about derek carlson

I Thought Success Was the Goal.

I Was Wrong.

For years, my life looked successful from the outside.

I built one of the fastest-growing real estate companies in America, helped thousands of entrepreneurs build their businesses, spoke on stages across the country, and achieved many of the goals I had spent decades chasing.

But underneath the success, something wasn't right.

In 2023, everything changed.

While celebrating my 50th birthday with my family in Italy, I suffered three heart attacks in one week.

That moment forced me to confront a question I had spent years avoiding:

Was I building a successful business... while losing myself?

The answer changed my life forever.

It also became the foundation of everything I teach today.

THE BIRTH OF THE MVP FRAMEWORK

After surviving three heart attacks, battling overwhelming exhaustion, and navigating one of the most difficult business seasons of my life, I realized something.

Most people don't need more motivation.

They need alignment.

That's when the meaning of MVP changed forever.

No longer "Most Valuable Property."

It became:
Mindset

The way you think determines the life you build.

Vision

Clarity creates momentum.

Purpose

Success without purpose will never satisfy you.

The MVP Framework has since become the operating system I use for my business, leadership, faith, family, and everyday life.

THE MVP FRAMEWORK

Mindset. Vision. Purpose. Three forces that bring your life back into alignment.

MASTER YOUR MINDSET

Your mindset is the standard you operate from when life gets hard. Build the self-trust, discipline, and emotional authority to stop letting fear, pressure, and old patterns make your decisions.

EXPAND YOUR VISION

Vision gives your life direction. Stop living from memory, define the future you are committed to creating, and align your daily choices with the person that future requires.

LIVE YOUR PURPOSE

Purpose is the reason behind your actions. Reconnect success to what matters most, lead with intention, and build a life whose impact reaches far beyond you.

WHAT I DO TODAY

Today, I help entrepreneurs, business owners, real estate professionals, and leaders unlock their full potential through keynote speaking, leadership training, coaching, and practical business strategies.

My mission isn't simply to help people become more successful.

It's to help them build lives they don't have to recover from.

Whether I'm speaking on stage, training sales professionals, coaching leaders, or writing, everything centers around one mission:

Helping people master their mindset, expand their vision, and live their purpose.

MY STORY

My Story

I didn't come from money.

I grew up in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

Before real estate, I sold sports cards, delivered newspapers, worked in sales, and learned firsthand what responsibility feels like.

In 2014, I launched MVP Realty with just $500, a domain name, and a vision sketched on a napkin.

What started as one idea eventually grew into one of the largest independent real estate brokerages in America, serving more than 1,300 real estate professionals and generating billions in annual sales volume.

But the greatest lessons I learned didn't come from success.

They came from adversity.

Heart attacks.

Business challenges.

Personal loss.

Health struggles.

The moments that forced me to become someone different instead of simply working harder.

Beyond Business

Today, my greatest priorities are simple:

• Faith

• Family

• Health

• Purpose