified advisor network that helps SMB owners run their businesses. Comparable in proprietary methodology, advisor-based delivery, and SMB focus.
• Gazelles (Verne Harnish): Growth advisory firm built around the Rockefeller Habits methodology, serving small and mid-sized business owners. Comparable in advisory model, growth-focused content, and subscription engagement structure.
• Rhythm Systems: Strategy execution software and coaching provider for SMB leadership teams. Comparable in combining methodology with a platform offering and in targeting owner-led growth-stage businesses.
• Tony Robbins Business Coaching: High-profile business coaching and advisory service for entrepreneurs and business owners. Comparable in serving SMB owner-operators with monthly subscription advising engagements.
• Insight Business Advisors: Business advisory and coaching firm working with SMB owners on growth strategy, financials, and operations. Comparable in subscription advising model and SMB owner-operator customer profile.

Emerging players

• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): Global peer network for business owners offering learning events, forums, and mentoring. Comparable in serving owner-operators seeking growth, though its model is peer-to-peer rather than 1:1 advisor-driven.

Broad incumbents

• SCORE: U.S. nonprofit supported by the SBA providing free mentoring and advising to small business owners. Comparable in target customer and advising delivery, though free rather than subscription-based.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5ESrvyIzA3pVDTx2kuAepg
• Facebookfacebook.com/cultivateadvisors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cultivateadvisors
• Instagraminstagram.com/cultivateadvisors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cultivate Advisors