From the Trenches: Q&A With Ascend One Corp. CEO Bernie Dancel

By Mark R. Smith, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR



Bernie Dancel serves as the CEO and chairman of Columbia-based Ascend One Corp., the parent company of CareOne Services, an umbrella organization that helps consumers save money and get out of debt; 3C Incorporated, the company that owns the CareOne Credit Counseling service mark; and Amerix Corp., a major technology and service provider in the debt management industry.

Dancel has almost 18 years of experience in debt management and debt education. Prior to founding Amerix, he started National Credit Counseling Services in 1992, a nonprofit credit counseling agency which later became Genus Credit Management. Under his leadership, Genus became the largest nonprofit credit counseling agency in the nation.

When Dancel launched Amerix in 1997, he focused on developing its technology and service platforms to serve other credit counseling agencies. Today, it stands as the nation's largest provider of technology and processing to the debt management industry.

He is recognized for his innovative strategies in marketing, customer service and technology that have become a standard in the industry. For instance, Dancel was the first to raise national consumer awareness of alternatives to bankruptcy, as well as offer multiple debt solutions to best fit consumers' various financial needs.

Ascend One has been cited as one of the 50 largest local employers by the Howard County Economic Development Corp. It employs nearly 400 workers and was recognized as one of the 26 Best Places to Work in Baltimore Magazine's July 2007 edition (for the second time). The company has also received citations and awards from the likes of the Maryland Work-Life Alliance, the Chesapeake Human Resources Association (with the 2003 James W. Rouse Diversity Award) and Howard County Public Schools.

Dancel has served as a board member for the United Way of Central Maryland, Howard Community College Educational Foundation, Columbia Festival of the Arts and the National Foundation of Credit Counseling; he currently serves as a board member for Howard Bank and the Howard County Public School Education Foundation.

He is also one of the founding members of the Columbia Ravens and is the chairman of the Dancel Family Foundation, as well as a supporter of the YMCA of Central Maryland.



What experiences did you have early in your life/career that aroused your entrepreneurial spirit?

As a teenager, I worked at a local McDonald's, which helped to shape my perception of how a business should run. Anyone could learn how to do anything at McDonald's and I realized that a million-dollar business, with efficient and effective processes, could be run by a 17-year-old kid.

At that time, the franchise emphasized an attention to detail, good food, quality service, cleanliness and pride in work. The supervisors also created a fun environment that was competitive and involved teamwork and offered an opportunity for advancement. All of these qualities resonated with me, and I continued to incorporate them as I moved on to other jobs and established my own business.



What needs did you identify in the market before you founded Ascend One?

Most financial companies only help people who have lots of money. I wanted to find a way to help people like myself and my family - those who struggled to make ends meet and pay their bills on time - rather than those who have money and want to make more of it.

I was completely unaware that consumers had options to help them pay off their debt. I only knew about bankruptcy. I recognized that credit counseling and debt management services are a valuable solution for many consumers, but back in the early '90s, most people had no idea that this service even existed.

While traditional debt management organizations in the credit counseling industry view their work as a social service and offer only one resource, a debt management plan, I recognized that consumer debt is a financial issue. One solution does not fit every consumer's needs, and consumers' needs are not being met as more and more Americans overextend themselves financially. So Ascend One and its subsidiaries meet this need through its full spectrum of debt solutions.



How did you raise money to start the company?

I started my business in the kitchen of my house. I had a phone, a fax machine and an 800 [phone] number. I started by placing a classified advertisement in The Washington Post under the Financial Services section - not the social service section, as most credit counseling agencies did at the time.

The calls started coming in and I would counsel each person who called, complete a budget for them and then contact the consumer's creditors to negotiate a monthly payment the consumer could afford. By the end of 1992, I was able to hire two employees to assist me with the business. I had also made enough money to place more classified advertisements in other newspapers to reach even more consumers.



What's the best thing about running your own company?

There are so many great things that it's hard to point out just one. But I'd say the best thing is knowing that I created a business that makes a real difference in people's lives. We help consumers take control of their debt and become better money managers. I get to work with a great staff, and we're able to develop new, innovative financial solutions that enable consumers to break the cycle of credit card debt and gain peace of mind.



What's Ascend One's biggest challenge today?

Our biggest challenge is managing growth. The consumer need for our services is greater than it has ever been. There are more opportunities to expand the scope of our business, but it's crucial for us to make sure we have the right team with the right talent and skills in place to meet consumers' needs.

Consumers who are struggling with their debt need competent, qualified help. Our mission is to help consumers break the cycle of credit card debt by giving them the confidence to manage their money successfully. We must balance our company's growth the right way with an explicit plan. We must also do our best to attract, retain and grow top talent within our own company.



Where do you want Ascend One to be five years from now? Do you have any specific expansion plans?

We want our company to be a trusted household name. We want to be the first organization that consumers approach when they are looking for financial education resources and support in paying down their debt.



How does your company give back to the community?

We encourage the civic involvement, volunteerism and monetary donations of our executives and team members. Ascend One also supports our team members' activities through community relations efforts and activities including corporate contributions, in-kind services, company-organized activities, educational programs, internal and external recognition and other incentives.

We have partnered with (or established liaisons with) many Howard County public schools, the Academy of Technology, the Academy of Finance (the latter with Howard, River Hill and Reservoir high schools) and the Americans for the Competitive Enterprise System.

Also, Ascend One has created a $5 million endowment for the Ascend One Fund for Financial Literacy; established the EDGE (Employee Donations & Grants Empowerment) Fund with The Columbia Foundation and the Baltimore Community Foundation; founded the Amerix Scholarship fund, which is administered by The Columbia Foundation; and contributed $25,000 to establish a scholarship for Howard Community College's 21st Century Fund.



What is your opinion of the business climate in Maryland for entrepreneurs? Would you found another business in the state or would you look elsewhere?

True entrepreneurs are always looking to make their ideas work. Being an entrepreneur means being committed to achieving your goal with or without specific programs or assistance available in the community.



What advice would you give a young up-and-comer who wants to found his or her own business?

Take advantage of every opportunity to visit different businesses and participate in various intern programs. Make a commitment to succeed, and don't let setbacks discourage you from reaching your goals. Starting your own business takes a lot of hard work and dedication, so be prepared to focus all your energy and effort to making your dreams come to fruition.