Rich Anderson
CEO of CORE Leaders
Rich Anderson is a serial entrepreneur, dedicated philanthropist, loving husband, and caring father who dedicates his time, money, and adroitness to projects that align with his driving core values of honoring God and loving people.
From an early age, Rich's father would tell him to, "work hard so that no one has to come behind you". This honorable philosophy and personal commitment to due diligence became a driving force in Rich that shaped his worldview. His analytical mind, attentive spirit, and driving ambition was obvious from a young age, when at 9 years old, Rich had built a successful business (where he even developed financial credit with local markets) in his hometown. Despite Rich's resourceful and enterprising ways, his humble beginnings were often unstable and oppressive, and Rich struggled to stay out of trouble. He credits both his survival and faith in God to mentors who intervened on his behalf and believed in him more than he believed in himself.
As a young man, Rich joined the US Army where his motivation and meticulousness set him apart from other recruits. Originally serving as a heavy wheel diesel mechanic, Rich was quickly promoted to run the mailroom, where his attention to detail and honorable mentality shined. As a man of strong ethical conviction and a commitment to righteousness, Rich concluded his military commitment serving in the trusted role as Captain's driver.
After serving in the US Military, finishing college, marrying and starting a family with the love of his life, Rich went on to build a successful career in real estate where he fell in love with the process of buying, selling, and leveraging. Rich recruited driven individuals, coached them up, and eventually produced the #1 sales team in Middle Tennessee that specialized in both residential and commercial real estate. Widely respected for his industry knowledge, ability to problem solve, and commitment to pour into others, Rich was pursued by the #1 award-winning real estate coaching company - becoming their top wealth building coach.
Over the past 35 years, Rich has found great reward not only in coaching, but also in being coached. In his own words, “Everyone needs a coach to ask the tough questions, to help you to believe in yourself, and to be held accountable to your own action plan”. Rich’s reputation for asking the bigger questions and empowering people to action has been evident not only in the professional arena, but also in his philanthropy. In 1998, Rich co-founded CEO Fellowship (Christian Executive Officer) which exists to equip, inspire, and teach leading professionals to run and manage their business on biblical principles. Later, in 2006, Rich and his business partner established First Fruits Funding which provides grants, scholarships, and donations to Christian athletes, Reign Ministries, and Tennessee Baptist Children's Homes.
Rich's core desire to serve others and make a positive impact on the world for Christ's kingdom. Rich's humility, generosity, and commitment to ethical business practices have elevated him as a respected and admired figure both in the professional community and beyond.