Relational leaders, great to see you. First off, thank you for all the feedback on last week’s topic about “demonstrations of value.” I’ve loved hearing how many of you are putting those ideas into action. Let’s keep going on that theme, because as we build referral-based businesses, there’s one thing that separates the good from the great. Emotional loyalty. That’s the moment when someone doesn’t just like you or trust you. They’re for you. The kind of loyalty where your partners would run...
9 days ago • 2 min read
Hello, relational leaders. First, thank you for being you. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a small business owner or a commission-based professional who believes in growing through relationships. And you’re right to think that way. Because while the world chases attention through social media, AI, or the next shiny marketing hack, what really wins is emotional loyalty. Attention fades. Loyalty compounds. When you build emotional loyalty with your referral partners, your shoulder...
16 days ago • 2 min read
Hey, Relational Leaders, I had a great conversation this week with one of my coaching clients. He’s got some big sales goals on the board. You know that feeling—trying to stretch but also stay true to how you want to grow. So he asked me, “Brian, my branch manager wants me to go out and market this unique product we have, but I can’t get through the gatekeepers. What should I do?” And I paused. Because honestly, my first answer was, I don’t know. Here’s why. That’s sales. If you’ve followed...
23 days ago • 1 min read
Hey there, relational leaders. I want to share a quick story about one of my coaching clients. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re a small business owner or a commission-based professional. And like many of us, the relationships that lead to referrals — the kind that drive your results — really matter to you. It’s not always easy. That’s why I like to share real success stories from clients who are doing it well. This one’s about a client named Ben. Ben’s in the mortgage industry, and...
30 days ago • 1 min read
Hard to believe we’ve stepped into Q4 of 2025 already. The year’s flown by, hasn’t it? Just the other day, I was with the Boardroom, a group of relational leaders and small business owners who are all busy building their version of special. We spent time debriefing the past quarter, and something powerful rose to the surface—how much execution improves when joyful accountability is in the mix. Now, you’ve probably heard this stat before, but it bears repeating. The American Institute of...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
All right, relational leaders. Let me tell you a quick story about the difference between a 10% chance of success and a 95% chance. It’s not luck.It’s not about finding more time in your week.It’s not even about having the perfect plan. It’s about Joyful Accountability. The American Society for Training and Development did a study that caught my attention. Here’s what they found: simply setting a goal gives you about a 10% chance of accomplishing it. Ten percent! Think about that. Most of us...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Most business owners think they need more leads. But what they really need is more referrals. And referrals flow out of relationships. That’s where gratitude comes in. Let me tell you about Dan. Dan’s part of The Boardroom, and not long ago, he shared a story that stopped us in our tracks. He had been looking for ways to grow his business. Like most entrepreneurs, he thought about prospecting, marketing, and getting his message out. But instead of doubling down on “selling, selling, selling,”...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
I was talking with a coaching client recently, and the breakthrough he shared with me was too good to keep to myself. He’s not new to the game. Decades in the mortgage industry. A seasoned pro. But even with all that experience, he hit a wall. Referrals had slowed down. Business felt harder than it should. The spark was fading. Then something shifted. Over the last few months, his referrals literally tripled. His excitement for the business shot through the roof. Momentum returned. So of...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Let's talk about flywheels, and what they can do for your business. There are four stages of a flywheel: It starts slowly. If you think about an industrial flywheel, it's a big wheel that moves a lot of things, and it takes some work to get it started from stopped. It builds momentum. Once it gets going, you may have to give it nudges here and there to keep it going, but it's decent good momentum. And it's way easier than starting from stopped, like at the beginning. It reinforces and...
3 months ago • 2 min read