Overview
Collective 54, the community for founders of boutique professional services firms (NAICS 54), held its Q2 Retreat from April 22–24, 2026, at Hotel Emma in San Antonio and a founder's ranch in the Texas Hill Country. The invite-only event brought together 50 members for a two-day workshop focused on engineering expansion revenue from existing client accounts.
What was installed
The retreat introduced two core deliverables:
- The Operating System for Expansion Revenue — Collective 54's proprietary methodology for identifying and capturing untapped revenue inside existing accounts.
- The AI Account Manager — a purpose-built product available exclusively to Collective 54 members. It continuously monitors client accounts to surface expansion signals, map white space, and recommend next-best actions. The tool is designed to replace manual, periodic account reviews that have historically defined boutique-firm account management.
How the retreat worked
Day 1 was dedicated to learning the expansion methodology. Day 2 involved standing up a working version of the AI Account Manager. According to Jeff Klaumann, President of Collective 54, the goal is for members to install something new in their firm before flying home. One member identified and closed an expansion opportunity during the retreat itself.
Member feedback
Steve Hoeft of Pivotal Advisors, a member of Collective 54, noted that after the Q1 Retreat he left with a playbook for generating new leads and booked wins the following week. He returned for Q2 because the model — methodology on Day 1, installation on Day 2 — produced results.
Background
Collective 54 was founded in January 2020 and serves founders of boutique professional services firms in NAICS 54 (consulting, IT services, marketing agencies, accounting and finance, legal services, architectural and engineering services, design, and software development). Since launch, members have completed 59 successful firm sales representing more than $3 billion in transactions across North America. The AI-Native tier is designed to extend those outcomes by increasing enterprise value through systematized growth inside existing accounts.
Bottom line
The Q2 Retreat demonstrates a shift from inspiration-driven events to installation-focused workshops. For professional services founders, the practical takeaway is that an AI-powered account management system can be deployed in two days and begin generating revenue immediately — at least one member proved that on-site.