The Hidden Key to Growth: Who You Surround Yourself With
The most underrated business skill: relationship-building. Here's why
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Introduction
In business, there’s one truth that often gets overlooked: your success is directly tied to the quality of your relationships.
You can have the best product, the most innovative service, or a brilliant marketing strategy, but without strong, growth-oriented relationships, none of it lasts.
That’s why one of the most valuable skills you can develop isn’t just closing deals. It’s choosing the right people to surround yourself with.
Don’t waste time on the wrong relationships
Too many people get stuck in circles that drain them instead of building them up.
You know the type:
- People who are always complaining about what’s wrong but never act to fix it.
- People who are constantly broke, not because of bad luck, but because of bad habits.
- People who are negative, bringing down every new idea or opportunity.
- People who stay stuck in the same place, year after year, without progress.
When you spend time with them, their mindset rubs off on you. Slowly, without realizing it, you start to see limitations where there were none.
You stop thinking big. You stop taking risks.
These relationships cost you far more than you realize.
The real business you're in
Here’s a perspective shift: you’re not in the business of selling products or services—you’re in the business of building relationships.
A business deal? That’s a relationship.
A customer choosing you over the competition? That’s trust built through a relationship.
A partner who brings you opportunities? That’s a relationship.
Even your team, the people who help you grow your business, that’s built on relationships.
Every part of business comes down to one simple question: Do people trust you enough to want to work with you?
And that trust can only be built through strong, positive, mutually beneficial relationships.
Surround yourself with builders
If the wrong relationships pull you down, the right ones lift you higher.
Surround yourself with:
- Thinkers who challenge you to see new possibilities.
- Doers who don’t just talk about ideas but act on them.
- Mentors who’ve walked the path and can guide you.
- Peers who are growing alongside you, celebrating wins and learning from failures.
- Dreamers who remind you to keep aiming higher.
These are the relationships that multiply your growth. They give you perspective, open doors, and push you beyond your comfort zone.
Food for thought
At the end of the day, you’re not just selling a product, service, or skill.
You’re selling trust. And that trust only comes from building relationships that last.
So don’t waste another moment on people who hold you back. Invest in relationships that help you grow, evolve, and win.
Because business isn’t just about what you do, it’s about who you choose to do it with.
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Prompt used to create the image for the note
P.S.: Image made on Meta AI using the prompt, “Create an image of an entrepreneur smiling on a video meeting on their large desktop screen talking to a bunch of happy customers”