Today we’d like to introduce you to David Ambrose.
David, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, I was always entrepreneurial minded when it came to work. As a teenager, I started a lawn mowing business, instead of working the minimum wage jobs most of my friends were doing. When I graduated from college with an MBA, I chose not to go the corporate route like most of my classmates. Instead, I started working for a real estate appraisal company, which was a commission based income. My starting income was less than half of what I was offered by other companies in the corporate world. I chose this route because I saw this to be the best opportunity for me to start my own business at an early age. I finished graduate school in 1988 and opened my own business in 1994.
When I started my business, it was just me in my living room with my wife and 4 young children (ages 2-6). This was a very humbling season of my life, where I left a great paying job to go out on my own with no clients. Through hard work and focusing on relationships (with clients and employees), The Ambrose Group now has 34 employees located in 3 offices (Houston, Woodlands, and Dallas). We have built our firm on our mission statement – “Everything we do is driven by the relationship and not the transaction”. Our employee turnover is extremely low because we hire based on a person fitting our culture first, and then we consider their qualifications. Often times this will require more training for certain employees, but because of their shared values, these individuals will be successful.
We work extremely hard at building a family-style culture but also maintaining a high degree of professionalism. My experience with talking to other CEO’s and other business owners, suggests that this is very difficult to achieve. Our firm is also intentional to commit time and resources to various ministries to include: A Child’s Hope, Family Legacy Missions, and Every Village. This helps our staff stay grounded and grateful for the blessings given to us.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been some road bumps and struggles along the way. The recession in the early 2000’s was a trying time for our firm as it was the first downward cycle we had to go through. But it really prepared us for the Great Recession of 2008/2009. We buckled down through this period, and proud that we did not have to lay anybody off which was very uncommon for appraisal firms in the Houston Area.
Please tell us about The Ambrose Group.
The Ambrose Group is a real estate valuation company that specializes in real estate appraisals, property tax consulting, and cost segregation studies. We are known for serving our clients with quality reports and personalized service. We are very intentional about being in front of our clients on a regular basis. As previously mentioned we operate on securing and maintaining the relationship, instead of just chasing the next dollar. I believe this sets us apart from other firms. I am most proud of the longevity of my current staff. Turnover is very low, and we truly care for each other even outside the business setting. I am also fortunate to have my 3 sons working for me, and they are all thriving at different levels.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Two specific memories come to mind. One was a trip my entire family made (mom, dad, and us 3 boys) from San Antonio to Disney World in Orlando, FL. We drove there in a 4-door sedan, and it was an adventure. But seeing Disney World for the first time at the age of 6, was very impressionable. I also recall times I spent as a child at my grandparent’s farm in Louisiana, fishing and riding horses.
Contact Info:
- Address: 16545 Village Dr. Building A
- Website: www.theambrosegroup.net
- Phone: 713-688-7733
- Email: david@theambrosegroup.net
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Ambrose-Group-146463425416231/
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