The One Business Skill That Never Loses Value: People

I’ve always been a people person.

Growing up, I was the outgoing kid. The friendly one. The class clown. I wasn’t the smartest guy in the room, but I could talk to anyone. Relationships came naturally to me before I even knew what that meant. What I didn’t realize back then was that being good with people would become my greatest business skill. It would turn into the foundation for everything I’ve built.

What’s the most valuable kind of wealth that nobody talks about? Relationship equity.

I’ve been in business long enough to watch money come and go. Markets swing. Deals fall apart. Industries evolve. The one thing that never loses value is people.

Relationships are the real currency.

Before the real estate signs, before the venture firm, before anything that looked like success, I built everything on relationships. Not contacts. Not followers. Real relationships. They’re the reason doors opened before I was ready. They’re the reason my business survived when it shouldn’t have.

You can fake a brand. You can’t fake connection.

Every big break has a name on it

When I look back at my career, every turning point has a person behind it. Opportunities come from relationships.

When you don’t have a budget, talk to people. When you don’t have experience, outwork everyone. When you don’t have a strategy, find believers.

Early on, I’d spend weekends walking into open houses that weren’t even mine just to meet people. I’d talk to neighbors walking their dogs. I wasn’t trying to sell anything. I was trying to build something that couldn’t be taken away.

That foundation still pays dividends today. Because the truth is, your next big opportunity probably isn’t coming from a marketing campaign. It’s coming from a conversation.

The real ROI

Most people think ROI means “return on investment.” I think it means return on intention.

Every time you show up with integrity, every time you check in with no agenda, you’re making a deposit. That client who disappeared will remember how you treated them when they come back years later. That investor who passed might be the one who opens your next door.

That’s relationship equity.

I look at hundreds of deals every day. I respond to all of them, but we only invest in a few. Even when it’s a no, I remember the people who reached out. Some of the best deals I’ve ever done started as passes. They came back around years later, better and more aligned. Timing changed. People grew. The story got better.

You never know which opportunities will circle back. Treat everyone like it matters. That’s how you build a reputation. That’s how you earn trust.

Real always wins

I believe in the power of social media. I’ve seen what it can do for a business, a brand, and a dream. But here’s the thing. It only works if you show up as your authentic self.

I never wanted to be the guy who looked different online than in real life. The captions, the clips, the posts. They’re all real. What you see is what you get.

Authenticity travels further than algorithms.

If people follow you for the highlight reel but don’t recognize you in person, you’re building the wrong kind of brand. I’d rather have ten real connections than a hundred thousand fake followers.

That’s not old-school. That’s sustainable. Real connection doesn’t need a filter. It just needs follow-through.

Related: Seeking Career or Life Advice? Here’s How These 3 Options Could Help

Your network is your insurance policy

Success looks safe until it isn’t. Markets crash. Plans change. Deals die. When that happens, your safety net isn’t your savings. It’s your relationships.

The people who know your work ethic, who’ve seen your consistency, who trust your word are the ones who keep you in the game when things get hard.

I’ve had seasons where I didn’t know if the business would make it another month. What kept me going wasn’t a loan or a lead. It was a call from someone I helped years before. A client who became a friend. A believer who saw my effort when no one else did.

That’s what relationships do. They sustain you when everything else feels shaky.

Build relationships beyond work

It’s easy to think relationship equity stops at your office door. It doesn’t.

The relationships outside of work matter just as much, maybe more. Be friends with your pastor. Check in with your old professors. Get to know the students at your alma mater. Stay connected to the people who shaped you before your title ever did.

Those relationships keep you grounded. They remind you that your identity is bigger than your business card.

It’s easy to collect contacts. It’s harder to build community. But that’s where the real growth happens. When you invest in people outside your bubble, you bring perspective, humility, and gratitude back into everything you do.

Your personal relationships are the roots that keep your professional ones standing tall.

Related: How to Create a Relationship with Anyone You Meet

Build networks, not pipelines

Everyone loves to talk about pipelines. Sales pipelines. Investor pipelines. Content pipelines. Here’s what I’ve learned. When you focus on people, the pipelines take care of themselves.

Every major opportunity I’ve had came from a relationship I built when I wasn’t looking for one. Every door that opened started with trust.

That’s why I remind my team all the time. We’re in the people business.

And the best part? Relationships don’t depreciate. They appreciate. If you keep watering them, they’ll outlast every trend, every market cycle, and every competitor.

Final takeaway

If you want to future-proof your career, invest in people the way you invest in everything else. Follow up. Say thank you. Show up when it’s inconvenient. Build a reputation that speaks for you when you’re not in the room.

Because when the market shifts, and it always will, the people who built real relationships are the ones who last.

Money fades. Titles change. Relationships don’t.

That’s the real currency.

I’ve always been a people person.

Growing up, I was the outgoing kid. The friendly one. The class clown. I wasn’t the smartest guy in the room, but I could talk to anyone. Relationships came naturally to me before I even knew what that meant. What I didn’t realize back then was that being good with people would become my greatest business skill. It would turn into the foundation for everything I’ve built.