🌉 Why Relationships Matter More Than We Think
In my early career, I kept my head down, did the work, and believed that results alone would earn me success.
And while hard work is absolutely important, I’ve learned something even more powerful: the right relationships can accelerate your growth in ways that hard work alone never will.
Some people see relationships as transactions. I see them as bridges, built over time, connecting you to opportunities, perspectives, and support you never knew you needed. The stronger the bridge, the more it can carry you through both difficult and good times.
📖 Story #1: The Mentor Who Changed My Trajectory
About five years in at a previous employer, a new CIO joined the business. In one of his first leader roundtables, I asked a question I thought was important:
“What’s your vision or plan for the future based on what you’ve seen so far?”
A few people around the table gave the usual side comments—dismissing the question instead of engaging with it. The CIO didn’t acknowledge their remarks. Instead, he answered my question as directly as he could with the knowledge he had at the time.
That small moment caught my attention.
A few weeks later, he sought me out to ask more questions. I kept my guard up and gave him the “safe” answers. But he read me like a book—he knew I had insights I wasn’t sharing yet, and that trust had to come first.
His awareness, his ability to listen between the lines, and his emotional intelligence created an instant professional connection. He was serious about his job and equally serious about creating a culture where people’s voices mattered.
Months later, I asked if he would be my mentor. He agreed. That mentorship became one of the main reasons I grew into a stronger, more confident professional—and eventually a mentor myself.
📖 Story #2: My “Why” for Sports and Community
My love for fostering community didn’t start in the workplace—it started with my mom’s best friend, Mimi.
Mimi was a force. She was head of the booster club for our school sports, on the school board, always at games, and constantly helping at events. She also happens to be the reason I fell in love with my favorite college basketball team (and no, I’m still not telling you who they are).
I started volunteering to help her with events, selling tickets, running concessions—anything that needed to be done.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that she was teaching me values that would shape my approach to life and leadership: showing up for your community, investing your time and energy into people and causes you care about, and leading by example.
To this day, those early experiences are a big part of why I continue to play volleyball, support the volleyball community, and build spaces where people feel connected and supported.
✅ A Checklist for Nurturing the Right Relationships
Over the years, I’ve found there are a few non-negotiables for building and maintaining both personal and professional connections:
- Values Alignment – You don’t have to agree on everything, but the core values need to match.
- Consistency – Trust is built through reliability, not grand gestures.
- Support Over Judgment – Feedback is important, but the foundation should be encouragement, not criticism.
- A Two-Way Street – Both people give, both people benefit.
- Reevaluate as Needed – People grow and change. So should our relationships.
🌱 Final Thought
The relationships that shape us aren’t always the ones we expect. Sometimes it’s a formal mentor. Sometimes it’s a friend, a coach, or a community leader who plants a seed that grows for decades.
The key is to be intentional about building bridges instead of walls—connecting with people who challenge you, support you, and help you grow into the best version of yourself.
When we surround ourselves with the right people, we don’t just reach our goals faster … We enjoy the journey more along the way!
Authentic Evolution Journey 