Brian Sanford
OWNER

I started out on the traditional path in life… high school, college, a good degree and career, and working hard towards retirement. I was told by my teachers, employer, and Wall Street that I was successful. I was on my way to realizing the American Dream. But as time went on, it felt less and less like success. I had debt, struggled to make ends meet, and my time was controlled by someone else. And I started to realize that there was a different path… a greater journey to follow.

And 2008 proved that to me as I watched family and friends lose their homes, their life savings, and the financial security they thought was safe. My own financial certainty was destroyed.

And so… along with my brother Jake, I decided to go on a journey to educate myself about how money, wealth, and “real” investing actually works. I learned strategies ranging from real estate to private lending to cash banking. This knowledge gave me one very powerful tool… control. I took control of my financial destiny and ability to create financial freedom.

And it has become our passion and vision to empower others… those who have followed the same path we started on… with these same strategies and principles. This led us to The Elevation Group and becoming the Owners. Through our resources at EVG and investing ventures, we built Elevation Institute as a beacon to those looking for actionable education and resources to take control of their financial security.

Jake Sanford
OWNER

Early on, I’d “made it.” Went to college and got multiple degrees. Had a corporate job making decent money. Traveling around the world building beautiful monuments. Everything was great but, something was still missing…I needed to make a greater impact.

That came in the form of 9-11. I was working on projects in New York at the time and that was a powerful event in so many ways. It drove me to take action so that I could continue my mission. I became a firefighter and have never looked back. That’s the American Dream, but…

I was making good money (salary, so it’s still a fixed income), but just feeling trapped, limited, lacking control, etc. That motivation began a journey to learn from others.

We found out what the wealthy and their advisors are doing. We interviewed, spoke with, and traveled to meet those people to learn their strategies and mindsets. Instead of reading books, we wanted to talk to people writing the books.

We look forward to this journey with you. Empowering ourselves and those around us to achieve a life full of freedom and prosperity