My Mission
I build leaders and help businesses increase profitability. Since beginning my entrepreneurial ventures in the 1990's while I was a SWAT Commander in Law Enforcement to working my way up in a corporate and Public Company to CEO and Board Director, and now buying and growing businesses - I realize one thing. People matter! Without this realization, you cannot lead. When you don't lead, people end up defaulting to the minimum necessary, when we want employees and management to pursue MAXIMUM POSSIBLE! It's about raising the ceiling and helping our people get better every day. The studies have it correct - the number one thing that people want in a company is a culture that supports their growth and development. They want to get better and when we live this culture as leaders ourselves, our businesses grow and stakeholders all benefit - from employees, customers, and shareholders. Let's grow our leadership together - a mission I have dedicated myself to. And guess what? Everybody wins!
~Adam
About Adam Contos
Adam used to run a SWAT team in his previous career. He would kick in doors, blow things up, save people.
Now, as the recently retired CEO of RE/MAX Holdings, Inc., his professional life is completely different. His approach, however, remains the same. His goal always is to break down barriers, blow up conventional thinking, and help as many people as possible achieve success.
It defines who Adam is as an entrepreneur. It was how he chose to lead RE/MAX, the top brand in real estate; Motto Franchising, the first national mortgage brokerage franchise in the U.S.; and booj, an award-winning real estate technology company. It’s why he chooses to start every day with a win—to create habits and build momentum while working toward better opportunities for those he serves.
In his experience, leadership is about mindset—about being a “we” rather than a “me.” It’s about knowing when to break the rules, why it’s important to challenge the status quo, and how to inspire others to achieve their own greatness.
When he first entered RE/MAX World Headquarters in 2003, he did so as an independent contractor. He had served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves and with the Douglas County (Colorado) Sheriff’s Office. But he believed in creating the success he wanted. So he did.
Adam developed S.A.F.E.R, Safety Awareness for Every Realtor, and presented the training program across North America. It brought him to RE/MAX for nearly 20 years, where he served as CEO from 2018 to 2022.
If anything, Adam's career is proof there’s power in charting your own course by finding your North Star. In the Marines, he learned that there’s a better system for everything. In law enforcement, he learned to outsmart his opponent by changing his approach. In business, he's learned that small achievements add up to big accomplishments.
It’s all contributed to who Adam is.
He's an Entrepreneur, A CEO, a Business School Professor, Father, Husband, and Coach. Sign up below to share business growth ideas with Adam.
“In the remarkably actionable and relatable Start With A Win, Adam Contos reframes the outdated view of success as an often daunting ‘destination,’ to a series of achievable ‘wins’ that propel you toward your self-determined goals.”
David Avrin
President, The Customer Experience Advantage
“Adam Contos is a strong and confident communicator whose determination, boldness, and successes have helped him truly understand what it means to be a leader today. Listen to what he has to say.”
Barbara Kreisman, PhD
Daniels College of Business, University of Denver
“Adam is an individual with unbounded curiosity and is willing to look in many directions to be a better leader. He understands how believing in yourself and starting a step-by-step program of small steps ultimately gets a person to incredible success.”
