When Cogent Analytics assigned Tomas Salazar as my mentor, I didn’t fully appreciate how much it would change the way I run my business. Tomas has guided me through building a sustainable company structure from the ground up, and the financial understanding I’ve gained has been transformative.

Before working with Cogent, I thought I understood my cash flow. Their CMS system showed me I didn’t—not at the level I needed to. I now understand my true costs when bidding, including real burden and overhead, which has fundamentally changed how I price work and protect my margins.

The tools Cogent provides go well beyond what I expected: CMS, the bidding tool, custom KPI sheets, and WIP schedules have all become part of how I operate. Just as importantly, the work we’ve done on understanding field operations and clearly defining roles has significantly improved the efficiency of our jobs.

What also stood out was the consistency. When Tomas was out for a week, Cogent sent a phenomenal substitute in Vince Curasi, who maintained the momentum of the lessons without missing a beat. Across the board—Shaffer, Preston, and Jody—every person I’ve worked with has been a great teacher and kept the right amount of pressure on me to grow.

I’m running a more financially sound, better-organized company because of this process, and I’m grateful for the whole team’s guidance.

Sincerely,

Alex Arteaga
Owner
Absolute Renovations LLC