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About Our Mission, Values, and Journey

For 30 years, we have been improving and impacting lives.

We’ve got you.

Buffini & Company is the largest coaching and training company in North America. Founded by real estate legend and master motivator Brian Buffini, the company provides a unique and highly effective lead generation system.

Our One2One Coaching Members earn an average of $369,400 — 10X the national average.

For 30 years, we have impacted and improved the lives of more than 4 million clients in 47 countries. We have helped them improve their business, increase net profits and enhance their quality of life.

Our Mission

To impact and improve the lives and livelihoods of people

Our Core Values

Live what we teach

Practice servant leadership

Excellence is our minimum standard

Meet the Senior Leadership Team

Brian Buffini

Chairman & Founder

Darin Dawson

Chief Executive Officer

Jeanette Perez

Chief of Staff

Jim Polzin

Chief Financial Officer

Steve Pacinelli

Chief Revenue Officer

Michael Park

Chief Product Officer

JB Bolton

Chief Operating Officer

Ethan Beute

Chief Ambassador

Melissa Simmons

Senior Vice President of Finance

Rachael Yeaman

Senior Vice President of Coaching

Heather Luskie

Senior Vice President of Marketing

David Lally

Vice President of Content & Curriculum

Donovan Steinberg

Vice President of Client Success

Contact Us

Buffini & Company

Carlsbad Office

6349 Palomar Oaks Court
Carlsbad, CA, 92011
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Colorado Springs Office

555 Middle Creek Parkway
STE 380
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
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Business Hours

Monday – Friday

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT

Client Care Hours

Monday – Friday

6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT

Phone

Toll Free: 1-800-945-3485

LIVE Chat Available: 6 a.m. – 5 p.m. PT

Fax: 1-760-476-9931

Outside U.S., Canada and Mexico:

001-760-827-2100

Brian Buffini

Brian Buffini is the Chairman & Founder of Buffini & Company, North America’s largest business coaching and training company. In his role as The Visionary, Brian focuses 100% of his energy on the mission he was born to lead: championing the Work by Referral® system, creating world-class content, and inspiring a global community of professionals to “live the good life”.

Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Brian emigrated to San Diego in 1986 with only $92 in his pocket. He became a classic American success story, rising to become one of the top-producing real estate agents in the United States before founding Buffini & Company in 1996. His conviction that “things could be better, people could do better, and their lives could be better” has since impacted more than 4 million professionals in 47 countries.

A master communicator and industry titan, Brian is a New York Times, Amazon, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Emigrant Edge. He is also the host of The Brian Buffini Show, one of the world’s most popular business web shows and podcasts with over 26 million downloads across 178 countries. Brian has been inducted into the RISMedia Real Estate Hall of Fame and is consistently recognized in the Swanepoel Power 200 as one of the most powerful people in residential real estate.

Today, Brian remains the face, voice, and soul of Buffini & Company. In his role as Chairman & Founder, he continues to lead the industry through signature events, quarterly coaching broadcasts, and a tireless commitment to the clients we serve. Brian and his wife Beverly, co-founder of the company, have six children and are the proud grandparents of a growing next generation. They reside in Southern California.

Darin Dawson

Darin Dawson is the Chief Executive Officer of Buffini & Company, where he serves as the organization’s “Integrator,” leading the operational execution of the company’s strategic growth plans. In this role, he oversees the company’s core growth engines, multi-tier membership systems, and the integration of next-generation technologies, all designed to modernize and elevate the experience for professionals who Work by Referral®.

A proven leader and technology builder, Darin is recognized as one of the earliest tech founders in the real estate industry. He has dedicated over 20 years to building products people love and scaling operations with a mission-driven focus on servant leadership.

Prior to being named CEO, Darin served as the company’s Chief Revenue Officer, where he gained intimate operational knowledge leading Product Development, Marketing, and Sales. His career is highlighted by co-founding BombBomb in 2006, a pioneering video messaging platform that he led for over 13 years, growing the company to more than 100,000 users across 48 countries without venture capital.

Darin is dedicated to scaling Brian Buffini’s vision to impact and improve the lives and livelihoods of people. Darin and his family reside in Colorado.

Jeanette Perez

Jeanette Perez is Buffini & Company’s Chief of Staff, helping to streamline operations, manage priorities, and ensure the company’s goals are executed effectively. As such, she additionally provides leverage to Founder and CEO Brian Buffini enabling him to focus on growth, vision, and high-value opportunities.

She began her career with the company in 2012, serving as executive administrator to several C-suite leaders before becoming Brian Buffini’s executive assistant.

Prior to joining Buffini, she worked for the Department of Defense as an office administrator and held office manager roles at multiple companies, relocating frequently due to her husband’s military assignments.

Jeanette holds a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Grantham University. She and her husband have two children and are currently on military orders, with plans to return to Southern California.

Jim Polzin

Originally from the Midwest, Jim spent nearly a decade at Pella Corporation, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of windows and doors, where he built a diverse and rigorous foundation across a wide range of corporate finance positions.

In 2001, Jim brought his extensive financial acumen to Buffini & Company, initially joining the organization as its Controller. As the company scaled, his leadership and operational insights led to his advancement into the demanding dual role of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, a position where he successfully navigated both the fiscal framework and daily operational complexities of the business for years.

Today, Jim focuses solely on his role as Chief Financial Officer, where his deep institutional knowledge makes him an invaluable strategic anchor for the executive leadership team. In this capacity, he stewards the company’s long-term financial health and drives high-level corporate budgeting, risk management, and fiscal strategy. Jim ensures that the organization’s resources are precisely and strategically deployed to support its continuous innovation, ultimate profitability, and core mission of helping real estate professionals grow their businesses by referral.

Steve Pacinelli

Steve Pacinelli is the Chief Revenue Officer at Buffini & Company, where he leads global revenue, sales, and marketing across the coaching, events, and digital businesses.

He joins Buffini after serving as Senior Director of Marketing at Zillow Group and CMO of Follow Up Boss, the CRM acquired by Zillow Group for up to $500 million in 2023, where he helped lead the integration and the go-to-market work that followed. Before Follow Up Boss, he was CMO of BombBomb for more than seven years, and earlier led events, sales, and practitioner education at Move, Inc. and Top Producer.

Steve is a Wall Street Journal bestselling co-author, a longtime keynote speaker in the real estate and mortgage industries, and a Penn State graduate. He focuses on the intersection of relational sales and modern technology — the foundation of Buffini & Company’s “Work by Referral” methodology.

Michael Park

As Chief Product Officer at Buffini & Company, Michael Park leads the strategy and execution of innovative products that help real estate professionals grow and thrive. With over 25 years of experience in product leadership, he specializes in scaling companies, driving product-led growth, and building high-performing teams.

Before joining Buffini & Company, Michael held executive product roles in B2B and B2C SaaS, digital products, and hard goods companies, successfully launching and expanding products into new markets. He has a proven track record in strategic development, category creation, and revenue acceleration.

Michael earned his Bachelor of Science in Photography and Digital Media from Brooks Institute. Originally from Southern California, he now lives in Colorado with his family, where he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and exploring the Rockies.

JB Bolton

JB Bolton is the Chief Operating Officer at Buffini & Company, where he helps align people, process, technology, performance, coaching, and client success around disciplined execution and measurable results.

Before joining Buffini & Company, JB founded Bolton Co., an executive coaching, business coaching, and advisory firm serving leaders and growing organizations. He previously spent nearly 11 years at BombBomb, where he helped scale the SaaS company from startup stage to more than $25 million in annual recurring revenue and served in executive roles including SVP of Operations, Chief Customer Officer, and Chief Revenue Officer.

JB is known for combining operational discipline with a people-first leadership style, helping teams build clarity, accountability, trust, and momentum.

Ethan Beute

Ethan Beute is the Chief Ambassador at Buffini & Company, where he amplifies the voices, successes, and insights of the global community’s clients and coaches through high-impact podcasts, presentations, and digital content. A Wall Street Journal bestselling co-author of Human-Centered Communication and Rehumanize Your Business, Ethan has spent more than a dozen years helping real estate professionals scale their businesses through authentic connection.

Prior to joining Buffini & Company, Ethan served as Principal Brand Marketing Strategist at Zillow Group, following prominent tenures as Chief Evangelist for both Follow Up Boss and BombBomb. A dynamic broadcaster and speaker, he has hosted nearly 500 podcast episodes across industry-leading shows—including Real Estate Team OS and The Customer Experience Podcast—and has delivered numerous national presentations, including featured TEDx talks. Ethan holds an MBA in marketing and leverages his deep background in communication, media, and tech-ecosystem scaling to champion client advocacy and relational excellence worldwide.

Melissa Simmons

Melissa is a seasoned accounting and finance professional with over 20 years of diverse, hands-on experience. She honed her financial acumen across a variety of fast-paced industries, holding pivotal finance roles at tech innovators like Texas Instruments, Alliance Semiconductor, and Integrated Sensor Solutions, as well as the dynamic retail environment of the California franchise office of Outback Steakhouse, before joining Buffini & Company in 2003.

Since then, Melissa has steadily advanced within the organization, currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Finance. In this key executive role, she does far more than manage the numbers; Melissa is the architect of the company’s financial operations, overseeing comprehensive budgeting, precise forecasting, and fiscal compliance. Her leadership ensures the financial stability and agility required to fuel the company’s continuous growth and innovation. Known for her analytical precision and collaborative approach, she serves as a trusted advisor to the executive team, translating complex financial data into actionable corporate strategy.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Iowa State University along with a Master of Business Administration, combining a rock-solid academic foundation with decades of proven executive leadership.

Rachael Yeaman

Rachael Yeaman is Buffini & Company’s Vice President of Coaching Performance & Training, where she leads a high-performing team of Coaching Leaders. In this role, she ensures coach excellence, client success, and long-term retention by using and implementing the Work by Referral systems across the company’s One2One™ and Leadership Coaching™ programs.

Prior to this role, she served as the company’s Vice President of REALStrengths®.

Rachael holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pepperdine University, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Azusa Pacific University. She strives to live every day with a grateful heart, joyful attitude, curious mind and intentional action.

Rachael lives in Dallas with her husband and two children.

Heather Luskie

From music to television and now business coaching and training, Heather Luskie joined Buffini & Company with years of brand building and storytelling experience across multiple industries. In her current role as Buffini & Company’s Vice President of Marketing Operations, Heather is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive marketing operations strategy that aligns with the company’s business objectives, enhances efficiency, and drives growth.

Before joining the company, Heather spent 11 years at the NBC-owned station in San Diego, spearheading unique creative positioning and promotion. As the station’s Brand Director, she oversaw a rebranding, shift to digital deliveries, the launch of a duopoly and brand campaigns for several Olympic Games and Super Bowl opportunities. She received seven Emmy Awards for her work there.

Heather has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from California State University, Fullerton. She enjoys spending time with her family in San Diego.

David Lally

David Lally is the Vice President of Content & Curriculum at Buffini & Company, where he oversees the creation and strategy of compelling content that educates, motivates, and drives engagement across platforms. Since joining the company in 2002, David has been immersed in content and curriculum and played a pivotal role in shaping Buffini’s voice through impactful messaging, event content, and media production.

With a strong background in storytelling and communication, he brings clarity, creativity, and purpose to every piece of content delivered to the Buffini community.

David enjoys traveling with his family, DIY weekend projects, and playing music with his friends.

Donovan Steinberg

As Vice President of Client Success, Donovan is responsible for developing the strategy, functions, and processes for how we deliver a world class customer experience from onboarding through renewal. He is passionate about developing and empowering leaders to build high performing teams, fostering meaningful relationships where individuals feel valued, and transforming the customer journey to cultivate long-term client advocacy.

Before joining Buffini & Company, Donovan held executive leadership roles in video communication SaaS companies, where he successfully scaled teams, accelerated customer value, and drove sustainable revenue growth.

Donovan earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He continues to reside in Colorado with his wife and children, where he is dedicated to creating intentional and meaningful experiences with his family.