I sometimes talk about business growth as if it is all strategy, sales and scale, and yes these are key elements of any business BUT behind many of the best opportunities in business, there is usually something else at work.
A relationship.
A recommendation.
A conversation.
A person who trusts you.
A connection built over time.
Because businesses grow through people.
In a world moving at a rate of what can only be described as supersonic, (Red Sonic as my daughter tells me when she runs extra fast) I believe this more than ever: the investment you make in real human relationships will come back to you tenfold.
AI Has a Place, But It Cannot Be You
We are all learning how to use AI better. And we should.
AI can help with automation, tracking, follow-up systems, support consistency, remove friction, help memory and prompt us – when used well, it can absolutely help you foster and sustain stronger business relationships.
But there is a line and founders need to know where that line is.
But when it comes to the relationships that matter, your true voice still needs to be the lead.
People want to know they are hearing you. They want your sincerity, your presence. They want to feel that the relationship is real, not just efficiently managed.
No tool can substitute for that.
Because while technology can help us stay connected, it is still humanity that makes people stay.
The Relationships That Matter as You Grow
As your business grows, there are different kinds of relationships you need to sustain well.
Not just one.
And each one matters for a different reason.
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The relationship with your team
These are the people working with you to bring your vision to life.
That matters enormously.
People do not just need direction. They need trust. They need clarity. They need to know they matter. They need to feel that they are part of something, not just delivering tasks inside it.
If you want a team to carry your standards, they need to experience your values in the relationship they have with you.
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The relationship with the companies and people you work with
These are your clients, collaborators, partners and the people who experience your business from the outside in.
These relationships shape reputation, opportunity and momentum.
They are not built in one email or one pitch. They are built in how you show up, how you solve problems, how you communicate, and whether people feel they can trust your word.
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The relationship with your trusted professional circle
This is the peer group, the advisors, the accountants, the sounding boards, the people whose counsel matters.
These relationships are easy to underestimate until you really need them.
Good businesses are not built in isolation. They are supported by wise people, strong counsel and trusted relationships that help you think clearly, especially when the stakes are high.
All three matter.
And all three need care.
Not All Relationship Building Is Networking
I do not mean performative networking.
I do not mean collecting contacts.
I do not mean transactional check-ins that disappear once the ask is over.
And I do not mean using AI to send polished messages that sound impressive but feel hollow.
I mean real contact.
Light touch, maybe.
But real.
Remembering people.
Checking in.
Being present.
Following through.
Making time.
Being useful.
Being honest.
Staying in touch in a way that reflects the actual relationship.
That is what builds trust.
And trust travels.
A Relationship That Grew Over Twenty Years
One relationship that stands out strongly for me began in what looked, at first, like a straightforward business contact.
She was originally a decision-maker in relation to our access to a contract. She agreed. That could easily have been where the relationship ended.
But it did not.
She went on to upskill through two Masters and moved her career into a different department, outside of where we were supplying temps at that time. We kept in contact throughout.
Not intensely.
Not performatively.
But genuinely.
Through email.
Through LinkedIn.
Through WhatsApp.
Through lunches.
Through light-touch contact that was real.
Over time, she progressed into a role of influence and introduced me to Heads of Department who could potentially use our services.
They did.
Then she moved again and did it again.
She is now in a very senior role in a new location, and over the years I have had the gift of her counsel on major decisions with significant contract implications.
This is not a two-week relationship.
It spans more than twenty years plus.
It is a little bit of a unicorn, yes.
But it is real, values and it has impacted me as a business owner, and my company, in innumerable ways.
That is the power of a trusted relationship.
And when I reflected on how this relationship has been sustained for so long, I believe it was due to us both having very similar value sets and expectations of how to treat people. She wanted the very best support when her team were under pressure, we were committed to supplying the very best temps, and we were both able to have honest, sometimes tough conversations about feedback because neither of us had any interest in polished nonsense over real improvement. Beneath all of that sat shared drivers too: patient care, integrity, a working-class respect for hard work, and a genuine love of people.
This is the question I am carrying through my blogs going forward:
What would it look like to put on your Courage Shoes?
In this context, it might mean reaching out.
It might mean keeping in touch even when there is no immediate ask.
It might mean being more human and less polished.
It might mean using AI to help you stay organised, but not letting it strip out your voice.
It might mean making the call, sending the note, arranging the lunch, following up properly, or simply being present enough to sustain what matters.
It might also mean recognising that relationships take time.
And that not everything valuable in business shows its return quickly.
That takes courage too.
Especially in a world that rewards speed, noise and short-term gain.
Relationships Carry Business in Ways Strategy Alone Cannot
Before scale, often there is trust.
Before growth, often there is reputation.
Before the next opportunity, often there is a person willing to say your name in a room you are not in.
That is not accidental.
That is relationship.
So yes, use AI well.
Use it wisely.
Use it to support your systems and strengthen your consistency.
But do not outsource your humanity.
Because in the end, the relationships that sustain your business will not be built on automation alone.
They will be built on sincerity, presence, trust and time.
And those things still matter. Perhaps now more than ever.
Closing Reflection
In business, we can become obsessed with what is visible.
The plan.
The sale.
The pitch.
The growth.
But often the hidden power is something quieter.
A trusted relationship.
A genuine connection.
A person who knows your character as well as your capability.
That is worth investing in.
Because in a fast-moving world, real human relationships are not old-fashioned.
They are an advantage.
