Thomas Berkley’s entrepreneurial career has been shaped by military discipline, sales and marketing experience, and a practical focus on business performance. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Berkley is the founder of CSM Collective, a training and placement company focused on Client Success Management.

His career did not begin with a conventional business background. Berkley spent a decade serving in the United States Air Force while developing an interest in entrepreneurship, sales, and marketing. Over time, those experiences became the foundation for a business career that would eventually include more than $10 million in sales and the creation of CSM Collective.

From Military Service to Entrepreneurship

Thomas Berkley Entrepreneur spent ten years in the U.S. Air Force, an experience that influenced how he approaches business and leadership. He credits military service with developing his understanding of discipline, accountability, consistency, and clearly defined responsibilities.

Rather than waiting until his military career ended to explore entrepreneurship, Berkley began studying business, sales, and marketing while still serving. His early interest centered on understanding how businesses attract customers, generate revenue, and maintain relationships with those customers after the initial sale.

That experience eventually became a foundation for his entrepreneurial work. Berkley’s story reflects a gradual shift from military service to business building rather than a single career change.

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Building Businesses Beyond Eight Figures

Berkley began building and scaling companies in 2018. According to his official website, his businesses have generated more than $10 million in sales, and his work earned recognition from ClickFunnels.

He received the ClickFunnels Two Comma Club Award after generating more than $1 million through a single sales funnel. He also received the ClickFunnels 10X Award, associated with surpassing $10 million in total sales.

These milestones became significant markers in his entrepreneurial career, but they also gave him exposure to a recurring business problem: companies could become highly focused on acquiring customers while paying less attention to what happened after the sale.

That observation would later influence the direction of CSM Collective.

Experience With Kevin Harrington

Another notable part of Berkley’s career was his opportunity to work directly with Kevin Harrington, the original Shark from ABC’s Shark Tank and a prominent figure in direct-response marketing.

Berkley managed marketing campaigns for Harrington’s clients in the home services sector. The experience placed him closer to established sales and marketing systems and provided another perspective on how businesses can structure their customer acquisition and revenue operations.

For Berkley, this work added to the practical experience he had already gained through building his own companies. His career increasingly centered on measurable business outcomes rather than entrepreneurship as a title alone.

The Business Problem That Led to CSM Collective

The idea behind CSM Collective developed from Berkley’s observations of businesses struggling with client retention.

Companies often invest heavily in marketing, lead generation, sales teams, and customer acquisition. Yet once a customer signs up, the systems responsible for helping that customer reach the promised outcome can be less developed.

Berkley identified client success as a critical part of that gap.

A Client Success Manager, or CSM, works with paying customers to support onboarding, engagement, progress, and retention. For businesses built around recurring services, coaching, consulting, agencies, or other ongoing relationships, the role can have a direct effect on customer satisfaction and revenue retention.

How Thomas Berkley Built CSM Collective

CSM Collective combines professional training with placement. Rather than focusing solely on teaching client success skills, the company is designed to connect trained professionals with businesses that need dedicated client success support.

The model addresses two sides of the market.

For business owners, CSM Collective provides access to trained Client Success Managers who can help manage customer relationships, improve onboarding, support client outcomes, and address retention issues.

For professionals, the company provides training and certification aimed at preparing them for remote Client Success Manager positions.

According to Berkley’s website, more than 100 professionals have been trained, certified, and placed through CSM Collective.

The company primarily focuses on online businesses generating at least $35,000 per month, where customer retention can have a meaningful effect on recurring revenue and overall growth.

Why Berkley Focuses on Client Retention

Retention sits at the center of Berkley’s business philosophy.

His argument is straightforward: acquiring a customer is only one part of the commercial relationship. The business also has to deliver the promised outcome and give the customer a reason to remain.

This perspective comes from Berkley’s own experience operating and advising businesses. He observed companies closely tracking acquisition metrics while paying less attention to churn, customer engagement, and long-term client value.

CSM Collective therefore treats the client relationship after the sale as a business function rather than an administrative task.

A trained CSM can help establish expectations during onboarding, monitor customer progress, identify problems before they lead to cancellations, and maintain communication throughout the customer journey.

Discipline as a Business Principle

Berkley’s military background remains visible in his approach to entrepreneurship.

His philosophy emphasizes systems and consistency over short bursts of motivation. The principle is closely connected to the way military organizations operate: responsibilities are defined, standards are established, and execution is expected to remain consistent.

Berkley applies a similar perspective to business. Rather than relying solely on individual effort, he advocates creating repeatable processes that allow people to perform their roles effectively.

That philosophy also shapes CSM Collective’s approach to professional training. The goal is not simply to introduce people to a job title but to teach them a defined set of skills that can be applied inside an operating business.

Creating a Career Path in Client Success

CSM Collective also reflects another part of Berkley’s entrepreneurial vision: creating opportunities for people who want to work remotely in a role outside traditional sales.

The program trains professionals to work as Client Success Managers and provides placement support. Berkley’s website states that prior sales experience is not required for the program.

This approach positions client success as a specialized business skill rather than an extension of sales.

For companies, the role can provide dedicated attention to existing customers. For professionals, it offers a pathway into remote work based on relationship management, communication, organization, and business problem-solving.

The Career Lessons Behind Berkley’s Story

Thomas Berkley’s career illustrates several principles that have remained consistent across his work.

His military service provided the discipline and structure that later influenced his business practices. His experience building companies gave him firsthand exposure to sales, marketing, revenue generation, and operational challenges. His work with Kevin Harrington expanded his exposure to established direct-response marketing strategies.

CSM Collective represents the point where those experiences converge.

Rather than building another business around customer acquisition, Berkley chose to focus on what happens after the customer has already been acquired. His view is that businesses can create stronger economics by improving the experience and outcomes of the customers they already have.

That focus gives CSM Collective a clear position in the broader business services market.

Thomas Berkley’s Current Focus

Berkley continues to operate as the founder of CSM Collective while developing his broader work around entrepreneurship and client success.

His official profile identifies more than eight years of business-building experience beginning in 2018, more than $10 million in sales generated, more than 100 CSMs placed, and a decade of Air Force service.

His career has moved through several distinct stages: military service, early entrepreneurship, business scaling, marketing work, and finally the development of a company centered on client retention.

CSM Collective is the clearest expression of that progression. It reflects Berkley’s belief that sustainable business performance depends not only on bringing customers through the front door but also on giving them strong reasons to stay.

Author Bio

A business and entrepreneurship writer covering founders, emerging companies, leadership, marketing, and business strategy. Their work focuses on presenting professional, research-based profiles that examine the careers, ideas, and operating principles behind modern entrepreneurs and businesses.